Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The National Cooperative Database recorded 8,667 cooperative societies in Odisha as of 15 July 2026, of which 8,063 are functional. The Central Sector project for Computerisation of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), launched in 2022, was expanded to 79,630 PACS with a revised outlay of ₹2,925.39 crore. Odisha joined in 2025, sanctioning 4,240 PACS and receiving financial assistance of ₹25.07 crore (₹18.07 crore in FY 2025‑26 and ₹7.00 crore in FY 2026‑27). The National Cooperative Development Corporation has cumulatively disbursed ₹3,352.03 crore for Odisha’s cooperative sector up to 30 June 2026. The Ministry also aims to convert PACS, dairy and fisheries cooperatives into multipurpose societies and has set up a Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund for sick multi‑state cooperatives.

The Ministry of Cooperation is promoting AI and digital platforms in cooperative training institutions such as the Rural Innovation and Cooperative Management (RICM) centre in Chandigarh, Punjab. Initiatives include smart classrooms equipped with interactive digital boards, projectors and ICT‑enabled tools, blended learning via e‑content, online classes and Learning Management Systems, and faculty training in ICT tools and digital pedagogy. Capacity‑building programmes—Faculty Development Programmes, refresher courses, seminars, workshops and webinars—cover cooperative management, banking and finance, governance, digital banking and digital transformation. The information was provided by Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 6.67 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism to support biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement in 11 cotton‑growing states. The amount, derived from Rs 7.62 crore realised from Bayer Science & Innovation Pvt. Ltd. for research on 25,431 cotton varieties, is allocated to State Biodiversity Boards based on the geographic distribution of cotton cultivation, with the remaining Rs 0.95 crore retained in the National Biodiversity Fund. The funds will finance on‑farm and ex‑situ conservation, People’s Biodiversity Registers, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity research, digital databases, capacity building and livelihood programmes. This disbursement contributes to the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets on fair benefit‑sharing and genetic diversity conservation, bringing the cumulative ABS funds released by NBA to Rs 152.24 crore.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) carried out an intelligence‑led operation in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, where it uncovered a fully functional clandestine laboratory for manufacturing the synthetic psychotropic drug mephedrone. The raid seized 1.349 kg of mephedrone, 6.825 kg of the precursor 2‑Bromo‑4‑Methylpropiophenone, 120 litres of monomethylamine, 60 kg of hydrobromic acid, 40 litres of toluene and other mixed acids, all under the NDPS Act, 1985. In addition, Rs 20 lakh in cash was recovered, and a further Rs 1 lakh was seized from an intended receiver, bringing total arrests to three persons. The operation disrupted plans for large‑scale production.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying briefed the Rajya Sabha on measures to boost veterinary services, advance the White Revolution 2.0, and improve humane stray‑dog management. Under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, the Centre provides full funding for vaccinations against FMD, Brucellosis, PPR and Classical Swine Fever, and operates 4,019 mobile veterinary units across 29 states and UTs. White Revolution 2.0 targets the creation of 75,000 new dairy cooperative societies and the strengthening of 46,422 existing ones by 2028‑29, with 67,433 societies already achieved by March 2026 and milk procurement at 700 lakh litres per day in 2025‑26. The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and the National Action Plan for Dog‑Mediated Rabies Elimination aim to establish shelters, sterilisation and vaccination centres, and eliminate dog‑mediated rabies by 2030.

The Ministry of Cooperation has reviewed the National Cooperation Policy (NCP) 2025, establishing a national‑level ‘Policy Implementation and Monitoring Committee’ (first meeting on 09‑06‑2026) and a ‘National Steering Committee on Cooperation Policy’ chaired by the Union Minister of Cooperation. The policy outlines six strategic pillars, 16 objectives and 83 recommendations for a ten‑year horizon. A National Cooperative Database (NCD) has been created, covering over 8.5 lakh cooperative societies across 30 sectors and roughly 30 crore members, with state‑wise data compiled in Annexure‑A. The NCD is intended to aid policy formulation, implementation, geographic coverage analysis, financial performance assessment, and estimation of the cooperative sector’s economic contribution.

The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned a survey for the proposed 240 km Dharashiv–Beed–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar New Railway Line and has begun work on a Detailed Project Report (DPR). The survey is underway, and once the DPR is prepared, project sanction will require consultations with the State Government and approvals from bodies such as NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. The Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, conveyed this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 22 July 2026.

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has been implementing the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) since FY 2020‑21 for holistic development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Annexure‑I provides State/UT‑wise central fund approvals (Rs 3,15,982.65 lakh) and releases (Rs 2,20,873.98 lakh) for the three financial years 2023‑24 to 2025‑26, with allocations based on budgetary provisions, state performance, fund‑absorbing capacity and project progress. The Ministry reports a 39.61 % rise in fish production (141.64 lakh tonne to 197.75 lakh tonne) and a 58.34 % increase in fisheries exports (Rs 46,666 crore to Rs 73,890 crore) over the last five years. A centralized PMMSY Management Information System (MIS) portal tracks district‑ and state‑level project data, and regular advisories, meetings and field visits are used to monitor fund utilisation.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) carries out periodic methodological reviews of the statistical framework to ensure official statistics reflect the current structure of the economy and meet emerging data needs. It has revised the base years of GDP, IIP and CPI to 2022‑23 (GDP, IIP) and 2024 (CPI) following recommendations of advisory committees, incorporating updated data sources, expanded coverage and international standards. MoSPI also modernises National Sample Surveys by adopting digital platforms such as Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) and the e‑SIGMA system, introducing validation checks, AI‑enabled chat‑bots and multilingual interfaces, which have cut the data‑release lag from 8‑9 months to 45‑90 days. These methodological updates are undertaken after extensive consultations with experts, state governments and other stakeholders.

INS Malvan, the second indigenously designed Mahe‑class anti‑submarine warfare shallow‑water craft, was commissioned at Karwar on 22 July 2026. Built by Cochin Shipyard with over 80 percent indigenous content, the vessel is equipped for underwater surveillance, ASW, low‑intensity maritime operations and mine warfare, bolstering coastal defence, littoral security and maritime domain awareness. The commissioning was presided over by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and highlighted the Navy’s growing self‑reliance, tri‑service integration and the strategic importance of safeguarding sea lines of communication.

The Ministry of Cooperation reports that Rajasthan has 8,525 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) approved under the Computerisation Project, of which 6,933 have been onboarded onto an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Financial assistance released for the project amounts to a total of ₹92.83 crore, broken down as ₹23.78 crore (FY 2022‑23), ₹43.30 crore (FY 2023‑24), ₹11.00 crore (FY 2024‑25), ₹6.76 crore (FY 2025‑26) and ₹8.00 crore (FY 2026‑27). A further 1,592 PACS remain to be ERP‑onboarded, with the computerisation target slated for 31 March 2027. The figures were provided by Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proposing the establishment of AYUSH outpatient departments and treatment services in all Military and Field Hospitals. The Minister highlighted that while the Armed Forces have modern medical infrastructure, integrating traditional AYUSH systems can enhance preventive, promotive and holistic healthcare for defence personnel, especially in preventive care, lifestyle management, rehabilitation and overall well‑being. He offered technical support, professional guidance and a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the expansion, noting that AYUSH facilities are currently limited to a few defence institutions.

The Ministry of Cooperation, citing information from Odisha’s Directorate of Handicrafts, reports that 756 Handicraft Cooperative Societies (HCSs) are registered in Puri district. The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) provides financial assistance for infrastructure, marketing, capacity‑building and digital‑literacy programmes to artisan cooperatives nationwide, including those in Puri. As of 30 June 2026, NCDC has disbursed ₹3,352.03 crore for cooperative development in Odisha and ₹3.78 crore in Puri district, supporting 17 functional HCSs. An integrated RCS digital portal has been launched in Odisha to facilitate digital onboarding and e‑commerce integration for artisans.

The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology issued orders on 3 July 2026 to remove unauthorised battery‑management system (BMS) apps for e‑rickshaws from app stores after reports of remote‑control misuse. The government also highlighted its integrated cybersecurity framework, comprising the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under the National Security Council Secretariat, CERT‑In as the national cyber‑incident response agency under IT Act 70B, the National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) operated by CERT‑In, and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) under IT Act 70A. Additionally, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project were cited as part of consumer and cyber‑hygiene initiatives.

The Ministry of Electronics & IT highlighted recent amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, tightening obligations for social media intermediaries to curb child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and harmful AI‑generated content. Platforms must remove unlawful content within three hours of a court order or government intimation and within two hours of a complaint involving nudity or morphed images. Failure to comply leads to loss of exemption under Section 79 of the IT Act and possible prosecution. The government also issued advisories (29 Dec 2025, 16 Mar 2026) and a Standard Operating Procedure (11 Nov 2025) to guide intermediaries on CSAM, non‑consensual intimate imagery, and synthetic media. These measures aim to ensure a safer, accountable internet for children and other users.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) with an investment of Rs 20,050 crore across all states/UTs, alongside the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) of Rs 7,522.48 crore (effective FY 2018‑19). Under PMMSY, the Department has approved projects worth Rs 706 crore for Himalayan and hilly states, focusing on cold‑water fisheries. A Model Guidelines for the Development of Cold Water Fisheries was issued on 14 March 2026, detailing specifications for raceways, RAS, hatcheries, feed mills, disease control and market linkages. Four clusters have been notified in Anantnag (J&K), Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand), Kargil (Ladakh) and Kullu (Himachal Pradesh). The department promotes technologies such as RAS, Biofloc, IoT‑based water quality monitoring, GIS mapping and digital market platforms, with model RAS developed by ICAR‑CICFR, Bhimtal, and processing support by ICAR‑CIFT, Kochi.

The Department of Fisheries, under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), has approved fisheries development projects in Odisha worth ₹1,301.18 crore, including a central share of ₹484.64 crore. Key projects include the Integrated Aqua Park at Basantapur, Sambalpur (₹100 crore) with land procurement and basic infrastructure completed, and a State‑of‑the‑Art Wholesale Fish Market at Pandara, Bhubaneswar (₹59.13 crore) featuring renewable‑energy power and rain‑water harvesting. Since FY 2018‑19, the Kisan Credit Card scheme has been extended to fishers and fish farmers, with Odisha providing an additional 4 % interest subvention up to ₹1 lakh and 2 % for loans between ₹1 lakh‑₹3 lakh, effectively making small loans interest‑free.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Department of Fisheries reports that 213 women‑led coastal cooperative societies have been created in Andhra Pradesh between 1 April 2021 and 15 June 2026, covering fisheries, seaweed cultivation and marine processing and benefiting 27,447 women across 12 districts. These cooperatives are encouraged to register on the National Fisheries Digital Platform and can receive performance grants of up to ₹2 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah‑Yojana (PMMKSSY). They also receive priority for Access Passes in the EEZ and a reduced fee for Letters of Authorization for High Seas fishing. The Department aims to form 12,000 cooperatives nationwide, including women‑led societies, with a sub‑scheme targeting 5,500 primary fisheries cooperatives for capacity building and financial support.

Vice‑President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the GKNM College of Nursing in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and urged a skilled, compassionate healthcare workforce as essential for achieving Viksit Bharat 2047. He praised the G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Charitable Trust’s growth from a 50‑bed hospital (1952) to a 750‑bed multi‑specialty centre and highlighted the role of nurses in patient care. The Vice‑President cited the Ayushman Bharat programme’s global recognition and noted that nearly 44 crore people have insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. He also referenced free senior‑citizen care under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, preventive health priorities, and the need for greater organ and eye‑donation awareness.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) monitors rainfall daily, weekly and seasonally against the Long Period Average (LPA). For the 2026 Southwest Monsoon, rainfall was lower than normal in several parts of the country during the early weeks, and as of 14 July 2026 the nation recorded 21 % below‑normal rainfall, with some subdivisions showing deficits while others reported normal or excess amounts. The impact on agriculture, water resources, drinking water and groundwater is being assessed by the concerned ministries and state governments, and there is currently no indication of any nationwide effect on food‑grain production. Drought or flood declarations are the responsibility of state governments in coordination with the Ministries of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Home Affairs. The government is enhancing weather forecasting through the flagship Mission Mausam programme, which aims to improve observations, understanding of physical processes and advanced numerical modelling for more accurate forecasts.