Official releases, distilled into exam-ready intelligence.

The Department‑related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, chaired by Dr. Medha Vishram Kulkarni (Rajya Sabha), presented its 413th‑415th reports in Parliament on 7 August 2026. The reports detail government actions on: (i) water‑pollution mitigation in Delhi‑NCR (402nd report), (ii) functioning of CSIR‑CSIO and CSIR‑IGIB (403rd report), and (iii) functioning of Tata Memorial Centre, BARC and NPCIL (404th report). The draft reports were adopted on 5 August 2026, and are accessible at https://sansad.in/rs.

The Vice‑President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, will undertake a two‑day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 8–9 August 2026. On 8 August he will visit the Cellular Jail National Memorial at Sri Vijay Puram, pay tributes at the Martyrs’ Column, offer respects at the Swatantrata Jyoti, visit Veer Savarkar’s Cell and attend a Light and Sound Show on India’s freedom movement. On 9 August he will hoist the National Flag at Flag Point as part of the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyaan’, attend a ‘Tiranga Concert on Vande Mataram’ at DBRAIT Auditorium and later visit Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island.

The Department‑Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce (headed by Ms. Dola Sen, Rajya Sabha) presented its 200th report titled “Evaluation of India‑US Trade Relations” on 6 August 2026. The report evaluates bilateral trade, highlights challenges from recent US tariff measures across sectors such as marine products, leather, automotive, textiles, gems‑jewellery, chemicals, steel and agriculture, and makes a series of recommendations. Key proposals include concluding the proposed India‑US Bilateral Trade Agreement promptly, using Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes to boost export competitiveness, fast‑tracking Mutual Recognition Agreements, establishing institutional mechanisms to monitor currency and logistics risks, and creating sector‑specific support schemes for MSMEs, export credit, technology up‑gradation and market diversification. The report also urges the Department of Commerce to leverage the growing services trade (US $51.20 billion exports, US $47.32 billion imports) and to promote high‑value knowledge exports, friend‑shoring, and strategic cooperation in semiconductors, clean energy and critical minerals.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs reported that in the 2025‑26 academic year EMRSs achieved a 93.62% pass rate in Class X and 87.82% in Class XII, with 173 schools attaining 100% pass in Class X and 92 schools in Class XII. Students from EMRSs qualified for national‑level exams: 346 for JEE Main, 41 for JEE Advanced, 408 for NEET, 9 for NIFT and 1 for CLAT. Digital learning has been enhanced through 284 smart classrooms, digital boards, computer labs, a dedicated DTH TV channel and the AI‑enabled Medha AI platform. Eight Centres of Excellence and the ENABLE programme provide focused coaching for IIT‑JEE and NEET aspirants. Institutional reforms such as the establishment of NESTS, State EMRS Societies and District EMRS Committees aim to improve governance and accountability of EMRSs.

The LVM3‑M6 mission placed AST Space Mobile’s BlueBird Block‑2 satellite (6100 kg) into a 520 km circular low‑Earth orbit, marking the heaviest payload launched by LVM3 from Indian soil and boosting confidence in the vehicle’s commercial appeal. The Government is advancing international space cooperation to meet the Space Vision 2047 goals, including human spaceflight and exploration, and is expanding launch capability through a second spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam, stricter safety reviews, and Indian space standards with BIS. Through IN‑SPACe, the government has rolled out the India Space Policy 2023, liberalised FDI, a ₹1,000 cr venture‑capital fund, a ₹500 cr Technology Adoption Fund, discounted ISRO facility pricing, and various support mechanisms for private launch‑vehicle developers such as Skyroot, Agnikul and HAL.

The Ministry of Defence announced that the medium‑range ballistic missile ‘Agni‑4’ was successfully test‑fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha on 06 August 2026. The launch, conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command, validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.

National Handloom Day, observed on 7 August, marks the celebration of India’s weaving heritage and the contribution of 35.22 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers, over 72 % of whom are women. The Fourth All‑India Handloom Census (2019‑20) recorded 28.20 lakh looms, 90 % of which are in rural areas. Government support is channelled through the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) and the Raw Material Supply Scheme, with budget allocations of ₹205 crore and ₹200 crore respectively for 2026‑27, and schemes such as the Small Cluster Development Programme, Handloom Marketing Assistance, and concessional Weaver MUDRA loans. Handloom exports reached approximately ₹1,330.96 crore in 2025‑26, with major destinations including the UAE and the United States. Recent GST reforms reduced the tax rate on 36 handicraft items from 12 % to 5 %, further easing costs for the sector.

The Ministry of Culture hosted the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (20.COM) at the Red Fort, New Delhi, from 8‑13 December 2025, marking the first time India hosted the Committee. Approximately 1,200 delegates from about 130 countries participated. A key outcome was the inscription of Deepavali on UNESCO’s Representative List, making it the 16th Indian element on the list. The government decided to nominate Chhath Mahaparva as a multinational element, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the nodal agency, maintains a National Inventory of 54 elements, while UNESCO permits only one nomination in a two‑year cycle. The information was provided by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the Rajya Sabha.

The Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Shri Durgadas Uikey, informed Parliament that the Prime Minister launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) on 2 October 2024. The scheme comprises 25 interventions across 17 ministries, targeting infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages and aiming to benefit over 5 crore tribals in 549 districts, 2,911 blocks of 30 States/UTs, including six villages in Hassan district, Karnataka. Annexures detail convergence schemes for education, health, water, housing, roads, livelihood, skill development and digital infrastructure, as well as financial allocations for FY 2024‑25 to 2028‑29, with specific allocations such as 33,800 crore for PMAY‑G housing and 25,000 crore for PMGSY roads.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved GOBARdhan – the National Unified Scheme for Compressed Biogas (CBG) – with a total outlay of Rs 23,731 crore for FY 2026‑27 to FY 2035‑36. Administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the scheme aims to increase domestic CBG production nearly ten‑fold by providing assured offtake, a stable price of Rs 2,110 per MMBTU, capital assistance up to Rs 2 crore per TPD, pipeline infrastructure, credit guarantees and an ecosystem challenge fund. It targets conversion of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal organic waste into clean fuel and organic manure, enhancing energy security, rural livelihoods and greenhouse‑gas mitigation.

The Ministry of Science & Technology’s latest “Research and Development Statistics 2025‑26” shows government R&D outlay rising from ₹87,813.47 crore in 2019‑20 to ₹117,861.21 crore in 2023‑24, while the share of GDP has hovered around 0.41‑0.45 %. The Ministry oversees 71 institutions across DST, DBT and DSIR/CSIR, listed in Annexure‑I. Annexure‑II details yearly allocations, expenditures and patents for each department, with total allocation increasing from ₹7,357.10 crore (FY 2021‑22) to ₹8,934.81 crore (FY 2025‑26) and patents ranging from 542 to 893. These figures were provided by the Minister of State for Science & Technology in a Rajya Sabha reply.

The Tenth BRICS Industry Ministers’ Meeting was concluded in Jaipur on 6 August 2026 under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026. The meeting, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, saw the adoption of a Joint Declaration and several sector‑specific frameworks – a SME Working Group framework, Terms of Reference and Action Plan for a Photovoltaic Industry Working Group, and an Action Plan for innovation‑led growth by startups. India also proposed a BRICS Incubator Network and a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund. The event preceded the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for 7 August 2026, also in Jaipur, focusing on trade, MSME participation, and resilient global value chains.

Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy, speaking at the 7th CII International Energy Conference, said India’s energy security now depends on manufacturing capability and resilient supply chains. He highlighted steel as the backbone of the clean‑energy transition and reiterated the target of 300 million tonnes of steel‑making capacity by 2030, pursued through sustainable practices. The Minister cited major schemes – the PM E‑DRIVE Scheme (₹10,900 crore), the Production‑Linked Incentive for advanced‑chemistry‑cell batteries (₹18,100 crore for 50 GWh capacity) and the ₹7,280 crore programme for sintered rare‑earth permanent magnets – to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce import dependence. He urged industry‑academia‑research collaboration to build resilient supply chains for clean‑energy technologies.

The Ministry of Science & Technology’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has outlined the BioE3 policy, identifying six thematic verticals – bio‑based chemicals, bioplastics, APIs and enzymes; functional foods and smart proteins; precision biotherapeutics (monoclonal antibodies, mRNA, cell & gene therapy); climate‑resilient agriculture; biofuels and carbon capture; and futuristic marine and space research. Five priority sectors – Ayurveda, agriculture innovations, genome diagnostics, synthetic biology and biomolecular design – are slated for Bio‑AI hubs. Bio‑enablers (biomanufacturing hubs, biofoundries, Bio‑AI hubs) are selected via multi‑tier technical and financial evaluation. The policy aims to create ~1,500 jobs in Tier‑II/III cities, offers up to 70% project‑cost assistance, and has mobilised private investment of Rs 602.09 cr, targeting a $300 billion bio‑economy by 2030.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs briefed the Lok Sabha on the suite of schemes targeting Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Alipurduar, West Bengal. Central and State‑shared scholarship programmes – Pre‑Matric, Post‑Matric, National Top‑Class Scholarship, National Fellowship and National Overseas Scholarship – are available, with specific beneficiary numbers for 2023‑26. The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) cover Alipurduar, allocating substantial central and state funds for infrastructure, hostels, mobile medical units and livelihood centres. Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) number seven in the district, serving 1,134 beneficiaries with Rs 55.05 lakh sanctioned. No Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) exist in Alipurduar, though nine are functional in West Bengal.

The Ministry of Electronics & IT announced amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, aimed at curbing AI‑generated deepfakes. The changes mandate clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI content, reduce the timeline for removal of unlawful material from 36 to 3 hours, and tighten grievance redressal periods. Intermediaries, especially Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs), must deploy automated tools to detect and block synthetic content that violates law, including child sexual exploitation and non‑consensual intimate imagery. Non‑compliance leads to loss of exemption under Section 79 of the IT Act. The framework is supported by existing provisions in the IT Act, 2000 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and coordinated through bodies such as I4C and the SAHYOG portal.

The Ministry of Electronics & IT reports that the IndiaAI Mission, approved on 7 March 2024 with a Rs 10,371.92 crore outlay, is advancing sovereign AI infrastructure through 20 indigenous foundation models, 237 subsidised compute projects (93.18 lakh GPU hours) and the establishment of 58 AI Centres of Excellence, of which 22 are operational in 13 states/UTs. A high‑performance AI compute system of about 1.1 EFLOPS is being installed at the NIC Data Centre, Delhi. Concurrently, the Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 on 15 July 2026 with Rs 1,27,500 crore to expand semiconductor fabs, design capabilities and ecosystem support. India also joined the Pax Silica coalition at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 to secure the global silicon supply chain. The Stanford Global AI Vibrancy Report (Nov 2025) ranks India third worldwide in AI competitiveness.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a 135.871 km, 4‑lane access‑controlled Guwahati‑Tezpur corridor on NH‑15 in Assam. The project will be executed on a Built‑Operate‑Transfer (BOT) toll basis at a capital cost of Rs 8970.20 crore. It includes 5 major bypasses (58.7 km), 15 major bridges, 30 minor bridges, 19 flyovers, an Emergency Landing Facility (4.9 km) in coordination with the IAF, 46 underpasses, and 210 km of service roads. The corridor aims to double average speeds, halve travel time, improve safety, fuel efficiency and connect key economic, social and logistics nodes across Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs announced that the Prime Minister launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) on 2 Oct 2024. The programme comprises 25 interventions implemented by 17 line ministries to bridge infrastructural gaps in 63,843 villages, targeting health, education, Anganwadi services and livelihood opportunities for more than 5 crore tribals across 549 districts and 2,911 blocks in 30 States/UTs over five years. Eligibility is limited to tribal‑majority villages with a population of ≥ 500 and at least 50 % tribal residents. The Ministry seeks state/UT lists of such villages and conducts regular inter‑ministerial and state‑level coordination meetings, supported by a Project Management Unit for monitoring.

The Union Cabinet approved GOBARdhan, a National Unified Scheme for Compressed Biogas (CBG), with an outlay of Rs 23,731 crore for FY 2026‑27 to FY 2035‑36. The scheme seeks to boost domestic CBG production nearly ten‑fold by providing assured offtake, a stable price of Rs 2,110 per MMBTU, capital assistance up to Rs 2 crore per TPD, pipeline connectivity, credit guarantees and an ecosystem challenge fund. It aims to convert agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal organic waste into clean fuel and organic manure, creating rural income, attracting private investment and enhancing India’s energy security while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.