In a significant push towards agricultural prosperity and national self-reliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to launch two major initiatives for the agriculture sector on October 11, 2025. These are the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and the Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission. The PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana has an allocation of ā¹24,000 crore, focusing on enhancing agricultural productivity, promoting crop diversification, strengthening irrigation facilities, boosting post-harvest storage infrastructure, and improving access to credit in 100 selected districts.
The Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission, with an outlay of ā¹11,440 crore, aims to address the gap between domestic demand and production of pulses. This mission seeks to expand the area under pulses cultivation to 31 million hectares by 2030-31 and increase production to 35 million tonnes. It also includes strategies for research and development of high-yielding, pest-resistant, and climate-resilient varieties, distribution of certified seeds, and the establishment of 1,000 processing units with government subsidies.
During the same event, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for over 1,100 projects across the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Food Processing sectors, representing a total investment exceeding ā¹42,000 crore. These projects include Artificial Insemination Training Centers, Centres of Excellence, IVF Labs, milk powder plants, fish feed plants, and integrated cold chain facilities, all designed to bolster rural infrastructure and create livelihood opportunities.
Digital Health and Governance Enhancements
On World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2025), Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda launched several new initiatives for the National Tele Mental Health Programme (Tele MANAS) App. The enhancements include a multi-lingual user interface now available in 10 regional languages, a new chatbot feature named 'Asmi' for information and support, improved accessibility features for visually impaired users, and an emergency module. These upgrades are aimed at providing more inclusive and accessible mental health support across the country.
In a move to foster greater transparency and efficiency at the state level, the Rajasthan government announced its plan to introduce a new Cooperative Act. This legislation will replace the existing Rajasthan Cooperative Act, 2001, with a "new cooperative code" designed to simplify processes, strengthen democratic management, and promote accountability within cooperative societies. Key provisions include mandatory uploading of audit reports to a government portal, establishment of a regulatory board for credit societies, and removal of shareholding caps for government to encourage new society formations.
Other Recent Policy Changes in October 2025
Several other significant government policies and rules came into effect earlier in October 2025, impacting various aspects of citizens' lives:
- Revised Income Tax Filing Deadline: The deadline for individuals and small businesses has been extended to December 31, 2025.
- Mandatory PAN-Aadhaar Linking: Linking PAN with Aadhaar became compulsory from October 4, 2025, to curb tax evasion and streamline financial transactions.
- Digital Vehicle Registration Updates: New digital procedures for vehicle registration and transfer have been implemented across transport authorities.
- Enhanced Social Security Benefits: Revisions to social security schemes offer better support for retired employees, low-income workers, and pensioners.
- Online Gaming Regulation: The Promotion & Regulation of Online Gaming Act now bans real-money betting and gambling apps, while allowing e-sports and skill-based games.
- PLI Scheme for Textiles Amendments: The Ministry of Textiles has amended the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Manmade Fibres (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics, and technical textiles, with the application portal remaining open until December 31, 2025.