National Capital Region Planning Board
Also called: NCRPB · Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) is a statutory body, which means a body created by a law made by Parliament. It was set up under the National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985. Its job is to plan balanced growth across the National Capital Region (NCR), the area made up of Delhi and nearby parts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It writes a regional plan and coordinates land use, transport and infrastructure across these governments. This matters because a city's problems, such as crowding and traffic, spread across State borders, and so no single State can plan for the region alone.
Example
In 2026 the Union Cabinet approved a ₹9,585-crore scheme for replacing old trucks and buses in Delhi-NCR, and the money goes through the NCRPB. Under the scheme, BS-III and older vehicles must be scrapped at Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities. Light goods vehicles bought for Delhi must be electric, and buses must be BS-VI CNG or electric.
Don't confuse with
- Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): also a statutory body for the NCR, but it was set up under a 2021 Act and deals only with air quality. It issues binding directions, such as GRAP curbs and entry bans on polluting vehicles. The NCRPB plans the region's overall development and does not regulate pollution.