16 March 2026·PIB

Ministry monitors the projects through online portal/ web monitoring system "Project Assessment Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-Building (PAIMANA)"

In this note

1. At a Glance

PAIMANA is the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) web-based monitoring portal for Central Sector Infrastructure Projects costing ₹150 crore and above [1][2][5].
Replaced the legacy OCMS (Online Computerized Monitoring System), 2006 — represents a major digital governance upgrade for capital-expenditure tracking [2].
Important for UPSC as a GS-III (Infrastructure, Government Budgeting) + GS-II (e-Governance) instrument, illustrating Centre's project-monitoring architecture and statistical reform under MoSPI.

MoSPI's PIB release of 16 March 2026 reiterated PAIMANA as the official monitoring system, alongside base-year revisions of CPI (2024=100) released 12 Feb 2026 and GDP (2022-23 base) released 27 Feb 2026; revised IIP (2022-23) scheduled for May 2026 [1].
As of January 2026, PAIMANA tracked 1,702 ongoing projects across 17 Central Ministries/Departments, original cost ₹33.71 lakh crore, cumulative expenditure ₹20.01 lakh crore [2][5].
Recent integration of PAIMANA with DPIIT's Integrated Project Monitoring Portal (IPMP) via APIs [2].

2006: Earlier OCMS rolled out by MoSPI's Infrastructure & Project Monitoring Division to track centrally-funded mega projects [2].
25 September 2025: PAIMANA launched as successor portal, modernising OCMS architecture [2].
Continues the constitutional/administrative mandate of MoSPI's Infrastructure & Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) which publishes the monthly Flash Report on Central Sector Infrastructure Projects [5].

Full form: Project Assessment Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-Building [1].
Parent ministry: Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) [1].
Division responsible: Infrastructure & Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) [2].
Threshold: Projects of ₹150 crore and above in the Central Sector [2].
URL: ipm.mospi.gov.in [2].
Predecessor: OCMS (2006) [2].
Integration: API-linked with DPIIT's IPMP (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) [2].
Coverage (Jan 2026): 1,702 projects, 17 Ministries/Departments, ₹33.71 lakh crore original cost [2].

Economic

Tracks ₹33.71 lakh crore of capex pipeline — central to capital-expenditure-led growth strategy [2].
Enables identification of time and cost overruns, which historically inflate project costs by 15-20% [5].

Administrative / Governance

Centralised single source of truth replacing siloed reporting; one-click analytical dashboards reduce manual MIS effort [2].
API integration with DPIIT-IPMP removes duplicate data entry by Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) [2].

Scientific / Technological

Web-based with API-based interoperability; supports analytics and auto-generated Flash Reports [2].
Aligns with MoSPI's broader digital transformation push showcased at the 29th CoCSSO (Conference of Central & State Statistical Organisations) [3].

Statistical / Federal

Sits alongside MoSPI's other reform tracks — base-year revisions of CPI (2024=100) and GDP (2022-23) released in Feb 2026; IIP (2022-23) due May 2026 [1].

25 Sept 2025: PAIMANA portal launched, replacing OCMS [2].
Dec 2025 Flash Report (482nd edition): First major flash report routed through PAIMANA QR-link [4].
Jan 2026: 1,702 projects, 17 ministries covered [2].
12 Feb 2026: Revised CPI (base 2024=100) released [1].
27 Feb 2026: Revised GDP series (base 2022-23) released [1].
16 Mar 2026: PIB note reiterating PAIMANA as primary monitoring tool [1].

PAIMANA stands for Project Assessment Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-Building [1].
Implementing body: MoSPI (not NITI Aayog, not DPIIT) [1].
Monitors Central Sector projects of ₹150 crore and above [2].
Replaced OCMS of 2006 [2].
Launched on 25 September 2025 [2].
Integrated via APIs with DPIIT's IPMP (Integrated Project Monitoring Portal) [2].
17 Central Ministries/Departments, 1,702 projects as of Jan 2026 [2].
Hosted at ipm.mospi.gov.in [2].
MoSPI's IPMD publishes monthly Flash Reports on infrastructure projects [5].
New CPI base year = 2024; new GDP base year = 2022-23; IIP base year revision planned for May 2026 (base 2022-23) [1].
NIC (National Industrial Classification) is maintained by MoSPI, aligned with ISIC of the UN [1].

GS-III: Infrastructure — Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.; Government Budgeting.
GS-II: e-Governance applications, models, successes, limitations; Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability.
Probable stems:
"Time and cost overruns plague India's central sector infrastructure projects. Examine how digital monitoring platforms like PAIMANA can address this."
"Discuss the role of MoSPI in India's statistical and project-monitoring ecosystem in the context of recent base-year revisions and PAIMANA."
"API-based interoperability across government portals is the next frontier of e-governance. Comment with reference to PAIMANA-IPMP integration."

PRAGATI platform (PMO) — multi-modal review of stuck projects; complements PAIMANA.
DPIIT's IPMP / National Single Window System — cross-ministry investment facilitation.
PM GatiShakti National Master Plan — multimodal infrastructure planning.
National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) — ₹111 lakh crore pipeline being monitored.
CPI / GDP / IIP base year revisions — MoSPI statistical reform.
National Industrial Classification (NIC) & ISIC — links statistics to UN standards.
NMP (National Monetisation Pipeline) — asset-recycling angle.
CAG audits on project cost overruns — accountability angle.

Confusing PAIMANA with PRAGATI (PMO-driven) or IPMP (DPIIT-driven) — PAIMANA is MoSPI.
Threshold trap: ₹150 crore, not ₹100 crore or ₹1,000 crore.
Predecessor was OCMS (2006), not e-Samiksha.
It monitors Central Sector projects only — not Centrally Sponsored Schemes or state projects.
Base years: new CPI = 2024, new GDP = 2022-23; aspirants often interchange them.