Under the proposed changes, registrations delayed between one and two years will continue to require approval from the District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate.
However, in cases where registration is delayed by more than two years, approval will now be granted only by a Judicial Magistrate of the First Class.
National
Parliament on 13 August 2026 passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to restrict the power of state governments to levy taxes on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on August 12, completing the parliamentary approval process. The legislation will come into force after receiving the President’s assent.
Union Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said coal remains crucial for India’s power sector, accounting for 73 percent of electricity generation. He also said the share of mineral revenue accruing to states had increased from 65 percent in 2014-15 to 85 per cent currently, while the states’ share of coal revenue had risen from 51 per cent to 96 percent.
NITI Aayog has released a report titled “Key Sectors to Position India as a Global Manufacturing Hub”, identifying chemicals, textiles, telecom and networking equipment, and solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing as four high-potential sectors that could drive India’s manufacturing growth and strengthen its position in global value chains.
The report provides a data-driven assessment of India’s manufacturing landscape and examines factors such as market potential, infrastructure, policy support, availability of raw materials, technology readiness, employment potential and the country’s position in global value chains.
The exercise was undertaken in four phases, beginning with the identification of sectors based on their domestic and global growth potential.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal launched the revamped India Code Portal on 13 August 2026, aimed at making access to laws simpler, faster and more citizen-centric. The revamped portal, launched at Kartavya Bhavan 2 in New Delhi, introduces a range of technology-driven features, including artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted search and interaction, semantic and speech-based search, improved navigation, multilingual access and enhanced linkages between different legislative documents.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader effort to leverage digital technologies to improve ease of access to law, transparency, legal awareness and delivery of public services.
The Supreme Court has asked the 19 remaining States and Union Territories to consider declaring cancer a “notifiable disease” to facilitate early detection and ensure proper care of patients. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, issued the direction.
The court was informed that 17 of the 36 States and Union Territories have already notified cancer as a notifiable disease, following recommendations made by a Parliamentary Standing Committee.
The Supreme Court had earlier issued notices to the Centre and all States and Union Territories on a Public Interest Litigation-PIL seeking a direction to declare cancer a notifiable disease across the country.
The Centre told the court that health is a State subject and pointed out that 17 States have already notified cancer. The court directed the remaining States and Union Territories to consider the recommendations and take appropriate decisions. It also directed them to file compliance affidavits.
Parliament on 12 August 2026 passed a bill to rename Kerala as Keralam, with the Rajya Sabha clearing the legislation with a voice vote. The Lok Sabha passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, on August 11.
The Kerala Assembly passed a resolution in 2024, urging the Centre to bring a law to change the name of the state to Keralam. The Kerala government had forwarded a resolution passed by the state assembly regarding the name change to the Centre in June 2024.
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill provides for such alteration of the name of the state of Kerala and contains necessary amendments to the provisions of the Constitution and also consequential provisions, according to the Bill’s statement of objects and reasons.
Amendments will be made in the First Schedule to the Constitution by modifying the name of the state of Kerala as Keralam in accordance with Article 3 of the Constitution.
amend NCDC Act:
The Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026 passed a bill to broaden the mandate of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to give loans and grants directly to cooperative societies in the country.
The National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, to amend the National Co-operative Development Corporation Act, 1962, was passed by the Lok Sabha on 11 August 2026.
The NCDC, a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Cooperation, was established in 1963 under the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962.
The government has extended subsidies for electric two-wheelers under the PM E-Drive scheme till FY28 and raised the allocation for the segment by nearly Rs.1,000 crore. The heavy industries ministry had urged the finance ministry to raise the budgetary outlay for electric two-wheelers to Rs.3,000 crore till FY28.
The allocation for e-two-wheeler incentives has been increased to Rs.2,767 crore, from Rs.1,772 crore till FY28, while the number of vehicles eligible for the subsidy has been raised to 4.57 million from over 2.4 million.
The scheme's total outlay has also been increased to Rs.11,900 crore from Rs.10,900 crore.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate the commercialisation and global market access of India’s Geographical Indication (GI) products. The collaboration aims to promote quality standardisation, wider market access and digital enablement of GI products, while strengthening the One District One Product ecosystem.
Under the initiative, GI collectives and authorised users will be facilitated to onboard digital platforms, including the Open Network for Digital Commerce and Government e-Marketplace, under the Bharat GI banner.
President Droupadi Murmu on 11 August 2026 gave assent to a Bill that criminalises intentional disruption or prevention of the singing of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’, giving it the same legal protection currently accorded to the national anthem. With the president’s assent, The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has become a law. The legislation grants Vande Mataram the same status as the national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’.
Posted Date: August 11, 2026The Rajya Sabha on 11 August 2026 passed a Bill to set up a National Tribunal Commission to select chairpersons and members for various tribunals across the country. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 10 August.
Setting up of the National Tribunal Commission is the core of this Bill. It will have two judicial members and two technical members and will be headed by a former Supreme Court judge or a former chief justice of a High Court. The NTC will make appointments in the commission to make it transparent, independent and merit-based.
The Bill brings no changes in the jurisdiction of tribunals.
The Rajya Sabha on 10 August 2026 passed the Bankers’ Books Evidence Bill, 2026, paving the way for replacing the colonial-era Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, with a modern legal framework aligned with the country’s increasingly digital banking system. The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill on August 5. With its passage by both Houses of Parliament, the legislation seeks to update the legal framework governing the use of bankers’ books and records as evidence in judicial proceedings.
The Bill retains most of the provisions of the existing law, under which certified copies of bank records can be produced as evidence in legal proceedings without requiring the original records.
A key provision of the new legislation is the explicit recognition of electronic and digital records of bankers’ books as admissible, valid and legally enforceable evidence, subject to specified safeguards.
The Bill also requires safeguards to ensure the integrity of electronic records. No unauthorised alteration of data should have occurred, while there should be no tampering with the system or any other event that could undermine the integrity and accuracy of the record.
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 10 August 2026 launched a National Scholarship Portal-based system for agriculture students, under which more than 6,000 students received a total of Rs.21.35 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The initiative, launched at Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), Pusa, is aimed at ensuring that scholarships and fellowships reach agriculture students directly and on time. Under the new system, students will receive scholarship assistance every month through DBT, reducing delays and making the process more transparent and hassle-free.
Posted Date: August 10, 2026The Union Cabinet approved GOBARdhan, the National Circular Bioenergy Scheme, with a total outlay of Rs.23,731 crore on 6 August 2026. GOBARdhan marks a defining moment in India’s clean energy journey. It will transform the country’s abundant agricultural residue, cattle dung, press mud, municipal organic waste and other biomass resources into clean fuel, organic manure, rural income and national economic value.
The Scheme will be implemented from 2026-27 to 2035-36 and will establish Compressed Biogas as a major pillar of India’s future energy mix. The Scheme aims to increase domestic Compressed Biogas, CBG production nearly ten-fold, mobilize large-scale private investment and create a vibrant circular bioeconomy across the country.
More than 82% of rural households across India now have access to tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), while the Centre has strengthened measures to ensure the quality and safety of drinking water supplied through the programme. According to information shared by Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Patil in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on 6 August 2026, around 15.89 crore rural households (82.09%) out of a total 19.36 crore rural households had been provided functional tap water connections as of July 18, 2026. When the mission was launched in August 2019, only 3.24 crore households (16.72%) had access to tap water.
The Jal Jeevan Mission – Har Ghar Jal aims to provide every rural household with potable tap water in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular, long-term basis. The government said all piped water supply schemes under the mission follow the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS:10500) norms for drinking water quality.
More than 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country have been made service-ready under the BharatNet project, while 5.01 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) are delivering digital services nationwide as the Centre continues to expand digital infrastructure and citizen-centric services under the Digital India programme. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, said this in the Lok Sabha on 6 August 2026.
Launched in July 2015, the Digital India programme seeks to strengthen digital infrastructure, deliver government services electronically and empower citizens through digital literacy and employment.
India’s telecom and internet penetration has grown sharply over the past decade. Total telephone connections increased from 93.3 crore in March 2014 to more than 133 crore in March 2026.
Internet subscribers rose from 25.15 crore in March 2014 to 109.27 crore in March 2026.
Under BharatNet, around 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats had been made service-ready as of June 2026 to provide high-speed broadband connectivity in rural India.
Across the country, 24,784 mobile towers have been commissioned under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN)-funded mobile scheme as of June 30, 2026.
Parliament on 5 August 2026 passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, paving the way for an increase in the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The legislation received Parliament’s approval after the Rajya Sabha returned the Bill to the Lok Sabha following a discussion. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on 3 August 2026. The amendment revises the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to enhance the apex court’s judicial capacity.
The move follows an ordinance promulgated by President Droupadi Murmu in May this year, which had increased the number of Supreme Court judges from 33 to 37.
India has launched the Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (CAP) to reaffirm its commitment to the conservation of one of Asia’s most elusive wild cats, Environment Ministry officials said on 4 August 2026. The announcement was made to mark the International Clouded Leopard Day, celebrated on August 4 every year.
The action plan provides a comprehensive framework for securing habitats, restoring forest connectivity, strengthening scientific monitoring and empowering local communities for conservation of the species.
Clouded leopard is among the most evolutionarily distinct and among the least studied felids in Asia, occupying a unique ecological niche as an arboreal predator in the forests of Northeast India and the Eastern Himalaya, according to a 2026 technical report of CAP for clouded leopard.
In India, the clouded leopard is listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, providing it absolute protection from hunting, trade and possession.
A key component of the CAP of the clouded leopard is the identification of 14 priority conservation landscapes across the Northeast.
♦ More than 50.6 lakh households across the country have installed rooftop solar systems under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said on 4 August 2026.
♦ The milestone reflects a sharp acceleration in rooftop solar adoption, compared with 7.94 lakh installations over the previous decade.
♦ According to the ministry, the scheme is now adding nearly one lakh beneficiary households every six days, making it “one of the fastest-growing clean energy programmes in the world.”
♦ With a total outlay of Rs.75,021 crore, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has emerged as the world’s largest rooftop solar programme, the ministry said.
♦ The pace of installations has increased more than threefold over the past nine months, rising from 5,038 installations per day in October 2025 to nearly 16,328 installations per day in July 2026.
♦ July alone recorded 5.06 lakh rooftop solar installations, the highest monthly figure since the scheme was launched.
♦ The government has released ₹28,024 crore in subsidies directly to beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.
♦ As a result, nearly 19 lakh households are now paying zero electricity bills.
♦ In addition, more than 12 lakh households earned a combined ₹421 crore by selling surplus electricity back to the grid during FY 2024-25, generating an average additional income of around ₹3,500 annually per household.
Posted Date: August 4, 2026♦ India has witnessed one of the fastest expansions of solar energy in the world over the past decade.
♦ From an installed solar capacity of around 3 GW in 2014, the country has grown to 162.15 GW as of June 30, 2026, making solar the largest contributor to India’s renewable energy capacity.
♦ The latest milestone comes with the approval of the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY), which seeks to further accelerate the country’s clean energy transition through floating solar projects backed by energy storage.
♦ Approved by the Union Cabinet on Friday, the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) aims to develop 5,000 MW of floating solar photovoltaic capacity with co-located Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
♦ The scheme has an outlay of Rs.5,070 crore and will be implemented between FY 2026-27 and FY 2030-31.
♦ It proposes a minimum storage capacity of 10,000 MWh, enabling states to better manage peak electricity demand while improving grid stability.
Posted Date: August 3, 2026♦ The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), the Centre’s flagship employment-linked incentive scheme, has completed one year of implementation, with more than 72 lakh first-time employees joining the formal workforce since its launch in August 2025.
♦ The scheme is aimed at promoting formal employment, expanding social security coverage and encouraging employers to create new jobs.
♦ Launched for implementation from August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2027, PM-VBRY has a financial outlay of Rs.99,446 crore.
♦ The scheme seeks to generate employment for over 3.5 crore people, including 1.92 crore first-time employees, through an Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)-linked framework.
♦ The scheme provides incentives to both employees and employers to encourage workforce formalisation and sustained job creation.
Posted Date: August 3, 2026♦ India carried out a record 20,138 organ transplants in 2025, the highest ever in a single year, the government said on 3 August 2026 as it marked the 16th Indian Organ Donation Day.
♦ The national event, organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in New Delhi.
♦ India has crossed five lakh Aadhaar-verified organ donation pledges since the launch of the national digital pledge portal in 2023.
♦ The number of organ transplants has increased from 4,990 in 2013 to 20,138 in 2025, making it the highest annual figure recorded so far.
♦ On the occasion, the Government launched ‘Jug Jug Jiyo Abhiyaan’, a year-long nationwide awareness campaign aimed at taking the message of organ donation to communities across the country.
♦ A new NOTTO Mobile App was also launched to provide easier access to organ donation and transplantation-related services and information.
Posted Date: August 3, 2026