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October 23, 2025 India's Latest Government Initiatives: From AI Regulation to R&D Boost and Environmental Gains

In a flurry of recent policy developments, the Indian government and various state administrations have introduced and updated several key schemes and policies. Nationally, significant amendments to IT rules are proposed to regulate AI-generated content and deepfakes, mandating clear labeling and increased platform accountability. The central government is also devising a new scheme to attract Indian-origin researchers back to the country to bolster its R&D sector. Environmentally, India has achieved a notable improvement in its global forest area ranking. State-level initiatives include financial aid for Endosulfan victims and new housing policies in Kerala and Telangana, along with a special telecom plan for senior citizens by BSNL.

The Indian government has been actively engaged in policy formulation and scheme implementation across various sectors, with several key updates emerging in the last 24 hours. These initiatives span digital governance, scientific research, environmental protection, and social welfare, reflecting a broad approach to national development.

Digital Governance and AI Regulation

The Union government has proposed significant amendments to its Information Technology (IT) rules to address the growing concerns around AI-generated content and deepfakes. These stricter rules, proposed on October 22, 2025, aim to mandate clear labeling for AI-generated content and place greater accountability on social media platforms for verifying and flagging synthetic information. The IT Ministry highlighted the potential for generative AI to create "convincing falsehoods" that could spread misinformation, damage reputations, manipulate elections, or facilitate financial fraud. The draft amendments provide a legal basis for labeling, traceability, and accountability, requiring platforms to ensure AI-generated content is clearly marked, covering at least 10% of the visual display or the initial 10% of audio duration. Significant social media intermediaries (those with 50 lakh or more registered users) will be required to obtain user declarations on whether uploaded information is synthetically generated and deploy technical measures for verification. Comments on these draft amendments are invited until November 6, 2025. Furthermore, the Centre has also notified amendments to the IT Rules, 2025, to enhance content moderation transparency, effective from November 1, 2025. These amendments strengthen due diligence obligations for intermediaries and ensure that intimations for content removal are issued by senior officers with clear legal bases.

Boosting Research and Development

In a strategic move to enhance India's research and development (R&D) ecosystem, the Modi government is planning a new scheme to attract Indian-origin researchers and "star faculty" currently settled abroad. This initiative aims to offer positions at premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), research laboratories, and autonomous bodies under the Departments of Science and Technology (DST) and Biotechnology (DBT). The scheme will initially target 12–14 priority areas in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and may include "set-up grants" to help scholars establish labs and research teams in India. This move comes amid global competition for talent and seeks to address issues like procedural delays, funding uncertainties, and limited institutional support that previously deterred researchers from returning.

Environmental Progress

India has achieved a significant milestone in global environmental conservation, moving up to the 9th position worldwide in terms of total forest area, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This marks an improvement from its 10th rank in the previous assessment. The country has also maintained its 3rd position globally in annual forest area gain, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable forest management and ecological balance. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, attributed this progress to the success of the Government of India's policies and programmes under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, aimed at forest protection, afforestation, and community-led environmental action.

State-Specific Schemes and Policies

Several states have also announced important policy decisions:

  • Kerala Cabinet Decisions: The Kerala cabinet approved financial assistance for eligible individuals among the 1,031 Endosulfan victims who were initially listed but later excluded. Additionally, the cabinet sanctioned the allocation of flats to 50 extremely poor, landless, and homeless families in Alappuzha under the 'Punargeham' project, a poverty eradication scheme.

  • Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Seva Scheme: The Andhra Pradesh government released ₹250 crore towards pending dues owed to private hospitals under the Dr NTR Vaidya Seva health scheme, with plans to release another ₹250 crore soon. This measure aims to ensure continued health services under the scheme, despite initial rejections from private hospitals regarding partial payments.

  • Telangana's Indiramma Indlu Scheme: The Telangana government relaxed guidelines for its Indiramma Indlu (weaker section housing scheme) in urban areas. This decision allows beneficiaries on plots smaller than 60 sq.yds to construct G+1 houses with RCC roofs, aimed at giving a facelift to urban slums. The scheme provides ₹5 lakh in four installments based on construction stages. The Telangana cabinet is also set to deliberate on the issue of Backward Classes (BC) reservations for local body elections and a possible decision regarding the Rythu Bharosa scheme. Furthermore, it may approve an ordinance to remove the two-child condition for candidates in local body elections.

  • Uttar Pradesh Investment Push: The Uttar Pradesh government announced the opening of satellite investment promotion offices in five major Indian metro cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and New Delhi. These offices, operating under 'Invest U.P.', aim to directly channel capital investment into the state and connect investors with its policies and opportunities.

BSNL's New Scheme for Senior Citizens

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched a new limited-time offer, the 'Samman Plan', exclusively for senior citizens. Valid from October 18 to November 18, 2025, this plan provides 365 days of service for ₹1812 (approximately ₹149 per month), including 2GB daily data, unlimited calling, 100 SMS per day, a free SIM card, and a 6-month BiTV subscription. This initiative follows the recent nationwide launch of BSNL's 4G services on September 27, 2025.

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