Find government schemes and updates

Gopal-Krishna Gram Award competitions run from October 27 to 31 across Madhya Pradesh's 208 Vrindavan Grams. The Hitavada reports that farmers of all categories who rear the highest-yielding cows can compete. Prizes are ₹1 lakh for first place, ₹50,000 for second and ₹25,000 for third.

Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Malvi and Niwari cows are in focus. The Animal Husbandry Department has set up block- and district-level committees to assess entries. Prize money can be used only to buy, conserve and promote 100 per cent indigenous cattle. Winners will be honoured each year on Govardhan Puja.

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Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for rooftop solar installations on MHA buildings across India, Power Line reports.

Under the agreement, SECI will facilitate grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic plants under PM Surya Ghar Yojana. Scheme information is available on the official portal.

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Union Budget 2026-27 sets aside ₹300 crore for MERITE, up from the 2025-26 budget estimate of ₹220 crore, a rise of ₹80 crore (36.36%), according to the Department of Higher Education budget document.

Approved for 2025-26 to 2029-30, MERITE is a Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of ₹4,200 crore, including ₹2,100 crore in World Bank loan assistance. It is expected to support 275 government and government-aided technical institutions and benefit about 7.5 lakh students, as stated in the Cabinet announcement. These are planned targets, not evidence that support has been delivered.

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PFRDA has moved the start of revised Points of Presence (PoP) charges for National Pension System (NPS) and NPS Lite from October 1 to December 1, 2026. Its October 26 circular says all other terms in the August 28 circular remain unchanged.

The revised charges include a one-time ₹200 onboarding fee per Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN), deducted in quarterly instalments of ₹50. The PoP receives it in the month after the quarter in which onboarding is completed. A reduced one-time fee of ₹100 may apply to fully digital, non-face-to-face onboarding, as decided by PFRDA. The annual charge is 0.20% of assets under management (AUM), adjusted through the scheme's net asset value and deducted quarterly. GST and other applicable taxes are extra.

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In Neemuch district, Madhya Pradesh, Ranjana Kunwar Ranawat started a general store with a ₹6 lakh self-help group loan and now earns about ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 a month, IANS reports. Her group has 10 members.

Other women profiled by IANS have used group credit to run clothing, dairy, leaf-plate and grocery businesses. Deepika Bagdi said active self-help groups in her gram panchayat increased from five to 36; her group has 13 members.

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Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation has launched Jyoti Kalani Ladki Vidyarthini Yojana, which will pay ₹500 a month to girl students in Classes VII to XII, according to a Times of India report.

The report says around 19,000 students are expected to benefit. It covers girls in municipal and private schools in Ulhasnagar, as well as city residents studying outside its limits. Application forms are being distributed, and students must provide their bank details.

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Thirty-six senior citizens from Dehradun are scheduled to leave for a four-day Badrinath pilgrimage on October 27 under the Deendayal Matri-Pitri Teerthatan Yojana, with accommodation, meals and refreshments arranged for the trip, Pioneer Edge reports.

District Tourism Development Officer Jaspal Chauhan asked the group to report to Hotel Drona, 15 Gandhi Road, at 7 AM on October 27. They must carry Aadhaar cards, other identity documents and personal belongings.

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Ember's analysis proposes a battery subsidy under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. For a 3 kW rooftop system with a 5 kWh battery, a 50% subsidy on battery cost could bring payback to 6.3 years, compared with over nine years without it.

Solar alone has a 3.3-year payback. The battery could cut daytime electricity exports by 85% to 90%.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on 26 October 2026 that eligible Valmiki community families will get ₹3 lakh to build their houses. He made the announcement at a Valmiki Jayanti event in Krishna Nagar, Shimla.

Work on the scheme has started, but it is not launched yet. A survey of houses and families will first find out who qualifies and what each family needs. Sukhu set 28 November as the target to finish this survey.

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