Question

What is the main role of the National Highway Authority of India?

Answer 1

Hint: This is an autonomous body of the Government of India, founded in 1988, and is responsible for maintaining a network of over 50,000 km of India's 1.15,000 km of highways. It is the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' Nodal Department. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by this organization with the Indian Space Research Organization for highway satellite mapping. Since 28 October 2019, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu (IAS) has been the new Chairman of NHAI.

Complete step by step answer:
Established in 1988, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is responsible for the development, maintenance, and management of national highways. It became operational in February 1995 and is currently conducting staggered construction activities within the scope of the National Highway Development Project (NHDP). Both the cumulative phases are targeted at upgrading the National Highway Networks to more than 25,000 km of arterial roads to international requirements. In addition, NHAI is also responsible for the execution of several national highway schemes, mainly for road connectivity to major Indian ports. Besides NHAI, State Public Works Department (PWDs) and Frontier Road Organisation (BRO) carry out the construction of the National Highways. NHAI Functions The growth, maintenance, and management of National Highways (NH) across the nation. Collecting fees/tolls on NH, overseeing and monitoring the proper handling of plying vehicles on NH. Developing and delivering national and regional consulting and design services. Study efforts that help to build, preserve, and operate highways or other facilities are also carried out. To advise the central government on NH-related issues. Formulating and applying NH planning schemes. Constructing NHAI staff offices and residential houses. Providing NH users with the facilities and amenities needed for the smooth flow of traffic on such highways.

Note: Actually, up to 33 lakh km is the cumulative length of Indian highways, together with expressways and other rural/district routes.
There are more than 200 national highways with a total length of 92,851.07 km. In India, the complete number of state highways is 1,31,899 km. There are mostly double lanes on these highways. Yet 4 to 6 lanes each span more than 22,900 km.