Explanation

GAGAN (GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) is India’s Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), jointly developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances the signals received from GPS satellites to provide greater accuracy, availability, and integrity for navigation — particularly for aviation purposes.

Statement I is correct. GAGAN is specifically designed to provide additional accuracy, availability, and integrity to GPS signals. It enables pilots to rely on GPS for all phases of flight — from en route navigation to final approach — at all qualified airports within the GAGAN service volume. It also provides positioning accuracy of better than 3 metres over the Indian Flight Information Region (FIR).

Statement II is correct. GAGAN enhances Air Traffic Management (ATM) by enabling more precise position reporting. This leads to more uniform and high-quality management of airspace, improves route efficiency, reduces delays, and enhances safety — particularly in poor weather conditions where ground-based instrument landing systems may be unavailable or costly to install.

Statement III is incorrect. Although GAGAN was primarily developed for aviation, its benefits extend well beyond aviation. The system supports navigation across maritime, highway, and railroad sectors as well as applications in agriculture, surveying, and disaster management. India became the fourth country in the world — after the USA, Europe, and Japan — to have an operational SBAS, and GAGAN complements India’s regional navigation system NavIC to form a robust indigenous navigation infrastructure.
UPSC Insight

UPSC Insight
Statement III is the planted error — the word “only” makes it incorrect. GAGAN’s benefits are not restricted to aviation. Whenever a statement uses limiting qualifiers like “only,” “never,” or “exclusively,” treat it with suspicion and verify whether exceptions exist.