PIB digest for Thursday, 29 October

Thursday, 29 October9 briefs

• PM Modi to Release 24th PM-KISAN Instalment

  Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare · Agriculture

  The Prime Minister will release the 24th instalment of PM-KISAN at Banaskantha, Gujarat, disbursing over ₹18,690 crore to more than 9.34 crore farmers. Additionally, 521 Agriculture Infrastructure Fund units will be dedicated to the nation, and 12 horticulture clusters will be inaugurated to boost agricultural storage and high-value crop production.

  This release highlights direct income support mechanisms and agricultural infrastructure development, which is directly relevant to the UPSC syllabus topic of government policies and interventions for development in the agriculture sector.

  Key objectives

  • Release 24th instalment of PM-KISAN, transferring over ₹18,690 crore to more than 9.34 crore farmers via Direct Benefit Transfer.
  • Dedicate 521 units developed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to strengthen storage, processing, and related infrastructure.
  • Inaugurate 12 horticulture clusters to promote high-value crops and enhance farmer income potential.

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• National Workshop on Enhancing Coastal Resilience Inaugurated

  Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change · Environment

  The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change inaugurated a National Workshop in New Delhi on enhancing coastal resilience through adaptive strategies under the GCF-ECRICC project to restore coastal ecosystems and protect vulnerable livelihoods.

  Important for UPSC GS Paper III under environmental conservation, climate change adaptation, and coastal ecosystem management.

  Key objectives

  • Organised under the Green Climate Fund project - Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (GCF-ECRICC).
  • Focuses on restoring critical coastal ecosystems including mangroves, coastal watersheds, seagrass, salt marshes and corals, and strengthening livelihoods.
  • Progress highlighted in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha under the GCF-ECRICC project.
  • National Coastal Mission to work as a fulcrum for coastal resilience and adaptive intervention.

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• Ayushman Vay Vandana Marks Two Years of Healthcare Transformation

  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare · Health

  The Ayushman Vay Vandana initiative has completed two years, providing cashless healthcare coverage of up to ₹5 lakh to senior citizens aged 70 years and above regardless of socio-economic status. Implemented by the National Health Authority, it has recorded 23.46 lakh authorised hospital admissions valued at ₹5,668.80 crore.

  This scheme is significant for UPSC as it illustrates government welfare policies in the health sector, focusing on universal health coverage, financial risk protection for vulnerable senior citizens, and geriatric care delivery under AB PM-JAY.

  Key objectives

  • Extend health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year to all citizens aged 70 years and above irrespective of socio-economic status.
  • Provide an additional top-up cover of up to ₹5 lakh per year exclusively for senior citizens aged 70 and above belonging to families already covered under AB PM-JAY.
  • Record 23.46 lakh authorised hospital admissions valued at ₹5,668.80 crore over two years of implementation.

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• Delhi Declaration 2026 Calls for Multilevel Climate Action

  Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs · Environment

  The second edition of the ARISE Cities Forum concluded in New Delhi with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration 2026, calling for stronger multilevel climate action and bringing the urban voices of the Global South to COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

  Illustrates the role of urban local bodies and multilevel governance in global climate negotiations and sustainable urban planning under environment and governance.

  Key objectives

  • Adopt the Delhi Declaration on Local Action for Global Climate Goals at the ARISE Cities Forum 2026.
  • Advocate for stronger multilevel climate action and greater roles for cities from the Global South ahead of COP31 in Antalya.
  • Launch the Delhi Biodiversity Map developed by ICLEI South Asia.

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• India Leads Globally in Green Hydrogen Commitments

  Ministry of New and Renewable Energy · Environment

  As of October 2026, Indian companies have secured over 5.5 lakh MTPA in Green Hydrogen offtake commitments under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, positioning the country as a global leader in clean energy supply.

  This highlights India's progress in renewable energy transition and international climate commitments, aligning with the UPSC syllabus theme of environmental conservation, sustainable development, and government policies/missions.

  Key objectives

  • India's Green Hydrogen offtake commitments crossed 5.5 lakh MTPA (specifically 5,55,610 MTPA) by October 2026, representing about 11% of the National Green Hydrogen Mission's target.
  • Over 70% of the 23 signed offtake contracts are earmarked for global exports, driving over ₹90,000 crore in clean energy investments.
  • The National Green Hydrogen Mission has an initial outlay of ₹19,744 crore up to 2029-30, aiming to produce at least 5 MMTPA of Green Hydrogen by 2030.

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• NAMASTE Scheme Enhances Safety For Sanitation Workers

  Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment · Social issues

  A sanitation worker from Rajasthan received a PPE kit and safety kit in 2025 under the NAMASTE Scheme, enhancing his workplace safety and livelihood security.

  This success story illustrates government interventions for vulnerable sections and occupational safety under social justice, relevant for UPSC civil services preparation.

  Key objectives

  • Provide PPE kits and safety kits to sanitation workers under the NAMASTE Scheme.
  • Safeguard the health, safety, and dignity of sanitation workers.
  • Promote improved working practices and strengthen livelihood security.

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• Index of Services Production August 2026 Released

  Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation · Economy

  The Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the trial Index of Services Production (ISP) for August 2026 across 19 sub-sectors with a base year of 2024–25 on an experimental basis.

  This release is important for UPSC as it relates to national economic indicators, macroeconomic monitoring, and statistical measurement under the Indian economy syllabus.

  Key objectives

  • Releases the Index of Services Production (ISP) for August 2026 across 19 sub-sectors with base year 2024–25.
  • Publishes monthly ISPs on an experimental basis to examine data quality, test resilience, and receive stakeholder feedback.
  • Notes that indices for Railways, Banking, and Insurance sub-sectors are based on provisional monthly data and are subject to annual revision.

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• Cloud Ecosystem and Infrastructure in India

  PIB Backgrounder · Science & Tech

  The backgrounder highlights India's expanding cloud ecosystem, detailing data consumption statistics, empanelled cloud service providers, and the evolution of government initiatives like MeghRaj and the BHASHINI platform migration.

  This release illustrates India's growing domestic cloud capabilities and digital infrastructure development, which is critical for digital governance and data sovereignty under the Science and Technology syllabus.

  Key objectives

  • India’s internet subscriber base reached 1,092.79 million in March 2026, with average wireless data usage at 25.51 GB per subscriber per month.
  • As of September 2026, India has empanelled 30 Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) across locations including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Jamnagar.
  • The MeghRaj initiative was launched in 2014 by MeitY, and its second-generation iteration, MeghRaj 2.0, had been adopted by 2,330 government departments as of September 2026.
  • ESTIC-2026, the second edition of India’s Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave, was held from 27–29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

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• Minimum Support Price for Rabi Crops 2027-28

  PIB Backgrounder · Economy

  The Government approved increased Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Rabi crops for the Marketing Season 2027-28, with an estimated ₹90,962 crore to be paid to farmers for 324 lakh metric tonnes of produce. The policy aims to provide price assurance, encourage crop diversification, and streamline procurement through digital platforms like e-Samriddhi and e-Samyukti.

  This release illustrates the mechanism of Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixation, agricultural pricing policy, and food security management, which are crucial components of the UPSC Indian Economy syllabus under agriculture and government budgeting.

  Key objectives

  • Approved increased MSPs for all mandated Rabi crops for the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2027-28.
  • Estimated ₹90,962 crore to be paid to farmers for 324 lakh metric tonnes of produce.
  • Ensures a minimum margin of 50 percent over the cost of production for mandated crops.

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