Featured Current Events Summarized by PIB on July 9, 2025
The Indian government is making significant strides in modernising agricultural services, with two key digital platforms leading the charge.
Centralized Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Platform Version 2.0
Launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, the upgraded Centralized DBT Platform Version 2.0 aims to streamline the disbursement of agricultural subsidies to farmers. By minimising manual processing bottlenecks and subsidy delays, the platform enhances transparency and promotes fair access to agricultural machinery with subsidies.
NaMo Drone Didi Yojana
The NaMo Drone Didi Yojana, a flagship programme, empowers rural women, particularly members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), by training them to operate drones for agricultural purposes. This initiative not only promotes gender inclusivity and new livelihood opportunities but also advances the use of scientific and consistent drone-based precision agriculture techniques.
The government has adopted crop-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to standardize drone nutrient application across India. A national workshop held in July 2025 focused on launching the DBT 2.0 platform and reviewing the progress of the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana.
Under the scheme, a Central Financial Assistance of up to 80% of the cost of drones and accessories will be provided to the women SHGs for the purchase of drones. The aim is to provide drones to 14,500 selected Women SHGs for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes.
AI-Driven Innovation: Kalaa Setu
In a bid to overcome barriers in public communication, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched "Kalaa Setu - Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat". This nationwide initiative invites India's leading AI startups to develop scalable, indigenous solutions for automated generation of multimedia content-video, graphics, and audio-from text inputs in multiple Indian languages.
Kalaa Setu, a nation-wide AI innovation challenge launched by WaveX, focuses on three core AI-driven content types: text-to-video, text-to-graphics (infographics), and text-to-audio (voice synthesis with regional accents). The scheme will be monitored through an IT based Management Information System (MIS) i.e. Drone Portal.
Solar Cooperation Across a Region of Diversity and Opportunity
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will hold its Seventh Regional Committee Meeting (RCM) for Asia and the Pacific from July 15-17, 2025, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The theme of the meeting is "Advancing Solar Cooperation Across a Region of Diversity and Opportunity." The RCM aims to develop investment-ready solutions such as regional solar platforms for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), regional interconnections, solar and digital innovation integration, and new tech like Green Hydrogen and energy storage.
Other Developments
- The Indian Navy, in collaboration with DRDO, has successfully conducted user trials of the Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket (ERASR) from INS Kavaratti between 23 June and 7 July 2025. ERASR is a fully indigenous anti-submarine rocket launched from onboard Indigenous Rocket Launcher (IRL) of Indian Naval Ships.
- The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decided to extend the timeline for implementing Direction No. 89, which mandates denial of fuel to End-of-Life (EoL) vehicles in Delhi-NCR, due to technological and legal concerns raised by the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD). The enforcement of Direction No. 89 will now begin from 11.2025 in Delhi and 5 nearby high vehicle density districts-Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, and Sonipat, and from 04.2026 for the rest of the NCR.
These digital initiatives, including the Centralized DBT Platform Version 2.0, the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana, and Kalaa Setu, are transforming the way the Indian government delivers services, reducing bureaucratic delays, boosting transparency, empowering marginalized groups like rural women, and promoting scientific farming techniques—making government agricultural schemes more effective and inclusive.
- The government's Centralized DBT Platform Version 2.0 aims to refine the disbursement of agricultural subsidies, minimizing manual processing issues and delay, thereby enhancing transparency and fair access to agricultural machinery with subsidies.
- The NaMo Drone Didi Yojana, a government initiative, empowers rural women, particularly Self-Help Group members, by training them to operate drones for agricultural purposes, promoting gender inclusivity and new livelihood opportunities.
- To standardize drone nutrient application across India, the government has developed crop-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- With the adoption of these SOPs and the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana, the goal is to provide drones to 14,500 Women Self-Help Groups, enabling them to provide rental services to farmers for agriculture purposes.
- The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched an AI initiative, "Kalaa Setu - Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat," aiming to develop scalable, indigenous solutions for generating multimedia content in multiple Indian languages.
- The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will hold its Seventh Regional Committee Meeting in Sri Lanka, focusing on advancing solar cooperation, developing investment-ready solutions, and integrating solar and digital innovation for Small Island Developing States.
- Other government developments include the Indian Navy's successful user trials of the Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket and the Commission for Air Quality Management's decision to extend the timeline for implementing denial of fuel to End-of-Life vehicles due to technological and legal concerns.
- These digital initiatives, including the Centralized DBT Platform Version 2.0, the NaMo Drone Didi Yojana, and Kalaa Setu, are positively transforming India's agriculture sector, reducing bureaucratic delays, promoting scientific farming techniques, and empowering marginalized groups like rural women. The scheme will boost the country's economy, health-and-wellness, business, and lifestyle sectors while encouraging investment, personal-finance management, environmental-science, technology, education-and-self-development, sports, and general-news insight.
