Recent 6 months news in National

The Ministry of Mines launched the PM Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) in 2015 to ensure that mining-affected communities receive developmental benefits.

The scheme has completed 11 years since its inception, with more than 4.7 lakh projects sanctioned at a total valuation exceeding ₹1 lakh crore. Implementation of the scheme is managed through District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled the logo for the birth centenary celebrations of Yatikula Chakravarti Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji in New Delhi.

It is to be noted that the latter was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2020 for his contributions to the field of social work.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) have jointly launched the nationwide ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ (SHS) 2026 campaign. The launch was marked by a plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ initiative at Children’s Park in New Delhi.

The SHS 2026 campaign is structured around 5 central pillars: transformation of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) and clean public places, ‘Swachh Paathshala - Yuva for Swachhata’ program, ‘SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir’, ‘Jan Bhagidari for Swachhata’, and ‘Swachhata Se Samriddhi’.

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, along with CM of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel, has inaugurated the World Circular Economy Forum 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is to be noted that this makes India the first South Asian nation to host the forum.

The event was organised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in collaboration with Finland, under the theme “Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity”. During the inaugural session, two publications were released: “Best Practices for Reuse of Treated Sewage” and “Driving Sustainability - A Guide to India’s Circular Economy and EPR Initiatives”.

PM Narendra Modi has launched the ‘100 Weeks Nasha Mukt Yuva Abhiyan’ (NMBA) in August 2026. The campaign is initiated by the Department of Youth Affairs (DoYA) under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) through the ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ (MY Bharat) and the National Service Scheme (NSS).

The initiative officially started with the nationwide ‘Rashtriya Sankalp Samaroh’ on September 18, 2026. It features a ‘Youth Pledge’ and a ‘Signature Drive’ to promote a drug-free lifestyle and has mobilized over 4 lakh participants across more than 1,000 locations nationwide.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has mandated Biometric Aadhaar Authentication (BAA) for domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumers, effective from October 1, 2026. The BAA is necessary for booking refills at the regulated Retail Selling Price (RSP) and for receiving the applicable subsidy.

It is to be noted that consumers who do not complete the authentication can still register through the digital platforms of the Oil Marketing Company (OMC) to receive 5 kg or 10 kg cylinders at market prices, without any subsidy.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has released component-wise operational guidelines for the Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) scheme to strengthen the Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector.

The guidelines detail 6 strategic components: a CBG offtake assurance mechanism, a pricing framework, capital assistance, pipeline infrastructure development, credit guarantee support, and a CBG ecosystem challenge fund.

It is to be noted that City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities supplying Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) are required to meet mandatory CBG purchase targets. The targets are set at 3% for FY27, 4% for FY28, and 5% for FY29 and subsequent years.

The PM Vishwakarma Scheme has completed 3 years of implementation and reached a milestone of 30 lakh registrations. The scheme provides end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople in 18 identified trades through skill development, modern tools, and market access.

Beneficiaries are eligible for a collateral-free Enterprise Development Loan (EDL) of up to ₹3 lakh, which is disbursed in two separate tranches to provide affordable credit support.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has granted in-principle approval for the establishment of an AI Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The AI CoE will function as a national-level hub for AI innovation, startup incubation, and solution deployment.

The initiative will be implemented by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) under MeitY, in collaboration with Blue Cloud Softech Solutions as the industry partner.

Indian Railways has commissioned KAVACH Version 4.0 for the first time on the South Central Railway (SCR). The project involved the upgradation from KAVACH Version 3.2 to Version 4.0.

The implementation was completed on the Malkajgiri-Kamareddi section of the Hyderabad Division, covering a total distance of 108 Route Kilometres (RKm).

India has inaugurated its first farm-level soil carbon payment initiative at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, Punjab.

The payments are distributed as part of the ‘Aadi’ farmer carbon programme, which was launched by Grow Indigo in 2019 under the technical guidance of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). A total of 2,550 smallholder farmers from Punjab and Haryana will receive disbursements of over ₹2.9 crore for implementing verified regenerative agricultural practices.

It is to be noted that the initial phase of the project covered 30,000 acres and generated over 50,000 verified carbon credits. Individual payouts to the farmers ranged from ₹3,000 to ₹15,000, depending on the volume of verified carbon credits generated from the landholdings.

Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has launched the Challenge Mode Portal for Aerodrome Development in New Delhi, marking the implementation of the modified regional connectivity scheme, Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN).

The challenge-based selection approach aims to reduce the construction period of airports to 18 months from the current average of 3 years.

To facilitate infrastructure development, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have signed 21 MoUs with participating states and Union Territories. The Modified UDAN initiative has a target outlay of ₹30,000 crore over the next decade to develop 100 new airports. It aims to provide connectivity to 120 new destinations.

The Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Amendment Act, 2026 will come into force on October 1, 2026. It strengthens Section 13(3) of the RBD Act, 1969.

Under the act, reporting births or deaths after 1 year but within 2 years requires approval from the District Magistrate (DM), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), or an authorized Executive Magistrate, subject to verification and fee. For registrations delayed by more than 2 years, an order from the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) is mandatory to ensure judicial scrutiny.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has released a commemorative postage stamp issued by the Department of Posts (DoP) to honor Sant Malukdas. The release took place during the “Sant Samagam”, a gathering organized in memory of the saint.

India has hosted the 18th edition of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The summit was organized around these four primary pillars.

The event witnessed the launch of the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System (EWS) for infectious diseases, a Logistics Supply Chain Cooperation framework, a Startup Innovation Fund, and the BRICS Incubator Network. Other initiatives include a MSME portal, a Digital Centre for Smart Grids and Energy Storage, the Urban Mobility Hub (UMH), and CoEs for Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture.

PM Narendra Modi released two commemorative postage stamps titled “BRICS: Two Decades of Cooperation, 2006-2026” to mark the 20th anniversary of the forum. President of China Xi Jinping proposed a “5-point action plan”, including the creation of an open-source AI community. The summit concluded with the unanimous adoption of the “New Delhi Declaration”.

India and Vietnam have designated 2027 as the ‘Year of India-Vietnam Friendship’ to commemorate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The announcement was made during the 19th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) held in New Delhi.

Both nations have committed to achieving a bilateral trade target of $25 billion by 2030.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh has virtually inaugurated the 51st state-of-the-art Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) of India at Sambalpur, Odisha.

He highlighted that the national DWR network has expanded from 14 units in 2014 to the current 51. He also stated that 40 additional radars are planned for deployment under the “Mission Mausam” initiative.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has chaired the Sports Ministers’ Meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He, along with Union Minister of State (MoS) Raksha Khadse, also led the BRICS Friendship Cycling Event in Visakhapatnam.

Additionally, India has hosted the 18th BRICS Academic Forum in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The forum was organised as a part of the BRICS Presidency of India in 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated, dedicated to the nation, and laid the foundation stones for various development projects worth over ₹35,000 crore in Vadodara, Gujarat.

During the event, he virtually inaugurated the final three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The corridor connects the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Navi Mumbai with Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. These three final sections of the WDFC, spanning across Maharashtra and Gujarat, were developed at an estimated cost of ₹20,700 crore.

The fifth National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting under the PM Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) has approved strategic investments worth ₹735.70 crore for three Industrial Training Institute (ITI) clusters. With this, the cumulative sanctioned investment under the PM-SETU initiative has increased to ₹2,171 crore across nine ITI clusters.

The approved Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) are: Rajasthan (A SIP of ₹241 crore submitted by HG Infra Engineering Ltd), Telangana (A SIP of ₹254.3 crore submitted by ZEN Technologies Ltd) Uttar Pradesh (A SIP of ₹240.4 crore submitted by the National Skill Development Corporation).