Recent Current Affairs related to Gujarat

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed an MoU with Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) to establish a simplified and time-bound framework for granting approvals to facilitate the crossing of National Highways, canals, and pipelines across Gujarat.

According to the 40th edition of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 40) released by Z/Yen Partners, in collaboration with the China Development Institute (CDI), the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is ranked 37th globally.

New York is ranked top among the global financial centres, followed by London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has inaugurated the NIELIT-Infineon Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

It is to be noted that the CoE is established in collaboration with Infineon Technologies at the NIELIT facility in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Gaurang Vyas, a renowned Gujarati music composer, passed away at the age of 87.

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹35,000 crore in Vadodara, Gujarat, under the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ initiative.

He dedicated three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route km, built at a cost of over ₹20,700 crore. This expansion of WDFC provides direct port connectivity to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Mumbai. A new passenger train service between Tanda Road and Vadodara (Pratapnagar) was also launched.

Furthermore, foundation stones were laid for three National Highway projects in Gujarat with a total value of ₹1,780 crore. Urban development projects like the Vadodara City Command Control Centre for smart administration and the Waghodiya Regional Water Supply Scheme were also dedicated to the public.

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 Gujarat government has approved an allocation of ₹20 crore for the FY27 to establish four Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to expand natural farming practices across the state.

The CoEs will be set up in the districts of Navsari, Morbi, Bhavnagar, and Chhota Udepur.

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has approved the proposal to establish Asia’s first desert zoological park and desert-themed night safari at Juna Deesa in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat.

The project, with an estimated budget of ₹542.14 crore, spans across 103 hectares of contiguous government land. It will be developed as a 100% eco-friendly space utilizing solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and advanced sewage treatment systems.

Union Minister Amit Shah has launched the 'Gramin Gyan Setu', an mobile application, via video conferencing to interconnect libraries across the Gandhinagar constituency in Gujarat.

The objective of the initiative is to establish a library in every village to encourage reading habits among children.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Asiatic lion population in India has grown by over 70% in the last decade. The population of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) has increased from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025.

It is to be noted that India is the exclusive habitat for the wild Asiatic lion, which is localized within the Gir National Park and its surrounding landscape across 11 districts of Gujarat. Project Lion, launched in 2020 to ensure the long-term conservation of the species, has led to an expansion of the lion range from 30,000 sq km in 2020 to nearly 35,000 sq km.

The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I), has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the centuries-old Pithora Painting tradition of Gujarat.

These paintings are traditionally created by Lakharas on the inner walls and verandahs of tribal homes.

Union Minister Amit Shah virtually inaugurated 'Sahakar Bhavan', the new headquarters of the Jamnagar District Cooperative Bank in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The project was completed at a cost of Rs 25 crore.

Gujarat has been honoured with the 'Agriculture Leadership Award 2026' for its performance in the horticulture sector.

The award was presented by Union Minister Rajnath Singh at the 17th Agriculture Leadership Conclave-2026 held in New Delhi.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has granted in-principle approval for two maritime infrastructure projects in Gujarat under the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS).

The first project is a Greenfield Shipbuilding Cluster at Kuchhadi in the Porbandar district, covering nearly 2,000 acres. The second project is a Ship Repair Facility at Vadinar in the Gulf of Kutch, which will be developed at a cost of ₹1,570 crore by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) and the Deendayal Port Authority (DPA).

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has approved projects worth ₹2,719.80 crore under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) initiated by PM Narendra Modi. The funding is designated for 6 transformative urban development initiatives in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Unjha Cumin and Fennel from the Unjha region of Gujarat.

With this, the total number of GI-tagged agricultural products from Gujarat has increased to 6.

Uttar Pradesh has become the second-largest state in India for domestic rooftop solar installations under the 'PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' with 6.75 lakh installations, surpassing Maharashtra.

Gujarat leads the ranking with 7.4 lakh installations, while Maharashtra ranks third with 6.74 lakh installations.

NITI Aayog has released its first-ever "Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) 2026", unveiled by its Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri.

Gujarat emerged as the top overall performer with a score of 56.6, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Odisha. Among large states, Gujarat is the leader, while Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal are the worst performers.

Uttarakhand is the leader among Hilly & Northeastern states, and Goa is the leader among City States & UTs. Lakshadweep recorded the lowest overall score nationwide, followed by Ladakh and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The index evaluates all 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs) based on 84 indicators across 8 economic pillars: Infrastructure, Business Climate, Government Policy, Resources, Regulatory Ease, Institutional Environment, Financial Health, and Environmental Resilience.

The Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed an addendum to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in Gujarat. The agreement was signed at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi, involving the DBN, the Gujarat government, Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Ltd (GFGNL), and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL).

The government has approved ₹5,629 crore for this initiative to upgrade rural telecom infrastructure. The programme aims to cover 14,287 Gram Panchayats and provide on-demand connectivity to 3,895 villages across the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat. This facility marks the commencement of commercial chip production.