Rajasthan

Appearance

International Relations & Agreements ​

  • India-Russia Relations:

    • Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on December 4-5 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Meeting.
    • RELOS Agreement: India and Russia signed the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) agreement.
    • RELOS is a bilateral military logistic pact for refuelling, supply, repair, and maintenance of armed forces.
    • A similar logistics agreement, LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement), exists between India and the USA.

  • Joint Military Training Exercises:

    • Harimau Shakti: Joint military training exercise between India and Malaysia, held from December 5-18 in Mahajan Field, Bikaner, Rajasthan. India's Dogra Regiment led the exercise.
    • Other India-Malaysia exercises: Samudra Lakshman, Udara Shakti.
    • Garud Shakti: 10th edition of this joint exercise between India and Indonesia, held in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
    • Another India-Indonesia exercise: Samudra Shakti.

Education & Skill Development ​

  • Victoria University (Australia): Established its first India campus in Gurugram, Haryana.
    • Approval granted under India's New Education Policy 2020 (based on Kasturirangan Committee recommendations).
    • Aims to promote modern learning approaches and human capital development through skill enhancement.
  • Deakin University (Australia): Opened its first foreign campus in GIFT City, Gujarat.

Environment & Climate Action ​

  • Ozone Hole over Antarctica: A record shrinkage has been observed in the ozone hole over Antarctica.
    • The ozone layer (in the stratosphere) protects against harmful UV radiation, preventing skin cancer.
    • Ozone concentration is measured in Dobson units.
    • The ozone hole was first discovered by Fourman (England) in 1985.
    • Montreal Protocol (1987, Montreal, Canada): Established to ban ozone-depleting substances like CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons/Freon), used as coolants.
    • Kigali Agreement (2016, Kigali, Rwanda): Focuses on phasing down HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), which replaced CFCs but are potent greenhouse gases.

Arts, Culture & Festivals ​

  • 15th International Sand Art Festival: Concluded in Konark, Odisha, at Chandrabhaga Beach.
  • Karthigai Deepam Festival: Celebrated in Tamil Nadu as a festival of lights.
  • Udhouli Festival: A harvest festival celebrated in Nepal, typically around the full moon.

Defence & Industry ​

  • SIPRI Global Arms-Producing Companies Report (Top 100):
    • Lockheed Martin (USA) ranked first globally.
    • Three Indian companies were included:
      • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) - 44th
      • Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) - 58th
      • Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) - 91st

Appointments & Organizations ​

  • Interpol President: Lucas Philipp (Frenchman) appointed as the new President for a 4-year term.
    • The appointment was made during the 93rd Interpol General Assembly in Marrakech, Morocco.
    • Interpol (International Police): Established on September 7, 1923 (International Police Day), headquartered in Lyon, France, with 196 member countries.
    • Marrackesh Treaty: Related to the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
    • BharatPol: To be launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India.
  • UN Resident Coordinator in India: Stephen Prisner (Austria) appointed to this role.
  • India's Permanent Representative to the UN: Parvathneni Harish.

Economy & Finance ​

  • RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Review:
    • MPC conducts reviews every two months (six times a year) and is headed by the RBI Governor (Sanjay Malhotra).
    • MPC aims to control inflation within the target of 4% +/- 2% (2-6%), as recommended by the Urjit Patel Committee.
    • Repo Rate: Reduced by 25 basis points to 5.25% (Repurchasing Option Rate).
    • Bank Rate: 5.5%.
    • GDP Growth Rate Forecast: Increased to 7.3% for the Financial Year 2025-26 (up from a previous estimate of 6.8%).
    • Foreign Exchange Reserves: Reached a record level of $686 billion.

Sports ​

  • Jerusalem Masters 2025 (Chess):
    • Arjun Erigaisi (India) won the title, defeating Viswanathan Anand (India) in the final.
    • Viswanathan Anand is the author of "Mind Master" and the first recipient of India's highest sports award, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
    • Sarvagya Kushwaha (3 years old, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh) is the world's youngest FIDE-rated chess player.
  • Mohit Sharma Retirement: Indian cricketer Mohit Sharma retired from all formats of the game.

Observances & Initiatives ​

  • World Soil Day 2025: Celebrated annually on December 5.
    • Theme: "Healthy Soil for a Healthy City".
    • First observed in 2014.
    • Study of soil is called Pedology.
    • Ideal NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) ratio in soil is 4:2:1.
    • Soil Health Card Scheme: Launched on February 19, 2015, from Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, with the tagline "Swasth Dhara Khet Hara" (Healthy Earth, Green Farm).
  • NITI Aayog & IBM Collaboration: Issued a roadmap to position India among the top three quantum economies by 2047.

Miscellaneous Current Affairs ​

  • DRDO: Successfully conducted a test of a fighter aircraft escape system from Chandigarh.
  • Tamil Nadu: Five products from Tamil Nadu received GI (Geographical Indication) tags, bringing the state's total to 74.
  • GST Compensation Cess: To be discontinued on pan masala and tobacco/cigarettes.
  • Tax Information Exchange Global Forum: The 18th meeting was held in India.
  • Indian Navy Day: Celebrated in Kerala (The source states Kerala; Indian Navy Day is nationally celebrated on December 4).
  • India's Heritage Footfall: Taj Mahal ranked first in terms of heritage site visitors.
  • "Kashmir in the Line of Fire" (Book): Authored by Ranjan Mahajan.
  • Mukhyamantri Bharat Darshan Yojana: Launched in Bihar for secondary school students.
  • ISRO: Launched the CMS communication satellite (referred to as the country's heaviest communication satellite).