Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The Ministry of Science & Technology’s INSPIRE programme, covering INSPIRE‑MANAK, INSPIRE‑SHE, INSPIRE Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship, has supported thousands of students and young researchers over the last five years. INSPIRE‑MANAK reached 52,720 (2021‑22) to 49,805 (2025‑26) school students (ages 10‑17). INSPIRE‑SHE awarded 12,000 scholarships annually, with 24,276 beneficiaries in 2025‑26. INSPIRE Fellowship and Faculty Fellowship provided financial support to Ph.D. and post‑doctoral scholars, with 3,364 and 477 beneficiaries respectively in 2025‑26. The government has expanded outreach through state‑level dissemination, workshops, exhibitions and mentorship collaborations with IITs, NITs and IISERs, especially targeting rural and remote districts.

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, briefed the Rajya Sabha that under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA), State Governments and UT Administrations implement the Act while the Ministry of Tribal Affairs compiles a Monthly Progress Report (MPR). For FY 2023‑24 to FY 2025‑26 (01‑04‑2023 to 31‑03‑2026), 8,56,159 claims were filed (8,21,908 individual and 34,251 community), 2,34,352 claims were approved/titles distributed (2,18,899 individual and 15,453 community), and 14,462 claims were rejected (13,756 individual and 706 community). The Act and its rules do not prescribe a time‑limit for claim disposal, and no central data on disposal timelines is maintained. Rejection reasons cited include land not occupied before 13 Dec 2005, duplicate claims, claims on non‑forest land, and lack of evidence.

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions reported several digital reforms. CPGRAMS has been strengthened through a 10‑Step reform and guidelines issued in August 2024, cutting the grievance redressal timeline from 30 to 21 days. Between 1 Jan and 15 July 2026, 15,20,576 grievances were received and the average disposal time was 13 days for Central ministries. An AI‑enabled chatbot, ‘Samadhan Didi’, launched on 30 May 2026, offers multilingual voice‑based registration in 22 official languages. The ‘Bhavishya’ online pension system and Aadhaar‑linked Digital Life Certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) provide end‑to‑end processing, real‑time tracking and reduced delays. A new scheme, ‘Improving Pensioners’ Welfare’, aims to offer unified portal access for pensioners.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs reports that the National e‑Vidhan Application (NeVA) was designed as a generic platform to accommodate the varied rules of procedure, practices and business processes of State and Union Territory legislatures. The implementation faced challenges due to differences in ICT infrastructure, baseline digitalisation, digital capacity and the degree of adoption of paper‑less legislative processes. To address these, the Ministry incorporated configurable features in the software, provided financial assistance for ICT procurement and technical manpower, and organised capacity‑building, orientation and hand‑holding programmes, along with continuous coordination with the concerned legislatures. The details were furnished by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

The Ministry of Cooperation’s White Revolution 2.0 aims to expand dairy cooperative activity by forming 75,000 new Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS) and strengthening 46,422 existing ones. To date, 24,097 new DCSs have been created and 31,394 existing societies have been reinforced, with particular focus on villages and panchayats previously uncovered, especially in Maharashtra and Bihar. Two multi‑state cooperative societies – Gomay Sahkari Samiti Multi‑State Limited (BGSSL) and National Cooperative Inputs and Services Delivery Multi‑State Limited (CISDL) – have been set up to promote circularity and sustainability, including manure management and affordable input services. The initiative seeks to improve market access, ensure fair prices, raise farmer incomes, and increase women’s participation in the dairy sector.

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government is promoting sustainable livelihood opportunities for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), including the Irula community in Tamil Nadu, through the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM‑JANMAN). Under the scheme, TRIFED has sanctioned 37 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) across seven districts with a total sanctioned outlay of Rs 120.15 lakh, of which Rs 60.08 lakh has been released, benefitting 2,403 persons. Of these, 34 VDVKs serve 2,135 Irula beneficiaries, supporting value‑addition and marketing of minor forest produce such as honey, spices, cashew, broom sticks, herbs, tamarind and soap‑nut, generating sales worth Rs 75.89 lakh.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs is adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to improve transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in its schemes, including AI‑enabled multilingual chatbots, virtual assistants and digital interfaces such as the Haj Suvidha App. The ministry’s use of AI is aligned with the IndiaAI Mission, which the Government approved to build an inclusive, responsible AI ecosystem and comprises seven pillars – IndiaAI Compute, Foundation Models, Application Development Initiative, Future Skills, AIKosh datasets, Safe & Trusted AI, and Startup Financing. The India AI Governance Guidelines (issued 5 Nov 2025) prescribe principles of trust, people‑first, fairness, accountability and safety, and mandate safeguards for privacy, data protection and security under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. All AI deployments are to follow the applicable policy, legal and regulatory framework.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs reports that 21 out of 33 State/UT Legislatures that have signed MoUs for the National e‑Vidhan Application (NeVA) have been converted into digital Legislatures. The listed houses include assemblies and councils from Punjab, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi and others. The central government has released ₹138.17 crore to support this transition. NeVA’s public portals feature AI‑driven multilingual translation (Bhāshini) covering 22 scheduled languages and English. Security provisions include hosting on the NIC Meghraj 2.0 cloud, a dedicated disaster‑recovery site, regular security audits and two‑factor authentication. The information was provided by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a Lok Sabha reply.

The Ministry of Electronics & IT says the Government continuously reviews global developments and international regulatory approaches to shape domestic policy for children’s online safety. The IT Act 2000 and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 create a framework for digital well‑being, obligating intermediaries to prevent harmful content for children and to report offences under laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the POCSO Act, 2012. Recent amendments require removal of unlawful content within three hours of a court or government order. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 mandates parental consent for processing children’s data and bans tracking or targeted advertising. The Ministry’s Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project has conducted 6,650 workshops reaching over 11.37 lakh participants, complemented by multilingual awareness material and CERT‑In safety tips.

The Ministry of Education notes that education is a concurrent subject and that the University Grants Commission (UGC) regularly lists fake universities. The latest UGC list (February 2026) identified 32 institutions as fake universities. UGC has issued clarification letters, show‑cause notices, public notices, and letters to chief, education and principal secretaries of states/UTs, urging them to register FIRs under the UGC Act, 1956. The Central Government has asked all state chief secretaries to take legal action for closure of these institutions and to inform the Centre of any additional fake universities. This information was provided by Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Majumdar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has warned that certain EdTech firms are advertising degree and diploma programmes in online mode through franchisee arrangements with universities that lack UGC recognition. The UGC issued a public notice stating such programmes are not recognised and that action will be taken against the offending EdTech companies and higher‑educational institutions under applicable laws. It also advised students to verify the recognition status of programmes on the UGC (DEB) website. The UGC’s Anti‑Mal‑Practice Cell, set up in 1996, maintains a list of 32 fake universities as of February 2026 and issues show‑cause notices, publishes state‑wise lists, and urges state governments to lodge FIRs against unauthorized institutions. The information was provided by Minister of State for Education Dr. Sukanta Majumdar in the Rajya Sabha.

The Ministry of Education’s Vidyanjali portal, an initiative of the Department of School Education and Literacy, links volunteers, NGOs and CSR organisations with government and aided schools to provide tutoring, digital resources and infrastructure support, in line with NEP 2020 Para 3.7. In the past year, 1,27,884 schools, 32,581 volunteers and 1,126 CSR/NGO entities registered on the portal. The platform has facilitated AI and robotics labs in Delhi schools, digital classrooms in Dholpur (Rajasthan), infrastructure upgrades in Mamit (Mizoram) and Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh), and BaLA wall‑painting projects in Begusarai (Bihar). NGOs are onboarded via NITI Aayog’s DARPAN ID, while CSR participation follows Bulk‑Engagement and Adopt‑a‑School models, monitored through the portal’s digital dashboard.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has created multiple digital portals—including those for granting autonomous status, deemed‑to‑be university status, and for the Distance Education Bureau (DEB)—to promote transparency in Indian higher education. A unified online portal for 2(f) and 12B status has also been launched after stakeholder feedback. In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Government introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, which mandates technology‑driven single‑window interactive systems for regulating higher‑education institutions, aiming to simplify processes, reduce discretion, and enhance accountability. The Bill is currently under examination by a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament, as disclosed by Minister of State for Education Dr Sukanta Majumdar in the Rajya Sabha.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Pawan Hans Limited signed a non‑binding MoU with Norway’s Noemi Aerospace (Elfly AS) to explore electric seaplane technologies, skill development, technical knowledge sharing and feasibility studies. The agreement was witnessed by Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ram Mohan Naidu and the civil aviation secretary. The MoU aligns with the Government’s vision for regional and island connectivity, green aviation and Make‑in‑India, and references the Union Budget 2026’s proposed Seaplane VGF Scheme. The MoU is exploratory with no financial or procurement commitments; any future work will require separate agreements and approvals.

The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Netflix India, launched the ‘As Seen on Netflix’ section on the Incredible India portal. The launch, conducted by Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, aims to showcase real locations, cultural traditions and authentic experiences featured in Netflix’s Indian films and series, thereby promoting India’s cultural heritage and tourism potential. Netflix Co‑Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos highlighted the decade‑long collaboration and reaffirmed commitment to further promote India’s diverse stories, linking them to the country’s creative economy and global cultural footprint.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting reports that the Central Sector Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme, approved for 2021‑26 and extended to 31 March 2027, is being implemented for the modernization of Prasar Bharati’s broadcasting infrastructure. In the past year, no grievances or formal representations were received concerning editorial autonomy, appointments or functioning of public broadcasters, although seven appointment‑related complaints were logged. Akashvani reaches roughly 98 % of the population and 90 % of the country’s area, while DD Free Dish is available nationwide without subscription charges. Editorial matters are overseen by the Editor‑in‑Chief and senior teams, with viewer feedback routed to relevant editorial units.

The Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS), Mumbai Zonal Unit, in partnership with B.K. Birla College, Kalyan, held a seminar titled “Understanding Basics of GST” on 5 August 2026. The event aimed to raise tax literacy among students, aspiring entrepreneurs and other stakeholders, emphasizing GST’s role in simplifying the tax structure, creating a unified national market and enhancing transparency. Speakers included Dr Naresh Chandra (Director, Education, B.K. Birla College), Shri Sumit Kumar (Principal Additional Director General, DGTS) and Shri Deepak Mata (Deputy Commissioner, CGST & Central Excise, Mumbai Zone), who covered GST’s constitutional framework, levy mechanisms, Input Tax Credit, GST Council, compliance requirements and recent technological tools such as AI, data analytics and the Invoice Management System. The seminar concluded with an interactive Q&A session.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) held a Manak Manthan (technical meeting) in Nagpur on 30 July 2026, focusing on IS 2052:2023 – Compounded Feeds for Cattle (Fifth Revision) and Draft Standard FAD/18/33969 – Traceability System Requirements for Milk and Milk Products Processing Plants. Participants were briefed on commenting procedures for revised and draft standards via the BIS portal, received technical presentations on the standards, and discussed practical observations. Comments will be compiled for further action. The meeting also informed stakeholders about free download of standards, BIS licence procedures, and encouraged BIS certification. The event was guided by Dr. Manoj Kumar Rajak, Director & Head, BIS Nagpur Branch Office.

Co‑CEO of Netflix, Mr Ted Sarandos, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 August 2026. The Prime Minister highlighted India’s rich storytelling tradition and its large pool of creative talent, stating that these assets can be leveraged to strengthen India’s position as a global hub for content creation. The meeting was noted in a PIB release and the Prime Minister’s X post reiterated the discussion on the immense potential of India’s media and entertainment sector.

On 1 August 2026, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted an intelligence‑led operation in Satara district, Maharashtra, and busted an illegal manufacturing unit producing the psychotropic drugs Alprazolam and Diazepam, both listed under the NDPS Act 1985. Searches recovered about 1 kg of finished Alprazolam, over 15 kg of Alprazolam in intermediary form, roughly 3.75 kg of Diazepam, and approximately 400 litres of raw materials and reaction mixtures. Two individuals were arrested at the site, and a third suspect, the intended buyer from Pune, was apprehended in a follow‑up operation. All seizures were made under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.