The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) on June 30th, 2017. The Mission, entitled "Innovate in India (i3) – Empowering biotech entrepreneurs & accelerating inclusive innovation", was an ambitious one, focusing on improving the health standards of India's population by strengthening its biopharmaceutical sector.
The National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR), launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is India's main policy instrument to fight rising drug abuse and illicit drug trade. Drafted as an integrated and comprehensive strategy, NAPDDR is intended to be aligned with international targets and objectives under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG 3.5, which deals with prevention and treatment of abuse of substances, and SDG 16.4, which deals with the eradication of organized crime, including drug crime.
As a step to promote e-governance in the country, the platform MyGov was developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, and launched by our Prime Minister, Shri.Narendra Modi on 6th July, 2014. MyGov is an online platform focused on citizens. It aims to connect citizens with the government to improve governance, get feedback from citizens, and respond to queries.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was established in 2004 under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, to monitor all matters related to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and District Planning Committees. The Panchayati Raj plays a crucial role in strengthening India's democratic framework by encouraging political participation at the grassroots level. Currently, there are approximately 2.6 lakh Panchayats across the country, which have 31.5 lakh elected representatives, with almost 46% being women. The system also encourages the inclusion of marginalised communities such as Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Other Backwards Classes (OBCs) through provisions for reservation mentioned in the constitutional provision. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment mentioned that Panchayats were recognised as the third tier of governance, reinforcing the country’s commitment to decentralised and participatory democracy.
Launched on March 8, 2018, the Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is India's flagship initiative for improving the nutritional status of children, pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and other vulnerable groups. It is spearheaded by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and is aimed at reducing stunting, undernutrition, anemia, and low birth weight through a convergent approach involving multiple ministries.
National Scholarship Portal is an initiative by the Government of India under the Digital India initiative and national e-governance plan in 2016 to provide a one-stop solution for students to apply, receive, and disburse various scholarships through the portal easily and effectively. It was developed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Intending to eradicate illiteracy, a centrally sponsored scheme of adult education is “Padhan Likhna Abhiyan,” was implemented during 2020-21. It emphasizes imparting functional literacy to 57 lakh adult illiterates in the age group of 15 and above. The scheme was extended up to 31 July 2021.