Recent 6 months news in National

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.

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav have inaugurated the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Pre-Summit at the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) in Bhopal. The summit was held on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed on May 22.

To promote biodiversity conservation, the MP Forest Department, with support from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO), flagged off 20 motorcycles and a rescue truck.

Google has announced the ‘Google for Education Schoolers (GES)’, a free AI training programme for teachers, at the Education World Forum 2026 in London. Launched in collaboration with the UNICEF, the initiative aims to provide mobile-first AI training to school and higher education teachers on the responsible use of AI tools.

In its initial phase, the programme will be implemented in partnership with the governments of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Punjab, and the UT of Ladakh. During the first year, the programme will be accessible in 6 Indian languages namely Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Odia, and Punjabi.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma have launched Mission ‘Senehjori’ to transform the Assam Muga Silk sector into a globally competitive luxury textile ecosystem.

Muga silk is the world’s only naturally golden silk and India’s first GI-tagged silk. The total budget for the revitalization of this sector is ₹396-411 crore, with a contribution of ₹136-151 crore from the Ministry. The initiative is structured as a 3-year roadmap with milestones to be completed by 2028.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has notified the ‘National Sports Governance (National Sports Board (NSB)) Rules, 2026’ and the ‘National Sports Governance (National Sports Tribunal (NST)) Rules, 2026’ under the provisions of the ‘National Sports Governance Act, 2025’.

Under the NSB Rules 2026, the National Sports Board (NSB) shall consist of a Chairperson and 2 members. As per the NST Rules 2026, the Chairperson of the National Sports Tribunal (NST) will hold office for a term of 5 years or until attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. Members of the NST will hold office for a term of 5 years or until they attain the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has unveiled the nationwide “Maritime Reform Utsav” during a review meeting of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in New Delhi.

The initiative commemorates 12 years of maritime reforms in India. It focuses on reform gap analysis, inter-ministerial coordination, stakeholder participation, and skill development in maritime technologies and digital governance.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has signed an MoU with the ISRO to enhance water resource management using satellite technology. The collaboration involves joint research across 24 key areas. It is to be noted that the Ministry has already supported 113 research projects in the water sector over the past decade.

Additionally, the third phase of the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) campaign has been launched, aiming to create 2 crore water conservation structures between June 2026 and May 2027. The previous phase of the campaign successfully created over 1.5 crore water conservation structures.

Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar has launched the Joint Elderly Empowerment & Virtual Assistance Network (JEEVAN) mobile application for senior citizens.

He has also launched the Senior Holistic Care Assistance and Training For Your Utility (SHATAYU) Geriatric Caregiver Dashboard. These platforms were unveiled during a virtual national workshop titled ‘Creating a Well-Functioning Care Economy’.

The National Steering Committee (NSC) has approved the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Visakhapatnam Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Cluster in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has become the first state to operationalise an industry partnership under the PM-SETU scheme.

The plan was submitted by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India in collaboration with its academic partner, New Age Makers Institute of Technology (NAMTECH). It is to be noted that this is the first-ever Strategic Investment Plan cleared under the PM-SETU scheme, which has an outlay of ₹60,000 crore.

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has amended the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre (GATC)) Rules, 2013, to strengthen the legal metrology system of India and expand the national infrastructure for the verification of weights and measures.

Under the Legal Metrology Amendment Rules, 2026, GATCs are now authorized to verify 5 additional fuel dispensing systems: Petrol/Diesel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and Hydrogen. This expansion increases the coverage of weights and measures under the Legal Metrology framework from 18 to 23 categories.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh has launched the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) AI-enabled voice chatbot named “Samadhan Didi” at Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi.

The chatbot is developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Bhasini. It allows citizens to lodge grievances by speaking in their native language.

The central government has constituted the High-Level Committee on Demographic Change (HLCDC) to conduct a scientific assessment of ‘unnatural demographic changes’ resulting from illegal immigration and other abnormal factors.

The committee, set up under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is chaired by Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar (Retired). The other members of the HLCDC include Mritunjay Kumar Narayan (Census Commissioner of India), Durga Shankar Mishra, Balaji Srivastava, and Dr Shamika Ravi.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD), has notified specifications for E22, E25, E27, and E30 fuel blends. These specifications set standards for petrol blended with up to 30% ethanol, extending beyond the existing E20 blend target.

The new norms have been established under the standard ‘IS 19850:2026’ for ‘E22, E25, E27 and E30 Fuel, Admixture of Anhydrous Ethanol and Motor Gasoline for Usage in Positive Ignition Engine Powered Vehicles’.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) has completed its first-ever all-women international mountaineering expedition to Mount (Mt) Everest, the highest peak in the world at 8,848 m. The 14-member team scaled the summit through the South Col Route from Nepal.

Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF), a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has also successfully scaled Mt Everest through its inaugural all-women expedition named ‘Mission Vande Mataram’. This expedition was organised as a part of its Diamond Jubilee celebrations, marking 60 years of service.