Which government schemes were approved in March 2026?
March 2026 was the heaviest approval month: Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 (₹8.69 lakh crore total, ₹3.59 lakh crore Central assistance, extended to December 2028), the Small Hydro Power Development Scheme (₹2,584.60 crore for about 1,500 MW), BHAVYA (₹33,660 crore for 100 plug-and-play industrial parks) and Modified UDAN (₹28,840 crore over ten years). The IVFRT scheme was extended to 2031 and PM-KISAN’s 22nd instalment was released on 13 March.
March 2026 is the heaviest Cabinet-approval month in the window and the one most worth over-preparing. Three of its approvals — Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, BHAVYA and Modified UDAN — carry the kind of large, similar-looking outlay figures that examiners deliberately shuffle between options. If you learn only one thing from this month, learn which JJM 2.0 figure is the total and which is the Central share.
March 2026 schemes at a glance
| Scheme / initiative | Status | Ministry / department |
|---|---|---|
| Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 | CABINET APPROVED / RESTRUCTURED · 10 Mar 2026 | Jal Shakti |
| Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme | CABINET APPROVED · 18 Mar 2026 | New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) |
| Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA) | CABINET APPROVED · 18 Mar 2026 | DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry |
| Regional Connectivity Scheme — Modified UDAN | CABINET APPROVED · 25 Mar 2026 | Civil Aviation |
| PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana — Implementation | IMPLEMENTATION · March 2026 | Labour & Employment |
| PM-KISAN — 22nd Instalment | RELEASED · 13 Mar 2026 | Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
| IVFRT Scheme — Five-Year Extension | EXTENDED · 25 Mar 2026 | Home Affairs |
| National Ayush Mission — Infrastructure Expansion Update | IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE | Ayush (centrally sponsored scheme, launched 2014-15) |
| Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme — Operationalisation | EXISTING SCHEME IN NEWS | Department of Science & Technology |
| Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses — 2026 Implementation Update | EXISTING 2025 MISSION — MARCH 2026 UPDATE | Agriculture & Farmers Welfare |
Download the full GHATAK notes (free PDF)
All 98 entries, February to July 2026, with ministry, outlay, target and exam trigger for every scheme. 69 pages. No sign-up.
Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0
CABINET APPROVED / RESTRUCTURED · 10 Mar 2026
Ministry: Jal Shakti
The original JJM laid pipes to give every rural home a tap. JJM 2.0 handles the harder next step: making sure water keeps flowing for years, with local communities maintaining the systems.
Why it is in the news: Cabinet approved a restructured Jal Jeevan Mission on 10 March 2026.
- Total outlay: ₹8.69 lakh crore, including ₹3.59 lakh crore Central assistance (an additional ₹1.51 lakh crore Central share over the earlier approval).
- Period extended to December 2028.
- Introduces ‘Sujalam Bharat’, a national digital framework; every village gets a unique Sujal Gaon / Service Area ID mapping water systems source to tap.
Small Hydro Power (SHP) Development Scheme
CABINET APPROVED · 18 Mar 2026
Ministry: New & Renewable Energy (MNRE)
Small hydro projects on rivers and streams are often overlooked next to giant dams, but they suit hilly, remote areas that are hard to connect to the main grid.
Why it is in the news: Cabinet approval on 18 March 2026 brought the scheme into current affairs.
- Outlay: ₹2,584.60 crore. Period: FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. Target: about 1,500 MW of new small-hydro capacity.
- Eligible project size: 1-25 MW.
- Special Central Financial Assistance in North-East and international-border districts: up to ₹3.6 crore per MW or 30% of project cost, whichever is lower.
Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA)
CABINET APPROVED · 18 Mar 2026
Ministry: DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Setting up a factory in India usually means dealing with many departments and building your own roads and power connections. BHAVYA builds ready-to-use industrial parks instead.
Why it is in the news: Cabinet approval on 18 March 2026 brought the scheme into current affairs.
- Allocation: ₹33,660 crore.
- Target: 100 plug-and-play industrial parks, developed with States and private players.
- Focus: world-class industrial infrastructure, single-window systems, deregulation and ease of doing business.
Regional Connectivity Scheme — Modified UDAN
CABINET APPROVED · 25 Mar 2026
Ministry: Civil Aviation
Airlines avoid flying to small towns because too few people book those flights. UDAN pays part of that shortfall and funds small airports, so more small towns get air connectivity.
Why it is in the news: Cabinet approved the modified Regional Connectivity Scheme on 25 March 2026.
- Outlay: ₹28,840 crore. Period: FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36, a ten-year window.
- Focus: unserved and underserved areas, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, remote and hilly connectivity, regional aerodrome viability.
- 100 airports proposed from existing unserved airstrips; O&M support for about 441 aerodromes; 200 modern helipads for hilly, remote, island and aspirational districts.
PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana — Implementation
IMPLEMENTATION · March 2026
Ministry: Labour & Employment
Companies often hesitate to hire first-time employees because of training costs. This scheme pays both the new employee and the employer an incentive for a first formal job.
Why it is in the news: First-instalment rollout began in March 2026, with a fresh disbursement milestone in June.
- PM-VBRY was launched on 1 August 2025; financial-benefit disbursal was scheduled to begin from March 2026.
- First-time employees: incentive up to ₹15,000, subject to conditions, with both employee and employer incentives.
- Face Authentication Technology was made mandatory for new joiners in the rollout.
PM-KISAN — 22nd Instalment
RELEASED · 13 Mar 2026
Ministry: Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
A routine payment of money farmers enrolled in PM-KISAN are owed under the ₹6,000-a-year benefit, paid in three instalments.
Why it is in the news: The 22nd instalment was released on 13 March 2026 with a major DBT transfer to eligible farmer families.
- Amount: over ₹18,640 crore to about 9.32 crore farmers.
- More than 2.15 crore women beneficiaries.
- Cumulative transfers crossed ₹4.27 lakh crore at this stage.
IVFRT Scheme — Five-Year Extension
EXTENDED · 25 Mar 2026
Ministry: Home Affairs
Earlier a foreigner’s visa, entry record and police registration sat on separate systems. IVFRT links them into one system so officials can track movement reliably.
Why it is in the news: A five-year extension of the Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking scheme was approved on 25 March 2026.
- Originally approved by CCEA on 13 May 2010; extended for another five years, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031.
- Outlay: ₹1,800 crore.
- Integrates immigration, visa issuance and foreigner registration within a secure service-delivery framework.
National Ayush Mission — Infrastructure Expansion Update
IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE
Ministry: Ayush (centrally sponsored scheme, launched 2014-15)
New traditional-medicine hospitals and dispensaries covering Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, added under an existing scheme.
Why it is in the news: Disclosed via a Lok Sabha written reply on 13 March 2026.
- 203 Integrated Ayush Hospitals and 383 new Ayush dispensaries approved across States and UTs.
- Uttar Pradesh has the largest dispensary share at 250, followed by Assam at 100.
- ₹424.24 crore released as grant-in-aid to States and UTs in the financial year.
Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme — Operationalisation
EXISTING SCHEME IN NEWS
Ministry: Department of Science & Technology
Private companies often avoid long-shot, high-risk research because the payoff is uncertain. This is a large pool of patient government money channelled to them.
Why it is in the news: The scheme entered a new operational phase in 2026, including designation of fund managers and disbursal for onward technology financing.
- Approved July 2025, launched November 2025, with a ₹1 lakh crore corpus over six years.
- In 2026 the Technology Development Board and BIRAC were designated as Second-Level Fund Managers.
- ₹500 crore disbursed to TDB in March 2026 for onward financing of eligible technology entities.
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses — 2026 Implementation Update
EXISTING 2025 MISSION — MARCH 2026 UPDATE
Ministry: Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
India grows the most pulses in the world but still imports 15-20% of what it eats. This mission gives farmers better seeds and assured procurement.
Why it is in the news: PIB issued detailed implementation updates in March 2026, including focus districts, seed-kit targets and procurement progress.
- Cabinet approved this Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 1 October 2025, outside this window; the PM launched it on 11 October 2025. March 2026 brought implementation updates only.
- Outlay: ₹11,440 crore over six years, 2025-26 to 2030-31.
- Production target: about 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31; cultivation area target about 310 lakh hectares.
Frequently asked questions
What is the outlay of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0?
Rs 8.69 lakh crore in total, of which Rs 3.59 lakh crore is Central assistance. That Central figure includes an additional Rs 1.51 lakh crore over the earlier approval. The mission period runs to December 2028.
What is BHAVYA?
Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana, approved on 18 March 2026 with an allocation of Rs 33,660 crore to develop 100 plug-and-play industrial parks with States and private players. It is run by DPIIT under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
How long does Modified UDAN run?
Ten years, from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36, with an outlay of Rs 28,840 crore. It proposes 100 airports from existing unserved airstrips, O&M support for about 441 aerodromes and 200 modern helipads.
What does IVFRT stand for?
Immigration, Visa, Foreigners Registration and Tracking. Originally approved by CCEA on 13 May 2010, it was extended for five more years from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031 with an outlay of Rs 1,800 crore.
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