Govt Initiatives Current Affairs 2026 for Government Exams

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Ministry of Railways) implemented 8 more structural reforms under the 'Reform Express' initiative at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, taking the total to 17. The reforms are part of the Ministry's target of 52 reforms in 52 weeks to boost efficiency, innovation and the railway ecosystem. The new reforms (Reform 10 to Reform 17) cover fly-ash transportation, the container sector, fertilizer and petroleum-products transportation, foodgrains/flour/pulses movement, construction reforms, wagon-design approval policy, and skilling of artisans in railway projects.

The Union Cabinet approved the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) under MeitY with a budgetary outlay of Rs 62,500 crore. Approved under the Make in India initiative, it aims to strengthen domestic mobile-phone manufacturing, raise value addition, boost exports and improve India's global competitiveness in electronics. MPMS will run for 5 years (FY2026-27 to FY2030-31) and succeeds the PLI Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (PLI-LSEM), which concluded on 31 March 2026. Eligible manufacturers get sales-linked incentives of 2.25% to 5%, with an extra up to 1.5% for higher domestic sourcing and an additional 3% for Indian brands investing in design/R&D. Targets: Rs 39 lakh crore cumulative mobile production, Rs 15 lakh crore exports, and around 60,000 direct jobs.

Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under DoT, the Government of Gujarat, Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Limited (GFGNL) and BSNL signed an addendum for the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in Gujarat under the State-led model, with a total outlay of ₹5,629 crore. GFGNL will implement across 14,287 Gram Panchayats, providing over 5 lakh rural home fibre connections and extending connectivity to 3,895 villages on demand.

Lakhanpur in Kathua district, Jammu & Kashmir was selected among the first towns in India for a Street Food Hub under the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) initiative of MoHUA, announced by Union MoS (IC) Dr. Jitendra Singh. Each approved hub gets ₹4 crore in three instalments (30%–50%–20%) plus a ₹25 lakh incentive for ULBs with a notified Street Vending Plan. The initiative targets up to 50 hubs nationwide with support from MoHUA, the Ministry of Tourism and FSSAI.

The 3rd edition of Bharat Tex, India's largest global textile trade fair, is held from 14–17 July 2026 at Bharat Mandapam (Pragati Maidan), New Delhi, incorporating the 75th India International Garment Fair. The expo features 1,600+ exhibitors across 1.6 million sq ft, buyers from 160 countries, over 7,000 buyers and about 1.3 lakh trade visitors, plus 100+ knowledge sessions with 350+ speakers. It covers the complete textile value chain and is expected to facilitate nearly 4,000 B2B meetings and 30+ MoUs.

Uttarakhand has become India's sixth fully literate State, after Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh approved the declaration on 8 July 2026 under the ULLAS - New India Literacy Programme (Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram) and NEP 2020. The state's literacy rate now stands at over 98%, above the 95% threshold required for 'fully literate' status. Uttarakhand joins Mizoram, Goa, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. ULLAS targets adults aged 15 and above who missed formal schooling, with proficiency measured through the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT). Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami. A State or UT achieving 95% literacy is declared 'fully literate' under ULLAS.

Union Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Sunday, 12 July 2026 that the Central Vista redevelopment area in New Delhi will now be referred to as the 'Kartavya Bhawan Complex' or 'Kartavya Bhawan Area', and that the name 'Central Vista' should no longer be used in official documents. Speaking at the CPWD (Central Public Works Department) Foundation Day, he said the precinct - comprising the Kartavya Bhawans, Kartavya Marg and future government buildings - reflects India's own identity over its colonial past. The area houses the Common Central Secretariat (CCS) of 10 buildings meant to consolidate central ministries, of which three are operational. Rajpath was renamed Kartavya Path in 2022, and the new PMO complex is named Seva Teerth. Just as the Viceroy's House became Rashtrapati Bhawan, the administrative district now carries an Indian identity.

On 7 July 2026, the government approved the pan-India roll-out of the ₹60,000-crore PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) scheme across 200 ITI clusters, while clearing strategic investment plans worth ₹1,237.58 crore for ITI upgradation in Odisha (₹240.21 crore), Gujarat (₹240.18 crore) and Telangana (₹757.19 crore). The decision came at the 4th National Steering Committee meeting chaired by Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Anchor industry partners: Jindal Naveen Avasar Ltd (Odisha), ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (Gujarat) and Apollo Medskills (Telangana). PM-SETU modernises the ITI ecosystem through hub-and-spoke industry clusters, upgraded infrastructure and future-ready curricula, run through industry-government SPVs.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announced an ₹8,300-crore programme with World Bank support to accelerate National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) goals in the capital.

Gyan Post aims to lower postal costs for delivering educational books and materials via India Post, with revised charges of Rs 20 for up to 300g and Rs 100 for up to 5kg, improving affordable access to learning material.

This tribal development scheme is delivering infrastructure and services to over 60,000 tribal villages nationwide, including 40 residential schools across 11 districts of Odisha, as highlighted by PM Modi in June 2026.

With West Bengal joining, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY achieved nationwide coverage across all 36 States/UTs. About 1.43 crore families (nearly 6 crore people) in West Bengal will get free cashless secondary and tertiary hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year.

The government launched the JEEVAN mobile app and the SHATAYU dashboard to strengthen elder-care delivery and real-time monitoring of services for senior citizens, advancing India's ageing-population welfare framework.

A five-year Biopharma SHAKTI scheme with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore was announced to make India a global biopharma and biologics manufacturing hub.

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan presided over MSME Day 2026, launching digital platforms including PMEGP 2.0, SAMADHAAN 2.0, MSME Global Mart 2.0, an MSME Testing Portal and MSME Idea Hackathon 6.0, with multilingual access in all 22 scheduled Indian languages.

DPIIT issued guidelines for the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) to build 100 industrial parks (50 in phase one) between 2026-27 and 2031-32, with central funding up to Rs 1 crore per acre through NICDIT.

The government extended the 2008 Scheme for Investment Promotion up to 2030-31 with an estimated outlay of Rs 996 crore, to support investor facilitation and Make in India.

The Cabinet approved the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0 for MSMEs, non-MSMEs and scheduled passenger airlines. Cover is up to 20% of peak Q4 FY26 working capital (max Rs 100 crore) for firms and up to 100% (max Rs 1,500 crore) for airlines, for loans sanctioned until 31 March 2027.

The RELIEF Scheme - which insures war-related export risks under the Export Promotion Mission - was expanded to add Egypt and Jordan, alongside existing cover for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Kuwait, amid West Asia tensions.

The Textiles Ministry extended the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme for garment and made-up exports up to 30 September 2026, to boost export competitiveness, especially for MSMEs.

The Union Cabinet approved Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore to mobilise venture capital for early-growth-stage startups, including beyond major metros.

The government spotlighted the Export Promotion Mission (FY26-FY31) with an outlay of Rs 25,060 crore, aimed at boosting exports amid global trade disruptions.

PM Modi disbursed employment incentives worth about Rs 2,400 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, an employment-linked incentive scheme aimed at boosting formal, first-time job creation across sectors.

The Rural Development Ministry released draft rules under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 - which replaces MGNREGA from 1 July 2026 - mandating all wages via DBT and using 16th Finance Commission parameters.

The Cabinet approved the National Scheme for Upgradation of ITIs and five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling, with a total outlay of Rs 60,000 crore over five years.

The Union Cabinet approved a Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects with a financial outlay of Rs 37,500 crore, to promote cleaner utilisation of India's coal resources.

The Cabinet approved a scheme with a total outlay of Rs 37,500 crore, offering incentives up to 20% of plant and machinery cost (capped at Rs 5,000 crore per project) through competitive bidding.

The Coal Ministry released guidelines requiring an approved Mining Plan before gasification, a mandatory Safety Management Plan, a 500-metre barrier in mixed mines and escrow accounts for mine closure.

The Cabinet approved a Small Hydro Power (SHP) development scheme for FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31 to promote clean, decentralised hydropower generation.

The Union Cabinet approved the Modified UDAN regional connectivity scheme for ten years (FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36) with a total outlay of Rs 28,840 crore, proposing to develop 100 airports from existing unserved airstrips.

The Union Cabinet approved continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III until March 2028 with a revised outlay of Rs 83,977 crore, extending timelines for rural roads and bridges.

The Cabinet approved continuation of the Jal Jeevan Mission until December 2028 with an enhanced outlay of Rs 8.7 lakh crore; each village will get a unique service-area ID and digitally mapped drinking-water systems certified by Gram Panchayats.

The Union Cabinet approved the modified UDAN regional connectivity scheme with a Rs 28,840 crore outlay over ten years (FY2026-27 to FY2035-36), including Rs 10,043 crore of Viability Gap Funding and development of 100 airports from unserved airstrips.

The Cabinet approved the Urban Challenge Fund to provide central assistance to urban local bodies for transit planning, urban mobility, climate resilience and water/sanitation infrastructure.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways notified guidelines for the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme and Shipbuilding Development Scheme, targeting a top-five global shipbuilding position by 2047.

Kisan Sarathi, India's largest integrated digital agro-advisory platform, crossed 2.95 crore registered farmers as of June 2026, operating across 37 States/UTs, 768 districts and 6.63 lakh villages to deliver location-specific advice.

The Cabinet extended the ration transport, handling and PDS-automation umbrella scheme until March 2031, with an estimated central outlay of Rs 25,530 crore under the National Food Security Act, 2013.

The Cabinet raised Minimum Support Prices, with paddy (common) up 3% to Rs 2,441/quintal and larger hikes for jowar (+9%), sunflower (+8%), soybean (+7%) and cotton (+7%).

The Cabinet fixed the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane for sugar season 2026-27 at Rs 365 per quintal at a 10.25% recovery rate.

The Cabinet approved the Mission for 2026-27 to 2030-31 with an outlay of Rs 5,659 crore, covering 140 districts across 14 cotton-producing states and focusing on high-yielding seeds and quality-testing infrastructure.

The Next-Gen GST 2.0 two-slab structure (5% and 18%) was credited with expanding the taxpayer base to over 1.5 crore and simplifying compliance for businesses.