PM-KISAN
Central income-support scheme paying ₹6,000 a year to landholding farmer families in three instalments.
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On UPSC.wiki
Current affairsBSIP Study Reconstructs 4,600 Years of Monsoon and Environmental History in Central Ganga PlainScientists at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow — an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology — have published a study in the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences reconstructing 4,600 years of climate and environmental change in the Central Ganga Plain using proxy records from an oxbow lake at Hulas Khera. The research shows that fluctuations in the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) directly regulated lake hydrology, vegetation patterns (C₃/C₄ shifts), and the adaptive strategies of early agricultural communities. Current affairsWorld Bank Poverty and Equity Brief October 2026: India Lifted 496 Million from Poverty — One of the Fastest Declines GloballyThe World Bank's October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief reports that India lifted an estimated 496 million people out of poverty between 2011 and 2023, with the share living in extreme poverty falling from 27.1% to 2.6% — described as one of the fastest poverty declines in the world. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) fell from 53.8% (2005–06) to 16.4% (2019–21), though wage stagnation and geographic concentration of poverty in eastern India remain key challenges. Current affairsVB-G RAM G Act 2026: India's New Rural Employment Guarantee Replacing MGNREGA — Key Features, Controversy and UPSC AnalysisThe Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 — VB-G RAM G Act — replaced MGNREGA from July 1, 2026, guaranteeing 125 days of rural employment per year at a minimum wage of ₹300 per day, with a record Central allocation of ₹95,692 crore for FY 2026-27. Over 31.69 crore person-days were generated in the Act's first quarter of implementation. Current affairsFarmer ID Scheme: India Creates 11 Crore Digital Farmer IDs Ahead of ScheduleIndia achieved its target of creating 11 crore (110 million) Farmer IDs on 23 October 2026 — five months ahead of the 31 March 2027 deadline — under the Digital Agriculture Mission. The Farmer ID functions as an Aadhaar-linked unique digital identity for farmers, dynamically linked to state land records and crop data, enabling seamless access to government schemes, credit, insurance, and disaster relief. Current affairsNSAP Renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana: Cabinet Approves ₹53,428 Crore Social Assistance Extension for 2026–31The Union Cabinet on 14 October 2026 approved the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) under the new name Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana (PMSSY) with a ₹53,428 crore outlay for five years (FY2026–27 to FY2030–31). All four Indira Gandhi-branded sub-schemes were renamed with Pradhan Mantri prefix, and the disability pension eligibility threshold was reduced from 80% to 40%, extending coverage to approximately 3.20 crore beneficiaries across all states and UTs. Current affairsGandhi Jayanti 2026: 157th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and International Day of Non-ViolenceOctober 2, 2026 marks the 157th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi — Mahatma Gandhi — the father of the Indian nation. It is also the birth anniversary of India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri. The United Nations observes October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence, established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/61/271 in 2007, to disseminate the message of non-violence and promote peace, tolerance, and understanding. Current affairsUPSC at 100: Centenary Celebrations Mark a Century of Constitutional Civil Service Recruitment in IndiaThe Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) completed 100 years on October 1, 2026 — exactly a century after the first Public Service Commission convened on October 1, 1926 under the Government of India Act, 1919. Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the milestone at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, releasing a commemorative coin, postage stamp, and a volume of 100 landmark judgements that shaped UPSC jurisprudence. Current affairsEl Niño 2026 OND Forecast: India's Rabi Crops, Wheat, and Winter Agriculture at RiskThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) have confirmed that El Niño conditions are intensifying and forecast to peak during the October–December (OND) 2026 quarter, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region reaching approximately +3.6°C. This raises significant risks for India's Rabi crop season — particularly wheat, chickpea, mustard, and lentils — through reduced winter rainfall in northwest India and above-normal temperatures. Current affairsPM Jan Dhan Yojana Turns 12: 59.09 Crore Accounts, ₹3.17 Lakh Crore Deposits — India's Financial Inclusion TransformationThe Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched on 28 August 2014, completed 12 years on 28 August 2026 with 59.09 crore active accounts, ₹3.17 lakh crore in deposits, and 78% accounts in rural/semi-urban areas — marking India's most transformative financial inclusion programme that has brought banking access to 55 crore previously unbanked citizens. Current affairsMission Samriddh Gaon: Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Convergence Model for Poverty-Free, Employment-Rich VillagesUnion Rural Development and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Mission Samriddh Gaon to develop "poverty-free, employment-rich villages" through the convergence of multiple government schemes, with pilot projects in two Madhya Pradesh blocks — Budni (Sehore district) and Khategaon (Dewas district) — to be scaled nationally upon success. Current affairsNBSS&LUP Releases India's First Digital Soil Texture Map at 1-Hectare Resolution: Precision Agriculture Gets a FoundationThe National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), an ICAR institute headquartered in Nagpur, released India's first digital soil texture map at 1-hectare resolution on 16 July 2026 — coinciding with NBSS&LUP's 50th Foundation Day and ICAR's 97th Foundation Day. The map, available on the Bhoomi Geoportal, uses AI-based analysis of field studies, remote sensing, and satellite imagery to enable farm-level soil characterisation — a critical input for precision agriculture, irrigation planning, and crop-suitability assessment across India. Current affairsUPI Completes 10 Years: From 21 Banks in 2016 to the World's Largest Real-Time Payments PlatformThe Unified Payments Interface (UPI) completes ten years in August 2026, marking its evolution from a pilot with 21 banks in April 2016 to the world's largest real-time payments platform — processing 2,366 crore transactions worth ₹29+ lakh crore per month, accounting for 85% of India's digital payments and approximately 49% of global real-time transactions, with active acceptance in 9 countries.
In previous-year questions
- Mission Samriddh Gaon, launched in August 2026, is built on the principle of "convergence" of rural development schemes. Which of the following best describes what "convergence" means in this context?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, a key component of Mission Samriddh Gaon's convergence basket, mandates that what percentage of MGNREGS work must be in agriculture and allied activities (including water conservation, farm ponds and afforestation)?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's 'Rudhra' assistive technology device (James Dyson Award 2026) specifically targets STEM education accessibility for visually impaired students. Which of the following Indian government initiatives has most directly focused on science and innovation for social benefit in the context of disability and underserved communities?UPSC · Current Affairs