Daily Bulletin

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the 'DAANVEER' initiative, a citizen participation platform to strengthen digital infrastructure in Gram Panchayats. The platform allows citizens and organisations to voluntarily contribute computers through the 'Meri Panchayat' mobile application. It provides a transparent, end-to-end digital mechanism, integrating with the DigiHaat marketplace for quality-verified hardware and enabling donors to track their contributions from dispatch to installation.

The government is reinforcing its policy of mother tongue-based education, as recommended by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In a significant step, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has translated textbooks for several grades into all 22 Scheduled Languages. This initiative is supported by the DIKSHA platform, which hosts resources in 135 languages, and the development of 121 primers for foundational literacy in various local Indian languages.

The Ministry of Education has filled 32,114 posts, including 18,757 faculty positions, in Central Higher Educational Institutions (CHEIs) under a mission-mode recruitment drive initiated in August 2021. The special drive was undertaken to fill backlog vacancies, including those reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

The Ministry of Education has selected 13,092 schools nationwide under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. This centrally sponsored scheme, with an implementation timeline from 2022-23 to 2026-27, aims to develop over 14,500 institutions as exemplar schools that showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has introduced several student-centric reforms for NEET UG Counselling 2026 to enhance transparency and convenience. Key changes include a one-time physical reporting framework that allows online seat upgradation until the third round and an online resignation facility. Additionally, designated assessment centres for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) have been increased from 16 to 61, and the admission process for the NRI category has been fully digitised.

The government is reinforcing the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, through timely central financial assistance to states. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has released ₹30.52 crores to Telangana for the financial year 2026-27 under the relevant Centrally Sponsored Scheme to support the Act's enforcement.

The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the parent Act of 2024. The legislation introduces stringent penalties to deter exam malpractices, including imprisonment for up to ten years and fines up to ten crore rupees, along with provisions for the seizure of properties belonging to convicted offenders.

The Rajya Sabha has passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, which grants the national song, 'Vande Mataram', the same statutory protection as the National Anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana'. This legislation accords equal legal standing to the national song, making any disrespect towards it a punishable offence under the existing Act.