Recent 6 months news in National

The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) has granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags to 11 products from Jharkhand, including the Bhoya Saree and Fabric, Kuchai Silk Saree, Jharkhand Bamboo Craft, and Sohrai Painting.

With these additions, Jharkhand has a total of 12 GI-tagged products, of which 4 are supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

The GIR has also granted GI status to 4 traditional products from Assam, namely Karbi Anglong Handloom Products, Assam Bihu Pepa, Assam Bamboo Crafts, and Deuri Handloom Products. Assam currently holds 45 GI-tagged products in total, with 12 being supported by NABARD.

The tribal musical instrument of Tripura, Sarinda (also known as Sarinda Uakhrap), has been granted a GI tag. Tripura now possesses a total of 4 GI-tagged products, all of which are supported by NABARD. It is to be noted that a GI registration is valid for a period of 10 years from the date of registration and can be renewed for further periods of 10 years each.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has selected 3 Indian space startups as the first set of Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) to receive funding under its Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) scheme.

The selected startups are Astrobase Space Technologies Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru), SatSure Analytics India Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru), and TM2SPACE Technologies Pvt Ltd (Hyderabad). Under this initiative, SatSure Analytics India Pvt Ltd will develop a Large Earth Observation Model (LOM) named "Dhaarini".

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the procurement of pulses and oilseeds at Minimum Support Price (MSP) under the Price Support Scheme (PSS). Uttar Pradesh is the major beneficiary for the Summer 2026 season, with approvals for 48,298 metric tonnes (MT) of moong, 97,970 MT of urad, and 41,718 MT of groundnut.

Procurement approvals include 18,250 MT of moong for Gujarat and 2,115 MT of moong for Haryana. Additionally, for Tamil Nadu, the moong procurement limit for the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2025-26 has been increased from 885 MT to 990 MT.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has launched the tech-driven Smart Warehousing System at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This system represents the world's largest deployment of AI and Internet of Things (IoT)-based technologies in public-sector storage.

The system is currently operational across 216 grain warehouses managed by the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC). The Food Corporation of India is scheduled to transition 150 of its warehouses to the smart system by October 2026.

The Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications has launched its first drone-based mail and parcel delivery service. The service operates between the Mandi Head Post Office and the Rehardhar Branch Post Office in Himachal Pradesh.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has completed 12 years of the ‘Skill India’ initiative, which is one of the world’s largest skilling ecosystems.

In terms of infrastructure growth, the number of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) has increased from 9,776 in 2014 to over 13,888, expanding access to skill development nationwide.

Union Minister JP Nadda has launched nationwide celebrations in New Delhi to mark the 10th anniversary of the PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), under the theme "10 Years of PMSMA: A Decade of Care".

Launched in 2016 by PM Narendra Modi, the PMSMA provides free, comprehensive, and quality antenatal care services to pregnant women on the 9th day of every month. During the event, the minister released a special ₹75 commemorative coin and a ₹5 postage stamp. Nationwide campaigns are being conducted to encourage pregnant women to avail the 9 assured free antenatal care services offered under the scheme.

Ashok Leyland and Switch Mobility have partnered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as the first Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to offer discounts under the New Delhi-NCR vehicle replacement scheme.

The scheme, with an outlay of ₹9,585 crore, aims to replace over 2 lakh old commercial vehicles. Under this initiative, the companies are offering an 8% discount on the ex-showroom price of eligible new trucks and buses.

Indian Railways has approved the installation of the ‘Kavach’ automatic train protection system on the balance Broad Gauge sections of the Ambala Division (Northern Railway), spanning 811 route km at a cost of ₹201 crore.

Additionally, it has approved the installation of ‘Kavach’ Version 4.0 on 598 route km across 48 block sections of the Ahmedabad Division (Western Railway) in Gujarat, at a cost of ₹140 crore.

Varanasi becomes the first Indian city to be integrated under the “Easy Connect” model, a hub-and-spoke aviation framework launched by the Government of India.

Spearheaded by Air India, the initiative aims to transform non-metro cities into key starting points for global travel.

PM Narendra Modi has visited the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 56 development projects worth ₹2,970 crore, aiming to improve healthcare, air connectivity, tourism, and public infrastructure in the region.

Key projects include the new terminal building of NAMO Airport and the NAMO Hospital, developed at a combined cost of ₹1,340 crore.

PM Narendra Modi has visited Gujarat, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects in Surat worth ₹18,800 crore, aimed at strengthening road connectivity, power infrastructure, and industrial development.

He also virtually inaugurated the first ‘World Yogasana Championship’ in Ahmedabad, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage City.

Key projects include Packages VI and VII of the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, a 200-bed Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital, a transmission network expansion project, and Chemical and Bulk Drug Zone projects in Valsad and Bharuch.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has unveiled the ‘Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)’ (VB-G RAM G) framework.

The rural development initiative has been allocated a budget of ₹1.25 lakh crore and is set to be effective from July 2026. It aims to generate employment, create village assets, and promote digital governance across nearly 2.8 lakh Gram Panchayats.

Union Minister Amit Shah has launched the Land Port Management System (LPMS) – VINIMAY, a digital platform in New Delhi. Developed by the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the system aims to modernize land port operations, facilitate trade, and strengthen border security.

The implementation of the platform is expected to eliminate 90% of paperwork, reduce truck waiting time by 40-60%, and cut gate processing time by 22-35%.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has inaugurated a 20 kW Akashvani FM transmitter in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, to upgrade communication capabilities along the India-Pakistan border.

He also announced the establishment of an Advanced Quantum Computing and Quantum Communications Lab and a dedicated AI Lab at the Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur.

Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh has launched the ‘NZP Saathi App’ and inaugurated self-ticketing kiosks at the National Zoological Park (NZP) in New Delhi.

The app acts as a digital guide for the zoo, providing smart navigation and facilitating easy online ticketing for visitors.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the construction of General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) and Central Government General Pool Office Accommodation (CGGPOA) in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. It is to be noted that this is the first GPRA project to be established in the state.

India has joined ‘Project Glasswing’, a global cybersecurity initiative led by Anthropic PBC, gaining access to ‘Claude Mythos AI’, an advanced AI model.

This model is designed to identify software vulnerabilities and strengthen cyber defences for critical infrastructure, helping participating nations enhance their cybersecurity resilience and safeguard their critical digital infrastructure.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched India’s first passenger Flex-Fuel Vehicle (FFV), the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, capable of running on ethanol-petrol blends ranging from 20% ethanol (E20) to E100.

It is to be noted that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also launched Hero MotoCorp’s first flex-fuel motorcycles, the ‘Splendor+ Flex Fuel’ and ‘HF Deluxe Flex Fuel’, in New Delhi. These initiatives are aimed at promoting ethanol-based mobility in India.

The Union Cabinet has passed a resolution recognizing 10 June 2026, as PM Narendra Modi becomes the longest-serving elected Prime Minister of India. PM Modi achieved this record with 4,399 days of continuous service, surpassing the previous record held by Jawaharlal Nehru, who served for 4,398 continuous days between 1952 and 1964.