Current Affairs - State

The ICMR i-DRONE study was conducted in Telangana's Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district in collaboration with AIIMS Bibinagar and the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). The initiative evaluated drone-assisted transport of sputum samples for tuberculosis diagnosis among 840 participants. It reduced the median diagnosis time from 15 days to just 5 days while significantly lowering patients' out-of-pocket expenditure from ₹9,451 to ₹91. The project also established a hub-and-spoke healthcare network connecting Primary Health Centres, sub-centres, and TB units, demonstrating how drone technology can improve healthcare delivery and strengthen medical supply chains.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two railway multitracking projects covering the states of Odisha and Jharkhand to strengthen logistics, rail connectivity, and freight movement. The projects include the Paradeep–Haridaspur doubling and the Rajkharsawan–Dangoaposi fourth line, with a total investment of ₹3,907 crore and a completion target of 2030–31. Together, they will add about 145 km to the Indian Railways network, improve connectivity for around 1,526 villages and 14 lakh people, boost the transportation of key minerals, and support the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan through integrated infrastructure development.

Uttar Pradesh launched the 'Kaushal Setu' and 'Kaushal Sarathi' digital portals during the celebration of World Youth Skills Day 2026 to strengthen vocational education and improve employment opportunities for youth. Kaushal Setu serves as the official online platform for training centres, enabling digital registration, document submission, and transparent empanelment. Kaushal Sarathi is designed for students and job seekers, helping them explore training institutes, courses, and employment opportunities. The initiative also promotes industry collaboration through partnerships with private companies in sectors such as AI, robotics, and textiles, ensuring that skill development aligns with industry requirements and enhances job readiness.

Odisha approved a new agricultural marketing law to replace the Odisha Agricultural Produce Markets (OAPM) Act, 1956, with the objective of creating a more competitive, transparent, and farmer-centric agricultural marketing system. The new legislation aligns the state's framework with the Centre's Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act, 2017. It promotes electronic trading, e-auctions, a unified statewide market, inter-state trade, and a single trading licence. The reforms also recognise warehouses, cold storages, and silos as market sub-yards while encouraging the participation of Farmer Producer Organisations, cooperatives, and self-help groups to improve market access for farmers.

Maharashtra increased the subsidy under the Pink E-Rickshaw Scheme from 20% to 40% to promote women's economic empowerment and self-employment. The revised subsidy also provides retrospective benefits to eligible women who had already purchased e-rickshaws under the scheme. Beneficiaries are required to contribute at least 10% of the vehicle cost, while the remaining amount can be financed through bank loans or interest-free deferred payment facilities offered by suppliers. The scheme is implemented through the Office of the Commissioner, Women and Child Development, Pune, with the state government empowered to reallocate beneficiary targets across districts.