Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) was piloted in the Kharif 2023‑24 season across selected districts of 10 states and expanded in the Rabi 2023‑24 season to 22 states/UTs. It is now being implemented in 23 states/UTs. DGCES replaces traditional Crop Cutting Experiments with a fully digital, paper‑less workflow that captures data in real‑time via a mobile app, incorporating geo‑tagging, time‑stamping and photographic evidence. The system standardises data collection and validation, improving accuracy, reliability, consistency and timeliness of crop‑yield estimates, and enables online monitoring through web‑based dashboards. The rollout is phased, coordinated with state governments based on digital‑infrastructure readiness and capacity‑building of field staff, as stated by Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Ramnath Thakur in a Lok Sabha reply.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the Sub‑Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. SMAM offers 40‑50 % financial assistance for purchase of farm machinery to small and marginal farmers, 40 % support (up to Rs 250 lakh) for setting up Custom Hiring Centres, and 80 % (95 % in North‑Eastern states) for Farm Machinery Banks (up to Rs 30 lakh). The scheme also promotes modern tools such as precision agriculture, drones and women‑friendly implements, and backs testing, certification, and capacity‑building. The Crop Residue Management scheme is now integrated with SMAM on a 60:40 Centre‑State funding pattern. The government permits 100 % FDI under the automatic route for agricultural machinery manufacturing and encourages private‑sector participation and agri‑start‑up incubation.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare states that the Government of India employs satellites, drones, Artificial Intelligence, Remote Sensing, GIS and IoT for a technology‑driven crop monitoring system. Key components include: FASAL, which uses multispectral and SAR satellite data to forecast production of 11 major crops across 20 states; disaster monitoring inputs such as vegetation maps and soil‑moisture status; Krishi Decision Support System that integrates geospatial and non‑geospatial data for crop mapping and insurance claims; YESTECH for Gram‑Panchayat‑level yield estimation of paddy, wheat and soybean in 12 states; WINDS, expanding weather stations in 7 states. Drone assistance is provided under SMAM (up to 50 % subsidy) and the ‘Namo Drone Didi’ scheme (1094 drones to women SHGs). AI‑based tools include NPSS (pest surveillance covering 73 crops and 436 pests), BharatVistaar (AI‑driven advisory platform serving 5.9 lakh farmers) and Kisan Sarathi (2.97 crore farmer registrations). AgriStack links digital services with schemes such as PM‑KISAN, PMFBY and PM‑ASHA, enabling rapid benefit delivery and real‑time crop estimates.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reports that the cultivated area and productivity of Kalanamak rice in Siddharthnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, have risen sharply, with production increasing more than five‑fold between 2018 and 2025 and the sale price climbing from Rs 40 kg⁻¹ in 2018 to Rs 150 kg⁻¹ in 2026, boosting farmer profitability. The central and state governments have extended financial, technical and marketing assistance, including credit‑linked subsidies up to 35 % (max ₹10 lakh) under the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and One District One Product (ODOP) Margin Money Scheme. A Common Facility Centre under ODOP provides modern processing, packaging and export support. Six improved Kalanamak varieties with yields up to 4.5 t ha⁻¹ have been released, and 389.6 quintals of quality seed were distributed during 2021‑26. Export promotion is facilitated through APEDA, linking FPOs to buyers in Singapore, Nepal and other Buddhist‑nation markets under the “Buddha Rice” brand.

Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh reported that Kisan Credit Card coverage for animal‑husbandry farmers rose to 50.42 lakh beneficiaries in FY 2025‑26 from 15.08 lakh in 2021‑22. Milk production for 2024‑25 reached 247.87 million tonnes, surpassing domestic demand of 243 million tonnes. Dairy exports amounted to $407.18 million in FY 2025‑26. The Ministry highlighted flagship schemes – Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) and National Livestock Mission (NLM) – aimed at scientific breeding, fodder development and livestock insurance. In Tamil Nadu, 50 % capital subsidy under NLM‑EDP, 100 % financial assistance under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme for major diseases, and funding for 245 mobile veterinary units were provided.

The Ministry of Cooperation has instituted a multi‑layered monitoring mechanism for cooperative institutions, comprising an Inter‑Ministerial Committee chaired by the Home Minister, a National Level Coordination Committee, State Cooperative Development Committees and District Cooperative Development Committees. In Tamil Tamil Nadu, two State and two District meetings have been held. The Ministry launched a ‘Cooperative Ranking Framework’ for audit, financial and operational assessment. Under the National Plan, 27 PACS, 940 DCS and 36 FCS were registered in Tamil Nadu (11 DCS in Vellore). Computerisation of 4,561 PACS was sanctioned, with 4,481 onboarded onto a common ERP platform (64 in Vellore). Capacity‑building programmes have trained 1,31,499 participants statewide, including 2,688 from Vellore, and village‑level awareness programmes have reached 72,885 members (2,234 from Vellore).

The Ministry of AYUSH has launched the Ayush Grid project as an IT backbone for the AYUSH sector. Its stated objective is to digitise service delivery and enhance transparency, efficiency and governance across healthcare, research, education, drug administration, capacity building and medicinal plants. Under the initiative, 24 e‑governance platforms have been created, including the My Ayush Integrated Services Portal (MAISP), an AI‑enabled chatbot, the AYUSH Hospital Management Information System (AHMIS) compliant with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the Ayush Anudan Portal, the Ayush Research Portal (hosting over 43,000 research publications), the Ayush Nivesh Saarthi Portal for investors, and the e‑Charak portal for medicinal‑plant trade. These platforms aim to provide citizen‑centric access, real‑time monitoring and data‑driven decision‑making, and collectively improve service delivery, operational efficiency, transparency and accountability.

The Union Minister of State (I/C) for AYUSH, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, informed the Rajya Sabha that under the centrally‑sponsored National AYUSH Mission (NAM), states can receive financial assistance for setting up new AYUSH colleges where government‑sector capacity is inadequate. Odisha has been approved for one such institution – Government Ayurvedic Medical College, Mayurbhanj – for FY 2025‑26. The announcement includes Annexure‑I, listing AYUSH institutions approved under NAM from 2014‑15 to 2026‑27 across various states and Union territories, illustrating the ongoing expansion of AYUSH education under the central scheme.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying reports that national fish production rose from 147.25 lakh tonnes in 2020‑21 to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024‑25. Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), an investment of Rs 20,750 crore has been allocated since FY 2020‑21, while the Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) was launched in 2018‑19 with a corpus of Rs 7,522.48 crore. In the last five years, 28 fishing harbour, 25 fish landing centre and 23 dredging projects were approved under PMMSY (total cost Rs 3,741.89 crore) and 94 harbour/landing projects under FIDF (cost Rs 4,916.46 crore). The Kisan Credit Card scheme was extended to fishers and fish farmers from FY 2018‑19. State‑wise project details under PMMSY for 2020‑21 to 2025‑26 are provided in the annexure.

The Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the Central Government has approved the Urban Flood Risk Management Programme (UFRMP) Phase‑I for seven cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune) with a total outlay of Rs 3075.65 crore, and Phase‑II for eleven cities (Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kanpur, Patna, Raipur, Trivandrum, Vishakhapatnam, Indore, Lucknow) with a total outlay of Rs 2444.42 crore, funded through the National Disaster Mitigation Fund. Projects, implemented by the respective State Governments, aim to improve storm‑water conveyance, reduce flooding and water‑logging, enhance road connectivity and strengthen drainage networks. Implementation is overseen by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority, which have instituted a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and hold periodic review meetings.

Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, permits any information about a cognizable offence to be given orally or electronically to the officer in charge of a police station. If given orally, the officer must reduce it to writing and obtain the informant’s signature. For electronic communication, the informant must sign the e‑FIR within three days for it to be recorded. This procedural detail was reiterated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.

The Ministry of Home Affairs reports that 83 training institutions for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been established across India. Ongoing expansion, modernization and upgradation of these centres are undertaken as needed, including procurement of vehicles and technical equipment. The government has decided to set up a Central Jungle Warfare College (CRPF) in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, and a Regional Training Centre (CISF) in Kishanganj district, Bihar, as stated by Minister of State Shri Nityanand Rai in a Lok Sabha written reply.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared an article by Union Minister Piyush Goyal on the Government e‑Marketplace (GeM). The PM highlighted that GeM ensures transparent procurement, wider participation and better opportunities, and that its technology‑driven platform has strengthened Ease of Doing Business over the last ten years. He noted that the system creates a more competitive and inclusive ecosystem, particularly empowering MSMEs and women entrepreneurs.

The Ministry of Cooperation’s Decentralized Grain Storage Plan has identified 12 PACS/Co‑operative societies with a combined capacity of 0.52 LMT across 12 districts, and a 1,500 MT godown has already been built at Kotwa Pandey PACS, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Financial assistance is limited to new scientific storage infrastructure; old or dilapidated PACS are excluded. Under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, loan repayment has been extended from 2+5 years to 2+8 years, with a 3 % interest subvention reducing the effective loan rate to 1 %. The AMI scheme’s capital subsidy has risen to 33.33 % and margin money cut to 10 %. Land for storage can be self‑owned or leased, with state governments facilitating allocation. No separate quota or subsidy for storage charges is provided.

The PIB release states that, as of 15 July 2026, Odisha has 8,667 cooperative societies, of which 8,063 are functional. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) provides financial assistance to women and tribal cooperatives in the state under schemes such as Swayam Shakti Sahakar Yojana, Nandini Sahakar and Yuva Sahakar, with activity‑wise disbursements detailed in Annexure‑1. The centrally‑sponsored Computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) project, launched in 2022, has been expanded to cover 79,630 PACS with a revised outlay of ₹2,925.39 crore; Odisha’s share of funds released is ₹25.07 crore (Annexure‑2). The Ministry of Cooperation also lists several policy measures to strengthen cooperative banking, including removal of gold‑loan ceilings, enhancement of housing‑loan limits, and inclusion of cooperative banks under RBI’s Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.

The Government, via the Ministry of Home Affairs, established the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) under a Parliamentary Act in 2020, designating it as an Institution of National Importance for forensic science and related disciplines. Initially operating campuses in Gandhinagar and Delhi, approval has been granted for 14 additional campuses across Goa, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, along with training academies in Imphal and Pune. This information was provided by Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a Lok Sabha reply.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, under the National Health Mission (NHM), implements the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) to promote menstrual health among adolescent girls. States/UTs receive support for the scheme based on proposals in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans. The scheme emphasizes awareness generation, provision of affordable sanitary napkins, safe disposal, and counselling on menstrual practices. IEC activities are carried out through health facilities, community platforms, frontline workers and digital channels. Monitoring is conducted via a multi‑layered framework that reviews state‑wise key deliverables in NPCC meetings and through annual Common Review Missions. The Menstrual Hygiene Policy for school‑going girls is coordinated with states/UTs to ensure access to safe and affordable menstrual hygiene measures in schools. The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel, affirmed these steps in the Rajya Sabha.

The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, held the 11th District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad via video‑conference to accelerate Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 implementation. Senior officials, including Secretary Ashok K.K. Meena and Mission Director Kamal Kishore Soan, urged districts to hold monthly DWSM meetings, upload proceedings on the JJM IMIS portal, and use the Decision Support System for source‑sustainability assessments. Emphasis was placed on the “Catch the Rain – Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari” campaign, Jal Arpan ceremonies, convergence with programmes such as VB‑G RAM‑G, MGNREGA and 16th Finance Commission grants, and community‑led water‑quality monitoring under Sujalam Shakti. Best‑practice presentations from four districts (Karnataka, Tripura, Rajasthan, Jharkhand) highlighted innovative approaches to source sustainability, IEC activities, grievance redressal and convergence mechanisms.

The Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS) inaugurated a three‑day residential training programme titled “Actuarial Practices in Social Security: Strengthening Actuarial Governance at EPFO India” on 10‑12 August 2026 in New Delhi. The programme, jointly organised by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC‑ILO), follows an online module run from 25 May to 9 August 2026. It covers actuarial valuation methods, asset‑liability management and global best governance practices, aiming to build in‑house actuarial capacity in line with the Code on Social Security, 2020. Senior officials, including the Central Provident Fund Commissioner, highlighted the importance of actuarial decisions for the financial security of millions of workers.

The National Cooperative Database (NCD) records 8.53 lakh cooperative societies in India, of which 6.63 lakh are functional. Among functional societies, 5.95 lakh have been audited while 0.68 lakh remain unaudited. A total of 49,177 societies are under liquidation, and 115 multi‑state cooperative societies (MSCS) have been placed under liquidation under Sections 86‑90 of the MSCS Act, 2002. The Ministry of Cooperation highlights several initiatives since its inception on 06‑07‑2021, including the 2023 amendment of the MSCS Act, creation of a Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund, computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) on a common ERP platform, capacity‑building through the National Council for Co‑operative Training, and the development of the NCD as a digital repository covering about 32 crore members. Rural cooperative banks have also been brought under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.