West Bengal's 11,000 brick kilns employ 0.8 million workers, 143 youths rescued from bonded labour between 2019-2024

Maharashtra FDA Bans Junk Food in Schools: 41 Million Children Overweight, Experts Call for Home Diet Changes

Maharashtra FDA bans sale of HFSS foods (chocolates, chips, sugary drinks, deep-fried snacks) in schools and within 50-metre radius. Doctors welcome the move but emphasize it alone cannot curb childhood obesity without healthier home food, nutrition education, and physical activity. India has 41 million overweight/obese children aged 5-19, as per World Obesity Atlas 2026.

Maharashtra Mandates Safe Food Norms in Schools; Bans HFSS Items, Covers All Boards

Maharashtra has issued a statewide compliance order to ensure safe, balanced food in all schools, banning HFSS items (junk food) within premises and a 50-metre zone. The move targets childhood obesity and micronutrient deficiencies, making it a key governance and public health initiative for exam aspirants.

Maharashtra ‘Super 100’: Free JEE/NEET Residential Coaching for 100 Rural Govt Students per District

Maharashtra plans a ‘Super 100’ residential coaching scheme in each district to give free JEE/NEET coaching to 100 high-performing students from rural government schools. Modelled on Anand Kumar’s Super 30, the initiative aims to bridge the urban-rural coaching gap and is under finance department approval.

FSSAI Safe Food Regulations 2020 Enforced in Maharashtra Schools; Junk Food Banned

Maharashtra's School Education Department has issued a to-do checklist enforcing the FSSAI's Safe Food and Balanced Diet for School Children Regulations 2020. All schools must ban junk food, ensure valid FSSAI licences for all food operators, and include nutritious items like fruits and pulses in menus. This is critical for understanding state-level food safety enforcement and child health governance.

West Bengal MMSBY: ₹5 Lakh Health Insurance Covering 2,000 Diseases for Underprivileged Families

West Bengal's Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana (MMSBY) provides ₹5 lakh cashless health insurance covering ~2,000 diseases to families with annual income ≤ ₹8 lakh. The scheme integrates with existing Swasthya Sathi and Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, offering free digital cards. Key for exams: state health scheme, income eligibility, disease coverage, and integration with central schemes.

AP Pedestrian Safety Policy 2026: SC Recognises Right to Walk, 36,526 Pedestrian Deaths in 2024, Section 198A Fine

The Supreme Court recognized the right to walk on footpaths as a fundamental right. Andhra Pradesh became the first state to notify a pedestrian safety policy, mandating audits, removal of encroachments, and a Rs 1 lakh fine under Section 198A MV Act for infrastructure failure causing death. With 1 in 5 road deaths being pedestrians (36,526 in 2024), this policy is a landmark for urban governance and social justice.

Centre Constitutes Pankaj Kumar Singh-led Committee for Gorkha Permanent Political Solution

After decades of demand for Gorkhaland statehood, the Union Home Ministry has set up a committee chaired by former Deputy NSA Pankaj Kumar Singh to finalise a 'permanent political solution' for the Darjeeling hills. The decision, announced at a meeting on August 22, 2026, comes when both Centre and West Bengal are under BJP rule, making it a politically opportune moment. The solution may involve creation of a separate state or Union Territory, with significant implications for West Bengal's integrity and India's strategic interests in the Siliguri Corridor.

NEET UG 2026: NMC Adds 13,186 MBBS Seats to 1.4 Lakh Total; Karnataka Tops with 1,650

The NMC has approved 13,186 additional MBBS seats for NEET UG 2026, taking the total to 1,40,214. Karnataka gained the highest (1,650), while 7 states/UTs gained none—a ready Prelims data point and a Mains cue on regional imbalance in medical education.