Union Cabinet approves Budgetary Support for MERITE Scheme. 

About MERITE Scheme 

• Type: Central Sector Scheme
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education
• Objective: To improve the quality, equity and governance in technical education covering all States/UTs. 
  • Aligned with National Education Policy 2020.
• Budget: Rs. 4200 crore for a period from 2025-26 to 2029-30. 
  • Includes external assistance of Rs. 2100 crore from World Bank as loan.
• Beneficiaries: 275 technical institutions comprising 175 engineering institutions and 100 polytechnics.
• Significance: Support for Maker Labs, skill hubs, employability, etc. 

The 5th anniversary of the launch of NMBA is being celebrated. 

About NMBA

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
• Genesis: Launched in 2020 as a key initiative under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).
  • Article 47 of the Constitution directs the State to curb the consumption of intoxicating substances that are injurious to health.
• Purpose: To prevent, treat, and rehabilitate people affected by substance abuse.
• Coverage: Initially targeted 272 high-risk districts, now covers all districts across India.
• Three-Pronged Strategy
  • Supply Control: Led by the Narcotics Control Bureau.
  • Demand Reduction & Awareness: Led by the MoSJE 
  • Treatment & Rehabilitation: Managed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Local Implementation: District Nasha Mukt Committees, headed by District Collectors/Magistrates, prepare and run local action plans

India’s first state-of-the-art animal stem cell biobank and laboratory inaugurated at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad.

• Stem cells are non-specialised cells with an inherent property of self-renewal and potency.

About Animal Stem Cell Biobank

• Key Features: Stem cell culture unit, 3D bioprinter, bacterial culture lab, cryostorage, etc. 
• Significance: Focus on regenerative medicine and cellular therapies for livestock; advance research in disease modelling, tissue engineering, etc. 
• Supported by: National Biopharma Mission (NBM) of Department of Biotechnology – BIRAC.
  • NBM was approved in 2017  as industry-Academia Collaborative Mission for accelerating biopharmaceutical development. 

Ministry of Heavy Industries extends the tenure of the PM E-DRIVE Scheme by 2 years from 31 March 2026 to 31 March 2028.

About PM E-DRIVE Scheme

• Purpose: Accelerate EV adoption, build charging infrastructure, and enhance the EV manufacturing ecosystem.
• Type: Central Sector Scheme.
• Target: Incentivize e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-ambulances, e-trucks, and e-buses
• Components:
  • Subsidies: Demand incentives for EVs like e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-ambulances, e-trucks, and other emerging EV categories.
  • Grants for Capital Assets: Funding for e-buses, establishment of charging infrastructure, and modernization of MHI testing agencies.
  • Administrative Support: Information, Education & Communication (IEC) activities and fees for the Project Management Agency (PMA).

Union Cabinet approves continuation of Targeted Subsidy of Rs.300/14.2 kg LPG cylinder for up to 9 refills annually for PMUY Consumers for 2025-26. 

About PMUY

• Launched in: 2016 
• Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• Objective: Make clean cooking fuel like LPG available to the rural and deprived households.  
• Applicant: Adult women from poor households.
• Target: Release 8 Crore LPG Connections to rural poor by March 2020 (Achieved in September, 2019). 
  • As on 01.07.2025, there are about 10.33 crore PMUY connections across the country.

The Union Cabinet has approved 4 new components under the SDPs for Assam and Tripura.

• The expansion focuses on the development of Adivasi, Dimasa, ULFA Areas in Assam and Tribal Communities in Tripura.

About SDPs for Assam and Tripura

• Type: Central Sector Scheme 
• Purpose: 
  • Improve socio-economic conditions of vulnerable and marginalised groups.
  • Boost jobs, healthcare, education, skills, and livelihoods for youth and women.
  • Attract more tourists, creating additional employment.

It follows previous MoS-based development packages announced for groups like the Bodo and Karbi, which have shown promising outcomes in peace-building in the North Eastern Region.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Department of Health Research organized the SHINE Programme.

About SHINE Programme

• Aim: To introduce students to health and biomedical research, motivating young leaders toward science and public health careers.
• Activities: It includes guided laboratory tours, research exhibitions, poster walks etc.
• Participation: Over 13,000 students of grades 9 to 12 participated in the program.
• Significance: Ignite scientific curiosity, foster innovation, and inspire the next generation of health researchers.

IndiaAI Mission announced the Cancer AI & Technology Challenge (CATCH). 

• IndiaAI Mission is a flagship mission of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). 

About CATCH Grant Program

• Purpose: To fast-track the validation and deployment of AI solutions across the cancer care continuum in India. 
• Collaboration:  Launched as a joint innovation grant program program in partnership with the National Cancer Grid (NCG).
• Support: Selected proposals will receive milestone-based pilot funding up to ₹50 lakhs, mentorship support, access to clinical validation sites, and the opportunity to scale across the NCG network and IndiaAI-supported public channels.

An IUCN–TRAFFIC report commends India’s improved monitoring and surveillance, which has sharply reduced Greater One-horned Rhino poaching.

• TRAFFIC is a leading NGO working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
  • It is jointly run by WWF and IUCN.

About the Greater One-horned Rhino

• Features: Single horn, thick armor-like skin.
• Diet: Grass, leaves, fruits, aquatic plants.
• Size: Largest among the five rhino species.
• Range: Found in India and Nepal.
• Habitat: Forests, grasslands, inland wetlands.
• Threats: Loss of genetic diversity, Habitat loss and degradation. 
• Protection Status
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
  • CITES: Appendix I.
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.
• Key Indian Initiatives
  • National Conservation Strategy for the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (2019).
  • Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020.