National and State-Level Policy Updates Across India
Recent developments in government schemes and policies across India indicate a continued focus on social welfare, economic growth, and technological advancement. Several states and the central government have announced new initiatives and modifications to existing programs over the last 24 hours.
Food Security and Women Empowerment
The Assam government launched a new scheme to provide essential food items like lentils, sugar, and salt at subsidized rates under the National Food Security Act. This initiative aims to enhance nutritional security for ration card holders, with plans for further price reductions from January.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Cabinet approved an increase of ā¹250 in the monthly allowance for eligible women under the Chief Minister Ladli Behna Yojana, raising the amount to ā¹1,500 per month starting November. This hike will incur an additional expenditure of ā¹1,793.75 crore for the current financial year.
Rajasthan's Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced that over five lakh women have benefited from the Mukhyamantri Matrutva Poshan Yojana, with ā¹170 crore disbursed. Furthermore, financial aid under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana has been increased from ā¹5,000 to ā¹6,500 per beneficiary, benefiting nearly 9.7 lakh women. The state government is also exploring new women-centric schemes for its upcoming budget.
Tamil Nadu introduced India's first "Women's Wellness on Wheels" (WWW) initiative, utilizing mobile medical units to improve women's health across the state.
Agriculture and Digital Inclusion
To streamline access to government schemes and benefits, approximately 7.4 crore unique farmer IDs, known as Kisan Pehchaan Patra, have been issued across 16 states. This is part of the larger Agri-Stack initiative, for which the government has allocated significant funds (ā¹4,000 crore for farmer registries and ā¹2,000 crore for Digital Crop Survey in 2025-26) to develop comprehensive digital agricultural systems. Additionally, financial support totaling ā¹62 crore was released to over 28,000 farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Skill Development and Manufacturing
The National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) in Chennai is set to be upgraded into a 'Centre of Excellence' with a ā¹200 crore investment under the Prime Minister's Scheme for Empowerment through Technology Upgradation (PM Setu). This upgrade will focus on advanced manufacturing, with Singapore as an international partner.
The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) and Design-Linked Incentive (DLI) schemes continue to be pivotal in boosting domestic manufacturing and attracting investments. These schemes have generated approximately 1.2 million direct and indirect jobs and are estimated to incur around ā¹2.5 trillion in capital expenditure by March 2026. While sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing have seen significant growth and export surges, some sectors have struggled with adherence to timelines.
However, the Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars (SPMEPC) lapsed without receiving any applications, prompting the government to seek feedback for its revision and fine-tuning.
Environment and Urban Development
The Government of India has notified new Deep-Sea Fishing Rules, 2025, aimed at fostering a prosperous and inclusive Blue Economy by leveraging India's extensive coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as a year-long mission to achieve "Lakshya Zero Dumpsite" by September 2026. The central government is providing financial assistance for legacy waste remediation, sanctioning ā¹4,181 crores for projects across 2,484 Urban Local Bodies. Furthermore, the logo and website for the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa Scheme were launched, emphasizing green mobility and urban development.
Infrastructure and Financial Management
In Maharashtra, the state government has begun clearing outstanding dues of approximately ā¹10,000 crore to contractors involved in various government schemes. The total outstanding dues amount to a significant ā¹89,000 crore, and this move aims to prevent disruptions in development work ahead of local elections.