Government Website for UPSC Preparation [August 24, 2026]

PM-AASHA: Structural Components of Farmer Remuneration & Buffer Stocking

• Price Support Scheme (PSS): Physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds, and copra at Minimum Support Price (MSP) by central nodal agencies (NAFED, FCI) when wholesale market prices dip below MSP during peak harvest.
• Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS): Direct cash transfer into farmers' verified Aadhaar-linked bank accounts covering the difference between MSP and the actual modal market sale price, eliminating physical storage costs.
• Price Stabilization Fund (PSF): Strategic procurement and maintenance of buffer stocks for sensitive horticultural essentials (pulses, onions, and potatoes) to tame consumer inflation.
• Market Intervention Scheme (MIS): Implemented on state request for perishable agricultural and horticultural crops not covered under mandatory MSP frameworks.

PGS-India Natural Certification: FPO-Led Agro-Ecological Transition

Agricultural circulars compiled on the government website for UPSC preparation [August 24, 2026] detail how community-based certification empowers Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to market chemical-free produce.

• PGS-India Natural Framework: A locally focused, peer-review quality assurance certification ensuring agricultural produce is 100% natural, chemical-free, and grown with bio-inputs.
• On-Farm Formulations: Relies on traditional fermented bio-inputs including Agniastra (pest management), Beejamrit (microbial seed treatment), and Jeevamrit (soil microbiology booster).
• FPO Aggregation: Implemented through clusters like Maa Annpuneshwari FPO (Dewas, MP - Maize) and Gao Mata Natural Fed FPO (Gorakhpur, UP - Wheat) to bridge the farm-to-consumer value chain.

PM-KISAN Platform: Direct Income Support & Digital Verification Systems

• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Delivers an assured supplemental income of ₹6,000 per annum in three equal four-monthly installments of ₹2,000 to eligible landholding farmer families.
• Digital Service Stack: Features self-service online registration, Aadhaar-seeded land record authentication, automated payment status verification, and online grievance redressal.
• Universal Scope: Expanded from small and marginal farmers (SMFs) to encompass all cultivable landholding farmer households, subject to exclusion criteria (e.g., institutional landholders, income tax payees).

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment: Strategic Mineral Security

Mineral policy notifications released through the government website for UPSC preparation [August 24, 2026] outline structural reforms to unlock domestic exploration of critical metals and reduce import vulnerabilities.

• Tax & Royalty Rationalization: Establishes a predictable, stable tax framework to spur domestic mining exploration and balance state revenue with national strategic interests.
• Critical Minerals Thrust: Facilitates private sector participation in the commercial exploration and auction of critical and strategic minerals (Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, Platinum Group Elements, Rare Earth Elements).
• Import Substitution: Directly aimed at securing raw material independence for clean energy transitions, electric vehicle manufacturing, advanced defense electronics, and aerospace applications.

Revolutionary Legacy: Shivaram Hari Rajguru & The Lahore Conspiracy Case

• Biographical Roots: Born on 24 August 1908 in Khed (renamed Rajgurunagar in his honor), Pune District, Maharashtra.
• Revolutionary Cadre: Prominent member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), working closely with Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, and Sukhdev Thapar.
• Saunders Assassination (1928): Along with Bhagat Singh, executed the assassination of British police officer J.P. Saunders in Lahore to avenge the brutal death of veteran leader Lala Lajpat Rai following the anti-Simon Commission lathi-charge.
• Martyrdom: Hanged by the colonial government on 23 March 1931 at Lahore Central Jail alongside Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev (commemorated annually as Shaheed Diwas).

National Space Day: Celebrating Chandrayaan-3 Lunar South Pole Feat

Science and technology archives featured on the government website for UPSC preparation [August 24, 2026] commemorate India's lunar landing achievements and subsequent interplanetary roadmap.

• Commemoration Date: Celebrated on August 23 every year to honor the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander on the lunar surface in 2023.
• Historic Milestone: Made India the first nation in the world to achieve a soft landing near the lunar South Polar region, and the 4th country globally to land on the Moon.
• Landing Point Nomenclature: The landing touchdown site of Vikram Lander was officially named 'Shiv Shakti Point', while Chandrayaan-2's impact site was designated 'Tiranga Point'.

Ustad Bismillah Khan: Elevating Shehnai from Folk Ritual to Concert Stage

• Cultural Epicentre: Born in Dumraon, Bihar (1916), but his musical devotion and life remained inseparable from Varanasi (Banaras), where he played regularly at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and along the Ganga ghats.
• Artistic Contribution: Single-handedly transformed the Shehnai from an auspicious folk/wedding instrument (Naubat) into a revered classical concert instrument.
• National Milestone: Had the rare distinction of performing live from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India's first Independence Day, 15th August 1947.
• Highest Recognition: Conferred India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.