Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The Government, through the Ministry of Science & Technology, reaffirmed that the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund is governed by a robust institutional framework that emphasizes transparency, merit‑based evaluation and strict conflict‑of‑interest (COI) safeguards. Senior officials from the Department of Science and Technology, Technology Development Board (TDB) and Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) explained that project approvals are made by an Investment Committee of independent external experts, with decisions requiring a super‑majority and members recusing themselves where a conflict exists. The COI guidelines mandate full disclosure of interests and prohibit members from participating in proposals where they have a stake. The Fund provides soft‑loan assistance linked to specific technology projects, mobilising private investment while maintaining financial discipline.

BSNL Goa has invited local entrepreneurs, youth, students and self‑employed individuals to partner in the expansion of the BharatNet Fibre‑to‑the‑Home (FTTH) project in rural Goa. Under the Digital Bharat Nidhi programme, BSNL aims to inter‑connect every Gram Panchayat in the state with 1 Gbps broadband and then roll out FTTH services to households and businesses. Laying of optical fibre and Gram Panchayat inter‑connection is slated to start in October 2026, with FTTH deployment in phases. The scheme seeks local partners for last‑mile connectivity, promising business and employment opportunities while enhancing digital access in villages.

The Directorate General of Taxpayer Services (DGTS), Mumbai, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Region, held a Seminar‑cum‑Webinar on 7 August 2026 titled “Impact of Geopolitics on our Trade – Import & Exports”. The event targeted exporters, importers, industry representatives and other stakeholders to raise awareness of how global geopolitical shifts, tariffs, sanctions and supply‑chain disruptions affect trade. Speakers highlighted the need for market diversification, continuous monitoring of geopolitical trends, and compliance with evolving trade regulations. The programme also underscored recent CBIC trade‑facilitation reforms such as integrated customs systems, e‑Bond, electronic bank guarantees and faceless assessment, and marked the 27th DGTS outreach initiative since April 2026.

On National Handloom Day (7 August 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared an article authored by Union Minister Giriraj Singh that describes handloom as one of India’s greatest civilisational strengths and underscores the diverse regional textile traditions. The Prime Minister highlighted the Minister’s call for India’s youth to combine heritage with technology, creativity and enterprise to shape the next chapter of handloom, thereby improving weavers’ livelihoods.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) as a Central Sector Scheme through the National Bee Board. The mission aims to promote scientific beekeeping, increase honey and beehive product output, generate income and employment, support farm and non‑farm households, empower women, and strengthen beekeepers via institutional frameworks. Under NBHM, project‑based assistance has enabled the creation of 7 honey testing labs, 66 mini labs, 83 processing units, 90 collection/branding units, and 81 Quality Nucleus Stock Development Centres. Honey production rose from 80,530 MT in 2014‑15 to 151,690 MT in 2025‑26, as per the Horticulture Crops Statistics (2nd Advance Estimates 2025‑26). The Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, conveyed these details in a Rajya Sabha reply.

The Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), the market‑borrowing arm of Indian Railways, reported that debt servicing has stabilised over the last five years. Principal repayment rose from ₹14,192 crore in FY 2021‑22 to ₹24,853 crore in FY 2025‑26, while interest payments increased modestly, resulting in a declining share of interest in total lease charges (from ≈ 50 % in 2021‑22 to ≈ 46 % in 2025‑26). The Ministry of Railways notes that growing gross budgetary support for infrastructure and rolling stock has reduced dependence on extra‑budgetary resources. This reflects sustained financial discipline despite the Covid shock.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), concluded the BRICS WAVES Bazaar 2026 in Mumbai. Over 900 delegates from 20 BRICS and partner countries participated, facilitating more than 275 B2B meetings among producers, studios, broadcasters, film commissions, AVGC, government representatives, investors and technology firms. The event resulted in several Letters of Intent, MoUs and co‑production announcements, notably NFDC’s LoI with Brazil’s RioFilme, archival cooperation with Russia’s Gosfilmofond, and multiple bilateral film projects involving India, Brazil, Portugal, Russia, Czech Republic, South Korea and the UAE. These outcomes aim to strengthen creative‑economy ties, cultural exchange and long‑term collaboration across the BRICS ecosystem.

India and Sri Lanka met in New Delhi on 7 August 2026, led by Union Power Minister Shri Manohar Lal and Sri Lankan Energy Minister Shri Anura Karunathilake. The ministers reviewed ongoing bilateral initiatives such as the proposed India‑Sri Lanka HVDC interconnection and the Sampur Solar Power Project, and discussed expanding cross‑border electricity trade, renewable‑energy deployment, transmission infrastructure and capacity‑building. India shared its experience in transmission system development through the Tariff‑Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) public‑private partnership model. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to deepen power‑sector cooperation for sustainable development and regional energy security.

The Ministry of Rural Development reports that under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana‑Gramin (PMAY‑G), 32.47 lakh houses were sanctioned and 26.57 lakh houses completed in FY 2025‑26, bringing total sanctioned houses to 3.91 crore and completed houses to 3.12 crore against a national target of 4.18 crore. About 79 lakh sanctioned houses remain under construction. The scheme emphasizes beneficiary‑led construction, climate‑responsive designs, and provision of basic amenities such as piped water, electricity and LPG. Up to 5 % of targets are reserved for disaster‑affected families, and at least 60 % of national targets are earmarked for SC/ST households.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reports that the average turnaround time of major Indian ports fell from 52.87 hours in 2021‑22 to 48.84 hours in 2025‑26. Annexure I provides port‑wise figures for the last five years, showing, for example, Jawaharlal Nehru Port’s turnaround time ranging between 26 and 27.43 hours. The World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2025 ranks Jawaharlal Nehru Port 22nd, close to Singapore (21st) and Shanghai (23rd) and ahead of Rotterdam (333rd). To further improve efficiency, the government has undertaken construction of new berths, mechanisation, modernisation, optimisation of existing infrastructure and introduced the One Nation One Port (ONOP) process. These details were given by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

The Ministry of AYUSH, through the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), is implementing the Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants across India, with a focus on Ladakh’s high‑altitude species such as seabuckthorn, rhodiola, artemisia and aconitum. The scheme supports infrastructure for quality planting material, IEC activities, post‑harvest management, marketing, and quality testing. NMPB has launched the “e‑CHARAK” mobile app and web portal to promote and market medicinal plants, providing fortnightly prices from 25 herbal markets, including Ladakh. The State Medicinal Plant Board, UT Ladakh, conducts training, seminars and buyer‑seller meets, while a Centre of Excellence for seabuckthorn has been established at Nimoo, Leh with Rs 789.33 lakh funding, technical support from DRDO‑DIHAR, and facilities for research, demonstration, and capacity‑building. Over the last five years, the Ministry has released Rs 705.11 lakh for Ladakh projects, of which Rs 534.24 lakh has been utilized.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reports that the Government has launched several policy and promotional measures for the Inland Water Transport (IWT) sector, including the National Waterways (Construction of Jetties/Terminals) Regulation 2025, the Jalvahak scheme and extension of tonnage‑tax benefits, alongside development of multi‑modal and inter‑modal terminals, jetties and fairway maintenance. Annexure‑I lists 27 projects on National Waterway‑1 covering multimodal terminals, community jetties, ship‑repair facilities, river‑cruise terminals, freight villages, quick‑pontoon mechanisms and fairway development in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with costs ranging from ₹2.60 crore to ₹76220 crore. Annexure‑II and III detail completed and ongoing projects in the North‑Eastern Region and other waterways, including high‑level jetties, cargo‑cum‑tourist terminals, and concrete pontoon terminals across Assam, Tripura, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala and West Bengal.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched the ‘Poshan Tracker’ digital application under Mission Poshan 2.0 to monitor nutrition indicators and identify stunting, wasting and under‑weight among children under five. Two lakh Anganwadi Centres in government buildings are being upgraded to Saksham Anganwadis equipped with LED screens, water‑filtration systems, Poshan Vatika, ECCE material and BaLA paintings. Supplementary nutrition – hot cooked meals and take‑home rations – is provided to children (6 months‑6 years), pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls as per Schedule‑II of the National Food Security Act, with extra rations for severely acute malnourished children. A joint protocol for managing child malnutrition has been released, and frontline workers are supplied with smartphones, data recharge, and growth‑monitoring devices for regular beneficiary monitoring.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has highlighted Mission Shakti, a centrally‑sponsored scheme with two verticals – ‘Sambal’ for women’s safety and security and ‘Samarthya’ for empowerment. Under Sambal, One Stop Centres (OSCs) provide medical, legal, shelter and counselling services; 991 OSCs were operational nationwide up to 30 June 2026, assisting over 15.20 lakh women, with 63 OSCs in Madhya Pradesh serving 1.65 lakh women. The Women Helpline (181) has aided more than 1.04 crore women nationally, including 3.83 lakh from Madhya Pradesh. Integration of OSCs with the helpline and other emergency services (ERSS‑112, Child Helpline 1098) aims to ensure coordinated, timely support. The scheme’s implementation is monitored by the Programme Approval Board and a real‑time Mission Shakti Dashboard.

The Ministry of Ayush, in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, is promoting Ayush‑based medical and wellness tourism through a National Strategy and a dedicated Ayush Visa introduced on 27 July 2023. Two Medical Value Travel Summits have been held (Mumbai, 30 Sept 2024; Chennai, 26 May 2025) to strengthen India’s position in this sector. Kerala hosts several research institutes under CCRH, CCRAS, CCRUM, and CCRS, conducting projects on medicinal plants, Panchakarma, and clinical validation of traditional medicines. Under the National Ayush Mission, Kerala receives recurring and non‑recurring grants for medicines, infrastructure, and human resources. Central sector schemes such as the Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants and Ayurswasthya Yojana have funded research projects and Centres of Excellence in the state.

The Ministry of AYUSH monitors the implementation of the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) in Tamil Nadu through activity‑wise physical/financial reporting, field visits, regional review meetings and one‑to‑one state reviews, complemented by a mid‑term evaluation by NITI Aayog. Tamil Nadu reports 94 co‑located AYUSH units in rural districts, 40 in rural coastal districts and 16 in urban coastal districts. In the last year, 1,11,02,499 beneficiaries accessed AYUSH services, of which 3,47,112 women received maternal‑child health, anaemia, adolescent, menopause and wellness services under the Magaperu Sanjeevi Scheme. Additionally, 1,31,160 women benefited from antenatal/post‑natal yoga and naturopathy programmes. A total of 650 AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres (now Ayushman Arogya Mandir) are operationalised under NAM.

The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, together with the National e‑Governance Division (NeGD), held a stakeholder engagement session with Companies’ Nodal Officers to demonstrate the Integrated IEPFA Portal 2.0. The session showcased new digital features – KYC integration, pre‑filled Form IEPF‑5, entitlement search, a three‑step e‑Verification Report (EVR) workflow and provisions for Rule 7(3) delay fees – and outlined the rollout timeline (UAT in August 2026, training in September, pilot in October, launch in November 2026). Participants suggested enhancements such as Aadhaar eKYC address validation, bulk DSC/eSign, and automated fraud alerts, which were forwarded to the NeGD team for consideration.

The Ministry of AYUSH monitors the implementation of the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) in tribal and rural areas, although public health is a State subject. Monitoring mechanisms include periodic collection of physical and financial data from States/UTs, field visits by central teams, regional review meetings chaired by the Minister/Secretary, one‑to‑one State reviews, and a mid‑term evaluation by NITI Aayog through a third‑party. Under NAM, States can propose the establishment of 50/30/10‑bed integrated AYUSH hospitals and new dispensaries, with funding routed via the State Annual Action Plan. The annexure lists allocations and expenditures for various AYUSH schemes from 2023‑24 to 2025‑26, e.g., National AYUSH Mission allocated Rs 1,200 crore (BE) in 2023‑24, with actual spend of Rs 869.30 crore in 2025‑26.

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, chaired the 2nd Governing Body Meeting of the National Institute of Sowa‑Rigpa (NISR) in New Delhi. He outlined a roadmap to strengthen Sowa‑Rigpa through scientific research, establishment of an independent research council, promotion of international standards, and expansion beyond the Indian Himalayan Region. The Minister emphasized digitising and translating hundreds of Bhoti manuscripts, conserving rare medicinal plants, and fostering bio‑prospecting and agroforestry with Himalayan communities. The Ministry reaffirmed support for NISR’s role in education, clinical services, research, and capacity building, and congratulated Director Dr Padma Gurmet on receiving the Padma Shri in 2026.

The Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) has undertaken several infrastructure projects over the last two years, including development and modernization of the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal (Rs 192 cr and Rs 303 cr respectively), shore protection at Jawahar Dweep (Rs 80.4 cr), Viksit Bharat Mumbai Marina (Rs 470 cr), construction of a third chemical berth (Rs 161 cr), SCADA/PLC automation at the Marine Oil Terminal (Rs 25.84 cr), and augmentation of firefighting facilities (Rs 52.69 cr). Green‑port initiatives comprise 1.4 MW operational rooftop solar, a 3 MW solar project under RESCO, bio‑fuel blending with BPCL, induction of green tugs, development of an LNG facility, afforestation, mangrove park creation, and conversion from LPG to PNG for domestic use. These details were provided by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a Lok Sabha reply.