The Indian government continues to push forward with its agenda of reform and development, with several notable advancements in schemes and policies reported in the last 24 hours. These initiatives aim to foster economic growth, enhance social welfare, and streamline regulatory frameworks across various sectors.

Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship

The Stand-Up India Scheme has demonstrated significant progress, with banks sanctioning over ₹62,791 crore to 2.75 lakh loan accounts since its inception in April 2016. This scheme, designed to promote entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and women borrowers, aims to provide loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for greenfield enterprises in manufacturing, trading, services, and agriculture-linked activities.

In a major development concerning taxation, the Centre has proposed exempting life and health insurance policies for individuals from Goods and Services Tax (GST). Currently, these premiums attract an 18% GST. A 13-member state Group of Ministers (GoM) on insurance discussed this proposal on August 20, 2025, with most states in favor, contingent on a mechanism to ensure the benefits are passed on to policyholders. This move is estimated to result in an annual revenue loss of approximately ₹9,700 crore.

Social Welfare and Empowerment

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has implemented key recommendations from Chintan Shivir 2025 to enhance the efficiency and outreach of various welfare schemes. This includes revised guidelines for Scheduled Caste scholarships and strengthening flagship programs such as the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified Tribes (SEED), and the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). Under PM-AJAY, the Adarsh Gram component will now cover all eligible villages with at least 40% Scheduled Caste population and a total population of 500 or more. For SEED, 2,000 new Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been sanctioned, and around 4.5 lakh Ayushman cards have been distributed across seven states. NAMASTE has added a new component to provide upfront capital subsidy for mechanised cleaning equipment to private sector players.

Furthermore, India is actively supporting Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Sites, recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), through existing government schemes. These sites include the Koraput region in Odisha, the Kuttanad farming system in Kerala, and the Saffron Heritage of Kashmir, with efforts focused on conserving biodiversity, preserving landraces, and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Legislative and Regulatory Reforms

The Parliament has been active in passing and introducing several significant bills. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 was passed by the Lok Sabha, aiming to regulate the online gaming sector, including e-sports and real-money games, with stricter oversight for the latter. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the bill's intent to promote e-sports and social gaming while addressing the harmful aspects of online money gaming.

The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has also been passed by Parliament, leading to the establishment of an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati, Assam. This move is set to enhance education infrastructure in the North-Eastern region and attract students and researchers nationwide.

In the mining sector, the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025 was passed by Parliament, aiming to reform India's mining sector. Key provisions include allowing leaseholders to add critical/strategic minerals to existing leases without extra premium, removing the 50% cap on the sale of minerals from captive mines, and enabling 100% commercial sale.

Home Minister Amit Shah also introduced several bills, including one to ensure the removal of elected representatives arrested or detained on serious criminal charges from office, covering the Prime Minister, Union ministers, Chief Ministers, and ministers of Union Territories. Other bills introduced include The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025.

Vision for a Developed India (Viksit Bharat)

While some of these announcements predate the last 24 hours, they continue to shape the policy landscape. During his Independence Day address on August 15, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined several ambitious goals and new initiatives as part of the roadmap to a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047. These include:

• The creation of a dedicated Reform Task Force to accelerate economic growth and modernize governance.
• Launch of the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana, a major employment scheme worth ₹1 lakh crore, aiming to provide ₹15,000 per month to 3 crore young Indians.
• Announcement of Next-Generation GST reforms, to be unveiled by Diwali, aimed at reducing taxes on essential goods and benefiting MSMEs, local vendors, and consumers.
• Plans to increase India's nuclear energy capacity tenfold by 2047, with 10 new reactors progressing rapidly and opening the sector to private participation.
• Launch of a High-Powered Demography Mission to address demographic imbalances.
• Initiation of the National Deepwater Exploration Mission and significant expansions in solar, hydrogen, hydro, and nuclear power to achieve energy independence.
• Efforts to simplify laws and compliance, which have included abolishing over 40,000 unnecessary compliances and repealing more than 1,500 outdated laws, leading to a zero-tax benefit for annual incomes up to ₹12 lakh.

These policy initiatives and ongoing scheme implementations underscore the government's multi-faceted approach to national development, focusing on economic upliftment, social equity, and robust governance.