NAKSHA Scheme

The Union Rural Development Minister has Launched NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) scheme.

• About NAKSHA Scheme: It is a city survey initiative under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
• Led by: Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development.
• Objective: Create an accurate geospatial database for urban land records using aerial and field surveys with GIS technology, and pilot project covers 152 urban local bodies in 26 states.
• Eligibility criteria: Area (Less than 35 sq km) and Population (Less than 2 lakh)
• Completion Timeline: One year.
• Need for the Initiative:

o Urban land records are outdated, unlike improved rural land records.

o Many cities lack maps, causing inefficiencies in governance & taxation.

o Few states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa have structured land records.

o Announced in Union Budget 2024, and reaffirmed in Union Budget 2025 under the National Geospatial Mission for modernizing land records, urban planning, and infrastructure design.