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India’s river systems are not just water channels but lifelines of biodiversity and livelihoods. Among them, the River Ganga has historically supported one of the richest inland fisheries in the world. However, decades of pollution, habitat degradation, altered river flows, and overfishing have severely depleted its native fish populations. AI-generated illustrative thumbnail Under the Namami Gange Programme , the ICAR–Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI) has implemented scientific river ranching to restore indigenous fish stocks while maintaining ecological balance and genetic integrity. What is Scientific River Ranching? Scientific river ranching refers to the planned release of native fish seeds into natural river systems based on ecological assessment, genetic safeguards, and long-term monitoring. Unlike conventional stocking, it focuses on ecosystem restoration rather than short-term production gains. Scale of Intervention (2017–2025) 169 r...

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, organised the 5th meeting of the National MSME Council on 24 February 2026 at the NASC Complex, PUSA Road, New Delhi. The high-level meeting critically reviewed the progress of the World Bank–supported RAMP Programme (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance), a crucial initiative for India's economic backbone. The Context: Why the RAMP Programme Matters Introduced to help MSMEs recover and thrive post-pandemic, the RAMP programme is backed by significant World Bank funding. Previous MSME Council meetings laid the groundwork for state-level collaborations, but the 5th meeting marked a shift from planning to aggressive digital execution and technological integration. What is the National MSME Council? The National MSME Council functions as the primary administrative and coordinating body overseeing the implementation of the RAMP Programme. Its core responsibilities include: Ensuring...