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Schemes, Social Sector & Infrastructure 2026

New laws and schemes for rural jobs and farming, new trains and airports, and health and education steps taken in 2026.

Lessons in this module

New Schemes and Missions 2026

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Railways, High-Speed Rail and Airports 2026

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Health, Education and Social Sector 2026

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Lesson notes

1. New Schemes and Missions 2026

2026 brought a new rural employment law in place of MGNREGA and several new missions for farmers and industry. Scheme names, outlays and ministries are common exam questions.

VB-G RAM G replaces MGNREGA

The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, called VB-G RAM G, was passed in December 2025.
It replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA, 2005) from 1 July 2026.
It guarantees 125 days of wage employment a year to rural households (MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days).
Cost sharing between the Centre and most states is 60:40 (90:10 for north-eastern and Himalayan states; the Centre pays all costs in UTs without a legislature).
The Ministry of Rural Development implements it.

Farm sector missions

May 2026: the Union Cabinet approved the Mission for Cotton Productivity with an outlay of about Rs 5,659 crore, running up to 2030-31.
Budget 2026-27 announced Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual AI tool that links AgriStack with ICAR farming advice.
Budget 2026-27 also announced a scheme to boost coconut production.

Industry and energy schemes

May 2026: the Cabinet approved a Rs 37,500 crore scheme to promote coal and lignite gasification.
Budget 2026-27: a Container Manufacturing Scheme (about Rs 10,000 crore) and 3 chemical parks.
Budget 2026-27: a Khelo India Mission to support sports talent, coaching, sports science and infrastructure.

Quick facts

VB-G RAM G: Replaced MGNREGA from 1 July 2026
Work guarantee: 125 days a year (was 100)
Cost sharing: 60:40 Centre:State (90:10 NE/Himalayan)
Mission for Cotton Productivity: Rs 5,659 crore, up to 2030-31
Coal gasification scheme: Rs 37,500 crore (May 2026)
Bharat-VISTAAR: AI advisory tool for farmers

💡 Compare old and new: MGNREGA 2005 gave 100 days; VB-G RAM G (2025 Act, in force 2026) gives 125 days. Such 'old vs new' questions are common.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Railways, High-Speed Rail and Airports 2026

New train types, the bullet train project and new airports were in the news in 2026. Remember the names, locations and dates.

Railways

17 January 2026: PM Narendra Modi flagged off India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train, between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya), at Malda.
The Vande Bharat sleeper is a long-distance overnight train with AC sleeper coaches.
May 2026: the Cabinet approved the Ahmedabad (Sarkhej)–Dholera semi-high-speed rail line (about Rs 20,667 crore).
Budget 2026-27 announced seven new high-speed rail corridors.

Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is about 508 km long with 12 stations; it uses Japanese Shinkansen technology.
In July 2026 the Railway Minister said about 80% of the project work was complete.
The first section, Surat–Bilimora in Gujarat, is targeted to open in 2027 (phased operations from 15 August 2027); the full corridor is targeted by the end of 2029.
The project is run by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).

New airports

Noida International Airport at Jewar (Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh) was inaugurated on 28 March 2026.
Commercial flights at Noida airport began on 15 June 2026. Its code is DXN, and it is built by a company of Zurich Airport International.
Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram (Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh), built by GMR, was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 1 August 2026 to serve Visakhapatnam.
Navi Mumbai International Airport (code NMI) had started commercial flights on 25 December 2025.

Quick facts

First Vande Bharat sleeper: Howrah–Guwahati, 17 January 2026
Bullet train corridor: Mumbai–Ahmedabad, about 508 km, 12 stations
First bullet-train section: Surat–Bilimora (target 2027)
Noida airport: Jewar, UP; inaugurated 28 March 2026; code DXN
Bhogapuram airport: Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport, Andhra Pradesh
Navi Mumbai airport: Commercial flights from 25 December 2025; code NMI

💡 Airports are often asked as 'Jewar airport is in which state?' Answer: Uttar Pradesh. Bhogapuram airport is in Andhra Pradesh.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

3. Health, Education and Social Sector 2026

Health and education got new bodies, portals and Budget announcements in 2026. These facts are useful for the social-sector part of exams.

Health

March 2026: the government set up the National Dental Commission, replacing the Dental Council of India (under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023).
Budget 2026-27: 5 regional medical hubs, 3 new All India Institutes of Ayurveda and a 'NIMHANS-2' mental health institute in north India.
Budget 2026-27: new institutions to train allied health professionals.
Budget 2026-27: customs duty fully exempted on 17 cancer drugs, and on medicines and foods for 7 rare diseases.
May 2026: the Health Ministry launched the Swasth Bharat Portal to connect health systems across India.

Education and skills

Budget 2026-27: 5 university townships and a girls' hostel in every district.
Budget 2026-27: AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comics) labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges.
May 2026: Sikkim was declared fully literate under ULLAS (Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram), the fifth state to get this status.
Tourism education: NCHMCT (National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology) to be upgraded to a National Institute of Hospitality.

Social welfare

2026: the government launched the JEEVAN app, along with the SHATAYU dashboard, for the care of senior citizens.
Budget 2026-27: 16th Finance Commission grants of Rs 1.4 lakh crore to states.
Budget 2026-27: 4,000 electric buses for the Purvodaya (eastern) region.

Quick facts

National Dental Commission: Set up March 2026; replaced Dental Council of India
NIMHANS-2: New mental health institute in north India (Budget 2026-27)
Girls' hostel: One in every district (Budget 2026-27)
AVGC labs: 15,000 schools and 500 colleges
Sikkim: Declared fully literate under ULLAS, May 2026 (5th state)
JEEVAN app: Senior citizen care

💡 When a new commission replaces an old council (like National Dental Commission replacing Dental Council of India), exams ask 'which body was replaced?'. Note both names.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

Other modules in Current Affairs 2026: India & World

Polity & Governance 2026FREE PREVIEW → Economy, Budget & Banking 2026FREE PREVIEW → Science, Space, Technology & Defence 2026FREE PREVIEW → Environment, Geography & Disasters 2026FREE PREVIEW → Sports, Awards, Persons in News & Important Days 2026FREE PREVIEW → World Politics & Leaders 2026FREE PREVIEW → India's Foreign Relations 2026FREE PREVIEW → International Organisations & Summits 2026FREE PREVIEW → Global Economy, Science & Technology 2026FREE PREVIEW → World Sports, Awards & Important Days 2026FREE PREVIEW → Final AssessmentFREE PREVIEW →

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