National Land Bank
Full Form of NLB
What is NLB?
The National Land Bank (NLB) is a centralized digital repository maintained by the Government of India under the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development. It aggregates and catalogues unused or underutilized government land parcels across the country, including land owned by central ministries, state governments, and public sector undertakings. The primary objective of the NLB is to promote efficient land utilization by making surplus land available for public infrastructure projects such as highways, railways, affordable housing, and renewable energy installations. It serves as a single-window platform where agencies can search, identify, and request land parcels for development, reducing delays caused by fragmented land records. The NLB is actively used by various ministries, state land departments, and implementing agencies like NHAI and Indian Railways. In terms of exam relevance, the concept of NLB frequently appears in UPSC Prelims and Mains, especially in questions related to land reforms, infrastructure policy, and governance. It is also discussed in State PCS exams under rural development and land administration topics. The platform enhances transparency, minimizes litigation, and supports the government's goal of Ease of Doing Business by streamlining land acquisition processes.
NLB का फुल फॉर्म
राष्ट्रीय भूमि बैंक
Example
The NLB portal has enabled the Ministry of Road Transport to quickly locate 500 acres of surplus government land for the new greenfield expressway project in Uttar Pradesh.