UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) completed eight years since its launch in 2018.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched Bharat Taxi and the Mukhyamantri Krishak Samriddhi Yojana in the state. The two initiatives aim to provide greater social security to taxi and three-wheeler drivers and reduce the financial burden on farmers.

The PM Vishwakarma Scheme has completed three years of implementation. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) will organise the Third Anniversary celebration of the scheme on 17 September 2026 at the Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in Kolkata, West Bengal.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the ninth edition of Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2026 on September 9, 2026.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) completed 12 years on 28 August 2026.

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on 22 August 2026 approved an amendment allowing eligible women state government employees to avail 180 days of paid maternity leave twice during their service. A major change is the removal of the earlier requirement of a minimum two-year gap between two spells of maternity leave. The decision also extends maternity-leave benefits to eligible adoptive mothers.

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has submitted a proposal to expand the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme beyond urban centers into rural India. The initiative aims to eradicate sewer and septic tank deaths by modernising sanitation work nationwide.

On 18 August 2026, the Tamil Nadu government announced in the state Legislative Assembly that women government employees having a third child will now be entitled to 365 days (one year) of maternity leave, up from the existing 12 weeks.

The Government of India has temporarily suspended the fortification of rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) based on findings from a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

The PRASHAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2014–15 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.