Roads to villages, insurance for 70+ and an upgrade for India's weatherman: Cabinet's 5 big moves

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared several major decisions, including a significant infrastructure push and the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme to cover citizens above the age of 70, regardless of their income level. Here's a breakdown of the key decisions:

Connecting India’s remotest villages
One of the biggest moves is the allocation of ₹70,125 crore for the next phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which aims to connect some of the most remote villages in India. Under this phase, 62,500 km of new roads will be constructed, linking over 25,000 unconnected habitations. The project will also create an estimated 40 crore person-days of employment, boosting rural economies. With a total of 7.66 lakh km of roads already completed under PMGSY, this new push focuses on new habitations that have emerged due to population growth, with alignment planning guided by the Gati Shakti Portal.

Health insurance for seniors expands under Ayushman Bharat
Another key decision was the expansion of the Ayushman Bharat scheme to provide health insurance coverage to senior citizens aged 70 and above. The scheme, which initially catered to the poorest 40% of households, will now extend coverage universally to seniors, irrespective of their income. This phase will have an initial outlay of ₹3,437 crore. Families currently under the scheme will receive an additional top-up of up to ₹5 lakh per year, while those not previously covered will now receive full coverage under this expanded plan.

Boosting renewable energy through hydropower
In a bid to meet its renewable energy targets, the government approved a ₹12,461 crore plan to boost hydropower infrastructure across the country. With the aim of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030, the plan includes investments in roads, bridges, transmission lines, and communication networks to unlock the country’s potential of 133 GW in hydroelectric power.

Electric vehicles get a boost under PM E-drive
The Cabinet also approved a ₹10,900 crore plan to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) under the PM E-drive initiative. The program will focus on expanding charging infrastructure, especially for e-buses, and increasing EV adoption in cities. With over 16 lakh EVs already supported under previous schemes, this new initiative aims to make a broader impact by introducing 38,000 e-buses across 169 cities.

Modernizing weather predictions with Mission Mausam
Finally, the Cabinet gave the go-ahead for the ₹2,000 crore Mission Mausam initiative, aimed at improving weather forecasting accuracy using advanced technologies. The plan includes new radars, satellites, AI-driven data models, and next-generation systems to provide real-time, precise weather updates, particularly for agricultural needs.