Recent 6 months news in National

The Supreme Court of India (SCI) has officially declared the “Right to Safe Road Travel” as an integral part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

The judgment was delivered in the case of “In Re: Phalodi Accident”, where the SCI examined critical issues related to road safety and the accountability of authorities on highways and expressways.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) has launched the ‘SMILE–Beggary Survey Mobile Application’ during the ‘Chintan Shivir’ held in Chandigarh. The initiative is part of the Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) scheme (2021-2026), which focuses on rehabilitating individuals through shelter, skill development, and social reintegration.

The project has been extended to cover 181 cities across India. It is supported by model shelter home guidelines and is integrated with the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) 2.0 App for drug demand reduction. The platform also provides access to the Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System (MANAS).

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) has expanded procurement operations under the PM Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) in Chhattisgarh and launched the first structured pulse procurement under the Atmanirbhar Pulses Mission (APM) in Bihar.

The procurement drive is led by the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED). In Bihar, the NCCF has started the first organized procurement of masoor (lentil) under the APM. In Chhattisgarh, the process includes digitized farmer registration through the Electronic-Samyukti (E-Samyukti) portal and awareness campaigns.

Union Minister CR Patil has launched the 9th edition of the India International Water Week (IIWW-2026) at Shram Shakti Bhavan in New Delhi. During the launch, he noted that over 60 lakh artificial recharge and water conservation structures have been created under the initiative. The Government of India (GoI) has set a target to establish 1 crore such structures by May 2026.

Akashvani (All India Radio, AIR), operating under Prasar Bharati (PB), has partnered with the National Portal of India (MyGov) to launch two nationwide contests to celebrate the 90-year legacy of AIR.

The contests include the ‘Signature Tune-Making Contest’ and the ‘Jingle-Making Contest’, held under the themes “Akashvani @90 – The New Rhythm of Bharat” and “Akashvani @90 – The Vibrant Voice of India” respectively.

The Ministry of Culture (MoC) has launched ‘VM Frames’, a national filmmaking competition to encourage the youth to celebrate the heritage of India. The initiative is organised to mark the 150th anniversary of the national song “Vande Mataram”, which was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875.

The competition features three categories: Reels, AI-based films, and Short Films. The MoC has announced awards worth up to ₹50 lakh across the various categories of the competition.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has proposed to notify an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of 408.7 sq km around the Barasingha Wildlife Sanctuary (formerly Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary) in Uttar Pradesh.

The ESZ will act as a “shock absorber” to reduce the impact of external activities on the ecosystem. A Monitoring Committee will be set up to oversee the management of the area, and a Zonal Master Plan is mandated to be formulated within 2 years.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has launched “Bharat Taxi”, the first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform of India, in Mumbai. The initiative aims to increase the earnings and welfare of auto rickshaw and cab drivers by offering zero commission and no subscription charges.

The platform provides a free insurance cover of ₹5 lakh and access to loans from the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA). It was established by 8 national-level cooperative institutions in 2025 and was officially launched in 2026. It currently facilitates more than 25,000 rides per day.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), in consultation with the Department of Higher Education (DoHE) under the Ministry of Education (MoE), has expanded the eligibility criteria for the pilot phase of the ‘Prime Minister Internship Scheme’ (PMIS) to include final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The age limit for PMIS is revised to 18-25 years (from the previous 21-24 years), while maintaining all other conditions. The Government of India (GoI) has increased the monthly stipend to ₹9,000 for the one-year internship, with 90% of the funding provided by the government. Additionally, interns will receive financial assistance of ₹6,000, disbursed in two installments.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has announced a target to increase the nuclear power capacity of India from the current 8.8 Gigawatt (GW) to 100 GW by 2047. The announcement was made during the inaugural session of “India’s 100 GW Nuclear Power Roadmap” held in New Delhi. Achieving this target will require an estimated investment of at least ₹20 lakh crore, based on a baseline cost of ₹22 crore per Megawatt (MW).

The National Health Authority (NHA) has concluded the “Chintan Shivir 2026” to review the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to enhance digital healthcare. During the event, the NHA presented 18 awards under AB PM-JAY and 5 awards under ABDM to recognize the performance of States and Union Territories (UTs). Key winners for digital adoption under the mission included Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, AIIMS Bhopal, and Tripura.

The event highlighted the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) as a unified and standardized health claims ecosystem. A framework designed by the World Bank, named the “ABDM Adoption Index”, was also introduced to track the progress of states. Furthermore, a new regulatory requirement for mandatory integration of the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) was established to connect hospital systems with the ABDM.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), under the Ministry of Education (MoE), has launched the third edition of the ‘Vibrant Advocacy for Advancement and Nurturing of Indian Languages’ (VAANI) scheme in New Delhi.

Inaugurated by AICTE Chairman Yogesh Singh, the scheme aims to foster technical education in indigenous languages. The scheme, which spans the 2026-27 period, has an annual outlay of ₹4 crore to support events in 22 Indian languages listed under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has issued operational guidelines for the “Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0” (FoF 2.0) to streamline capital flow into the national startup ecosystem. The scheme operates with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore.

Under the scheme, capital will be allocated through commitments to Category I and II Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) registered with the SEBI. These AIFs are required to invest in startups recognized by the DPIIT. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will serve as the initial Implementation Agency to oversee the selection and monitoring of the participating AIFs.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) have launched a 5 year initiative titled “Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Securing Biodiversity Conservation Commitments”.

The project is a joint collaboration between the Government of India (GoI), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and UN Development Programme (UNDP). The initiative is supported by a $4.88 million grant for the 2025–2030 period and targets two landscapes: the Sathyamangalam landscape in Tamil Nadu and the Garo Hills in Meghalaya.

The Sathyamangalam landscape, situated at the confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats, includes the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve. In Meghalaya, the project covers the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, Balpakram National Park, and Siju Wildlife Sanctuary within the Garo Hills.

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.