PLI Scheme
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Current affairsCAFE-III Norms Notified: India Sets 16.7% Fleet Fuel Efficiency Target for Passenger Vehicles by 2031-32The Ministry of Power notified India's Corporate Average Fuel Economy-III (CAFE-III) norms on September 30, 2026. The new standards — effective April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2032 — require the fleet-average fuel consumption of passenger vehicles to improve by 16.7%, from 3.996 litres per 100 km in 2027-28 to 3.327 litres per 100 km in 2031-32. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) sets the standards; enforcement is by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Current affairsMake in India Completes 12 Years: PLI Schemes Attract ₹2.40 Lakh Crore Investment, India Becomes World's 2nd Largest Mobile Phone ManufacturerMake in India, launched on 25 September 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, completed 12 years on 25 September 2026. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have attracted ₹2.40 lakh crore in actual investment as of March 2026. India is now the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, with electronics production rising nearly sevenfold to ₹13.11 lakh crore. Current affairsDRDO's First High-Value Deep Tech TDF Agreement: Indigenous 20 mK Dilution Refrigerator for Quantum ComputingThe Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed its first high-value deep-tech project agreement under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme with Zero mK India Private Limited of Alwar, Rajasthan, for the indigenous development of a 20 millikelvin (mK) Dilution Refrigerator — a critical piece of equipment for quantum computing platforms and strategic quantum technologies under the National Quantum Mission. Current affairsPremier Energies Commissions India's Largest Solar Cell Manufacturing Plant — 7GW TOPCon Facility at Naidupeta, Andhra PradeshPremier Energies commissioned a 7GW N-type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing plant at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh, in September 2026 — raising its total capacity to 10.6GW and making it India's largest solar cell manufacturer. The ₹3,293 crore facility, spanning 101 acres, produces approximately 88,000 cells per hour with an average efficiency of 25.8%, advancing India's National Solar Mission targets and domestic manufacturing push under PLI schemes. Current affairsDigital Communications Commission Dissolved After 37 Years: India's Telecom Governance RestructuredThe Union Cabinet on September 16, 2026 approved the dissolution of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the apex inter-departmental decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), ending its 37-year existence. The Government Resolution was published in the Gazette of India on September 21, 2026. Telecom policy decisions will now flow directly through the DoT Secretary, Communications Minister, or Union Cabinet depending on project cost thresholds — eliminating an institutional layer considered structurally redundant under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Current affairsSEMICON India 2026 and India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (Semicon 2.0): ₹1.27 Lakh Crore Chip Ecosystem PushThe 5th edition of SEMICON India 2026, themed "Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem," concluded on September 19, 2026 at Yashobhoomi (IICC), Dwarka, New Delhi. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated it on September 17 and formally launched India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (Semicon 2.0) with a total outlay of ₹1.27 lakh crore, extending India's semiconductor self-reliance ambitions from fabs and packaging to equipment, materials, design, research, and talent. Current affairsIndia Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025: Delhi Tops Rankings, National EV Share Reaches 8.25%NITI Aayog and WRI India released the second edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025, ranking Delhi first with a score of 84/100. India's national EV market penetration reached 8.25% in 2025–26, with 2.5 million new registrations — a 25% year-on-year rise — placing the country on a trajectory toward its EV30@30 target. Current affairsAASHVAST Lab: Indian Army's Air-Gapped Drone Security Testing Facility to Detect Hidden Chinese Components and Firmware ThreatsThe Indian Army inaugurated the AASHVAST Lab (Assessment and Analysis of Systems Hardware for Vulnerabilities And Security Threats) on August 14, 2026, to detect Chinese-origin components, hidden malware, GPS spoofing vulnerabilities, and unauthorised firmware in military drones. The air-gapped, read-only facility at DG EME Headquarters in Delhi represents a critical step in securing India's growing military drone fleet against supply-chain cyber threats. Current affairsNITI Aayog Launches PACT and ZET Marketplace at 5th e-FAST India Summit: Decarbonising India's Road Freight SectorNITI Aayog launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) and the Zero Emission Truck (ZET) Marketplace on 7 September 2026 at the 5th e-FAST (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport) India Summit in New Delhi. The twin platforms target India's road freight sector, where heavy commercial vehicles — just 3–4% of the total fleet — contribute over one-third of all transport-sector carbon emissions. Current affairsMobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) 2026: MeitY's ₹62,500 Crore Push for Deep-Value Assembly and Indian BrandsThe Union Cabinet approved and MeitY notified the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS) on 22 August 2026, with an outlay of ₹62,500 crore over five years (FY2026-27 to FY2030-31). The scheme goes beyond the earlier PLI for Mobile Phones by specifically incentivising domestic component sourcing (up to 1.5% bonus) and Indian-owned brand R&D (additional 3% incentive), aiming to raise India's domestic value addition in mobile manufacturing from ~15% to over 35% by 2031. Current affairsIndia's Merchandise Exports Hit Record $44.24 Billion in July 2026: Trade Data Analysis for UPSC and Banking ExamsIndia's merchandise exports reached a record US$44.24 billion in July 2026, up 19.63% year-on-year, driven by engineering goods, petroleum products, and electronics. The overall trade deficit (goods and services combined) widened 31.5% to US$15.03 billion, as imports of US$76.22 billion outpaced export gains. Cumulative April–July 2026 merchandise exports stand at US$173.78 billion (+17.04%). Current affairsIndia Crosses 300 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity: Milestones, Breakdown, and Road to 500 GW by 2030India's installed non-fossil fuel electricity generation capacity reached 300.50 GW as of July 31, 2026 — announced by PIB on August 9, 2026. This milestone represents 54% of India's total 552 GW installed capacity and 60% progress toward the 500 GW target by 2030 committed under the Paris Agreement's Panchamrit pledges.
In previous-year questions
- India's record EV sales in July 2026 are underpinned by the government's production incentive for advanced battery manufacturing. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries has an outlay of approximately:UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme (MPMS), notified by MeitY on 22 August 2026, carries what total financial outlay over five years (FY2026-27 to FY2030-31)?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries in India has a total outlay of:UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on imported solar modules, introduced from April 2022 to protect domestic manufacturers from cheaper Chinese imports, is set at which rate?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules — a key enabler of India's solar manufacturing boom — has a total outlay of approximately how much?UPSC · Current Affairs