Background
Palakkad is one of the fourteen districts of Kerala and has no coastal line.
The district opens the state to the rest of the country through the Palakkad Gap with a width of 32 to 40 Kms.
It is one of the main granaries of Kerala, its economy is primarily agricultural, and it is also the land of Palmyrahs.
The present Palakkad district was formed on the first of January 1957, with Palakad, Perinthalmanna, Ponnani, Ottapalam, Alathur and Chittur taluks.
Today it has 2 revenue divisions, 6 taluks and 157 revenue villages, with 7 municipalities, 13 block panchayats and 88 village panchayats; the headquarters is at Palakkad Town.
After the 73rd amendment of the Constitution, decentralized planning was implemented and the three tier Panchayat Raj system was formed, with the District Panchayat as the top-most tier.
Palakkad Gap width:
32 to 40 Kms
District formed:
1 January 1957
Taluks:
6
Revenue villages:
157
Coastline:
None
Why it matters for exams: The Palakkad Gap, the district's formation and its place as a granary recur in Kerala geography and district-profile questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Palakkad Gap Break in the hill range — The district administration says it opens the state to the rest of the country, with a width of 32 to 40 Kms.
73rd amendment Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) — After it, decentralized planning and the three tier Panchayat Raj system were put in place in the district.
13 October 2026
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath transferred ₹493 crore in crop-loss assistance to the bank accounts of 9,18,091 farmers hit by floods, excessive rainfall, hailstorms and cyclones, at an event in Gorakhpur reported on 13 October 2026.
The money goes directly to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with no middlemen in the disbursement.
Families whose houses were damaged get an additional ₹1.20 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, separate from the ₹493 crore.
For loss of human life, instructions have been issued to give ₹4 lakh to the family within 24 hours.
Procurement centres for paddy and coarse grains such as jowar, bajra and maize will open from 15 October in districts hit by excessive rain and waterlogging.
The Chief Minister said nearly ₹1,000 crore has already been given to disaster-affected farmers and citizens this monsoon season.
Crop-loss assistance:
₹493 crore
Farmers covered:
9,18,091
Extra housing aid (Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana):
₹1.20 lakh
Aid on loss of life:
₹4 lakh within 24 hours
Paid out this monsoon:
nearly ₹1,000 crore
Why it matters for exams: State disaster-relief schemes, Direct Benefit Transfer and crop-loss compensation are standard questions in governance and agriculture papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DBT Direct Benefit Transfer — Government benefits paid straight into the beneficiary's bank account, cutting out middlemen.
12 October 2026
The Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) completed one year of implementation on 11th October 2026. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed an event at the National Agricultural Science Complex, PUSA, New Delhi. Gaya (Bihar) came first, Nagaur (Rajasthan) second and Umaria (Madhya Pradesh) third among the best-performing districts. The scheme covers 100 districts and monitors them against 121 indicators through a dashboard with monthly rankings. The Minister said the Khet Bachao Abhiyan will be held across all States from 22 October to 30 November 2026 to promote balanced fertiliser use.
Districts covered:
100
Indicators monitored:
121
Best-performing district:
Gaya, Bihar
Why it matters for exams: Flagship farm schemes, their coverage and award-winning districts are frequent current affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PMDDKY Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana — A district-centred farm scheme for 100 districts with low productivity.
Background
This backgrounder is tied to Tamil Nadu's request on 11 October 2026 that the Godavari–Cauvery link be declared a national project. The link is made up of three links: Godavari (Inchampalli/Janampet) to Krishna (Nagarjunasagar), Krishna (Nagarjunasagar) to Pennar (Somasila), and Pennar (Somasila) to Cauvery (Grand Anicut). As per the draft Detailed Project Report, about 247 TMC of water could be diverted from the Godavari, lifted to Nagarjunasagar dam and moved south to serve the Krishna, Pennar and Cauvery basins. The National Water Development Agency completed the draft Detailed Project Report and sent it to the party States in March 2019. The project reaches the implementation stage only after the DPR is prepared with the consensus of the States concerned and statutory clearances are obtained; the draft DPR put its cost at ₹60,361 crore at 2018-19 prices.
Links:
Godavari–Krishna, Krishna–Pennar, Pennar–Cauvery
Water to be diverted:
about 247 TMC
End point:
Cauvery (Grand Anicut)
Draft DPR:
sent to party States in March 2019
Why it matters for exams: River-interlinking components, reservoirs and the role of the NWDA are standard UPSC geography and environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NWDA National Water Development Agency — The Union body that prepares feasibility and project reports for linking rivers.
TMC Thousand million cubic feet — A unit of water volume commonly used for reservoirs and river flows in South India.
Grand Anicut Grand Anicut (Kallanai) — The ancient dam on the Cauvery in Tamil Nadu, traditionally credited to the Chola king Karikala.
12 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued an alert on Monday, 12 October 2026, saying an El Nino-induced drought affecting roughly half of Sudan is compounding the effects of conflict and displacement in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
In two camps for displaced people in Eastern Jebel Marra, South Darfur, acute malnutrition among children stood at 38 and 30.8 per cent, above the threshold for famine.
Of the 17 nutrition surveys carried out across Greater Darfur since January, 13 found critical levels of acute malnutrition.
In Nyala the share of children seeking nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition more than doubled between January and August, from about 5 to 11 per cent.
In North Darfur 64 per cent of cropland shows poor plant growth, and Western Kordofan is in one of its worst droughts since 2004.
More than 300,000 people have been driven from their homes in Greater Kordofan since October 2025, and markets there have been hit by more than 170 airstrikes, looting incidents or armed clashes this year.
The IPC Famine Review Committee said there is not enough survey data for a full analysis but that "we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe, already of historic proportions".
As of 8 October less than half of the humanitarian appeal for Sudan had been funded; the IPC is a partnership of 21 organisations, among them UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.
Alert issued:
12 October 2026
Drought coverage:
roughly half of Sudan
Nyala severe acute malnutrition admissions:
from about 5 to 11 per cent, January to August
Displaced in Greater Kordofan since October 2025:
more than 300,000
IPC partners:
21 organisations
Why it matters for exams: The IPC's five-phase scale, its famine thresholds and the El Nino link make this the standard template for a food-security question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A partnership of 21 agencies that grades food crises on a five-phase scale, with Phase 5 the most severe.
El Nino — A warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific that shifts rainfall patterns worldwide and can bring drought to eastern Africa's drylands.
Severe acute malnutrition — The most dangerous form of undernutrition in children, needing therapeutic feeding and often medical care.
Famine Review Committee — The independent panel of experts within the IPC that must sign off before famine is declared.
12 October 2026
In a government video conference with farmers on Monday, agriculture scientists recommended a crop holiday, especially for paddy, and a shift to crops that need less water.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao advised farmers against paddy and cotton in the Rabi season; seeds of rain-fed and short-duration crops would be supplied at subsidised prices.
Recommended crops include green gram, black gram, chickpea and groundnut, and oilseeds such as sunflower, sesame and safflower.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju said the State recorded a rainfall deficit of approximately 20 per cent; Krishna basin inflows stood at 80 TMC against an expected 270 TMC, and Godavari basin inflows at 100 TMC against 150 TMC.
Highest priority will go to drinking-water supplies over the next 10 months, with war rooms at State and district levels.
An emergency Cabinet meeting will be convened on the El Niño situation.
Rainfall deficit (approx.):
20 per cent
Krishna basin inflows:
80 TMC (expected 270 TMC)
Godavari basin inflows:
100 TMC (expected 150 TMC)
Priority period for drinking water:
next 10 months
Crops advised against in Rabi:
Paddy and cotton
Why it matters for exams: El Niño and drought response is a current Telangana theme: note the crop-holiday recommendation for paddy and the Krishna 80 TMC vs 270 TMC shortfall.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
El Niño Warm phase of the Pacific climate cycle — A climate phenomenon that the Meteorological Department official linked to deficient rainfall and a rise in temperatures.
TMC Thousand million cubic feet — A unit used to measure the volume of water in reservoirs and river inflows.
12 October 2026
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a new alert on Monday 12 October 2026, warning that the risk of famine is growing in parts of Sudan.
A severe El Nino drought now covers more than half of Sudan, compounding war and displacement in Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
A survey of two camps in Eastern Jebel Marra, South Darfur, found acute malnutrition among children at 38 and 30.8 per cent, above the famine threshold.
Greater Kordofan has seen more than 300,000 people forced from their homes since October 2025.
The IPC's Famine Review Committee said survey data is not sufficient for a full analysis but the evidence points to a rapidly worsening situation.
As of 8 October, less than half of the humanitarian appeal for Sudan had been funded.
Acute malnutrition, two South Darfur camps:
38 and 30.8 per cent
Displaced in Greater Kordofan since October 2025:
More than 300,000
Alert issued:
12 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The IPC scale, famine thresholds and the Sudan crisis are regular questions on hunger indices and humanitarian affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A global partnership that rates the severity of food insecurity and famine.
El Nino Periodic warming of the central Pacific — It alters rainfall worldwide and can cause drought in some regions.
11 October 2026
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma released the BJP's 'Gram Vikas Sankalp Patra' for Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj elections at the party's state headquarters in Jaipur on October 11.
It promises development works worth about Rs 5 crore in every gram panchayat over five years and an increase in annual PM Kisan Samman Nidhi assistance to Rs 12,000.
Wheat is to be procured at Rs 2,700 per quintal through a bonus over the MSP, and more than Rs 9,000 crore spent on 19,000 kilometres of missing-link roads.
The monthly pension for eligible widowed and abandoned women is to rise to Rs 1,500, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana assistance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000.
The party pledged to strengthen all 14,403 gram panchayats, including around 3,600 newly created ones, and proposed a Rs 100-crore camel conservation and development mission.
Gram panchayats in Rajasthan:
14,403
Promised wheat procurement price:
Rs 2,700 per quintal
Promised PM Kisan assistance:
Rs 12,000 a year
Why it matters for exams: Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj elections, the size of its local-government system and welfare schemes like PMMVY are useful for polity and State-focus questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MSP Minimum support price — The price at which the government offers to buy notified crops from farmers.
PMMVY Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana — A Union scheme of cash assistance to pregnant women and nursing mothers.
PM-KISAN Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi — A Union scheme of direct income support to farmer families.
11 October 2026
The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, launched on October 11, 2025, marked the first anniversary of its launch on 11 October 2026. It carries a financial allocation of ₹11,440 crore spanning 2025–26 to 2030–31. By 2030-31, production is expected to reach nearly 350 lakh tonnes, with yield rising to 1,130 kg per hectare. The Mission focuses on Tur, Urad and Masoor, and NCCF and NAFED are authorised to procure 100% of these three pulses for four years. India's pulse production rose to 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025-26 from 256.83 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. Pulses imports declined by 31.52% in 2025-26.
Allocation:
₹11,440 crore
Production target by 2030-31:
nearly 350 lakh tonnes
Production 2025-26:
274.09 lakh tonnes
Why it matters for exams: A flagship agriculture mission with outlay, targets and procurement agencies that exams test.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
NAFED National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited — A national cooperative that procures farm produce, including pulses, at support prices.
NCCF National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited — A national cooperative authorised with NAFED to procure Tur, Urad and Masoor under the Mission.
Background
As rain damages paddy in Punjab's grain markets during procurement in October 2026, the price at which that paddy is bought is the minimum support price (MSP). MSPs for kharif crops are approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister. Following the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement, MSP is fixed at a level of at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. For Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27, approved in May 2026, the MSP for common paddy is Rs 2,441 per quintal, Rs 72 more than the Rs 2,369 of 2025-26. Grade A paddy carries a higher MSP of Rs 2,461 per quintal for 2026-27.
Approving body:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
MSP floor:
at least 1.5 times cost of production
Common paddy MSP, KMS 2026-27:
Rs 2,441 per quintal
Why it matters for exams: The MSP-fixing body and the 1.5-times-cost principle are standard economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
MSP Minimum Support Price — The price at which government agencies buy notified crops from farmers.
CCEA Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs — The Cabinet committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, that approves MSPs.
11 October 2026
Untimely rain on Sunday, 11 October 2026, drenched paddy stored in grain markets and damaged standing crops in several Punjab districts. The Fazilka grain market was flooded, and paddy lying in the open at Khanna, Batala and Wadala Granthi mandis was soaked. The India Meteorological Department's warning for 11 October put Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Sangrur, Patiala, Kapurthala, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib on red alert. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, visiting grain markets in Bathinda and Muktsar districts, said the State would procure all the grain. He said the State's paddy target this season is 180 lakh metric tonnes, and that of the 21 lakh MT that had reached mandis, 20 lakh MT had been purchased. Farmers said harvesting in waterlogged fields could be delayed by four to seven days.
Paddy target this season:
180 lakh metric tonnes
Arrived in mandis:
21 lakh MT
Purchased:
20 lakh MT
Why it matters for exams: Punjab is a leading contributor of paddy to the central pool, so procurement targets and weather shocks matter for exams.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Mandi Regulated grain market — Where farmers sell paddy to procurement agencies.
IMD India Meteorological Department — The national weather agency that issued the red alert.
11 October 2026
The second phase of the 'Sneha Sagaram' survey, aimed at identifying the development needs of coastal communities, began at Kozhikode South beach on 11 October 2026. V.K. Faisal Babu, MLA, inaugurated it at the Pallikkandi Government Lower Primary School. The survey is conducted with the Society for Assistance to Fisherwomen (SAF) under the Fisheries Department, the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation and the 'Aksharasamudram' project. It has 22 questions covering the lives of coastal residents, and students from various colleges are working as volunteers. The first phase was completed on 2 October, Gandhi Jayanti. The MLA said modern walking sticks would be given to residents aged above 60 within a month.
Survey questions:
22
First phase completed:
2 October
Why it matters for exams: Coastal development schemes and the agencies behind them (SAF, the Coastal Area Development Corporation) are Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
SAF Society for Assistance to Fisherwomen — A Fisheries Department agency that supports fisherwomen; a partner in the survey.
11 October 2026
The Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) showcased the State's indigenous handloom and handicrafts at Bhubaneswar Times Fashion Week 2026.
ORMAS was the co-powering partner of the two-day event, which aims to widen markets for rural weavers and artisans.
Forty models, including Ollywood actress Sangeeta Shibani, presented collections of Sambalpuri silk, Kataka Khandua, Maniabandha and Pattachitra silk sarees.
GI-tagged Kotpad textiles, Dhalapathar weaving, Dhokra craft and fabric jewellery, including One District One Product (ODOP) items, were also featured.
Fourteen women weavers from Khordha and Cuttack districts walked the ramp in their own creations.
Event:
Bhubaneswar Times Fashion Week 2026
ORMAS role:
Co-powering partner
Models:
40
Women weavers on the ramp:
14 (Khordha and Cuttack)
Why it matters for exams: GI-tagged textiles and traditional crafts of Odisha such as Kotpad, Sambalpuri and Dhokra are frequent art and culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ORMAS Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society — An Odisha government society that markets products made by rural producers and self-help groups.
ODOP One District One Product — An initiative that promotes one distinctive product from each district.
10 October 2026
A UN News report of 10 October 2026 described how a rehabilitated agropastoral dam at Torla village in northern Côte d'Ivoire is reducing conflict between herders and farmers. In the dry season, herders pushing cattle through cultivated fields in search of water and pasture had led to disputes with farmers. The dam, completed in August, holds more water and releases it more reliably through the dry months for livestock and irrigation. It is managed locally by the community and supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN Peacebuilding Fund and partners. Adam Ouattara, who has led the local herders association since 2021, said there are fewer conflicts.
Location:
Torla village, northern Côte d'Ivoire
Supported by:
IOM, UN Peacebuilding Fund
Why it matters for exams: Resource conflict, climate stress in the Sahel belt and UN peacebuilding tools are recurring UPSC themes.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Peacebuilding Fund United Nations Peacebuilding Fund — A UN fund set up in 2006 to finance early action to prevent conflict and sustain peace.
10 October 2026
A UN News report published on 10 October 2026 examined how farmers in the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam are adapting as saltwater reaches farther inland. Upstream dams have trapped much of the sediment that once replenished the delta. According to a 2021 scientific study, sediment reaching the delta has plummeted from roughly 143 million metric tons two decades ago to an estimated 32 million tons. In An Giang Province, rice-shrimp farming, alternating rice with brackish-water shrimp, now covers more than 100,000 hectares of saltwater-affected land. Jack O’Connor, a marine ecologist at the United Nations University's Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn, said adaptation needs collective effort beyond individual farmers.
Sediment reaching the delta, earlier:
roughly 143 million metric tons
Sediment now (estimate):
32 million tons
Rice-shrimp area in An Giang:
more than 100,000 hectares
Why it matters for exams: Deltas, saltwater intrusion, transboundary rivers and climate adaptation are core geography and environment topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Saltwater intrusion Saltwater intrusion — The movement of seawater into rivers, canals, soils and groundwater, often worsened by sea-level rise and low river flow.
10 October 2026
Milma, the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), recorded a turnover of ₹2,559.71 crore in the first six months of 2026-27.
This is 15.09 per cent more than the ₹2,224.12 crore of the same period of the previous year.
The three regional milk producers' unions together contributed ₹2,328.87 crore; products from the federation's own units accounted for ₹230.84 crore.
The Malabar union (MRCMPU) had the highest turnover at ₹1,011.62 crore.
The Thiruvananthapuram union (TRCMPU) recorded ₹746.21 crore and the Ernakulam union (ERCMPU) ₹571.04 crore.
Turnover, first half 2026-27:
₹2,559.71 crore
Growth:
15.09 per cent
Same period previous year:
₹2,224.12 crore
Malabar union:
₹1,011.62 crore
Three regional unions together:
₹2,328.87 crore
Why it matters for exams: Milma and its three-tier cooperative structure are standard Kerala economy and cooperation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Milma Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF) — Kerala's apex dairy cooperative, working through three regional unions — Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Malabar.
10 October 2026
The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) distributed ₹2.02 crore from the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) fund, collected from the seed sector, for grassroots biodiversity conservation and community welfare.
The money went as shares to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
The top ten States together received ₹1.43 crore, with Madhya Pradesh getting ₹23,81,072 and West Bengal ₹23,32,913.
Where the sources of biological resources could not be traced and individual beneficiaries could not be identified, shares were allocated by the cultivated area of the resource, using Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare statistics, on the advice of an expert committee.
Seven seed companies contributed, among them East West Seeds India, Syngenta India, Limagrain India and Nunhems India, for crops including rice, brinjal, cauliflower, chilli, tomato and okra.
With this release, the NBA's total ABS distributions reach ₹202 crore.
The framework rests on the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2030.
The release noted that COP 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity opens at Yerevan, Armenia on 19 October 2026.
Amount distributed:
₹2.02 crore
Recipients:
27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils
Top ten States' share:
₹1.43 crore
Cumulative ABS distribution:
₹202 crore
Governing law:
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Why it matters for exams: Access and benefit sharing under the Biological Diversity Act is a recurring environment topic, and the figures and the number of boards are easy objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ABS Access and Benefit Sharing — The rule that users of a biological resource must share benefits with those who conserved or supplied it.
NBA National Biodiversity Authority — The statutory body under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, based at Chennai.
NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan — India's plan of biodiversity targets, with the current edition running 2024-2030.
10 October 2026
The second meeting of GI-AI4FS, the United Nations global initiative on artificial intelligence for agri-food systems, was held in New Delhi on 10 October 2026.
The initiative is coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union along with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.
The Telecommunication Engineering Centre of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, hosted the meeting alongside India Mobile Congress 2026, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare co-organised it.
About 70 participants attended in person and 25 joined online, from international organisations, government departments, agricultural research institutes, academia, industry and standards development organisations.
Speakers at the opening session included Dr. Sebastian Bosse, chair of GI-AI4FS, Mr. Krishnan Pallassana of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Dr. Bilel Jamoussi of the International Telecommunication Union, Dr. A. K. Nayak of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Mr. Syed Tauseef Abbas of the Telecommunication Engineering Centre.
The agenda covered a proposed governance and coordination structure, nomination of chairs, co-chairs and members of working groups, the scope of those working groups and their priority areas and initial tasks.
A two-day international artificial intelligence hackathon for agri-food systems was held at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research campus in New Delhi on 8 and 9 October 2026, and selected teams presented their solutions at the meeting.
Initiative:
GI-AI4FS, second meeting
Coordinating agency:
International Telecommunication Union
Partner agencies:
FAO, IFAD and WFP
Indian host:
Telecommunication Engineering Centre, Department of Telecommunications
Participation:
About 70 in person and 25 online
Hackathon:
8 and 9 October 2026 at the ICAR campus, New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: The question setter can combine the United Nations agencies behind the initiative with the Indian bodies that hosted it, which is a common linking pattern.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies.
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development — A United Nations agency that finances rural development.
TEC Telecommunication Engineering Centre — The technical and standards body of the Department of Telecommunications.
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The apex body for agricultural research and education in India.
10 October 2026
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reviewed the first year of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PM DDKY), which covers 100 aspirational agricultural districts.
The Union Cabinet approved the scheme on 16 July 2025 and the Prime Minister launched it on 11 October 2025; it runs for six years from 2025-26.
Districts were selected on three indicators, low agricultural productivity, low cropping intensity and low agricultural credit disbursement, and at least one district was selected from every State.
The scheme converges 36 central schemes implemented with 11 ministries and departments, along with State schemes and private sector participation.
Progress is tracked through 121 indicators, 74 output and 47 outcome indicators, with districts ranked monthly on the PM DDKY dashboard since November 2025.
The average score across six objectives rose from 18.85 in April 2026 to 46.89 in August 2026, a gain of 28.04 points.
All 100 districts have prepared District Action Plans through District DDKY Committees chaired by the District Magistrate or Collector.
State committees are chaired by the Chief Secretary, while the National Executive Committee is chaired by the Union Agriculture Minister.
Districts covered:
100
Central schemes converged:
36 across 11 ministries and departments
Monitoring indicators:
121 (74 output, 47 outcome)
Average score:
18.85 in April 2026 to 46.89 in August 2026
Duration:
Six years from 2025-26
Why it matters for exams: PM DDKY is a flagship district-level agriculture scheme, and its coverage, convergence and committee structure are frequent objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cropping intensity Cropping intensity — The number of crops grown on the same land in a year, shown as a percentage of the net sown area.
Outcome indicator Outcome indicator — A measure of the result on the ground, as against an output indicator that measures work done.
10 October 2026
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs held the Second Regional Review Conference on implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 in Kolkata on 9 October 2026; the first, for southern states, was held in Bengaluru on 10 September 2026.
Officials from eight states took part: West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
As of 31 August 2026, over 54 lakh claims had been received nationally and about 25 lakh titles distributed.
About 11 lakh claims were pending and over 18 lakh had been rejected.
The ministry stressed disposal of pending claims, review of rejected claims, digitisation, and recognition of Community Forest Resource Rights and PVTG Habitat Rights.
Claims received (to 31 Aug 2026):
over 54 lakh
Titles distributed:
about 25 lakh
Claims pending:
about 11 lakh
Claims rejected:
over 18 lakh
Why it matters for exams: The Forest Rights Act, 2006 and tribal-rights administration are core polity and governance topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CFRR Community Forest Resource Rights — Rights of a community to protect, manage and use forest resources within its traditional boundary.
PVTG Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group — Tribal groups identified as the most vulnerable, who hold Habitat Rights under the Forest Rights Act.