UPSC current affairs · Monday

Current Affairs, 11 May 2026

5 issues picked from 40 PIB releases · about 2 minutes each · written by UPSC Grade, each fact checked against its PIB release or by a second model

How to readRead “Why in news” and “What it is” for every issue. Open For Prelims or For Mains for the exam you’re preparing for, then Test yourself at the foot of each card. Half the news questions in Prelims are answered from background, not the news itself.

In 60 seconds

Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G). VB–G RAM G replaces MGNREGA from 1 July 2026, guaranteeing 125 days of rural work.
TEAM Initiative (Trade Enablement and Access to Market) under RAMP. TEAM, under RAMP, helps 5 lakh micro and small enterprises sell on ONDC.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin. January-March 2026 PLFS: LFPR 55.5%, urban unemployment falls to 6.6%, rural salaried share rises.
Forum of Regulators (Electricity). Forum of Regulators for electricity held its 100th meeting after 21 years.
SEHAT Mission (ICMR-ICAR). ICMR and ICAR launch SEHAT to link farm research with nutrition and health outcomes.

Law and statutory body

Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G)

GS2 Welfare schemesGS3 Inclusive growthPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 11 May 2026 the Centre notified that the VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 will come into force nationwide on 1 July 2026, repealing MGNREGA, 2005 from the same date.
What it is: The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 is a Central law on rural wage employment. It gives eligible rural households a statutory entitlement to guaranteed wage employment and aims at durable rural assets and livelihoods. It takes the place of the earlier rural employment guarantee framework under which households had 100 days of work.

Wage floor: No notified daily wage anywhere in the country will be below ₹300.
National average wage: The national average notified wage rose from ₹298.8 to ₹327.4 per day, an increase of over 10 per cent.
Interim allocation: The Centre has released an interim allocation of ₹95,692.31 crore to States and UTs.
Launch venue: The National Launch Programme is on 2 July 2026 at Mukkavaripalle Village, Tirupati District, Andhra Pradesh.
Ministry: The Act is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Days of guaranteed work: The statutory guarantee rises from 100 to 125 days for every eligible rural household.
Commencement date: The Act comes into force across rural India from July 1, 2026.
Role of Gram Panchayats: The Act places Gram Panchayats at the centre, stressing durable assets, water conservation, SHGs and convergence with other rural programmes.
State readiness: 29 States/UTs have made budget provisions and 24 States have notified the VB-G RAM G State Scheme.
Job card transition: Existing e-KYC verified job cards stay valid until new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued.
Commencement: The Act is to be rolled out nationwide from 1 July 2026, notified on 11 May 2026.
Repeal of MGNREGA: MGNREGA, 2005 stands repealed from the date the new Act commences.
Guarantee: Each rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work is entitled to 125 days of wage employment every financial year.
Unemployment allowance: If work is not given within the prescribed time after demand, workers are entitled to unemployment allowance.
Funding pattern: Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Section 22. Sharing is 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Himalayan States and UTs (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K), and 60:40 for all other States and UTs with legislature.
State scheme: Under Section 3(1), each State must notify a Scheme consistent with the Act within six months of its commencement.
Normative allocation: The Central Government decides State-wise normative allocation on objective parameters it prescribes (Section 22(4)).
Type of scheme: Section 22 makes the scheme a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Fund sharing: The Centre-State ratio is 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, and 60:40 for all other States and UTs with legislature.
State-wise allocation: Under Section 22(4), the Centre decides each State's normative allocation on objective parameters it prescribes.
Special relaxations: In disasters or pandemics, States may recommend relaxations. The Centre can allow wider permissible works, relaxed documentation and temporarily more employment.
Plan approval: The Gram Panchayat prepares the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan and the Gram Sabha approves it (Schedule I, para 5(2)).
50% works through Gram Panchayats: At least half of the total works, by cost, must be implemented through Gram Panchayats.
Gati Shakti link: Village plans are integrated with PM Gati Shakti, use geospatial systems, and are aggregated at Block, District, State and National levels.
Guaranteed days: At least 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year, up from 100 days.
Women's participation: At least one-third participation of women is mandatory, with special job cards for women-headed households and single women.
Crèche: A crèche is to be provided at worksites where five or more children under five accompany working women.
Councils: One-third women representation is mandatory in the Central and State Rojgar Guarantee Councils.
Work themes: Works are prioritised under four themes: water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events.
Nature of scheme: The scheme under the Act is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Allocation: The Centre fixes State-wise normative allocation on objective parameters, under Section 22(4).
Planning: Works are chosen through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans approved by the Gram Sabha and aggregated up to the national level, in four thematic domains.
Four thematic domains: Water security works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and special works for extreme weather events and disaster preparedness.
Allocation to States: The Central Government determines State-wise normative allocation on objective parameters it prescribes (Section 22(4)).
Planning link: Works are planned through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans, integrated with PM Gati Shakti and aggregated at Block, District, State and National levels.
Wage payment: Wages must be paid within one week. If payment is delayed beyond 15 days, workers get 0.05 percent extra as interest on dues.
Role of Gram Sabha: The Gram Sabha takes the decision on which village-related works are to be undertaken.
Women's share: 33 percent of the work under the scheme is reserved for women.
Farm work window: State governments can notify deployment of workers for agricultural operations for a maximum of 60 days during sowing and harvesting.
Administrative expenditure: Administrative expenditure is raised from 6 percent to 9 percent to avoid delays in payments to employment assistants.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G vs MGNREGA: MGNREGA, 2005 guaranteed 100 days of work per household. VB-G RAM G raises the entitlement to 125 days and adds a focus on durable assets and livelihoods.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G Act vs earlier rural employment guarantee law: The new Act raises the guarantee from 100 to 125 days and replaces the earlier framework; the 100-day figure belongs to the old one.

Don’t confuse with Interim allocation vs final allocation: The ₹95,692.31 crore is an interim sum for a smooth start, not the full annual allocation.

Don’t confuse with VB–G RAM G vs MGNREGA: MGNREGA, 2005 gave 100 days and is repealed; VB–G RAM G gives 125 days from 1 July 2026.

Don’t confuse with Notification vs commencement: The notification was on 11 May 2026; the Act applies from 1 July 2026.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G vs earlier 100-day framework: The new Act raises the guarantee to 125 days, makes the scheme Centrally Sponsored with normative allocation, and adds an off-season employment guarantee.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G vs the earlier rural employment guarantee: The earlier framework gave 100 days of work. The 2025 Act guarantees 125 days.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G vs MGNREGS: MGNREGS gave 100 days of work; VB-G RAM G gives 125 days and adds Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans linked to PM Gati Shakti.

Don’t confuse with Gram Panchayat vs Gram Sabha: The Gram Panchayat is the elected village body that prepares plans and executes works; the Gram Sabha of village voters approves plans and conducts social audits.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G Act vs MGNREGA: The new Act gives 125 days of guaranteed work; the earlier framework gave 100 days.

Don’t confuse with VB-G RAM G Act vs earlier MGNREGA: The earlier framework guaranteed 100 days of work; VB-G RAM G guarantees 125 days and adds thematic works and a digital governance layer.

Don’t confuse with Centrally Sponsored vs Central Sector Scheme: Centrally Sponsored Schemes share cost with States; Central Sector Schemes are fully funded by the Centre.

Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.

Why it matters

Raises the statutory work guarantee to 125 days and lifts wages, supporting rural income and livelihood security.
Targets durable assets, natural resource conservation and women-led development.
Raises the legal guarantee of wage work to 125 days, improving rural income security.
Focus on durable assets, water conservation and convergence can build rural infrastructure and livelihoods.
Gram Panchayat-centred planning supports decentralised, participatory governance.
Raises the statutory guarantee from 100 to 125 days, strengthening livelihood security and rural incomes.
Keeps the legal right to work, with unemployment allowance and delay compensation as enforcement tools.
Makes Gram Panchayats central to rural development planning.
Raises the statutory wage guarantee, improving income and livelihood security for rural households.
Mandatory off-season work gives support when farm work is scarce.
Large outlay supports rural asset creation and demand.
Raises the statutory work guarantee to 125 days, adding to rural income security.
Demand-driven design with State partnership supports cooperative federalism.
Strengthens decentralised planning by making Panchayats at three tiers the principal authorities.
Raises the guarantee to 125 days, adding to rural livelihood security.
Geospatial, Gati Shakti-linked plans promote convergence and durable assets.
Higher guaranteed days raise rural income security and consumption smoothing.
Women-centric provisions promote gender-inclusive employment and support SHGs.
Focus on durable and climate-resilient assets links wage work to livelihoods.
Raises the statutory guarantee of rural work from 100 to 125 days, strengthening income security.
Links works to water security, rural infrastructure and disaster resilience through local plans.
Raises the statutory guarantee to 125 days, supporting rural income security.
Ties wage work to durable assets, water security and climate resilience.
Digital tools like biometrics, GPS monitoring and AI audits aim to cut leakages.
Gives rural households a stronger legal work guarantee and a safety net through more days and an unemployment allowance.
Gram Sabha control over works ties employment to local needs such as water conservation and disaster mitigation.

Problems

States must share costs and keep up timely wage payment, which strains finances.
Real delivery depends on demand-based work, administration capacity and transparent payments.
States must share costs and prepare schemes, and uneven readiness could delay work and wage payments.
Technology-based verification and new cards may exclude workers with poor connectivity or documents.
Transition risk: rules on transition, allocation and grievance redressal are still being drafted.
Fiscal burden on States, which share the cost, and dependence on Central normative allocation.
Technology-linked requirements such as e-KYC and DBT can exclude workers.
The 60:40 sharing and normative allocation may strain finances of poorer States.
Centrally fixed allocation may limit a demand-driven entitlement.
Timely wage payment, State scheme notification and capacity remain hurdles.
States must pay 40% in most cases, which strains finances.
Central fixing of normative allocations may limit the demand-driven character.
Panchayats may lack technical staff and capacity for geospatial planning and record-keeping.
Dependence on digital systems can exclude workers with poor connectivity.
Funding and timely wage payment depend on Centre-State coordination.
Timely wage payment and paying the unemployment allowance depend on state capacity and funds.
Critics may argue that changes to the earlier framework could weaken its demand-driven nature.
The 60:40 sharing may strain finances of poorer States.
Biometric and digital monitoring may exclude workers with poor connectivity or authentication failures.
Centre-set normative allocation may limit demand-driven work.
States must bear 40% (or 10%) of costs, straining finances of poorer States.
Centre-set normative allocation may limit demand-driven work and State autonomy.
Biometric and digital dependence can exclude workers in areas with poor connectivity.
Faster wage payment and interest on delays depend on states' capacity and fund flow.
Allowing farm work for up to 60 days must not dilute the purpose of creating durable rural assets.

Way forward

Release funds on time and pay wages without delay.
Use the new software platform for transparency and social audit of works.
Ensure timely wage payment and adequate funds to States, with regular social audits.
Build Gram Panchayat capacity for planning and asset creation, with support for digital access.
Publish the rules quickly after public consultation so the transition is smooth.
Support States with timely funds and e-KYC facilitation, never denying work for pending e-KYC.
Strengthen grievance redressal and social audit so wage payment and work demand are enforced.
Keep allocation flexible enough to meet actual demand.
Ensure timely payment of wages and the Centre's share.
Build State capacity and social audit to ensure assets are durable.
Use clear, objective allocation parameters and release funds on time.
Focus spending on durable rural assets.
Build Panchayat capacity with technical staff and training.
Ensure regular Gram Sabha social audits with public disclosure of records.
Keep offline options and grievance redressal for workers facing digital barriers.
Ensure time-bound wage payment and effective social audits.
Converge works with Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans and ensure strong grievance redressal.
Ensure fallback to manual verification so no worker is excluded.
Keep funds flowing on time and allocation responsive to actual demand.
Strengthen Gram Sabha role and social audits in planning.
Ensure timely fund release and wage payment, with fiscal support for weaker States.
Keep non-digital fallback for authentication and strengthen social audits and Gram Sabha role.
Issue clear instructions with states and strengthen monitoring and social audit so timely payment is enforced.
Build Gram Panchayat capacity to plan village-specific works.

Put in your answer

Interim allocation: Cite the ₹95,692.31 crore interim release as the Centre's funding for rollout.

Guarantee raised: Statutory entitlement increased from 100 to 125 days per eligible rural household.

State readiness data: 29 States/UTs made budget provisions and 24 States notified the State Scheme before rollout.

Fiscal federalism angle: Section 22 makes it a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with 90:10 and 60:40 sharing, a case of cooperative federalism and cost burden on States.

Fund sharing: Centre-State ratio of 90:10 for NE and Himalayan States, 60:40 for others, shows differentiated cooperative federalism.

Section 16 role of Panchayats: Panchayats at all three levels are the principal authorities for planning, implementation and monitoring, a decentralisation point in answers on grassroots governance.

Social audit: Records must be placed before the Gram Sabha for social audits, supporting transparency and accountability.

Women's participation: Women's participation under MGNREGS has been above 50% in the last three financial years and in 2025-26.

Livelihood infrastructure: Assets such as SHG buildings, work sheds, nurseries, livestock shelters and rural haats strengthen women and SHGs.

Digital governance: Biometric authentication, GPS or mobile worksite monitoring, real-time dashboards and AI for audits and fraud risk.

Funding split: 60:40 for most States and 90:10 for NE and Himalayan States shows differentiated cooperative federalism.

Accountability: Delayed wages now attract 0.05 percent extra interest on dues after 15 days, so those responsible bear the cost of delays.

Test yourself

True or false?

1 of 40

Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.

1.The Act keeps the earlier entitlement of 100 days of employment per eligible rural household.
2.Following the notification of revised rates, no notified daily wage in any State or UT is below ₹300.
3.The Act is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development.
4.The National Launch Programme of the Act is to be held in Tirupati district of Telangana.
5.The Act comes into force across rural India from July 1, 2026.
6.The Act makes Block Panchayats the central unit of rural transformation in place of Gram Panchayats.
7.The Act is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development, whose Union Minister also holds the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare portfolio.
8.The interim allocation to States and UTs for the rollout is ₹95,692.31 crore.
9.The Act will come into force on 11 May 2026, the date of its notification.
10.MGNREGA, 2005 stands repealed when the new Act comes into force.
11.If work is not provided within the prescribed time after demand, the worker has no remedy under the Act.
12.Existing e-KYC verified MGNREGA job cards remain valid under the new Act until Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued.
13.The ₹95,692.31 crore allocation for 2026–27 is the total programme outlay including State contributions.
14.The scheme under the Act is a Central Sector Scheme funded wholly by the Centre.
15.For Himalayan States such as Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the Centre-State sharing ratio is 90:10.
16.For States other than North-Eastern and Himalayan States, the Centre bears 90 per cent of the cost.
17.Each State must notify its own Scheme consistent with the Act within six months of commencement.
18.State-wise normative allocation is fixed by each State Government on its own parameters.
19.Under the Act, the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan is prepared by the Programme Officer and approved by the Block Panchayat.
20.At least fifty percent of the total works, in cost terms, are to be implemented through Gram Panchayats.
21.The intermediate-level Panchayat finalises the aggregate district-level plan under the Act.
22.The Gram Panchayat registers households and issues Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards under the Scheme.
23.Under the Act, muster rolls, bills and vouchers are placed before the Block Panchayat for social audit.
24.Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans are integrated with PM Gati Shakti and aggregated at Block, District, State and National levels.
25.The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 guarantees at least 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year.
26.Under the Act, an unemployment allowance is payable if work is not provided within the stipulated time.
27.The Act makes at least half of the participation of women mandatory.
28.Crèche facilities are required at worksites where five or more children under five years accompany working women.
29.The Act requires one-third women representation in the Central and State Rojgar Guarantee Councils.
30.The four priority themes of works under the Act include defence infrastructure.
31.For most States, the Centre and State share the cost in a 60:40 ratio.
32.The 90:10 sharing pattern applies to the North-Eastern and Himalayan States and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
33.State-wise normative allocation under the Act is decided by each State Government on its own parameters.
34.Works under the Act are identified through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans prepared and approved by the Gram Sabha.
35.The Act confines works to a single theme, rural roads.
36.The scheme under the Act is a Central Sector Scheme funded wholly by the Union Government.
37.Under the Act, the Centre-State funding ratio is 60:40 for most States, and 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States.
38.Special works to mitigate extreme weather events and prepare for disasters are one of the thematic domains of works under the Act.
39.The Act provides for works to be identified through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans, which are integrated with PM Gati Shakti.
40.The Act has five thematic domains of works, including a separate domain for urban infrastructure.

Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Rural Development, 11 May, 12:09 IST · Release 288725

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

TEAM Initiative (Trade Enablement and Access to Market) under RAMP

GS3 Economy · MSMEGS2 Welfare schemesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 11 May 2026, the Ministry of MSME highlighted the TEAM Initiative, which aims to bring 5 lakh micro and small enterprises onto ONDC with end-to-end e-commerce support.
What it is: TEAM (Trade Enablement and Access to Market) is a sub-scheme of the World Bank-supported RAMP programme of the Ministry of MSME. It helps micro and small enterprises join the Open Network for Digital Commerce and sell online. Support runs through empanelled Seller Network Participants, with incentives tied to performance.

Parent programme: TEAM is a sub-scheme of RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance), which is World Bank-supported and was launched on 30 July 2022.
Implementing agency: The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) implements the initiative.
Outlay and duration: The outlay is ₹277.35 crore for three years, FY 2024–25 to FY 2026–27.
Women's share: Half of the 5 lakh target enterprises are earmarked for women-owned businesses.
Eligibility link: PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries across 18 traditional craft categories can access the scheme, subject to Udyam Registration.
ONDC network roles: ONDC works through Seller Network Participants, Buyer Network Participants and Logistics Service Providers.

Don’t confuse with TEAM vs RAMP: RAMP is the wider World Bank-supported MSME programme launched in 2022. TEAM is its sub-scheme for ONDC-based e-commerce access.

Don’t confuse with SNP vs BNP: Seller Network Participants onboard and support sellers. Buyer Network Participants are consumer-facing platforms that generate demand.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: A scheme with features (RAMP sub-scheme, NSIC, ONDC) but the release is promotional and has few new facts; schemes are 16% of news-linked Prelims questions.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises, 11 May, 10:54 IST · Release 288720

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Report or index

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin

GS3 Economy · Employment dataPrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 11 May 2026, MoSPI released the PLFS Quarterly Bulletin for January-March 2026. It shows urban unemployment at 6.6% and a rise in rural regular wage jobs.
What it is: The Periodic Labour Force Survey is the main source of data on employment and unemployment in India. It is run by the National Statistics Office under MoSPI. Since January 2025 its design was revamped to give monthly and quarterly estimates for both rural and urban India under the Current Weekly Status approach.

Who runs it: PLFS is conducted by the NSO under MoSPI and is the primary source of employment-unemployment data.
Redesign from 2025: The sampling method was revamped from January 2025 to give monthly and quarterly indicators for rural and urban India under CWS.
Key indicators: The three headline indicators are LFPR, WPR and UR. LFPR was 55.5% in January-March 2026, against 55.8% in the previous quarter.
Unemployment rate: Urban UR fell to 6.6% from 6.7%, while rural UR edged up to 4.3% from 4.0%.
Workers in absolute terms: About 57.4 crore persons aged 15+ were employed, of whom 17.2 crore were women, estimated using MoHFW projected population.

Don’t confuse with LFPR vs WPR: LFPR counts those working or seeking work as a share of population. WPR counts only those employed. So WPR is always lower than LFPR.

Don’t confuse with CWS vs Usual Status: Current Weekly Status looks at activity in the past 7 days. Usual Status (ps+ss) looks at the past 365 days. The bulletin uses CWS for quarterly figures.

Reports and indices: 14 Prelims questions since 2013; they test who publishes a report and what it measures.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Routine quarterly data; PLFS is a lasting survey worth knowing (LFPR 55.5%), but routine data rarely yields questions; reports are 4% of Prelims.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, 11 May, 16:00 IST · Release 288735

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Law and statutory body

Forum of Regulators (Electricity)

GS3 Economy · Infrastructure · PowerGS2 Statutory bodiesPrelims and Mains

Why in news: The Forum of Regulators (FOR) held its 100th meeting at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as reported on 11 May 2026, marking 21 years since it was set up in 2005.
What it is: The Forum of Regulators (FOR) is a platform of the Central and State electricity regulatory commissions. It was set up in 2005 to harmonise and coordinate regulatory practice across the power sector. The CERC chairperson chairs it and the CERC provides its secretariat.

Membership: It brings together the Central and State electricity regulatory commissions.
Chair and secretariat: The CERC Chairperson is also the FOR Chairperson, and the CERC Secretary is the FOR Secretary.
Outputs so far: The Forum has produced 71 studies, 55 capacity building programmes, 25 Model Regulations, 6 Technical Committee Reports and 37 Working Group Reports.
Legal basis: The Forum was constituted under Section 166(2) of the Electricity Act, 2003.

Don’t confuse with FOR vs CERC: CERC is the central regulator that sets tariffs for central generation and inter-state transmission. FOR is only a coordinating platform of regulators and does not itself regulate tariffs.

Don’t confuse with FOR vs Forum of Indian Regulators (FOIR): FOR covers only electricity regulators. FOIR is a separate body covering regulators across sectors.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Statutory body set up in 2005 under the Electricity Act, chaired by CERC chairperson; a lasting topic, but statutory bodies are only 7 Prelims questions and the release is a milestone event.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Power, 11 May, 17:26 IST · Release 288743

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Scheme

SEHAT Mission (ICMR-ICAR)

GS2 Health · Agriculture-nutrition convergenceGS3 AgriculturePrelims and Mains

Why in news: On 11 May 2026, ICMR and ICAR jointly launched SEHAT, a mission-mode programme linking agriculture, nutrition and health. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled it.
What it is: SEHAT (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) is a joint research mission of ICMR (health ministry) and ICAR (agriculture ministry). It aims to turn agricultural research into measurable nutrition and public health results. It works through five priority areas, from biofortified crops to One Health preparedness.

Full form: SEHAT stands for Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation. It is a national mission-mode programme.
Implementing bodies: ICMR works under the Department of Health Research, and ICAR under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE). Both are led by their Director Generals.
Five priority areas: Biofortified and nutrient-dense crops; integrated farming systems; occupational health of agricultural workers; agriculture-enabled prevention of NCDs through functional foods; and One Health preparedness through integrated surveillance.
Division of roles: ICAR is to ensure nutritious food systems are available. ICMR is to validate these interventions with scientific evidence.
Problem addressed: India faces a dual burden: persistent malnutrition alongside rising non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer.

Don’t confuse with ICMR vs ICAR: ICMR is the apex body for biomedical research under the health ministry. ICAR is the apex body for agricultural research and education under the agriculture ministry.

Don’t confuse with Biofortification vs fortification: Biofortification raises nutrient content in the crop itself through breeding. Fortification adds nutrients to food during processing.

Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.

No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: New mission-mode programme linking agriculture, nutrition and health; worth a card, but few detailed facts yet. Schemes are 16% of Prelims questions.

Source: PIB, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 11 May, 18:51 IST · Release 288748

Issue page →

Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.

Quick facts

Dr Ashok Kumar Panda took charge as Chairman and Managing Director of SAIL on 9 May 2026; he was earlier Director (Finance).
India's first Integrated CCUS Field Laboratory Facility was inaugurated at IIT Bombay under Bharat Innovates 2026 by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Joint Consultative Machinery scheme for central government employees began in 1966; its National Council is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and held its 49th meeting.

Source: PIB, 11 May

What we left out: 32 of 40 releases

Speeches without a decision (8)
Same issue as another release (15)
Routine recruitment notices (1)
Ceremonies and campaigns (4)
Exhibitions and showcases (1)
Workshops and meetings (3)

Practise the day’s news

In UPSC’s formats, inside each issue. The answer and why come after you choose.

1Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G)MCQ · 40 true or false · Mains

Mains question of the day

15 marks · 250 words

The Centre has notified that the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 will come into force on 1 July 2026, repealing MGNREGA, 2005. Examine the main provisions of the new Act, such as the 125-day guarantee, wage payment timelines and unemployment allowance. Discuss the challenges in moving from MGNREGA and the way forward for a smooth transition.

From: Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G)

Write and get it marked

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