Government Schemes and Policies
- Local Job Quota & Police Recruitment: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet approved the re-categorization of Level-11 posts in the pay matrix from Group-B to Group-C. This change will ensure that only bona fide Himachali candidates can apply for these positions. Recruitment will now be conducted by the Himachal Pradesh State Selection Commission. The Cabinet also approved the creation and filling of 101 new posts in Police Lines, Dehra.
- Milk Incentive Scheme: A new Milk Incentive Scheme has been approved to provide a subsidy of ₹3 per liter to farmers supplying milk to eligible non-government dairy cooperative societies. Payments will be made directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
- Interest Subsidy for Solar Power Projects: The Cabinet approved interest subsidies for solar power projects. Projects between 100 kW and 1 MW in tribal areas will receive a 5% interest subsidy, while projects between 250 kW and 2 MW in non-tribal areas will receive a 4% subsidy.
- 101 New Green Panchayats: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between HIMURJA (Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency) and selected Gram Panchayats to establish 500 kW solar power plants in 100 Panchayats.
- Panchayat Emergency Response Centers: Approval was given to establish Panchayat Emergency Response Centers in all 3,645 Panchayats to improve disaster response capabilities.
- Relief for Transport Employees: Following strict directives from the Himachal High Court, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation announced that it would finalize salary adjustments within 24 hours. This benefit applies only to employees appointed between 2004 and 2005.
- Discontinuation of Subjects in Schools: The state government has discontinued 15 subjects in 47 senior secondary schools.
- Chief Minister Tourism Startup Scheme: The government will bear 5% interest on loans for hotel construction under this scheme. The private sector will also be invited to establish 200 hotels. Decisions were made to open wellness and rafting centers in Nadaun and develop Kangra as a major tourist destination.
- Subsidy for E-Taxi Purchases: Youth will receive a 40% subsidy for purchasing electric vehicles. 3,000 diesel and petrol taxis in the state will be converted to e-taxis.
- Benefits for Daily Wage Workers and Outsourced Personnel: The daily wage for daily wagers has been increased by ₹25, now standing at ₹425 per day. Outsourced personnel will now receive a minimum of ₹12,750 per month.
Sports and Youth
- National Games Dehradun 2025: Himachal Pradesh athletes performed well in the 38th National Games. Boxers won 5 medals (Ashish Negi a silver; Chetan Chaudhary, Vinakshi, Ekta, and Menka bronze). Eeonjoki won a silver medal in Judo. Himachal Pradesh’s Netball team also secured a bronze medal.
Disaster and Environment
- Above Normal Rainfall in June 2025: Himachal Pradesh received 34% more rainfall than normal in June 2025, making it the highest in the last 12 years. Prior to this, June 2013 saw 143% above-normal rainfall.
- Heavy Damage from Rains: Heavy rainfall and landslides caused significant devastation in the state. Between June 20 and July 10, 91 deaths were recorded, with 55 directly attributed to rain-related disasters. Mandi district was the most severely affected.
- Changes in Critical Tiger Habitat: During a meeting on June 26, 2025, a decision was made to increase the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) from 881.11 sq km to 924.49 sq km, while reducing the buffer zone from 245.72 sq km to 203.2 sq km.
Administrative and Judicial Decisions
- Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Phase 4: The central government has made a significant decision regarding the quality of roads to be built, allowing the general public to directly lodge complaints with the central authority.
- High Court Ruling: The Himachal Pradesh High Court clarified that a married son cannot be denied membership in a cooperative society merely because his mother and brother are already members of another society.
Economic Development
- FY 2025-26 Budget: Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the annual budget of ₹58,514 crore for the financial year 2025-26. No new taxes were imposed. The budget emphasizes tourism, rural development, and green energy.
- Job Creation: The budget announced the recruitment of 25,000 posts in various departments in 2025.
- Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Milk: The MSP for cow milk has been increased from ₹45 to ₹51 per liter, and for buffalo milk from ₹55 to ₹61 per liter.
- Turmeric MSP: Farmers growing raw turmeric will receive an MSP of ₹90 per kilogram.