Consider the following statements with reference to the Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India : I. The Sagarmala Programme seeks to achieve port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure. II. The success of the Sagarmala Programme is reflected in significant growth in coastal and inland waterway shipping, along with improved global port rankings. III. Sagarmala 2.0 aims to position India as a global maritime innovation hub aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions. Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct ? 1. Statement II validates the effectiveness of the strategies envisioned in statement I. 2. Statement III extends the objectives of statement I by embedding them into a future-oriented innovation framework. 3. Statement I contradicts statement III by focusing only on traditional infrastructure instead of modern innovation. Select the answer using the code given below :

Correct Option: B (1 and 2)

Why Option B is correct: The Sagarmala Programme, approved in March 2015 by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, is India's flagship initiative for port-led development. Statement I accurately outlines its foundational objective: minimizing logistics costs and fostering economic growth through modern coastal infrastructure.

Statement 1 is correct because Statement II directly validates the strategy described in Statement I. The push for coastal infrastructure has yielded quantifiable results. For instance, according to the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2023, nine Indian ports (including Visakhapatnam) ranked in the Global Top 100. Additionally, inland waterway cargo movement surged by nearly 700% (from 18.1 MTPA in 2013-14 to over 145 MTPA by FY 2024-25), proving that the initial infrastructure strategies effectively boosted maritime trade.

Statement 2 is correct because Sagarmala 2.0 explicitly extends these foundational goals. While the first phase focused on physical capacity building, Sagarmala 2.0 embeds these goals into a future-oriented framework aligned with the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. It focuses on green ports, advanced shipbuilding, and maritime startups, aligning with the national visions of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 to make India a global maritime innovation hub.

Why the other statements are incorrect: Statement 3 is incorrect because Statement I and Statement III are complementary, not contradictory. The traditional infrastructure developed under the original programme serves as the necessary physical foundation for the technological innovations introduced in Sagarmala 2.0.

Takeaway: Think of the programme's evolution as building a house: Sagarmala 1.0 built the physical foundation (Ports & Connectivity), while Sagarmala 2.0 upgrades it with smart technology (Innovation & Global Integration for Viksit Bharat 2047).