Q60. With reference to India’s projects on connectivity, consider the following statements:
1. East-West Corridor under Golden Quadrilateral Project connects Dibrugarh and Surat.
2. Trilateral Highway connects Moreh in Manipur and Chiang Mai in Thailand via Myanmar.
3. Bangladesh – China -India – Myanmar Economic Corridor connects Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with Kunming in China.
How many of the above statements are correct?
a. Only one
b. Only two
c. All three
d. None
Question from UPSC Prelims 2023 GS Paper
Explanation :
d. None
1. East-West Corridor under the Golden Quadrilateral Project:
The East-West Corridor is a part of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) of India, which aims to improve road connectivity across the country. The corridor connects Silchar in Assam to Porbandar in Gujarat, covering a total length of 3,300 km. It passes through several states, including Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Gujarat. The project is aimed at improving transportation, trade, and economic development in these regions.
2. Trilateral Highway:
The Trilateral Highway, also known as the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Highway, is a 1,360 km-long road project that aims to connect Moreh in Manipur, India, with Mae Sot in Thailand, via Myanmar. The project is part of a larger plan to enhance regional connectivity and promote economic cooperation among the three countries. The highway is expected to boost trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges in the region. The project is currently under construction, and once completed, it will be a significant milestone in fostering regional integration and cooperation in South and Southeast Asia.
3. Bangladesh – China – India – Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor:
The BCIM Economic Corridor is a proposed multi-modal connectivity project that aims to link Kolkata in West Bengal, India, with Kunming in Yunnan Province, China, via Bangladesh and Myanmar. The corridor is intended to facilitate trade, investment, and economic cooperation among the four countries. The proposed route covers a total distance of approximately 2,800 km and passes through key cities such as Dhaka (Bangladesh), Mandalay (Myanmar), and Kunming (China).
The BCIM Economic Corridor is one of the several economic corridors proposed under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which seeks to enhance regional connectivity and promote economic development across Asia, Europe, and Africa. The corridor is expected to boost economic growth, create new employment opportunities, and improve infrastructure in the participating countries. However, the project’s progress has been slow due to various challenges, including political, economic, and security concerns among the involved countries.