<span style="color: #222222;">The News Services Division brings you glimpses of the year 2021, in its Special Year Ender series, &quot;The Year that was&quot;. Today, we take a look at connecting India beyond miles. Narendra Modi government has laid special emphasis on improving rail, road and air connectivity to facilitate movement of people and to enhance economic activities.<br />” <br />” In this direction, the government has launched several schemes including Bharatmala Pariyojana, Dedicated Freight Corridor and UDAN Scheme. On the occasion of 15th August this year during his address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 75 Vande Bharat trains will connect every corner of the country. He said, the pace at which new airports are being built in the country and the UDAN scheme connecting remote areas is unprecedented.<br />” <br />” AIR correspondent reports that enhancing connectivity in various parts of the region ensures economic activity to spread, allowing under-developed regions to catch up and drive balanced and inclusive growth.<br />” <br />” The Government has set a target of 12 thousand kilometer of National Highway for construction during the current financial year 2021-22 against which over five thousand kilometer has been constructed so far. Currently two thousand 283 National Highway Projects are going on in the country.<br />” <br />” With a view to enhance regional air connectivity, the Ministry of Civil Aviation came out with Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik – UDAN &nbsp;in 2016.<br />” <br />” Under the scheme, four rounds of UDAN have been conducted and 948 routes have been awarded so far to over 100 airports. Out of these awarded routes, 393 UDAN routes have already commenced connecting 62 UDAN airport.<br />”<br />”For enhancement of railway connectivity in North Eastern States, 20 projects costing over 74 thousand crore rupees are under different stages of execution.</span>