Recent 6 months news in National

The Union Cabinet has approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, to increase the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court (SC). The bill proposes to expand the total number of judges to 38 from 34 (including the Chief Justice of India (CJI)), adding 4 more judges to the existing 33.

This marks the first increase in the judicial strength of the SC in 6 years, since the last expansion in 2019. The bill aims to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. It is to be noted that Article 124(1) of the Constitution of India empowers the Parliament to determine the number of judges in the apex court.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has released the “Guidance Document on Diabetes Mellitus in Children” during the National Summit on Best Practices in Public Healthcare Service Delivery held in Chandigarh.

This is the first structured and standardized national framework in India for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of diabetes in children. The framework introduces the “4Ts awareness framework” (Toilet, Thirsty, Tired, and Thinner) to promote the early detection of Type 1 Diabetes among children.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-IV) in Rayagada, Odisha, with an outlay of ₹1,700 crore. Under the initiative, 827 road projects spanning 1,701.84 km have been initiated at a cost of ₹1,698.04 crore to provide all-weather connectivity to 898 habitations for the first time.

The project targets 898 villages across 8 districts in Odisha to enhance connectivity in remote and underserved regions. It is to be noted that the financial responsibility for the PMGSY-IV is shared between the central and state governments in a 60:40 ratio.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has launched the “Swasth Bharat Portal” during the 10th edition of the “National Summit on Innovation and Inclusivity: Best Practices Shaping India’s Health Future” held in Chandigarh.

The portal aims to integrate fragmented health programme systems into a unified digital platform to streamline healthcare data management.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified the ‘Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026’, which modifies the ‘Citizenship Rules, 2009’. The rules became effective on April 2026. Under the new provisions, minor children are prohibited from holding both Indian and foreign passports at the same time.

The rules introduce the electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) system for issuing digital or physical OCI cards through a central digital database. The entire application process for OCI status has been moved to an online format. Additionally, the renunciation of OCI cards must be filed electronically, after which an official acknowledgment is issued and the name of the individual is removed from central records.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has officially notified the establishment of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, headquartered in Visakhapatnam. The SCoR is the 18th railway zone in India and is scheduled to start operations from June 2026. The newly created zone will integrate the Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur divisions in Andhra Pradesh to strengthen railway administration and infrastructure in the region.

PM Narendra Modi has participated in the ‘Mahila Sammelan’ in Varanasi (Kashi) and inaugurated development projects worth ₹6,350 crore.

He also inaugurated the 594 km long Ganga Expressway in Hardoi, which is a greenfield access-controlled project. Constructed at a cost of ₹36,230 crore, the expressway connects 12 districts and features a 6-lane configuration (expandable to 8 lanes).

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published 6 new standards for priority Assistive Technologies (AT) under the framework of the National List of Essential Assistive Products (NLEAP). It is to be noted that NLEAP is an initiative led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The new standards for mobility aids include IS 18558 (elbow crutches), IS 5145 (multi-leg walking sticks), and IS 19631 (portable ramps) to ensure safety, performance, and accessibility. BIS has also established standards for accessibility aids, specifically IS 19189 (tactile guide maps) and IS 19190 (Braille on signage).

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the “Journey of Antenatal, Natal, and Neonatal Integrated Care” (JANANI) platform during the National Summit on Best Practices. The platform, which aims to strengthen maternal and child healthcare in India, is an upgraded version of the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal.

To date, the platform has recorded 1.34 crore beneficiary registrations and over 30 lakh registrations of pregnant women. It has also generated more than 30 lakh Maternal and Child Health (MCH) cards and completed over 1 lakh biometric verifications.

Union Minister of State Sanjay Seth has launched the ‘Namo Stall Scheme’ in Ranchi, Jharkhand, to empower street fruit and vegetable vendors with better infrastructure.

The initiative is implemented under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme. In the first phase of the project, stalls worth ₹50,000 each were distributed to 5 vendors to help them secure stable livelihoods.

The Ministry of Mines has approved 58 companies as eligible participants under the “Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Critical Mineral Recycling” (IS-PCMR).

The scheme is a key initiative under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with a total financial outlay of ₹1,500 crore. The initiative has attracted pledged investments worth ₹5,000 crore and aims to achieve a recycling capacity of 850 Kilo Tonnes Per Annum (KTPA).

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to launch a digital platform named ‘E-PRAAPTI’ (EPF Aadhaar-based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts). The portal is designed to facilitate the identification, tracking, Universal Account Number (UAN) linking, and activation of legacy EPF accounts.

The initial phase of the implementation will be member Identification (ID)-based. The EPFO plans to later expand the scope of the portal to include members who are unable to recall or access their historical member IDs. It is to be noted that the organization settled 8.31 crore claims in the FY26, representing an increase from the 6.01 crore claims settled during FY25.

PM Narendra Modi has visited Sikkim to attend the closing ceremony of the Golden Jubilee (50th year) of the statehood of Sikkim at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok.

During the visit, the PM inaugurated and laid foundation stones for more than 30 development projects worth over ₹4,000 crore across various sectors. He also visited the Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park in Gangtok, which serves as a world-class Orchid Experience Centre showcasing the floral heritage of the state.

SkyHop Aviation Pvt Ltd has received the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to launch the first-ever commercial seaplane services of India.

The initial flight operations are scheduled in Lakshadweep. The service will utilize a 19-seater De Havilland Canada (DHC)-6 Twin Otter aircraft, which has been indigenously converted into a seaplane using float attachments to facilitate take-offs and landings on both water and short runways.

The central government has included 6 strategically located border villages in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into the second phase of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP). The initiative aims to accelerate development and improve living conditions in remote frontier regions. The villages designated under the VVP-II include Bobiya, Kadyala, Gajnal, Karol Krishna, Rathua, and Gujjar Chak.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jayant Chaudhary has inaugurated the first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Asia on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development at the Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU) in Pune, Maharashtra.

The launch took place during the international conference “Women Leading the Future of Work”, organised in collaboration with UNESCO. Dr Swati Mujumdar, the Pro-Chancellor of SSPU, has been named the UNESCO Chairholder. The university has also introduced the “Kushal Saathi” initiative to provide structured mentorship for girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and career opportunities.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the nationwide indigenously developed Cell Broadcast System (CBS) in New Delhi. The system was engineered by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The initiative aims to strengthen the disaster management framework of the country through homegrown technology. The CBS features multilingual capabilities to deliver emergency alerts in multiple Indian languages to ensure effective communication across the population.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has inaugurated the first Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) based tolling system of India at the Chorayasi Toll Plaza, located on the Surat-Bharuch section of National Highway-48 (NH-48) in Gujarat. The system aims to modernize the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) infrastructure.

The MLFF framework enables barrier-less tolling with minimal human intervention, allowing vehicles to transit toll locations without stopping for a seamless traffic flow. It is to be noted that 41,500 vehicles used the facility on the inaugural day of its implementation.

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).