The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, cleared the continuation of the Stand-Up India Scheme for another five years, up to 31 March 2031.
The scheme gives bank loans to women, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs who are setting up a brand-new (greenfield) enterprise.
A loan runs from above Rs 10 lakh up to Rs 1 crore, and may cover as much as 85 per cent of the project cost.
It may be a composite loan of working capital plus term loan, or a term loan alone, and the sectors allowed are manufacturing, services, trading and agriculture-allied activity.
A credit guarantee corpus of Rs 4,111 crore has been approved, covering 85 per cent of the loan amount at a guarantee fee of 0.50 per cent.
The Cabinet set a target of at least 2.5 lakh additional entrepreneurs over the five years.
The scheme began in April 2016 and has already supported more than 2.75 lakh women, SC and ST entrepreneurs.
Credit guarantee corpus:Rs 4,111 croreLoan range:Above Rs 10 lakh up to Rs 1 croreExtended up to:31 March 2031Target:2.5 lakh additional entrepreneurs
Why it matters for exams: Stand-Up India, its beneficiary groups and its loan range are standard Economy and Schemes questions; the scheme is run by the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance.
The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units, known as CGFMU, for five more years up to 31 March 2031.
A corpus of Rs 5,000 crore has been sanctioned, and the fund is managed by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited.
CGFMU guarantees loans given under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana of up to Rs 20 lakh, overdrafts of up to Rs 10,000 on Jan Dhan accounts, and Self Help Group portfolios between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 20 lakh.
The annual guarantee fee has been cut from 1 per cent to 0.75 per cent for most loans, while the Self Help Group fee stays at 0.25 per cent in the first year and 0.50 per cent later.
The government expects the cover to support about Rs 12.6 lakh crore of lending over the next five years.
The fund was first set up in January 2016, and lenders have since sanctioned more than 60.36 crore Mudra loans worth Rs 43.34 lakh crore up to September 2026.
The renewed period matches the award period of the Sixteenth Finance Commission.
Corpus:Rs 5,000 croreMudra loan cover:Up to Rs 20 lakhGuarantee fee:Cut from 1% to 0.75% a yearExpected lending:Rs 12.6 lakh crore in five years
Why it matters for exams: CGFMU, NCGTC and the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana loan ceiling are frequently asked in Economy and Banking papers.
The Union Cabinet approved the Nutrient Based Subsidy rates for phosphatic and potassic fertilisers for the Rabi season of 2026-27, which runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Under this system the government fixes a subsidy for each nutrient, and the price a farmer pays is then set by the market within that support.
Twenty-eight grades of these fertilisers are covered, including di-ammonium phosphate and the NPKS grades.
The tentative budget requirement for the season is about Rs 62,370.02 crore.
That is roughly Rs 24,417.73 crore more than the requirement for Rabi 2025-26, which stood at Rs 37,952.29 crore.
The Nutrient Based Subsidy regime has governed phosphatic and potassic fertilisers since 1 April 2010.
The aim is to keep these fertilisers available to farmers at affordable and reasonably steady prices through the sowing season.
Season covered:1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027Budget requirement:About Rs 62,370.02 croreGrades covered:28 grades of P&K fertilisersNBS in force since:1 April 2010
Why it matters for exams: The NBS regime, the Rabi and Kharif seasons and fertilisers such as DAP are standard Agriculture and Economy questions.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum in the North and South Block complex in New Delhi.
The project cost is Rs 3,230 crore, appraised by the Public Investment Board, and the work will be done in phases from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
The museum will have a built-up area of about 1,78,509 square metres and is designed to receive about one crore visitors a year.
About 1.8 million objects have been identified for it from the National Museum, other Ministry of Culture museums, Archaeological Survey of India site museums, state museums and private collections.
The first gallery, on the theme of adornment, is expected to open in the later part of 2027.
The two blocks, built as colonial secretariat buildings, are being reused for the museum after government offices moved out.
The Prime Minister announced the project on 18 May 2023.
Project cost:Rs 3,230 croreBuilt-up area:About 1,78,509 sq mVisitor capacity:About 1 crore a yearObjects identified:About 1.8 million
Why it matters for exams: The CCEA, the Public Investment Board and the Archaeological Survey of India are standing Polity and Culture questions, and the museum's name and location are new facts.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued Notification No. 49/2026-27 prohibiting the export of lithium-ion battery black mass with immediate effect.
Black mass is the powder left after spent lithium-ion batteries and factory waste are shredded, and it still holds lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese.
Until now the item, listed under ITC (HS) code 85491400, could be exported freely; it has been shifted to the prohibited category until further orders.
Transitional arrangements under Para 1.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 will apply to consignments already in the pipeline.
The aim is to keep the feedstock inside the country so Indian recyclers and refiners can recover the metals instead of importing them.
The step supports the National Critical Mineral Mission and complements the Rs 1,500 crore incentive scheme for recycling battery and electronic waste.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade works under the Department of Commerce in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Why it matters for exams: DGFT, the Foreign Trade Policy and the National Critical Mineral Mission are regular Economy and Environment questions, and black mass is a new term in the syllabus.
The Union Cabinet approved an extension of the Aqua Line metro corridor from Noida Sector-51 to Greater Noida Sector-04 in Uttar Pradesh.
The new stretch is 8.449 km long and will have five elevated stations.
Once it is working, the metro network across Noida and Greater Noida will measure 71.878 km.
The extension gives the Aqua Line an interchange with the Blue Line at Noida Sector-61, which has been a missing link for commuters.
The corridor will serve offices, malls, schools, hospitals and large residential societies along the route.
The government expects it to reduce road congestion and cut vehicle emissions, and to improve access to Delhi's airport, railway stations and bus terminals.
Metro projects of this kind are taken up through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Length:8.449 kmStations:5 elevatedTotal network after completion:71.878 kmInterchange:Blue Line at Noida Sector-61
Why it matters for exams: Metro corridor names, the ministry in charge of urban transport and state-wise metro networks are common Infrastructure questions.
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences left for Italy to lead an Indian delegation on a three-day visit aimed at deepening India's scientific engagement with Europe.
The Second India-Italy Science and Innovation Dialogue 2026 will be held in Rome, bringing together institutions, researchers and incubators.
It will focus on research excellence, strategic technologies and turning research results into innovation, and is to produce a joint action agenda.
The minister is also to hold talks with Italy's Minister of University and Research and with its Minister for Space and Aerospace Policy.
In Trieste the delegation will visit the Elettra Synchrotron facility, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
Those visits are meant to open up partnerships in research infrastructure and researcher mobility.
The visit ends in Rome with a World Diabetes Day event at the Indian Embassy.
Dialogue edition:Second India-Italy Science and Innovation DialogueCities visited:Rome and TriesteInstitutions:Elettra Synchrotron, ICTP, ICGEB
Why it matters for exams: ICTP and ICGEB, both at Trieste, and India's science bilaterals are regular Science and International Relations questions.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, which works under the Ministry of Power, reported a set of activities it held during BRICS Sustainable Lifestyle Week 2026.
The week was observed from 1 to 7 November 2026 across the grouping.
A webinar on energy conservation brought in experts from research and policy institutions to discuss industrial energy efficiency, appliance labelling standards, consumer behaviour and demand side management.
The Director General of the Bureau gave the inaugural address and led an energy conservation pledge with the staff.
The office in New Delhi observed a switch-off hour in which employees turned off equipment that was not needed.
A seven-day social media campaign called Save Energy was run alongside.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is a statutory body set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
Body:Bureau of Energy EfficiencyWeek observed:1 to 7 November 2026Parent ministry:Ministry of PowerCampaign:Save Energy
Why it matters for exams: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 and the BRICS grouping are standard Economy and Environment questions.
Bharat Parv 2026 is being held at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, the township around the Statue of Unity, and runs until 15 November.
The Ministry of Tourism organises it in partnership with Gujarat Tourism and with the participation of states and union territories.
The theme this year is Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, the government's programme for cultural exchange between states.
A theme pavilion carries displays from 29 states and union territories, along with Incredible India and the Central Cottage Industries Emporium, and more than a hundred One District One Product items.
Artisans give live demonstrations of crafts such as Madhubani painting from Bihar, Pattachitra from Odisha and Sozni work from Jammu and Kashmir.
Folk and classical forms including Kuchipudi, Bihu and Garba are performed, and a food court offers cuisines from 23 states and union territories.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the festival on 30 October 2026.
Venue:Ekta Nagar, GujaratTheme:Ek Bharat Shreshtha BharatOrganiser:Ministry of TourismRuns until:15 November 2026
Why it matters for exams: Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, One District One Product, Ekta Nagar and craft forms such as Madhubani and Pattachitra are frequent Art and Culture questions.