The concept of "Roads" in the Indian context is primarily defined by a tiered structure of governance and a set of key legislative and programmatic interventions. The road network is classified into National Highways, State Highways, Major District Roads, and Rural Roads, with National Highways carrying over 40% of the total traffic despite constituting only about 2% of the total road length.
The framework for the national network is the National Highways Act, 1956, an Act of Parliament enacted on September 11, 1956, which provides for the declaration, development, and maintenance of certain highways. The Act's mechanism is centered on Section 4, which vests National Highways in the Union, and Section 5, which assigns the responsibility for their development and maintenance to the Central Government. A significant amendment introduced provisions for land acquisition, such as Section 3A, and stipulated in Section 3J that the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, would not apply to acquisitions under this Act. This Act is directly connected to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), an autonomous institution constituted under the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988, which functions as the nodal agency under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
For rural connectivity, the key concept is the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched on December 25, 2000, to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations. The scheme was created to solve the problem of rural isolation and enhance access to markets, healthcare, and education. PMGSY Phase I targeted habitations with a population of 500+ in plain areas and 250+ in special category states. The scheme has changed recently: initially 100% centrally funded, the funding pattern was revised in November 2015 to a 60:40 split between the Centre and states, based on the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission. Related concepts include the Bharatmala Pariyojana, a flagship program aimed at building economic corridors and expressways.