Recent 6 months news in National

The 4th meeting of the India-Denmark Joint Working Group (JWG) was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, involving the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO).

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the countries in the sectors of MSME development, innovation, and Intellectual Property (IP).

The Banas Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Model Plant, a joint initiative of Banas Dairy, Suzuki Motor Corporation, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has been inaugurated in Banaskantha, Gujarat.

The plant is designed to promote clean energy, support a circular economy, and create additional income opportunities for livestock farmers. The facility processes 100 Metric Tonnes Per Day (MTPD) of cattle dung through anaerobic digestion to generate clean fuel and organic fertilizer.

Additionally, 9 taxis were flagged off under the “Gramin Bharat Taxi” service, which is the first rural-level cooperative-model taxi service in India where drivers own their vehicles.

The state governments of Bihar and Jharkhand have signed an MoU for sharing the water of Sone River. The agreement was finalized in the presence of Union Minister Amit Shah.

This settlement resolves a long-standing water dispute in eastern India. It is expected to facilitate the provision of irrigation water to millions of farmers across rural regions of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has launched the “Critical Minerals Innovation Hackathon 2026” (CMiH 2026) to promote innovation and technology-driven solutions for strengthening the critical minerals ecosystem of India.

The hackathon is organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC), located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. JNARDDC is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Mines.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the revamped Dak Sewa Application and the Dak MITRA (Mobile Interface for Transactions and Rural Assistance) application of the Department of Posts (DoP) at Rang Bhavan in New Delhi.

These digital applications are designed to modernise postal services and enhance last-mile delivery across the country. He also inaugurated 14 renovated post office buildings across 10 states.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan has inaugurated the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Conclave, organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

During the event, the PMFME Bazaar was also launched, showcasing micro food enterprises from 25 States and Union Territories (UTs). The MoFPI released a Coffee Table Book highlighting 30 PMFME success stories, along with its quarterly food processing magazine titled “FoodNova Magazine”.

To bolster market access and institutional linkages, MoFPI signed MoUs with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Kisan Finance Ltd (NABKISAN).

The 3rd Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) Healthcare Summit 2026, themed “Advancing AI in Healthcare”, was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The summit, addressed by Union Minister of State (MoS) Anupriya Patel, focused on transitioning India from the “Pharmacy of the World” to the “Laboratory of the World”.

During the event, the ‘India Pharma Archives’, a digital initiative by the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) in collaboration with the IIMA Archives, was launched.

Additionally, a book documenting the development journey of the COVID-19 vaccine of India was released.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has inaugurated ‘MALHAR 2026’ in New Delhi, a youth-centric and monsoon-themed celebration of Indian classical music.

The cultural programme was organised by Antar Hriday Connect to showcase the classical music traditions of India.

It is to be noted that the celebration is centered around the ‘Malhar Raga’, a classical music tradition associated with the monsoon season (Varsha Ritu) and linked to the legendary 16th-century court musician Tansen.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government, has organised the PM-SETU Industry Conclave in Lucknow.

The conclave was attended by Union Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved key infrastructure projects valued at ₹13,041 crore.

The approved initiatives include four multi-tracking railway projects with an estimated cost of ₹9,450 crore.

Additionally, the CCEA has approved the four-laning of National Highway-22 (NH-22) in Bihar at an estimated cost of ₹3,590.73 crore.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through the MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), has launched the third cohort of the Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS) Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programme.

The GENESIS EIR 3.0 was officially launched at the GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit (Coimbatore Edition) held at Rathinam Global University in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

The programme is a national initiative designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, students, and early-stage startup founders.

It is a component of the broader GENESIS scheme, which is a flagship initiative of the MSH with a total budget outlay of ₹490 crore.

Under the EIR component of the GENESIS scheme, selected innovators will receive a maximum financial assistance of ₹10 lakh through participating GENESIS incubators.

The inaugural meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee (JDC) was held in New Delhi.

During the meeting, both nations agreed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation across various sectors, including training, military exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defence industry, and Research & Development (R&D).

The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), chaired by Anuradha Thakur, Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), has approved the third round of privatization of 11 airports across 5 airport bundles.

The total investment by the private concessionaires to take over the operations of these airports is estimated at ₹8,622 crore.

Under the PPP model, these airports will be leased for a concession period of 50 years.

The private concessionaires are required to retain 60% of the employees of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for a maximum period of 3 years.

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The initiative aims to enhance access to justice for people residing in the remote regions of the UT.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has authorized the development of 1,800 km of new Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) pipeline infrastructure, with an estimated capital investment of ₹7,000 crore.

The 3 authorized LPG pipeline projects will be developed by GAIL (India) Ltd across 5 states: Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka.

It is to be noted that this development will expand the PNGRB-approved common-carrier LPG pipeline network from 7,700 km to 9,500 km.

The National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) has launched the first ‘Soil Texture Map’ of India during its 50th Foundation Day in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

It is to be noted that soil texture refers to the relative proportion of sand, silt, and clay in the soil, which determines critical properties including water-holding capacity, drainage, aeration, and crop suitability.

The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, an autonomous premier institution under the Ministry of Ayush, has introduced the ‘Garbhini Mitra Course’ for the 2026-2027 academic session.

The initiative is a structured healthcare skill-development programme designed to train personnel to provide health education, lifestyle guidance, and community-level support to women during pregnancy and the postnatal period.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan has launched the first non-Genetically Modified Organism (non-GMO), high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed of India at Musunuru in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh.

The central government has approved the “Incentive Scheme for Promotion of Domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Connections”, effective from September 1, 2026. The scheme aims to expand household PNG connections and provide clean and affordable cooking fuel.

Under the incentive mechanism, eligible City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities will receive an additional 200 Standard Cubic Metres (SCM) of lower-priced domestically produced Administered Pricing Mechanism (APM) gas for every new billed connection.

The incentive will be provided above a threshold level set for each Geographical Area (GA) and implemented in two tranches over a period of 6 months. It is to be noted that India currently has 1.74 crore domestic PNG connections.

Shinjiro Koizumi, the Defence Minister of Japan, has conducted his inaugural visit to India to strengthen bilateral defence ties and maritime security cooperation. In New Delhi, he inspected a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Manekshaw Centre in the presence of Union Minister Rajnath Singh.

During the visit to Mumbai, the minister inspected a Guard of Honour at the Western Naval Command (WNC) and laid a wreath at the Gaurav Stambh at the Naval Dockyard. He also visited the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Chennai, which is an indigenous stealth destroyer.