Daily Current Affairs — September 12, 2026

The Union Cabinet approved universal health coverage under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) for all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, irrespective of socio-economic status.

Eligible seniors will receive a dedicated Ayushman Card with a top-up cover of ₹5 lakh per year exclusively for themselves, distinct from family floating covers.

Addresses escalating geriatric healthcare costs, reduces out-of-pocket expenditure, and sets a milestone in universal social security for an aging demographic.

The Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), launched during India's G20 Presidency, reviewed its technological roadmaps to achieve global blending targets and advance 2G ethanol & SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

GBA focuses on expanding global feedstock supply chains, standardizing trade regulations, and promoting flex-fuel automotive standards across developing nations.

Assists India in achieving its 20% Ethanol Blending (E20) target by 2025-26, enhancing farmer incomes through agricultural waste monetization (parali).

On completion of one year of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme, Uttar Pradesh emerged as one of the top performing states in registering traditional artisans and releasing collateral-free credit.

The scheme supports 18 traditional trades (carpenters, blacksmiths, potters, sculptors) through skill training, a ₹15,000 toolkit incentive, and collateral-free loans up to ₹3 lakh at a concessional 5% interest rate.

Empowers grassroots craftspeople, integrates informal artisans into institutional credit networks, and revitalizes UP's historic artisanal clusters.

India formally operationalized its second indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Arighaat, at the Ship Building Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam.

Equipped with K-15 Sagarika (750 km range) and future K-4 (3,500 km range) submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), INS Arighaat solidifies India's second-strike survivability.

Strengthens India's credible No-First-Use (NFU) nuclear deterrence policy and establishes robust underwater patrol capability across the Indo-Pacific.

The Union Cabinet sanctioned the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) with an outlay of ₹2,817 crore to create a digital public infrastructure (DPI) for Indian agriculture.

The mission builds the AgriStack (Farmer Registry, Village Land Maps, Crop Sown Registry) and the Krishi Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS) using satellite data and AI.

Enables seamless delivery of PM-KISAN, digital crop loan disbursements, precision farming advisories, and disaster loss assessments.