Current Affairs - State

Himachal Pradesh implemented a Widow and Orphan Cess on the sale of petrol and high-speed diesel from August 11, 2026. The cess is levied at 60 paise per litre and is collected at the first point of sale within the state. The measure was introduced under Section 6-A of the Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax Act, 2005, following the passage of the Himachal Pradesh Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The revenue generated through the cess is specifically earmarked for the welfare of widows and orphaned children. Himachal Pradesh became the 18th state of India on January 25, 1971.

Karnataka launched Tathyakosh.in, a centralised digital public good platform designed to simplify the discovery of fragmented public data across India. Developed by the ACSEL Technology Forum, Karnataka’s Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, in collaboration with the IIT Alumni Centre Bengaluru, the platform integrates more than 1.5 million datasets from 458 data sources. Tathyakosh functions as a discovery tool rather than storing datasets directly, redirecting users to original sources to preserve data ownership and provenance. It is particularly useful for startups and researchers working in healthcare, agriculture, climate research, and financial inclusion.

Tripura dispatched its first-ever international consignment of mustard honey to Dubai on August 10, 2026. The one-metric-tonne shipment was produced and aggregated by the Dergang Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) in Tripura. The export was facilitated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and promotes exports of scheduled agricultural and processed food products. The initiative highlights Tripura’s growing apiculture and agricultural potential and provides international market opportunities for local farmers and producers. Agartala is the capital of Tripura, which shares international borders with Bangladesh on three sides.

Uttar Pradesh is the largest milk-producing state in India, contributing 15.66% of the country’s total milk production in 2024–25, according to the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics (BAHS) 2025. The state produced approximately 19.01 million tonnes of milk during the year. Rajasthan ranked second with a 14.82% share, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 9.12%. Uttar Pradesh’s strong dairy sector is supported by its large livestock population, rural dairy farming base, availability of feed and fodder, expanding dairy cooperatives, and improving milk-processing infrastructure. India is also the world’s largest milk-producing country.

Karnataka has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Karnataka High Court ruling concerning the registration of motorcycles as transport vehicles and their operation as bike taxis. The state has raised concerns about passenger safety, insurance coverage, traffic congestion, pollution and the absence of a specific regulatory framework for bike-taxi services. Karnataka has also argued that the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 does not expressly provide for motorcycles to be used as taxis. The Supreme Court’s decision could have wider implications for bike-taxi operators, mobility companies, insurance providers and state transport authorities across India.