Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The Department of Space disclosed that, according to the DPIIT Start‑up India Portal, about 440 space‑technology startups are registered in India. IN‑SPACe has granted 113 authorisations to 52 non‑government entities, of which 18 are start‑ups, including firms such as Agnikul Cosmos, Skyroot Aerospace and PixxelSpace India. Applications for using ISRO infrastructure, including launch pads at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, are processed through IN‑SPACe’s digital platform and vetted by an expert committee. The ministry projects two commercial rocket launches by private firms in FY 26‑27 and anticipates more than six in FY 27‑28, pending launch‑manifest approval. This information was provided by Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh in a Rajya Sabha reply.

On 13 August 2026, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurated a revamped India Code Portal at the Legislative Department, New Delhi. The portal, developed by the Legislative Department and the National Informatics Centre, now offers AI‑assisted, semantic and speech‑based search, improved navigation, QR‑enabled access, and multilingual support in all 22 Eighth‑Schedule languages. It integrates Central, State and Union‑Territory Acts with subordinate legislation and links to the e‑Gazette ecosystem, aiming to make legislative information faster, simpler and more citizen‑centric. The launch was attended by the Attorney General, senior legislative officials and NIC leadership.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted an intelligence‑led operation on 9‑10 August 2026 at a residential premises in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, seizing about 30 kg of amphetamine/intermediary forms, 30 kg of precursor chemicals and complete equipment for clandestine drug manufacture. A foreign national and his Indian female associate were arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985. The investigation revealed a repeat‑cycle modus operandi of setting up the lab for a week, dismantling it, and re‑establishing after a 2‑3 month gap. This raid follows three other DRI actions in the preceding month targeting clandestine drug labs in Gujarat, Maharashtra and a Tramadol export network, underscoring DRI’s intensified focus on dismantling illicit drug‑manufacturing ecosystems.

The Ministry of Culture reported the retrieval of Indian antiquities held abroad, detailing numbers recovered from the USA (589), UK (21), Australia (51) and the Netherlands (1), totalling 662 items as of June 2026. Retrieval is initiated case‑by‑case, guided by national and international laws and facilitated through mutual understanding and cooperation with the concerned countries. The government acts through Indian embassies whenever an illegally exported artifact is identified, noting that no comprehensive global list of such collections exists.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reported that India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) has already met two of its three quantitative targets. By 2022, emissions intensity of GDP fell 37.38% from the 2005 baseline, short of the 45% reduction target for 2030. The share of non‑fossil‑fuel‑based installed electric power capacity crossed 50% in June 2025 and stood at 54.18% as of 30 June 2026, achieving the 2030 goal five years early. Additionally, India created an additional carbon sink of 2.44 billion tonnes CO₂‑e (2005‑2022), close to the 2.5‑3.0 billion‑tonne target. The first Biennial Transparency Report to the UNFCCC (April 2026) attributes these outcomes to renewable‑energy policies, energy‑efficiency measures, and forest‑conservation programmes. The NDC for 2035 has been upgraded to a 47% GDP‑intensity reduction, 60% non‑fossil electricity capacity, and a 3.5‑4.0 billion‑tonne carbon sink.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs announced the establishment of 283 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) in Rajasthan’s tribal districts – Udaipur (110), Salumbar (39), Dungarpur (72) and Pratapgarh (62) – benefitting 85,349 tribal members. These centres focus on value‑addition, processing and marketing of Minor Forest Produce and agricultural items such as wheat, pulses, mango pickle, turmeric and honey. The State Implementing Agency has supplied toolkits and released approximately ₹2,253 lakhs for training and equipment. Annexure‑I provides block‑wise Scheduled Tribe (ST) population and percentage data for the eight districts, highlighting high ST concentrations (e.g., Kotra 95.82% ST).

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Maha Nyaya Abhiyan (PM‑JANMAN), is establishing Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) via TRIFED to enhance tribal livelihoods. Under PMJVM, 4,172 VDVKs covering 12.48 lakh beneficiaries have been sanctioned across 28 States/UTs with a fund of ₹619.17 crore; under PM‑JANMAN, 540 VDVKs covering 0.46 lakh beneficiaries have been sanctioned in 18 States/UTs with ₹23.02 crore. In the last three financial years, 617 VDVKs (PMJVM) and 540 VDVKs (PM‑JANMAN) were sanctioned. These centres provide skill development, capacity building, value addition, processing, plantation, marketing assistance and self‑employment opportunities. Additionally, NSTFDC has disbursed concessional loans of ₹1,648.39 crore to 4,95,090 Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries over the past five years.

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, informed Parliament that under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM‑JANMAN) the government has operationalised 831 Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as of 30 June 2026, with an additional 474 MMUs under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA). DAJGUA also led to the approval of 15 Centres of Competence for sickle‑cell disease treatment. Annex I details state‑wise and district‑wise progress, including houses sanctioned/completed, roads sanctioned/completed, villages saturated, and numbers of AWCs, MMUs, and other interventions across 19 states and Union territories. The Ministry is coordinating with state tribal welfare departments and other line ministries to achieve saturation of eligible beneficiaries.

The INSPIRE Programme of the Ministry of Science & Technology, covering four components – INSPIRE‑MANAK, INSPIRE‑SHE, INSPIRE Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship – has supported a growing number of students and young researchers over the last five years. INSPIRE‑MANAK benefitted 52,720 students in 2021‑22, 43,381 in 2022‑23, 46,926 in 2023‑24, 50,009 in 2024‑25 and 49,805 in 2025‑26. INSPIRE‑SHE awarded 12,000 scholarships annually, with beneficiaries ranging from 18,039 to 24,276 across the same period. INSPIRE Fellowship supported 2,768‑3,364 fellows annually, while INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship supported 474‑477 post‑doctoral fellows each year. The programme also emphasizes outreach to rural and remote districts through state‑level dissemination, exhibitions, and mentorship collaborations with premier institutions.

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, approved additional financial allocations for Rajasthan (Rs 340.59 crore) and Telangana (Rs 265.12 crore) under the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM‑RKVY) and the Krishonnati Yojana (KY). The approvals follow a review of each state’s annual action plans, first Mother Sanctions, and expenditure progress. Rajasthan’s allocation comprises Rs 216.12 crore (RKVY) and Rs 124.47 crore (KY); Telangana’s comprises Rs 157.66 crore (RKVY) and Rs 107.46 crore (KY). The minister highlighted Telangana’s new Farmer‑ID and fertiliser distribution model, urged greater focus on Kisan Credit Cards in Rajasthan, and called for monitoring of oilseeds and pulses missions.

The Ministry of Science & Technology clarified that the INSPIRE‑SHE (Scholarship for Higher Education) scheme has not been discontinued; it is being redesigned to strengthen objectives, improve implementation and align with emerging priorities in science education and research. The release provides a state‑wise table showing that 136,298 students have benefited, with a total disbursement of Rs 2,784.15 crore. It also notes related overseas research support: 271 scholars have completed the INSPIRE‑SHE Mentorship Grant summer projects abroad, 63 participants have been funded under the Water Advanced Research and Innovation (WARI) Fellowship with the Indo‑U.S. Science and Technology Forum, and 55 beneficiaries have pursued Ph.D. studies abroad under the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament (2026) ran from 20 July to 13 August, encompassing 19 sittings over 25 days. A total of 12 Bills were passed by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, covering diverse areas such as the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment), the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment), the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment, the Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment), the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment), the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, the National Co‑operative Development Corporation (Amendment), the Tribunals Reforms Bill and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill was referred to a Joint Committee. Productivity of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha was reported at approximately 19 % and 39 % respectively.

The Indian Cancer Society (ICS) and Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) inaugurated ‘Amrit Sparsh’, a dedicated Neuro‑Oncology Rehabilitation Centre on the second floor of the ICS Rehabilitation Centre in Parel, Mumbai. The centre, described as the first of its kind in India, offers multidisciplinary services—including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech‑language therapy, audiology, cognitive rehabilitation, yoga and vocational training—to address physical, cognitive and psychosocial challenges of patients with brain and spinal tumours. Services are free for under‑privileged patients and heavily subsidised for others, aiming to restore independence and quality of life as part of comprehensive cancer care.

The ICMR‑National Institute of Virology (ICMR‑NIV) conducted the second edition of ICMR‑S.H.I.N.E. (Science and Health Innovation for the NextGen Explorers) on 11–12 August 2026, bringing together 755 students (Classes IX–XII) and 103 teachers from 50 schools across three states. The programme offered hands‑on exposure to virology through laboratory tours, presentations, PPE demonstrations and direct interaction with scientists, echoing the Prime Minister’s call for students to spend a day as a scientist. A nationwide SHINE 2026 school competition was also announced to encourage students to propose research solutions for public‑health challenges, thereby extending ICMR‑NIV’s outreach to rural schools.

The Department of Health Research – ICMR concluded the second edition of ICMR‑SHINE (Science & Health Innovation for the Nextgen Explorers) on 11‑12 August 2026. The outreach programme reached 83 locations in 31 States and Union Territories, taking mobile BSL‑3 laboratories to Nagpur and Gorakhpur and conducting live demonstrations, poster walks and BMI‑hygiene exercises for students of Classes 9‑12. ICMR also launched the SHINE website and announced a nationwide school competition on public‑health challenges, with applications open till 11 September 2026. Teachers welcomed the exposure and urged more frequent events, noting its role in fostering a scientific outlook for a ‘Swasth and Viksit Bharat’.

As of 10 August 2026, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 has issued Sujal Gaon IDs to 12,67,808 of the 16,96,213 rural habitations in India, covering 75 % of habitations across all States and Union Territories. The Sujal Gaon ID is a unique number assigned through the JJM digital platform to enable systematic identification, monitoring, reporting, tracking and verification of water‑supply service areas. Sujalam Bharat, a federated Digital Public Infrastructure, integrates these IDs with GIS‑validated mapping, geospatial data and the PM GatiShakti platform, providing end‑to‑end source‑to‑tap visibility, asset tracking and lifecycle management of Rural Piped Water Supply Schemes. The Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri V. Somanna, disclosed these figures in a Lok Sabha reply.

As on 07‑08‑2026, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II reports that 5,63,809 of the 5,86,944 villages (≈96 %) have liquid waste management (LWM) arrangements. The programme, launched on 1 April 2020, targets ODF Plus villages through solid‑and‑liquid waste management (SLWM) and visual cleanliness. States/UTs have reported 42,98,194 community GWM assets, including soak‑pits, leach‑pits, magic‑pits, drainage facilities and treatment systems such as DEWATS and phytorid technology. Financial support of up to Rs 280 per capita (villages ≤5,000) and Rs 660 per capita (villages >5,000) is provided by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, supplemented by State funds and other sources.

The e‑Courts Mission Mode Project, implemented in Phase III (2023‑27), aims to digitise India’s judicial system. Under this phase, 1,806 eSewa Kendras have been set up, 474 courts equipped for paper‑less operations, and 538 courts provided with virtual‑court infrastructure. Over 753.60 crore pages of court records have been digitised, and 4,519 courts now support e‑filing. Video‑conferencing facilities have been installed in 7,553 establishments, and 11 High Courts have live audio‑visual streaming. Training programmes, capacity‑building workshops and outreach initiatives have been conducted to improve digital literacy among litigants and lawyers. These measures are intended to enhance efficiency, accessibility and transparency of judicial administration.

The Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, met the Kenyan Parliamentary Delegation led by Speaker Moses M. Wetang’ula. He underscored the close parliamentary ties and offered India’s experience in digital technology for a paper‑less Parliament. The Vice‑President cited development partnership projects such as the refurbishment of the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Library in Nairobi and CT‑scan infrastructure at the Kenyan Navy Base, as well as India’s assistance during the Ebola outbreak. He highlighted capacity‑building support through around 400 scholarships, training for 20 Kenyan diplomats, and an increase in ICCR scholarships to 100 per year. The meeting also touched on Kenya’s support for India’s UN Security Council candidature and the prospect of Kenya joining the International Solar Alliance and International Big Cat Alliance.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs reviewed the Phase‑I implementation of the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan, noting the establishment of a nationwide community‑based capacity‑building framework aimed at strengthening last‑mile governance in tribal areas. Approximately 15 lakh Adi Karmayogis have been mobilised through a cascading training architecture, with over 210 State Master Trainers, 2,200 District Master Trainers and 11,000 Block Master Trainers developed. The programme has set up 56,422 Adi Sewa Kendras (ASKs) and 4,03,306 Adi Sahyogis, and approved 62,187 Tribal Village Vision 2030 plans through Gram Sabhas, thereby institutionalising participatory decision‑making at the village level.