Union Cabinet approves Noida metro extension and Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum funding

NEW DELHI — The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a new metro rail project connecting Sector 51 in Noida to Sector 4 in Greater Noida at an estimated cost of Rs 2,390 crore.

The decision was announced following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, November 11. According to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the infrastructure expansion aims to address rapid urban growth in the National Capital Region. Official demographic records indicate that the combined population of Noida and Greater Noida surged from 7.39 lakh in 2011 to 24.7 lakh in 2021, establishing the twin cities among the nation’s fastest-developing planned urban centres.

Under the approved metro initiative, authorities will construct an 8.5-kilometer-long elevated metro corridor featuring five new stations. The route will provide a crucial transit connection with an interchange facility at Noida Sector 61 linking to the Delhi Metro’s Blue Line. Government projections target a four-year completion window for the project.

In addition to the transport link, the Union Cabinet cleared several major financial and cultural measures. The government approved Rs 3,230 crore for the development of the ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum’ in Delhi, which will utilize the North and South Block buildings to establish what is planned as the world’s largest museum.

Furthermore, the cabinet sanctioned a fertilizer subsidy of Rs 62,370 crore dedicated to the upcoming Rabi season. Officials also approved the continuation of credit guarantee funds for micro-enterprises under the MUDRA scheme and the ‘Stand-Up India’ scheme for an additional five-year period.