EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: UAPA: “Shahzad Bhatti Network” banned as terrorist group The Home Ministry declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under UAPA, citing links to smuggling arms/explosives/narcotics and incitement through digital content. This can trigger…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: UPI stays free for person-to-person payments Government amended the payments law and notified that UPI transactions up to ₹2,000 will have zero Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for person-to-merchant payments, while person-to-person (P2P) stays free…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: India-Mercosur trade talks to expand preferential deal India and Mercosur have started negotiations to widen their preferential trade agreement, with both sides finalising the scope and structure. This could open up new market access…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Gujarat gets plan to save Great Indian Bustard The environment ministry released a Gujarat action plan aimed at building a “minimum viable” population of Great Indian Bustards in Kachchh, including habitat protection and predator…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Health ministry starts new critical care and labs The Centre has inaugurated 10 critical care blocks and 12 integrated public health laboratories in Andhra Pradesh under its health emergency preparedness push. This expands the…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: PMAY-Urban 2.0 approves 29,000 more houses The government cleared over 29,000 additional homes under PMAY-U 2.0, bringing total approved sanctions to about 18.77 lakh. This speeds up housing support for eligible urban families across…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Land records overhaul: ₹565.5 crore for DILRMP 3.0 The government launched DILRMP 3.0 to modernise land administration with integrated GIS maps, a unique 14-digit land ID (ULPIN), and upgraded “Registration Seva Kendras.” It will…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Land records overhaul gets ₹565.50 crore push The government will launch “DILRMP 3.0” guidelines and fund a five-year digital upgrade of land records, aiming to create a unified, map-linked “land stack” and enable paperless…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: India restarts Sahara refund portal processing The Ministry of Cooperation has restored the CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal and resumed verification and refunds for pending claims. So far, ₹9,267 crore has been refunded to 41.56 lakh…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Bank PLI incentives paused over employee concerns The government has put a performance-linked incentive plan for public sector bank executives on hold for FY 2025–26, and will revisit it during ongoing labour talks. This…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Drug-free India plan targets 2026–2029 A three-year, July 2026 to July 2029 plan was announced to cut drug trafficking and addiction, with tighter enforcement, controls on precursor chemicals, and expanded de-addiction capacity. The government…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: SC panel orders inquiry into Punjab lecturer reservations The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has ordered an inquiry after allegations that reservation rules were not properly followed in Punjab’s recruitment for 1,013 lecturer posts.…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Corporate compliance course starts for 2,879 learners The government-backed “Corporate Mitra” programme has begun its first batch, training paraprofessionals to help MSMEs handle business and regulatory compliance. This could reduce compliance costs and make…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Health ministry launches “SUMAN Roadmap 2030” maternal care push A two-day national workshop in Lucknow rolled out guidelines and training materials under the SUMAN Roadmap 2030, targeting faster, better maternal and newborn care in…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: IST becomes a legal national time standard India has notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026, making Indian Standard Time (IST) the common legally recognised reference for the country. The rules take…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Foodgrain storage policy adds 131 LMT capacity The government reviewed procurement and PDS operations and approved a new storage policy that targets 131 LMT of additional foodgrain storage to fix gaps between procurement and…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: DRI seizes 42 kg foreign gold, arrests 25 DRI carried out intelligence-led raids across several cities, seizing over 42 kg of foreign-origin gold (and about 10 kg silver) worth more than ₹65 crore and…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Indian Standard Time rules notified; start in 180 days The government has notified rules to use Indian Standard Time (IST) as the single official time reference for legal, administrative and commercial work. The change…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Crop insurance gets ₹12,200 crore allocation for 2026–27 The government has earmarked ₹12,200 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for 2026–27, continuing nationwide crop insurance coverage for farmers. The release also…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: PARIVARTAN scheme offers vehicle purchase incentives in Delhi-NCR The government’s air-pollution renewal scheme for older BS-IV trucks and buses (and eligible new vehicles) is already running in Delhi-NCR, with incentives like loan interest savings,…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Health Budget push: 160 district hospitals get trauma care The government is moving to expand emergency and trauma services in district hospitals, with 160 hospitals targeted for strengthening by March 2027. It also plans…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Onion buffer stocks released at ₹35/kg retail The government has started releasing onions from buffer stocks to curb seasonal price spikes, using a mix of rail and road logistics. It also set a procurement…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: TRAI extends deadline for telecom quality rule comments TRAI has pushed back the dates for industry comments and counter-comments on proposed changes to telecom “quality of service” regulations for wireline, wireless and broadband. This…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: RBI closes FCNR(B) swap window early after $73bn inflows The RBI’s USD-INR swap facility for certain foreign-currency deposits has pulled in about $73 billion in less than 11 weeks, driven mainly by Non-Resident Indians.…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: ₹3,500 crore defence shipyard expansion approved for West Bengal Five expansion projects for shipbuilding, ship repair, and metal/forging production were cleared, with total investment of about ₹3,500 crore. The move is aimed at boosting…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Child medicine ban extended for under-4s The government restricted all fixed-dose cough/cold medicines containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine hydrochloride for children below four years, adding a clear “do not use” warning on labels and…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Government notifies ₹62,500 crore mobile phone scheme The government has approved a new 5-year plan to boost mobile phone manufacturing and push Indian brands toward more design and R&D ownership. It targets about ₹39…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Delhi Master Plan 2047 targets 40 lakh affordable homes The government unveiled Delhi’s long-term plan, including incentives for redevelopment, transit-oriented development, and major expansion of affordable housing along metro corridors. It also lays out…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Cleaner light goods vehicles to face phased Delhi-NCR curbs The air quality regulator in Delhi-NCR approved rules that will restrict registration of older diesel/petrol/CNG light goods vehicles starting in 2027–2029, with tighter timelines in…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Government approves ₹3,942 crore for rural broadband in Chhattisgarh The Centre has approved financial support for the amended BharatNet rollout in Chhattisgarh, aiming to connect thousands of gram panchayats and villages with fibre and…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Electronics push: 31 more component plants approved The government approved 31 additional proposals under the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme, adding ₹6,844 crore in investment. This brings total approved projects to 106, with 38 plants…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: DRI cracks down on fake SAFTA claims for areca imports DRI says smugglers misdeclared areca nut shipments as “Bangladesh origin” to wrongly get duty-free SAFTA benefits, causing potential losses of over ₹2,500 crore. A…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Tribal agencies get new national performance rules The government has released national framework and operational guidelines to reform Integrated Tribal Development Agencies and Projects (ITDAs/ITDPs), including a common assessment method and stronger monitoring. The…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: TV ad time cap removed for fairer competition The government has removed the 12-minute advertisement limit for television channels, citing today’s digital, highly competitive TV market. This is likely to change how TV channels…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Rare earth magnet scheme gets 20 bids for factories The government has received 20 bids for a ₹7,280 crore plan to set up integrated rare-earth permanent magnet manufacturing in India, aiming to cut import…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: India to start CBDC-based food subsidy in two UTs On 14 August, Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli will receive PMGKAY food subsidies via “Digital Rupee” tokens directly into beneficiaries’ CBDC wallets. The government…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: MSME law updated to speed payments and disputes The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was passed, aiming to reduce payment delays and make dispute resolution faster and more predictable. It…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Mobile food testing labs get India’s first accreditation India’s quality regulator NABL has launched an accreditation scheme for mobile food testing laboratories, aiming to bring reliable, quality-assured food testing closer to communities. This can…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: India sanctions 1.25 crore urban homes; 1 crore delivered The government says it has sanctioned over 1.25 crore houses under its urban housing programme, with more than 1 crore completed and delivered. It also…
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: UPI stays free for users; merchant charges limited The government says consumers will not face transaction charges and person-to-person payments will remain free. If merchant charges (MDR) are introduced, they will be nominal, only…