NATIONAL NEWS
VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 Comes into Force Across Rural India
• The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Act) came into effect on 1 July 2026, replacing the MGNREGA, 2005 as the new legal framework for rural employment.
• The Act increases the statutory employment guarantee for eligible rural households from 100 days to 125 days of wage employment in a financial year.
• The Ministry of Rural Development revised wage rates from 1 July 2026, raising the national average daily wage from ₹298.8 to ₹327.4, with an interim minimum wage floor of ₹300 per day.
• An interim allocation of ₹95,692.31 crore has been provided to support wage payments and the transition to the new rural employment programme.
• The funding pattern remains 60:40 between the Centre and States for most states, while North-Eastern and Himalayan states continue to receive 90:10 Central assistance.
• Existing e-KYC-verified MGNREGA job cards will remain valid until they are replaced with Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards, ensuring uninterrupted benefits during the transition.
• The migration of beneficiary data to the new digital system is expected to continue until 31 December 2026, with a transition period of about six months.
• The VB-G RAM G Act focuses on rural livelihood security, employment generation, and creation of durable community assets, aligning with the broader Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.
Van Mahotsav 2026: India’s Annual Tree Plantation Festival
• Van Mahotsav, India's week-long tree plantation festival, is observed every year from 1 July to 7 July to promote afforestation, environmental conservation, and public participation in tree planting.
• The campaign was initiated in 1950 by K.M. Munshi, the then Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, and is popularly known as the "Festival of Forests."
• Across the country, States and Union Territories organise plantation drives, awareness campaigns, sapling distribution, and community participation programmes during the observance.
• During Van Mahotsav 2026, Manipur launched its 77th edition, with a target of planting around 15 lakh saplings under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 3.0 initiative.
• Assam also commenced its statewide plantation campaign on 1 July 2026, while Delhi planned a phased drive to plant 70 lakh saplings, supported by live telecasts from 50 locations beginning 7 July 2026.
• According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, India's forest and tree cover reached 25.17% of the country's geographical area, totalling 827,357 sq. km.
• The ISFR 2023 recorded an increase of 1,445 sq. km. in India's combined forest and tree cover compared with the 2021 assessment, reflecting continued progress in green cover.
• Van Mahotsav supports national objectives of afforestation, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and ecological sustainability through large-scale public participation in tree planting.
NITI Aayog Releases ‘Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global’
• NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PwC, released the report “Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global” on 2 July 2026, outlining a phased strategy up to 2047 to establish Ayurveda as an evidence-based global healthcare system.
• The roadmap seeks to strengthen Ayurveda’s international presence by expanding its recognition, licensing, and integration into healthcare systems, noting that it is already recognised in nearly 30 countries.
• It recommends multi-country clinical trials, annual global evidence and safety reports, and disease-specific research to enhance the scientific credibility and acceptance of Ayurvedic therapies.
• The report proposes modernising the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) and introducing a patent watch mechanism to safeguard India's traditional medical knowledge and prevent bio-piracy.
• Highlighting the sector’s export potential, the roadmap notes that Ayush exports increased from US$1.09 billion (2014) to US$2.16 billion (2023) and aims to shift exports from dietary supplements to globally regulated Ayurvedic medicines.
• It also recommends establishing international Ayurveda treatment hubs, medical value travel zones in India, and Ayush visa packages to promote global wellness tourism.
• A Mission Steering Group, chaired by the Union Minister of Ayush, has been proposed to oversee implementation, along with the creation of a Global Ayurveda Forum for international collaboration.
• To enhance global outreach, the roadmap suggests setting up Ayurveda Experience Centres in cities such as Geneva, New York, London, Singapore, and Tokyo, and introducing Ayurveda electives in international medical schools.
APPOINTMENT
RBI Appoints Ravi Shankar as Executive Director
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) appointed Ravi Shankar as its Executive Director with effect from 1 July 2026.
• In his new role, he will continue to head the Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM), which is responsible for the RBI’s statistical and data management functions.
• DSIM plays a key role in collecting, compiling, and analysing banking, corporate, and financial statistics, supporting monetary policy formulation and financial sector research.
• Ravi Shankar is a career central banker and statistician with over three decades of experience in areas such as banking statistics, government securities, settlement systems, debt management, and surveys.
• He holds a Master’s Degree in Statistics from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and a Diploma in Development Policy and Planning from the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Delhi.
• The Executive Director is a senior management position in the RBI, overseeing major functional departments including statistics, payment systems, banking regulation, and other core operations.
• Established on 1 April 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the RBI serves as India’s central bank, regulating monetary policy and issuing currency (except ₹1 notes and coins, which are issued by the Government of India).
• Ravi Shankar’s elevation marks the second Executive Director appointment at the RBI within two months, following the appointment of Gunveer Singh as Executive Director for the Department of Payment and Settlement Systems on 18 May 2026.
STATE NEWS
Uttar Pradesh Launches Phase-II of School Chalo Abhiyan (2026–27)
• The second phase of School Chalo Abhiyan was launched on 1 July 2026 from Saharanpur and will continue across Uttar Pradesh until 15 July 2026 for the 2026–27 academic session.
• The campaign aims to achieve 100% school enrolment by admitting all eligible children and bringing out-of-school and dropout students back into formal education.
• The Uttar Pradesh Government has allocated ₹163.60 lakh for implementing the second phase of the enrolment drive.
• The programme is being implemented through coordinated efforts of government departments, schools, teachers, Gram Panchayats, Urban Local Bodies, School Management Committees, Self-Help Groups, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and public representatives.
• Key activities include door-to-door awareness campaigns, household surveys, enrolment rallies, Prabhat Pheris, parent meetings, and special admission camps to maximise student enrolment.
• Schools have been encouraged to adopt activity-based and sports-oriented learning methods to improve classroom participation and student retention, while parents are urged to ensure regular attendance.
• The campaign also promotes early childhood education through Bal Vatika, which caters to children in the 3–6 years age group before formal schooling.
• During the launch at Saharanpur, 11 development projects worth over ₹620 crore were inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid, while textbooks, school bags, stationery were distributed to students and high-performing school principals were honoured.
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE
SHE-LEAPS Platform Launched for Rural Women Entrepreneurs
• SHE-LEAPS (Self-Help Entrepreneur–Livelihoods and Enterprise Application for Prosperity and Sustainability) was launched on 29 June 2026 during the Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Sammelan in New Delhi.
• Developed by the Digital India Corporation, the platform operates under the LokOS framework, providing a single digital ecosystem for rural enterprise creation, monitoring, and performance tracking.
• SHE-LEAPS supports women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs) by promoting entrepreneurship, livelihood generation, and financial inclusion across rural India.
• The platform caters to both farm and non-farm enterprises, enabling digital management of business activities and enterprise growth.
• It is closely linked with the Lakhpati Didi Mission, which aims to enhance the annual income of rural women through sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• The government has expanded the Lakhpati Didi target from 3 crore to 6 crore women and plans to invest ₹10 lakh crore over the next five years to support the initiative.
• SHE-LEAPS will be implemented across 34 States and Union Territories, assisting State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) in managing enterprise data and tracking entrepreneurial progress.
• The platform strengthens the digital rural livelihood ecosystem by integrating SHGs, LokOS, and digital governance, supporting long-term women-led economic empowerment.
DEFENCE
Indian Army to Raise Baaz Battalions for Drone Warfare
• The Indian Army has approved the creation of Baaz Battalions, specialised units under the Army Aviation Corps, dedicated to military drone operations.
• These battalions will employ long-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), precision strikes, and enhanced battlefield awareness.
• A specialised cadre will be trained in the complete drone ecosystem, including deployment, maintenance, intelligence analysis, data exploitation, and coordination with ground forces.
• Baaz Battalions will function independently from the existing Ashini drone platoons and Divyastra batteries, expanding the Army's dedicated drone warfare capabilities.
• The initiative has been influenced by operational lessons from the India–China Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoffs, Operation Sindoor, and the extensive use of drones in the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
• The project forms part of the Army’s Decade of Transformation, a long-term modernisation programme aimed at integrating advanced technologies into military operations.
• The Army Aviation Corps will oversee these units, strengthening the Army’s capability in aerial surveillance, reconnaissance, and rapid tactical response using unmanned systems.
• Reflecting the rapid expansion of India's drone capability, the Army's drone inventory has grown from a few hundred platforms to over 50,000 systems by June 2026, although the number of Baaz Battalions has not yet been announced.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
GAGAN: India’s Indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS)
• GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) is India’s indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), jointly developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and has been operational since 2015.
• The system enhances the accuracy, integrity, reliability, and availability of GPS signals, enabling safer and more precise navigation for aircraft operating in Indian airspace.
• GAGAN’s infrastructure comprises 15 Indian Reference Stations, 2 Master Control Centres, 3 Land Uplink Stations, an extensive communication network, and the geostationary satellites GSAT-8, GSAT-10, and GSAT-15.
• In June 2026, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) successfully conducted India’s first satellite-based landing approach on a commercial jet (IndiGo A320) at Udaipur Airport using GAGAN technology.
• GAGAN supports Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) procedures, providing precision-like landing guidance at airports without a conventional Instrument Landing System (ILS). As of May 2026, 23 LPV procedures had been published, with a target of over 40 by the end of 2026.
• India is among the few nations with an operational SBAS and was the first country to obtain SBAS certification for the equatorial region, marking a significant achievement in satellite navigation.
• Beyond civil aviation, GAGAN has applications in maritime navigation, railways, road transport, disaster management, telecommunications, defence, and geospatial mapping, supporting multiple strategic sectors.
• India is working towards integrating GAGAN with NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) to strengthen a self-reliant and sovereign satellite navigation ecosystem with enhanced positioning and navigation capabilities.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES
29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2026
• The 29th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2026 will be held on 1–2 July 2026 at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur, jointly organised by DARPG, MeitY, and the Government of Rajasthan.
• NCeG is India’s annual flagship forum for promoting digital governance, administrative reforms, and citizen-centric public service delivery.
• The conference programme features 6 plenary sessions and 6 breakout sessions, covering emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Deep Tech, Quantum Computing, Voice-First Solutions, and Secure Digital Infrastructure.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, will present the National e-Governance Awards 2026 during the event.
• A total of 17 initiatives will be recognised across 7 award categories, comprising 10 Gold Awards, 6 Silver Awards, and 1 Jury Award.
• Around 2,700 delegates are expected to participate, including representatives from 1,000+ startups and 400+ academic institutions, encouraging collaboration in digital governance.
• An exhibition featuring 40+ digital governance projects, AI-based solutions, and award-winning e-Governance initiatives will highlight innovative public service technologies.
• The conference will culminate in the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration on e-Governance 2026, outlining key policy directions for strengthening digital governance and public service delivery in India.
National Conference on “Electric Mobility: Building India an Electric Mobility Hub for Viksit Bharat”
• The National Conference on “Electric Mobility: Building India an Electric Mobility Hub for Viksit Bharat” was held in New Delhi on 2 July 2026, with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav attending as the Chief Guest.
• The conference was organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) to discuss strategies for accelerating India’s electric mobility ecosystem.
• Key deliberations focused on policy stability, expansion of EV charging infrastructure, localisation of manufacturing, resilient battery supply chains, financing mechanisms, and technological innovation.
• Electric mobility in India encompasses battery electric vehicles (BEVs), charging networks, battery manufacturing, EV components, and supporting energy infrastructure, promoting sustainable transportation.
• ASSOCHAM President Nirmal K. Minda announced that the organisation would collaborate with government ministries through 20 sector-specific councils under the ASSOCHAM 2.0 initiative.
• The Delhi EV Policy 2.0 was highlighted as a potential model for wider adoption by other states to promote electric vehicle usage and manufacturing.
• The conference aligned with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision by emphasising green growth, resilient infrastructure, transparent governance, circular economy practices, and greater participation of MSMEs in the EV value chain.
• Discussions also stressed the importance of domestic manufacturing and localisation of batteries, power electronics, charging equipment, and EV components to strengthen India's self-reliance and reduce import dependence.
