The Union Cabinet chaired by the PM Narendra Modi approved the “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana” for a period of six years, beginning with 2025-26 to cover 100 districts. Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana draws inspiration from NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme and first of its kind focusing exclusively on agriculture and allied sectors.
The Scheme aims to enhance agricultural productivity, increase adoption of crop diversification and sustainable agricultural practices, augment post-harvest storage at the panchayat and block levels, improve irrigation facilities and facilitate availability of long-term and short-term credit.
It is in pursuance of Budget announcement for 2025-26 to develop 100 districts under “Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana”. The Scheme will be implemented through convergence of 36 existing schemes across 11 Departments, other State schemes and local partnerships with the private sector.
100 districts will be identified based on three key indicators of low productivity, low cropping intensity, and less credit disbursement. The number of districts in each state/UT will be based on the share of Net Cropped Area and operational holdings. However, a minimum of 1 district will be selected from each state.
Committees will be formed at District, State and National level for effective planning, implementation and monitoring of the Scheme. A District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan will be finalized by the District Dhan Dhaanya Samiti, which will also have progressive farmers as members.
The District Plans will be aligned to the national goals of crop diversification, conservation of water and soil health, self-sufficiency in agriculture and allied sectors as well as expansion of natural and organic farming. Progress of the Scheme in each Dhan-Dhaanya district will be monitored on 117 key Performance Indicators through a dashboard on monthly basis.
NITI will also review and guide the district plans. Besides Central Nodal Officers appointed for each district will also review the scheme on a regular basis.
As the targeted outcomes in these 100 districts will improve, the overall average against key performance indicators will rise for the country.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved a special exemption for NLC India Limited (NLCIL) from the prevailing investment guidelines applicable to Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). This strategic decision enables NLCIL to invest Rs.7,000 Crore in its wholly owned subsidiary,
NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL) and in turn NIRL investing in various projects directly or through formation of Joint Ventures, without the requirement of prior approval under the existing delegation of powers. This investment is further exempted from the 30% net worth ceiling stipulated by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for,
overall investment by CPSEs in JVs and Subsidiaries providing NLCIL and NIRL greater operational and financial flexibility.
The exemptions aim to support NLCIL’s ambitious target of developing 10.11 GW of Renewable Energy (RE) capacity by 2030 and expanding this to 32 GW by 2047.
The approval aligns with India’s commitments made during COP26 for transition toward a low-carbon economy and achieve sustainable development. The country has pledged to build 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030 as part of the “Panchamrit” goals and its long-term commitment to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2070.
At present, NLCIL operates seven renewable energy assets with a total installed capacity of 2 GW, which are either operational or close to commercial operation. These assets will be transferred to NIRL pursuant to this Cabinet approval.
NIRL, envisioned as the flagship platform for NLCIL’s green energy initiatives, is actively exploring fresh opportunities across the renewable energy sector, including participation in competitive bidding for new projects.
The approval is expected to reinforce India’s position as a green energy leader by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, lowering coal import, and
enhancing reliability of 24x7 power supply across the country.
Beyond the environmental impact, this initiative is projected to generate significant employment—both direct and indirect—during the construction and operation phases, thereby benefiting local communities and supporting inclusive economic growth.
The 2ndJoint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture between India and Argentina was held yesterday, with the Indian Co-chair, Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, joining the session virtually. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Sergio Iraeta, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, from the Argentina side.
Both sides discussed key issues related to cooperation in Horticulture, Value chain of Oilseed and Pulses cultivation, Mechanization, Precision Agriculture, Carbon Credit for Farmers, Biopesticide, Locust Control & Management, New breeding Technologies and market access among other issues.
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Government of Odisha is organizing a two-day National Conference on the theme “Good Governance Practices” on July 17-18, 2025 at Bhubaneswar.
This National Conference at Bhubaneswar will have 5 plenary sessions on different topics.
The first session of the National Conference on “Prime Minister’s Awarded Initiatives 2024 - (Holistic Development of Districts)” will be chaired by Shri Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG.
Smt. Sarita Chauhan, Joint Secretary (DARPG) will chair a session on the topic, “Prime Minister’s Awarded Initiatives 2024- (Aspirational Block Program)”.
The other sessions will hold deliberations on Prime Minister’s Awarded Initiatives 2023 & 2024 (Holistic Development & Aspirational Block Programme and Innovation).
The Conference is a two-day event in which representatives/ DM/DC of States are invited to make presentation on good governance practices of the States for wider dissemination & possible replication.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has granted enhanced delegation of power to NTPC Limited from the extant guidelines of delegation of power to Maharatna CPSEs for making investment in NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a Subsidiary Company and subsequently,
NGEL investing in NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NREL) and its other JVs/ subsidiaries beyond earlier approved prescribed limit of Rs.7,500 crore upto an amount of Rs.20,000 crore for Renewable Energy (RE) capacity addition to achieve 60 GW Renewable Energy Capacity by 2032.
The enhanced delegation given to NTPC and NGEL will facilitate accelerated development of renewable projects in the country. This move will also play a vital role in strengthening power infrastructure and ensuring investment in providing reliable, round-the-clock electricity access across the nation.
In Chess, Teenage Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Freestyle Grand Slam chess event in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old outplayed the Norwegian champion in just 39 moves in a dominant Round 4 clash.
Carlsen, who leads the overall tour standings, has now been knocked out of title contention. He finished tied fourth in Group White and lost a playoff against Levon Aronian, which dropped him into the lower bracket. The best he can now finish is third. Praggnanandhaa, meanwhile, holds the joint lead in Group White with 4.5 points, alongside Nodirbek Abdusattorov and,
Javokhir Sindarov. His run included a draw with Abdusattorov, wins over Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vincent Keymer, and the big upset over Carlsen.
West Indies’s star all-rounder Andre Russel is set to retire from International Cricket. The Jamaican will play his last two international matches on July 20 and 22 at his homeground in Sabina Park, which is scheduled to host the first two T20Is against Australia.
Russell has been included in the 16-member West Indies squad against Australia for the first 2 matches out of 5-match T20 series, starting this Sunday. Russel represented the maroon jersey for more than a decade and he was known for his hard hitting with bat.
Indian women’s hockey forward Deepika has won the Poligras Magic Skill Award 2024-25 for her spectacular solo goal against the world No. 1 Netherlands in the FIH Hockey Pro League. The award, decided by a global fan vote held from July 4 to 13, celebrates moments of individual brilliance in hockey.
Deepika’s winning goal came in February during the Bhubaneswar leg of the Pro League. In the 35th minute, she dribbled down the left flank, skillfully weaving past Dutch defenders, lifted the ball over a stick, and scored from a tight angle to level the match at 2-2. India later won the match in a shootout at the Kalinga Stadium.
Other women nominated for the award included Spain’s Patricia Alvarez for her impressive 3D skills and goal against Australia, and Australian women’s team for a well-coordinated team goal against England that involved five quick passes before a sharp finish.
In the men’s category, Belgium’s Victor Wegnez won the award for his excellent midfield play that led against Spain.
The Centre has decided to constitute a high-level technical committee to examine concerns around the Polavaram Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) and other pending inter-state water issues between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The move follows a high-level meeting chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil with both Chief Ministers N Chandrababu Naidu of Andhra Pradesh,
A Revanth Reddy of Telangana in New Delhi. The Jal Shakti Ministry said the committee, comprising senior officials and technical experts from both states and the Centre, will collaboratively assess outstanding issues and recommend equitable and technically viable solutions to ensure equitable and efficient water sharing.
At the meeting, both states agreed on the installation of telemetry devices for real-time monitoring of water flows in the Krishna Basin. They also agreed that immediate measures would be taken to address the maintenance issues to safeguard the Srisailam dam.
UIDAI has empowered Aadhaar number holders of India with the unique identity and a digital platform to authenticate anytime, anywhere. Aadhaar number is a unique 12-digit digital identity for the residents of India and NRIs. The 12-digit Aadhaar number is a random number generated without the use of any intelligence and, hence, not all 12-digit numbers are Aadhaar numbers.
No Aadhaar number is ever re-assigned to another individual. However, in case of the death of a person, it is essential that his/her Aadhaar number is deactivated to prevent identity fraud and unauthorised usage of such Aadhaar number.
It is also important to validate the status of the deceased Aadhaar number holders prior to deactivation of their Aadhaar numbers, as it may have widespread ramifications for them.
Therefore, in order to maintain the continued accuracy of the Aadhaar database, UIDAI has proactively taken the following measures to obtain death records from various sources and,
deactivate Aadhaar numbers after due validation:
Sanjay Kaul, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2001 batch from the Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar. The appointment confirmed through a notification issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Gujarat Government.
Kaul will serve in this capacity on deputation for three years, or until further orders. He succeeds Tapan Ray, who previously held the position. GIFT City, envisioned as India’s first operational smart city and international financial services centre, plays a pivotal role in the country’s financial and economic aspirations.
NPCI International Payments on Wednesday said it has enhanced the UPI-PayNow real-time payment linkage between India and Singapore by adding 13 more Indian banks.
The expanded network for remittances to India now includes 19 banks.
NIPL is the international arm of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
The 19 banks are Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank, IndusInd Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank, South Indian Bank, UCO Bank alongside Axis Bank, DBS Bank India, ICICI Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, and State Bank of India.
Recipients in India can receive remittances from Singapore in their accounts held with any of these 19 banks through their preferred UPI-enabled apps such as BHIM, Google Pay and PhonePe, as well as bank apps.
Outward remittances from India to Singapore are available through Canara Bank, HDFC Bank and Karur Vysya Bank, along with ICICI Bank, Indian Bank,
Indian Overseas Bank and State Bank of India. In Singapore, customers of DBS SG and Liquid Group can avail of this service.
It facilitates real-time cross-border fund transfers between individuals, where Indian users can receive funds via UPI ID and send funds to users in Singapore via their mobile number or Virtual Payment Address (VPAs).
