Edible oils form an essential component of India’s food and nutritional security, and oilseeds play a vital role in the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Oilseeds contribute not only to nutritional security but also to farmers’ welfare, serving as an important cash crop that sustains rural incomes and employment.
The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) was introduced in 2015 as a voluntary pension scheme to address a pressing gap in India's social security system. It was originally launched as the Swavalamban Yojana under the UPA government before being relaunched and renamed Atal Pension Yojana in 2015 and thus, giving the scheme a stronger and wider reach. This shift was necessary because most Indian workers exist outside formal employment. As a result, they do not receive employer-linked pension benefits, which leaves them with limited financial security after retirement. To address this, Atal Pension Yojana was designed to encourage retirement savings among this segment in order for subscribers to become entitled to a guaranteed monthly pension once they turn sixty.
Kerala has long been recognised for its high literacy rate, strong social development, and relatively inclusive educational environment. Yet, the state faces a paradox in higher education. While Kerala produces a highly educated population, many of its students leave the state and the country in search of better academic opportunities. A Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) study found that Kerala, despite having less than 3 percent of India’s population, accounted for around 4 percent of the 1.32 million Indian students who went abroad for higher studies in 2022.
Policy UpdateKavin Adithya C.B. Background The India-Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD) is a formal bilateral mechanism established in 2010 following the elevation of India-ROK relations to a Strategic Partnership. This dialogue was further reinforced when…
India's financial inclusion landscape has witnessed significant transformations over the last decade, primarily driven by the expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). While the combination of Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) accounts and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) successfully democratized the payments ecosystem, a critical structural challenge remained unsolved: the formal credit gap.
The Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) Initiative was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s working visit to Washington, D.C., on 13 February 2025 during the second term of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, emphasising mutual trust, shared interests, technological cooperation, and closer ties between the two countries.
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the National Programme on High Efficiency Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Modules was approved by the Union Cabinet on 7 April 2021, with a total outlay of ₹24,000 crore, to build gigawatt-scale domestic manufacturing capacity and reduce India's dependence on solar imports. It is administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Tranche-I, a smaller pilot worth ₹4,500 crore, required manufacturers to integrate the full value chain, from polysilicon through to modules, to qualify. This bar proved too high, only three manufacturers ultimately won Letters of Award (LoAs), for a combined 8,737 MW, leaving most of the scheme's intended capacity-building potential untapped.