Recent 6 months news in National

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), has launched a premium brand named “RISA - Timeless Tribal” for tribal textiles, embroideries, and handicrafts. An exclusive RISA store was inaugurated at the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan in New Delhi.

The initiative aims to establish a brand identity for tribal products, strengthen market linkages for tribal artisans, facilitate design development, and promote tribal heritage in domestic and international markets.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced a new standardized “Vegan” logo. The use of this logo will be mandatory for all approved vegan food products in India from July 2027.

Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary has launched the “Navachar Mantra” initiative at the IIT Delhi. This national flagship initiative aims to identify, mentor, and scale grassroots innovators and early-stage entrepreneurs.

The Ministry of Education has issued Letters of Approval (LoA) to 3 international universities to establish campuses in India. The University of Bristol (UK) and the University of York (UK) will set up their campuses in Mumbai. The University of New South Wales (UNSW, Australia) will establish its campus at Manyata Business Park in Bengaluru.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh have inaugurated the 8th Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Lucknow.

The facility upgrades the existing Lucknow Meteorological Centre into a regional hub, designed to deliver high-resolution and hyper-local precision weather forecasting. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) now operates 8 RMCs, with the other 7 located in Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Nagpur, Guwahati, and Jammu.

The central government has expanded the QR code tagging initiative for Food Corporation of India foodgrain bags to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha.

The initiative covers a total volume of 20 lakh tonnes of rice moved from milling units to distribution hubs. The state-wise allocation includes 10 lakh tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, 5 lakh tonnes in Telangana, and 5 lakh tonnes in Odisha.

The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoH&UA), has completed 6 years.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Tripura CM Manik Saha interacted with beneficiaries from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura. During the event, credit cards and loan sanction letters were distributed to street vendors in Tripura.

It is to be noted that over the last 6 years, the scheme has facilitated 1.12 crore loans, with over 1.05 crore collateral-free loans sanctioned across the country, amounting to a total value exceeding ₹17,800 crore.

The Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, also known as Surha Tal, in Uttar Pradesh has been declared as the 100th Ramsar Site of India. PM Narendra Modi announced this milestone on World Environment Day (June 5).

With this designation, India ranks 3rd globally in the total number of Ramsar sites, trailing only the UK and Mexico, and holds the 1st position in Asia. This sanctuary marks the 13th Ramsar site in Uttar Pradesh, whereas Tamil Nadu currently holds the highest tally of Ramsar sites in India with 20 designated wetlands.

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Swacch Application’ in Kolkata. The geo-tagged mobile app is designed to enhance cleanliness in municipal areas and bolster the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) through technology-enabled solutions.

The application facilitates citizen participation in urban governance by enabling users to report issues for municipal action. The initiative is currently being implemented across 10 municipalities in its initial phase.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated India’s 7th Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Jammu. The centre will provide specialized weather, disaster, and climate services for Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh.

He also announced the upcoming establishment of an 8th RMC in Lucknow, which will manage services for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

President Droupadi Murmu visited Sikkim to commemorate the Golden Jubilee (50 years of statehood) and inaugurate various developmental and cultural initiatives.

During the visit, she toured the Orchidarium, the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, and Nathu La at the India–China border. She attended the 7th Convocation of Sikkim University at Manan Bhavan in Gangtok. She flagged off the ‘Pink City Runners’ (a fleet of vehicles dedicated to women) at Ridge Park and presented the President’s Police Colour to the Sikkim Police at Palzor Stadium.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched the 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' in Ramsiya village of Raisen, Madhya Pradesh.

The campaign aims to promote sustainable agriculture, improve soil health, and raise awareness regarding climate-resilient farming practices.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) have jointly launched the ‘Missions for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA) Water Mission’. The mission has a financial outlay of ₹200 crore to be implemented over 5 years. It will provide funding support of up to ₹20 crore per consortium.

The mission was unveiled during a national workshop on Research and Development (R&D) in Water held in New Delhi, aiming to bolster the water security of India through research and technology-driven solutions.

The Ministry of Education has issued a Letter of Approval (LoA) to the University of Liverpool, UK, to establish a branch campus in Bengaluru.

The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹10,000 crore Price Stabilization Fund to support scheduled Indian airlines against rising Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices. Under this 36-month scheme, the government will provide a ₹10,000 crore interest-free advance to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to cover under-recoveries.

The initiative caps the ATF sale price at ₹115 per litre, with the government compensating OMCs for any losses. The advanced funds will be recovered from OMCs once global prices stabilize and return to the Consolidated Fund of India.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved highway infrastructure projects in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

In Madhya Pradesh, the CCEA approved the upgradation of the Hiwarkhedi-Roshni-Ashapur-Rudhy section of NH-347B (125.01 km) to a 2-lane standard with paved shoulders, and the widening of the Deshgaon-Julwaniya section of NH-347B (108.643 km) to a 4-lane standard. These projects will be implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a cost of ₹4,415.60 crore.

In Bihar, the CCEA approved the upgradation of the Khagaria-Purnea section of NH-31 and NH-231 to a 4-lane standard, covering a length of 143.529 km. This project will be executed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Toll) mode at a cost of ₹3,936.05 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the 4-laning of the Armoor-Jagtial-Mancherial section of National Highway (NH)-63 and the Jagtial-Karimnagar section of NH-563. These projects, spanning a total length of 190.76 km, will be developed at an estimated cost of ₹7,597 crore.

Additionally, the CCEA has sanctioned the construction of a new coastal highway connecting Rameshwar to Paradeep in Odisha. The project, spanning 160.18 km, will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹8,300 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the ‘SARTHAK-PDS’ (Scheme for Assistance in Ration Transport and Handling-Income with Automation in PDS) umbrella scheme with a central outlay of ₹25,530 crore.

The program will be implemented for 5 years from April 2026 to March 2031, aiming to modernize the food subsidy network and benefit citizens covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

The scheme integrates two legacy programs: the ‘Assistance to State Agencies for intra-State movement of foodgrains and Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers' margin under NFSA’ and the ‘Scheme for Modernization and Reforms through Technology in Public Distribution System (SMART PDS)’. This integration aims to reduce leakages and streamline operations.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced the ‘Clean Mobility Scheme’ with a financial outlay of ₹9,585 crore to replace old trucks and buses in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). This 2-year fleet modernization initiative aims to reduce vehicular emissions and winter air pollution in the region.

The scheme is funded by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and will be implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). It involves a central share of ₹5,041 crore and ₹1,601 crore in tax concessions from participating states.

The scheme targets the modernization of 2.07 lakh older commercial vehicles registered across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. To encourage participation, the government offers a 5% interest subsidy on vehicle loans and monthly fuel vouchers worth up to ₹4,800 provided by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

Indian Railways (IR) has inaugurated a Centre of Excellence (CoE) named “CHIRAG” (Centre for HR Information Systems, Research and Analytics in Governance) at the South Central Railway (SCR) grounds in Secunderabad, Telangana.

The centre is dedicated to human resource management training, research, and digital transformation within IR. It aims to serve as the technological backbone for the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) by providing nationwide certified, role-based training. The project is scheduled for full completion by May 2028.