1 . DDU-GKY 2.0: Skill Training for Rural Youth
Syllabus Mapping: GS-II: Government Schemes | Rural Development | Social Justice | Inclusive Growth; GS-III: Skill Development | Employment | Human Capital | Rural Economy
- The Ministry of Rural Development is set to commence DDU-GKY 2.0 training batches across most States/UTs from October 2026, with around 70,000 rural youth expected to begin training through 2,015 batches across 24 States/UTs.
- DDU-GKY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya–Grameen Kaushalya Yojana) is the rural-focused skilling component under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) framework, aimed particularly at poor rural youth and employment-oriented skill development.
- Under DDU-GKY 2.0, 6 lakh training targets covering 1,200+ projects have already been allocated to Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) by 24 States/UTs, while other States are at advanced stages of target allocation.
- DDU-GKY 2.0 has allocated more than 9 lakh targets across all 31 participating States/UTs for the 2026–28 period, making the current phase focused on scaling up placement-linked rural skilling.
- DDU-GKY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme providing placement-linked skill training to poor rural youth, with training duration ranging from 3 to 12 months depending on the course.
- States/UTs are responsible for mobilising eligible rural youth and organising demand-driven, placement-linked training in PPP mode, with courses aligned to the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
- The scheme seeks to connect skill training with sustained employability, rather than merely providing training, by linking courses with market demand and employment opportunities.
2. Exercise TARANG SHAKTI 2026
Syllabus Mapping: GS-II: International Relations | Strategic Partnerships | Defence Diplomacy; GS-III: Defence Technology | Military Exercises | Air Power | Aerospace Security | Interoperability
- Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, a multilateral air exercise conducted by the Indian Air Force, is being held from 26 September to 12 October 2026 with the theme “Power in Partnership”, emphasising interoperability and operational cooperation among participating air forces.
- The operational phase commenced at Air Force Station Jodhpur, with seven Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) participating: Australia, USA, UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
- The participating foreign aircraft represent diverse air-power capabilities, including F-35 Lightning II, Rafale, F-16, A400M, MRTT, C-130/C-130J and KC-30A, covering combat, strategic/tactical airlift and air-to-air refuelling
- Building on the inaugural edition in 2024, Tarang Shakti 2026 provides opportunities for advanced joint training, exchange of operational expertise and consolidation of professional experience through coordinated missions with the IAF.
- The exercise focuses on interoperability, mutual learning, aerospace safety and understanding of operational procedures, involving not only aircrew but also mission planners and operational support personnel.
- Several other Friendly Foreign Countries are participating as observers, while the exercise also includes professional and outreach activities such as a dedicated seminar, industrial tour, Sekhon Marathon, heritage tours and yoga sessions.
- The industrial engagement provides foreign contingents exposure to India’s aerospace and defence ecosystem, while the exercise allows the IAF to demonstrate its operational capabilities and growing indigenous aerospace and defence capacity.
3. India’s First LNG-Diesel Dual-Fuel Train
Syllabus Mapping: GS-III: Infrastructure | Railways | Transport Infrastructure | Green Technology | Energy Efficiency | Indigenous Technology | Railway Safety
- Development projects worth ₹1,472 crore were inaugurated at Sabarmati Railway Station, Ahmedabad, including the country’s first LNG-powered train and a WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed, with a focus on environmental sustainability, passenger amenities and railway safety.
- The LNG-powered train is an initiative towards reducing dependence on conventional diesel fuel in rail transport and promoting lower-emission alternative fuels in railway operations.
- The initiative is linked with the expansion of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), which separate freight movement from passenger traffic on designated routes, enabling higher freight efficiency, faster movement and improved network capacity.
- A successful trial of India’s first double-stack long-haul container train from JNPT, Mumbai to Vadodara was highlighted, demonstrating the potential of carrying two layers of containers on suitable freight routes and increasing freight-carrying capacity.
- Railway diesel consumption declined from 293 crore litres in 2015–16 to 108 crore litres in 2024–25, alongside substantial expansion of railway electrification; 6% of the railway network is now electrified.
- LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) is natural gas cooled to approximately −162°C, at which it becomes a liquid and occupies much less volume, facilitating storage and transportation; it is mainly composed of methane.
- LNG is different from hydrogen: LNG is a natural-gas-based fossil fuel, whereas hydrogen is a separate energy carrier; therefore, an LNG-powered train should not be classified as a zero-emission hydrogen train.
- LNG is not the same as CNG: LNG is stored in liquid form at cryogenic temperature, whereas CNG is natural gas compressed to high pressure and stored as a gas.
- LNG is primarily methane (CH₄) and, compared with conventional diesel, generally produces lower emissions of CO₂, particulate matter and SOx during combustion, although it remains a fossil fuel.
- LNG requires cryogenic storage tanks because it must be maintained at very low temperatures; therefore, LNG infrastructure involves liquefaction, cryogenic storage, transportation and regasification.
4. India’s First Port-based e-Methanol Production Facility – Kandla
Syllabus Mapping: GS-III: Renewable Energy | Green Hydrogen | Decarbonisation | Maritime Transport | Biofuels | Net Zero
- Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), Kandla, Gujarat is establishing India’s first port-based e-methanol production facility, with the foundation stone laid on 26 September 2026.
- The plant will have a total capacity of 150 tonnes per day (TPD) and will use renewable power, water and biogenic CO₂ to produce e-methanol for use as a green fuel in shipping.
- The project has a total investment of ₹2,300 crore and is being jointly implemented by DPA and Assam Petro-Chemicals Ltd. (APCL), Namrup.
- The project will be developed in two phases: Phase I – 50 TPD, ₹1,200 crore, targeted January 2027; Phase II – additional 100 TPD, ₹1,100 crore, targeted March 2027.
- The e-methanol is intended for supplying vessels operating on the Asia–Europe International Trade Corridor, linking green-fuel production at an Indian port directly with international maritime transport.
- The project is linked with India’s Net Zero 2070 objective and the broader goals of energy self-reliance, Make in India and green maritime development.
- Methanol (CH₃OH) is a simple alcohol that can be used as a chemical feedstock and fuel; its importance in shipping comes from its ability to be stored and handled as a liquid fuel under comparatively manageable conditions.
- e-Methanol is produced using green hydrogen and a carbon source such as captured/biogenic CO₂; in simplified form: Renewable electricity → Green H₂ + CO₂ → Methanol.
- Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water through electrolysis using renewable electricity; when this hydrogen is combined with CO₂ to synthesise methanol, the resulting fuel is termed e-methanol.
- Biogenic CO₂ refers to CO₂ originating from biological sources or biomass-related processes; its use in e-methanol production can contribute to a lower-carbon carbon cycle compared with fossil-derived carbon sources.
- Green methanol ≠ conventional methanol: conventional methanol is commonly produced from fossil feedstocks such as natural gas or coal, whereas green/e-methanol uses renewable hydrogen and a lower-carbon carbon source.
5. Arogya Manthan 2026 – AB PM-JAY & ABDM
Syllabus Mapping: GS-II: Health | Universal Health Coverage | Social Justice | Government Schemes | Digital Health | Health Infrastructure | Data Governance
- Arogya Manthan 2026, organised by the National Health Authority (NHA) on 25 September 2026, marked 8 years of AB PM-JAY and 5 years of ABDM.
- AB PM-JAY has covered 60+ crore beneficiaries, facilitated 13+ crore hospital admissions and supported treatment worth ₹2 lakh crore+.
- The scheme has been expanded to cover all citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of socio-economic status; portability enables beneficiaries, particularly migrants, to access treatment across locations.
- ABDM has generated 8+ crore ABHA IDs, linked 121+ crore health records, and registered 5.6+ lakh health facilities and around 11 lakh healthcare professionals.
- Arogya Manthan 2026 launched the National Healthcare Providers Registry (NHPR) Mobile App, NHCX Implementation Guide for Payers, Model Digital Health Facility Guidebook, Secure Data Environment (SDE) and Auto-Adjudication Framework for AB PM-JAY claims.
- The Secure Data Environment, developed by NHA with IISc Bengaluru, provides an isolated environment where approved entities can analyse de-identified health data or execute code, with outputs reviewed before release.
- The National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) seeks to connect hospitals and insurers through a common digital claims infrastructure, enabling standardised and interoperable health-insurance processes.
- AB PM-JAY is the hospitalisation/health-assurance component of Ayushman Bharat, while ABDM is the digital-health infrastructure component; the two therefore address different but complementary dimensions of healthcare.
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means that people should have access to needed quality health services without suffering financial hardship; PM-JAY addresses financial protection for eligible hospitalisation, while primary-care and digital-health systems support the wider continuum of care.
- ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) is a digital health identity/address, not an insurance policy; it enables an individual to link and access health records within the digital-health ecosystem.
