Recent 6 months news in National

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has announced that the Shekha Jheel Bird Sanctuary in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh (UP), is designated as a Ramsar site. This takes the total number of Ramsar sites in India to 99.

With this addition, UP now has 12 Ramsar sites, the second highest in the country. It is to be noted that Tamil Nadu holds the highest number of Ramsar sites in India with 20 designated wetlands (as of February 2026).

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Sri Guru Bhairavaikya Mandira at Sri Kshetra Adichunchanagiri in Mandya, Karnataka. During the visit, he was honoured with a Mysuru Peta, a traditional headgear crafted from Mysuru and Benaras silk and decorated with pearls and pendants, which was historically worn by the former King of Mysuru, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

PM Modi and former PM HD Deve Gowda have released the publication titled ‘Saundarya Lahari and Shiva Mahimna Stotram’ in Mandya, popularly known as the “Sugar City”. He also highlighted a “nine-point, citizen-driven development agenda” to facilitate the goals of “Viksit Karnataka” and “Viksit Bharat”.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the operational guidelines for the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) and the Credit Repayment Guarantee Sub-Scheme (CRGSS) in New Delhi. The UCF will be implemented from FY26 to FY31, with a possible extension until FY34.

The central government has allocated ₹1 lakh crore as Central Assistance for the UCF to attract a total urban investment of ₹4 lakh crore. Central Assistance is capped at 25% of the total project cost, while at least 50% must be sourced from marketbased sources like municipal bonds, bank loans, and PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPPs). Of the total outlay, ₹90,000 crore is for project funding and ₹5,000 crore is for capacity building. The CRGSS, which has an allocation of ₹5,000 crore, provides credit guarantees to assist smaller cities in accessing finance from market-based sources.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has constituted the Technology and Policy Expert Committee (TPEC) to serve as an advisory arm to the newly established AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) in New Delhi.

S Krishnan, the Secretary of MeitY, has been appointed as the chairperson of the committee. The TPEC aims to translate complex technological concepts into practical policy insights and strengthen the participation of India in various global forums for AI governance.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has hosted the inaugural BRICS Health Working Group (HWG) meeting virtually in New Delhi. The session was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

The meeting was chaired by Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava and saw participation from delegates representing 9 nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, UAE, and Indonesia. During the event, India proposed the “BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyles” as a key priority to improve public health outcomes among the member states.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has released the updated edition of the Constitution of India in the Sindhi language on April 10, 2026, to mark the Sindhi Language Day (Sindhi Bhasha Diwas). The publication was released at Uparashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi in two versions: Devanagari Script and Persian Script.

The initiative was executed by the Legislative Department under the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J) in accordance with Articles 343, 345, and 350B of the Constitution. It is to be noted that Sindhi was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India via the 21st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1967.

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool (BMI pool) to provide continuous maritime insurance coverage for Indian vessels. The initiative is backed by a sovereign guarantee of ₹12,980 crore to provide financial security and ensure insurance availability for the pool.

The BMI pool is intended to reduce dependency on external insurance and mitigate risks from global volatility and geopolitical instability in the maritime sector of India.

The Union Cabinet has approved an additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, effective from January 2026.

The increment represents a 2% increase over the existing rate of 58% of the basic pay or pension.

The move aims to provide compensation against price escalation.

The total financial impact on the exchequer due to the increase in DA and DR is estimated at ₹6,791.24 crore per annum.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved two multi-tracking projects of the Ministry of Railways (MoR) with a total estimated cost of ₹24,815 crore. The projects aim to expand the network of Indian Railways by 601 km, covering a total track length of 1,317 km.

The expansion will span across 15 districts in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The infrastructure development is scheduled for completion by the FY31.

The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the PM Gram Sadak Yojana-III (PMGSY-III) from March 2025 until March 2028.

The scheme focuses on the consolidation of Through Routes and Major Rural Links to connect habitations with Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), Higher Secondary Schools, and Hospitals.

The financial outlay for the PMGSY-III has been revised to ₹83,977 crore from the original allocation of ₹80,250 crore.

The timeline for completing roads and bridges in plain areas, as well as roads in hilly regions, is extended to March 2028, while the deadline for bridges in hilly areas is extended to March 2029.

The government has also authorized the sanctioning of 161 Long Span Bridges (LSBs), worth ₹961 crore, located on the alignments of previously sanctioned roads.