Category: Schemes & Initiatives

The Assam Rifles plans to induct two indigenous breeds—Tangkhul Hui from Manipur and Kombai from Tamil Nadu—into its dog squad, reducing long-term reliance on foreign breeds for operational roles. The Tangkhul Hui (also known as Haofa) is a traditional working dog reared by the Tangkhul community in Ukhrul district of Manipur. Historically used for hunting, … Continue reading Induction of Indigenous Dog Breeds by Assam Rifles

The Central Board of Secondary Education will implement On-Screen Marking (OSM) for evaluation of Class 12 answer scripts from this year. The shift aims to enhance transparency, accuracy, and efficiency in the assessment process through digital evaluation. However, Class 10 answer books will continue to be evaluated in physical mode as per the existing system. … Continue reading CBSE Introduces On-Screen Marking for Class 12

India has been designated as ‘Country of the Year’ at BIOFACH 2026, the world’s premier trade fair for organic food and agriculture. The event is held annually in Nuremberg, Germany. BIOFACH is organised at the Nuremberg Messe Exhibition Centre and managed by NürnbergMesse GmbH. It serves as a global platform for certified organic products and … Continue reading India Named ‘Country of the Year’ at BIOFACH 2026

The Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DeVINE) has been allocated ₹2,300 crore, up from ₹1,600 crore in the Revised Estimate of 2025–26, signalling stronger central support for infrastructure and development projects in the Northeast. Alongside this, a new scheme has been proposed to develop Buddhist circuits across six Northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, … Continue reading PM-DeVINE Push and Buddhist Circuit Plan

An underground double-track railway line has been proposed along the strategically critical Siliguri Corridor (Chicken’s Neck), which serves as the sole land link between the Northeast and the rest of India. The proposal is linked to the planned Varanasi–Siliguri high-speed rail corridor, which is envisaged to be extended further to Guwahati in the future, enabling … Continue reading Underground Rail Plan for Siliguri Corridor

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a nationwide initiative to provide free online coaching for students from Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and other disadvantaged sections. The programme supports preparation for major competitive exams, including the Civil Services Examination, Staff Selection Commission exams, and banking tests, to improve access to quality education … Continue reading Free Online Coaching for SC, OBC and Disadvantaged Students

The operationalisation of Field Technical Support Units (FTSUs) by the DoNER Ministry across all eight northeastern states marks an important step in strengthening project monitoring and evaluation. FTSUs are mandated to submit monthly progress reports until projects become operational, with regular interaction with implementing agencies and compulsory data updates on the PM Gati Shakti portal. … Continue reading FTSUs and Project Monitoring in the Northeast

The Ministry of Jal Shakti honoured WaSH Warriors from across India at a Samvad Samaroh held in New Delhi in January 2026, recognising grassroots leadership in water and sanitation. WaSH Warriors are community-level champions who drive Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiatives, particularly under the Jal Jeevan Mission and allied programmes. The initiative promotes community ownership … Continue reading WaSH Warriors and Community Leadership

Polity / Electoral Governance The Delhi Declaration 2026 represents a shared commitment by Election Management Bodies worldwide to reinforce democratic systems through collaboration and innovation. Its unanimous endorsement gives it strong international credibility. The framework is structured around five pillars that address all stages of the electoral process, from preparation to post-election review. It incorporates … Continue reading Global Framework under Delhi Declaration 2026

Economy / Blue Economy India has begun open-sea marine aquaculture in the Andaman Sea, signalling a shift towards offshore utilisation of marine resources under the Blue Economy framework. The project focuses on assessing technical feasibility while supporting income generation for coastal communities. It involves offshore finfish culture using ocean-resilient cages developed by NIOT, along with … Continue reading Open-Sea Aquaculture Initiative in the Andaman Sea

Social Sector / Pension Reforms The M.S. Sahoo Committee is a 15-member expert group constituted by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority to design a regulatory and operational framework for providing assured and predictable pension income under the National Pension Scheme. It addresses concerns arising from the market-linked nature of NPS returns. Chaired by … Continue reading M.S. Sahoo Committee on Assured Pension under NPS

Public Health & Urban Governance Odisha’s Puri has become India’s first city to provide potable water directly from household taps under the ‘Sujal — Drink From Tap Mission’ (2021). The initiative ensured 24×7 treated water meeting BIS standards, aligned with AMRUT’s focus on urban water and sanitation infrastructure, and reduced reliance on packaged water while … Continue reading Puri’s Drink-from-Tap Water Model

Polity & Governance / Social Sector PANKHUDI is a single-window digital platform of the Ministry of Women and Child Development that facilitates CSR and voluntary partnerships for women and child welfare. It enables transparent project discovery, proposal submission, tracking, and outcome monitoring on one integrated interface. The portal strengthens coordination among government, NGOs, corporates, NRIs, … Continue reading PANKHUDI Portal

Polity & Governance The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced “Udai”, a public-friendly mascot aimed at improving citizen understanding of Aadhaar services. Designed as a communication bridge, Udai will help explain processes such as Aadhaar updates, authentication, offline verification, selective data sharing, adoption of new technologies, and responsible usage in a simple and … Continue reading Udai Mascot for Aadhaar Awareness

Statistics / Governance “Know Your Survey: A User Guide to ASUSE” is a first-of-its-kind, easy-to-read publication brought out by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The guide breaks down the objectives, coverage, concepts, methodology, and quality-assurance processes of the All-India Survey on Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) in simple, … Continue reading Know Your Survey: A User Guide to ASUSE — Explained

Economy / Agriculture / Digital Governance The e-Bill System is an end-to-end digital platform that replaces the earlier manual, paper-based process for fertiliser subsidy payments. Through this system, subsidy bills are submitted, processed, tracked and paid entirely online, creating a single streamlined workflow. Implemented by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, the platform is designed … Continue reading E-Bill System for Fertiliser Subsidies — Explained

Education / Society The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to make newspaper reading — both Hindi and English — compulsory in schools, viewing it as a way to build regular reading habits among students. The move is expected to expose children to current national and international developments, strengthen language skills, and encourage critical thinking. By … Continue reading UP Makes Newspaper Reading Mandatory in Schools

Civil Aviation / Governance The Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) is a dedicated, 24×7 command centre that tracks aviation operations and helps resolve passenger complaints in real time, covering issues linked to airlines, airports, and flights. It functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and acts as a single coordination hub between operators and … Continue reading Passenger Assistance Control Room — Explained

Environment / Water Resources / Climate Adaptation The Directorate of Environment and Climate Change (DoECC) in Manipur has mapped over 1,000 springs across the State. Of these, 173 critical springs in Ukhrul and Noney districts have been prioritised for revival under a dedicated scheme, recognising their role in drinking water security and ecosystem health. The … Continue reading Spring Mapping and Revival Plan in Manipur

“Your Money, Your Right” is a nationwide initiative launched in 2025 to help citizens locate and reclaim unclaimed financial assets lying across banks, insurance companies, pensions, mutual funds, and other regulated institutions. The programme is coordinated by the Department of Financial Services in partnership with RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA and IEPFA, creating a unified, citizen-friendly … Continue reading “Your Money, Your Right” — Reclaiming Unclaimed Funds

India is set to become the first country in the Indian Ocean region with over 100 tsunami-ready villages. The certification focuses on local preparedness, evacuation planning, and public awareness to reduce disaster risk. The initiative is led by UNESCO under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which has issued standard guidelines for the Tsunami Ready Recognition … Continue reading India Moves Toward 100+ Tsunami-Ready Villages

Aviation Safety & Regulation Flight Duty Time Limitations are mandatory safety norms that restrict how long pilots and cabin crew may fly, remain on duty, and how much minimum rest they must receive. The goal is to prevent fatigue-related errors, one of the biggest human-factor risks in aviation. In India, FDTL norms are framed by … Continue reading Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)

Governance & Social Sector India is setting up its first medical colleges under the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model in tribal-dominated districts of Madhya Pradesh. The initiative seeks to address chronic healthcare shortages in remote regions by expanding medical education and improving access to doctors, while leveraging private sector efficiency. Under the BOT/DBFOT model, private partners … Continue reading PPP Medical Colleges in Tribal Areas

Social Sector | Early Childhood Education “Pa Pa Pagli” is a play-based pre-school education initiative of the Gujarat Women and Child Development Department, aimed at children aged 3–6 years enrolled in Anganwadi centres, with special focus on educationally backward districts such as Dahod. The programme adopts a games-cum-learning approach, using stories, songs, puzzles and movement-based … Continue reading Pa Pa Pagli (First Steps of the Child)

Social Justice | Women & Governance SHAKTI Scholars is a six-month, grant-based research fellowship launched by the National Commission for Women to support young scholars and independent researchers working on women-centric issues in India. The fellowship encourages policy-oriented, multidisciplinary research and aims to strengthen evidence-based, gender-responsive governance. APSC Relevance:GS-I (Women issues), GS-II (Statutory bodies, gender … Continue reading SHAKTI Scholars – NCW Young Research Fellowship

Social Justice and Rural Development The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 proposes to replace MGNREGA, 2005 by expanding the legal guarantee of rural wage employment to 125 days per household. It aligns employment generation with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision by linking public works to long-term rural development and climate … Continue reading Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025