National News & Governance

📘 NDA GAT Section · CFN03 🎯 NDA Level : High Priority

National News & Governance for NDA tests government schemes, new laws, constitutional developments, and economic indicators. Questions are factual and direct. Focus on scheme name → ministry → key number. The new criminal laws (effective July 2024) are a guaranteed topic in recent exams.

📌 NDA Pattern — National Governance:
• Scheme → ministry → beneficiary → key figure | • New laws: which replaced which
• SC judgments: case + constitutional article | • Budget: defence allocation + fiscal deficit
• RBI: repo rate value + direction (cut/hike) | • India’s global rankings (GII, HDI, GHI)

1. Government Schemes

🏠 Flagship Social Schemes

Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: Health insurance Rs 5 lakh/family/year. Covers 40% of India’s population (poorest). No premium for beneficiaries. Ministry: Health & Family Welfare. Extended to all citizens aged 70+ in 2024.
Jal Jeevan Mission (“Har Ghar Jal”): Functional tap water connection to every rural household. 15+ crore connections as of 2024. Ministry: Jal Shakti. Deadline extended to 2028.
PM-KISAN: Rs 6,000/year to small and marginal farmers (≤2 hectares). 3 instalments of Rs 2,000 via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Ministry: Agriculture. 11+ crore beneficiaries.
PM SVANidhi: Collateral-free micro-credit for street vendors. Loans: Rs 10,000 → Rs 20,000 → Rs 50,000 (graduated). Ministry: Housing & Urban Affairs.
PM Awas Yojana (PMAY): “Housing for All.” PMAY-Gramin = Ministry of Rural Development; unit assistance Rs 1.2 lakh (plains). PMAY-Urban = Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan: GIS-based multi-modal connectivity platform. Integrates 16 ministries. Goal: cut logistics cost from ~14% to <8% of GDP. Ministry: Commerce & Industry.
PLI (Production Linked Incentive): 14 sectors (mobiles, pharma, solar, drones, textiles, etc.). Rs 1.97 lakh crore outlay. Success: Mobile phone exports crossed Rs 1.2 lakh crore in FY24 (Apple, Samsung manufacturing in India).
Project NAMASTE: Eliminate manual scavenging; provide mechanised equipment and social security to workers. Ministry: Housing & Urban Affairs.
NEP 2020: 5+3+3+4 structure replaces 10+2. Mother-tongue medium till Grade 5. No hard stream separation at school. PM SHRI Schools: 14,500 model schools.

2. New Laws & Constitutional Developments

⚖ Three New Criminal Laws (Effective 1 July 2024)

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): Replaces Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. Adds organised crime chapter, community service as punishment. Sedition (S.124A IPC) removed; replaced by BNS S.152 (acts endangering sovereignty). Zero FIR provision.
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS): Replaces Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. Trials must conclude within 45 days of charges framed. Mandatory video recording of crime scenes. 90-day police custody allowed in terrorism cases.
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA): Replaces Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Electronic records now primary evidence (same status as paper documents). Strengthens admissibility of digital evidence.

⚖ Key Supreme Court Judgments & Constitutional Developments

Article 370 Abrogation (Dec 2023): SC upheld abrogation of J&K’s special status (2019). 5-judge bench. Ruled President’s proclamation valid. J&K statehood restoration ordered “at earliest.”
Electoral Bonds Struck Down (Feb 2024): SC unanimously declared scheme unconstitutional. Violated voters’ right to information (Article 19(1)(a)). SBI directed to stop issuance; data disclosed to Election Commission.
Women’s Reservation Act 2023 (106th Amendment): 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Effective only after next delimitation exercise (post-2026 census). Rajya Sabha and legislative councils excluded.
CAA Implementation (March 2024): Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 rules notified in March 2024. Grants citizenship to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, Christian minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan who entered India before Dec 31, 2014. Does NOT apply to Muslims.
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023: India’s first data privacy law. Data Fiduciary obligations (consent, data minimisation). Penalty up to Rs 250 crore. Data Protection Board as adjudicatory body. Ministry: MeitY.

3. Economy & Budget

💳 Key Economic Numbers

GDP Growth (FY25): ~6.4% (First Advance Estimate, NSO). India remains fastest-growing major economy globally.
Repo Rate (Feb 2025): 6.25% — cut by 25 basis points. First rate cut since May 2020. RBI signals shift from inflation-control to growth-supportive policy. CRR cut to 4.0% (Dec 2024).
Budget FY26 Defence: Rs 6.81 lakh crore (highest ever). Capital outlay Rs 1.80 lakh crore. Total budget outlay: Rs 50.65 lakh crore. Fiscal deficit target: 4.4% of GDP.
GII 2024: India ranked 39th (up from 81st in 2015). WIPO. Consistent improvement each year.
HDI 2024: India ranked 134th. Medium human development. UNDP.
GHI 2024: India ranked 105th (out of 127). India disputes the methodology; government officially rejects the report.
UPI: 10+ billion transactions/month. Accepted in 7+ countries internationally (Singapore, UAE, France, Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka).

📝 NDA PYQ

National News & Governance — NDA GAT Pattern Questions

Q1. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which came into effect on 1 July 2024, replaced which earlier law?

(a) Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (b) Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (c) Indian Penal Code, 1860 (d) Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

Answer: (c) Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860
Three new criminal laws replaced three old ones: BNS replaced IPC; BNSS replaced CrPC; BSA replaced Indian Evidence Act. Key addition in BNS: community service as punishment (first time in Indian law). Sedition section removed from BNS.

Q2. Under PM-KISAN, how much financial assistance is provided to eligible farmers annually, and in how many instalments?

(a) Rs 4,000 in 2 instalments (b) Rs 6,000 in 3 instalments of Rs 2,000 each (c) Rs 8,000 in 4 instalments (d) Rs 12,000 in 6 instalments

Answer: (b) Rs 6,000 in 3 instalments of Rs 2,000 each
PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi) covers farmers with up to 2 hectares of cultivable land. Rs 2,000 is transferred directly (DBT) every 4 months. Ministry: Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. 11+ crore active beneficiaries.

Q3. The Supreme Court struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme in February 2024. Which Fundamental Right was held to be violated?

(a) Right to Equality (Article 14) (b) Right to Freedom of Speech including right to information (Article 19(1)(a)) (c) Right to Life (Article 21) (d) Right against Exploitation (Article 23)

Answer: (b) Article 19(1)(a) — Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression (includes right to information)
The SC held that voters’ right to know the source of political funding is protected under Article 19(1)(a). Anonymous electoral bonds violated this right. 5-judge bench; unanimous decision. SBI directed to submit bond data; Election Commission published it publicly.

Q4. Which ministry oversees the Jal Jeevan Mission, and what is its goal?

(a) Ministry of Rural Development; build rural roads (b) Ministry of Jal Shakti; tap water connection to every rural household (c) Ministry of Housing; build rural houses (d) Ministry of Agriculture; irrigation to every farm

Answer: (b) Ministry of Jal Shakti; functional household tap connection to every rural household (“Har Ghar Jal”)
JJM provides Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC). 15+ crore connections achieved as of 2024. Deadline extended to 2028. Important: it’s Jal Shakti (not Rural Development) and covers rural areas specifically (urban water supply is separate).

Q5. India’s repo rate was cut by 25 basis points in February 2025 by the MPC. What is the significance of this cut?

(a) It was India’s first rate cut since May 2020 (b) It brought repo rate below 5% for the first time (c) It was done to increase inflation (d) It was ordered by the Finance Ministry, not RBI

Answer: (a) First rate cut since May 2020
Repo rate cut from 6.5% to 6.25% (25 bps). First cut in nearly 5 years. Signal: inflation is under control (CPI approaching 4% target); RBI shifting focus to supporting growth. MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) decides repo rate. RBI Governor: Sanjay Malhotra (appointed Dec 2024).

📝 Rapid Revision — CFN03 National Affairs

🏠 Scheme → Ministry

Ayushman Bharat → Health & FW; Rs 5L/family
JJM (Har Ghar Jal) → Jal Shakti; rural taps
PM-KISAN → Agriculture; Rs 6,000/yr; 3 parts
SVANidhi → Housing & Urban Affairs; street vendors
PMAY-G → Rural Dev; PMAY-U → Housing & Urban
PLI → 14 sectors; Rs 1.97L cr outlay

⚖ New Laws (July 2024)

BNS → replaced IPC 1860
BNSS → replaced CrPC 1973
BSA → replaced Evidence Act 1872
BNS: community service added; sedition removed
BNSS: 45-day trial mandate; video recording
BSA: electronic records = primary evidence

⚖ SC Judgments

Art 370: upheld; statehood promised (Dec 2023)
Electoral Bonds: struck down; Art 19(1)(a)
Women’s Reservation: 33%; after delimitation
CAA rules: notified March 2024
Digital PDP Act 2023: penalty Rs 250 crore

💳 Economic Numbers

GDP FY25: ~6.4%; fastest growing major economy
Repo Rate: 6.25% (cut Feb 2025)
Defence Budget FY26: Rs 6.81L cr (highest)
Fiscal deficit: 4.4% GDP (FY26 target)
GII 2024: Rank 39 | HDI: Rank 134

⚡ Quick Booster — CFN03

Scheme Shortcuts

PM-KISAN: 6,000/yr; 3×2,000; DBT
Ayushman: 5 lakh/family; 40% population
PMAY-G = Rural Dev (NOT Housing)
JJM = Jal Shakti (NOT Rural Dev)
Gati Shakti = 16 ministries; logistics

Laws Quick

BNS = IPC replacement
BNSS = CrPC replacement
BSA = Evidence Act replacement
All effective: 1 July 2024
CAA rules notified: March 2024

NDA Traps

Electoral Bonds = Art 19(1)(a) NOT Art 21
Women 33% = after delimitation (NOT immediate)
Repo rate cut = first since May 2020
GHI rank 105 = India DISPUTES this
NEP 2020 structure: 5+3+3+4 (NOT 10+2)

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