Weekly Roundup — Week 427 Sep – 03 Oct 2026
14 min read
UPSC Current Affairs Weekly Roundup: Green Energy Corridor-III, National Coastal Mission 2.0, PM-AJAY Outlay & Special Campaign 6.0
Crucial cabinet directives and strategic policy launches from 27 Sep to 03 Oct 2026: Union Cabinet approval of Green Energy Corridor Phase-III with ₹1,86,405 crore outlay, notification of National Coastal Mission 2.0 across 9 maritime States, expanded livelihood allocations under PM-AJAY for Scheduled Caste habitations, initiation of nation-wide Special Campaign 6.0 focusing on scientific e-waste disposal, and White Revolution 2.0 cooperative dairy expansion.
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Key Analytical Takeaways
- Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) approved with ₹1,86,405 crore total outlay to evacuate 120 GW of offshore and desert renewable power by 2031-32.
- National Coastal Mission 2.0 launched with ₹767 crore Central Sector outlay covering 9 coastal States and 4 UTs for mangrove restoration and marine spatial planning.
- PM-AJAY (Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana) expanded family livelihood subsidy to ₹2.5 lakh per beneficiary household in SC-majority clusters.
- Special Campaign 6.0 rolled out across central ministries from 02 to 31 October 2026, prioritizing institutional e-waste disposal and civil litigation pendency reduction.
- White Revolution 2.0 announced targeting 75,000 new village dairy cooperatives to boost milk output beyond 24.8 crore tonnes.
1. Renewable Energy & Grid Modernization
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Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III):
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Financial Architecture: Approved by the Union Cabinet with an overall capital outlay of ₹1,86,405 crore, including ₹54,082 crore in Central Financial Assistance (CFA) representing a 29% federal viability gap grant.
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Infrastructure Targets: Constructing approximately 26,000 circuit kilometers (ckm) of intra-state and inter-state transmission lines and setting up 145,000 MVA substation transformation capacity.
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Evacuation Mandate: Dedicated to evacuating 120 GW of renewable energy from upcoming offshore wind farms in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, alongside massive ultra-mega solar parks in Ladakh and Rajasthan.
2. Coastal Governance & Blue Economy
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National Coastal Mission 2.0 (NCM 2.0):
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Jurisdiction & Duration: Central Sector Scheme implemented across 9 coastal States and 4 maritime Union Territories spanning the 2026–2031 horizon with an outlay of ₹767 crore.
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Ecological Components: Restoring 15,000 hectares of degraded mangrove biomes, instituting shoreline erosion monitoring via the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), and formalizing Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) frameworks to reconcile commercial port logistics with artisanal fishing rights.
3. Social Justice & Inclusive Development
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Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY):
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Integration of Schemes: Merges three erstwhile interventions (SCA to SCSP, PMAGY, and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana) into a unified mission.
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Livelihood Subsidy Revision: Enhanced direct capital grant from ₹50,000 to ₹2.50 lakh per beneficiary for viable micro-enterprise ventures, asset creation, and cluster skill certification in villages where Scheduled Caste populations exceed 50%.
4. Administrative Reforms & Governance
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Special Campaign 6.0 for Swachhata & Institutional Disposal:
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Operational Timeline: Rolled out across all central ministries and public sector undertakings from 02 October to 31 October 2026.
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Core Priorities: Systematic scrap monetisation, digitization of physical archival records, and statutory disposal of long-pending parliamentary assurances and judicial appeals.
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Green Emphasis: For the first time, mandated audited recycling of obsolete IT assets (servers, smartphones, lithium batteries) strictly through authorized R2-certified e-waste recyclers.
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