RAS question
The National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) was launched for a period of:
Correct answer: (A) 4 years (2021-25).
The National Monetisation Pipeline was launched for four years, covering FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25.
Explanation
The National Monetisation Pipeline fits option A because its official period runs from FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25, which makes it a four-year pipeline. The cited PIB release states that the NMP listed potential core assets of Central Government Ministries and public sector enterprises for monetisation during this period. It also confirms the broad scale given in the question's explanation: assets with monetisation potential of Rs 6 lakh crore were included for the four-year period. The point to remember is that NMP was not a generic long-term privatisation plan; it was a time-bound monetisation pipeline for brownfield public-sector assets, prepared by NITI Aayog with the concerned infrastructure ministries after the Union Budget 2021-22 announcement.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Five years, 2021-26, extends the pipeline by one year beyond the PIB-stated end point of FY 2024-25.
- (C) Three years, 2021-24, cuts off the final year because the official period continues through FY 2024-25.
- (D) Ten years, 2021-31, is far longer than the PIB-described four-year NMP window.
Concept
This tests the Indian Economy theme of infrastructure financing and asset monetisation. RAS often asks such current policy facts because they connect Union Budget announcements, NITI Aayog initiatives and public-sector asset management.