Rajasthan

Appearance

Current Affairs: December 17, 2025 ​

Prabal Program and Education Initiatives ​

  • State-level Prabal Program: Organized at the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Jaipur.
  • Nodal Agency: Rajasthan School Education Council (formed September 3, 2020), under the School Education Department.
  • Prabal Program Objective: Skill development for students of classes 9-12 as per 21st-century requirements.
  • Prabal Program Launch: June 2025.
  • Rajasthan Yuva Sabha: Held on December 15, 2025, at the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly as part of the Prabal Program.
  • Shikshit Rajasthan Abhiyan (Educated Rajasthan Campaign): Launched March 29, 2025, from Kota.
  • Prakhar Rajasthan Abhiyan: Part of Shikshit Rajasthan Abhiyan, ran from September 5 to December 5, 2025, focusing on reading skill development for students of classes 3-8.

Archaeological Discoveries ​

  • Jasanagar, Nagaur: 3500-year-old rare coin-making seals (stamps) and 16 cowries found on the banks of the Luni River.
  • Other Recent Discoveries in Rajasthan:
    • Jhunjhunu: Bansiyal and Rampura (approx. 4500 years old).
    • Deeg: Behaj village.
    • Jaisalmer: Ratadia ki Beri (approx. 4500 years old, Harappan/Indus Valley Civilization remains).
    • Jaisalmer: Sadehwala area (near Ramgarh) also yielded Harappan/Indus Valley Civilization remains. (Sadehwala, Tanot, Ghotaru, Manihari Tiba are also natural gas reserves).

Operation Sindoor ​

  • Honoree: ADG Biju George Joseph, for outstanding work in Operation Sindoor.
  • Context: Operation Sindoor was a "Sashastra Air Strike" by the Indian Air Force on May 6-7, 2025, in response to a Pakistani terrorist attack in Pahalgam (April 2025).
  • Related Exercise: Operation Shield (a mock drill) was conducted on May 31, 2025, as part of Operation Sindoor.
  • Key Military Assets: BrahMos and Akash missiles, Akash Teer and Sudarshan Chakra (S-400) air defense systems.

Watershed Festival 2025 ​

  • State-level launch: Undwa village, Kota, on November 13, 2025.
  • Inaugurator: Madan Dilawar.
  • Context: Part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY – Prime Minister’s Agricultural Irrigation Scheme), a flagship scheme in Rajasthan.
  • PMKSY Details:
    • Tagline: "Har Khet ko Pani" (Water to every field).
    • Launch: July 1, 2015.
    • Objective: Promote modern irrigation equipment (e.g., drip/sprinkler systems) for water conservation.
    • Funding (for irrigation equipment subsidy): 60% Centre, 40% State (90:10 in Himalayan regions).
    • Subsidies for Farmers (on irrigation equipment purchase):
      • Small/Marginal Farmers: 55%
      • Other Farmers: 45%
  • Other notable mentions:
    • Kishangarh & Menar: Declared Ramsar Sites on June 4, 2025.
    • Devmali, Beawar: Awarded "Best Tourism Village."

Mountaineering Achievements ​

  • Mount Vinson Massif: Manasvi Agarwal (from Udaipur) hoisted the Indian flag on Mount Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak.
  • Other Notable Women from Rajasthan in Mountaineering/Sports:
    • Captain Shiva Chauhan (Udaipur): First woman deployed at the highest army post (Siachen).
    • Gaarvi Singhvi (Udaipur): Youngest to cross the English Channel.
    • Bhakti Sharma (Udaipur): First woman from Rajasthan to cross the English Channel.
    • Dholi Meena (Dausa): Hoisted flag on Mount Etna.
    • Geeta Samota (Sikar): First female CISF officer to climb Mount Everest.
    • Deepika Rathore (Didwana): Climbed Mount Everest twice, hoisted flag on Kilimanjaro.

Unique School Building ​

  • Dadal village, Jalore: A school resembling the old Indian Parliament House was built by NRI Dr. Ashok Kumar.
  • First Girls' Sainik School: Located at Jaimalsar, Bikaner.

National School Squash Competition ​

  • Event: 69th Under-19 Squash National School Competition.
  • Location: Indore.
  • Gold Medal: Won by Chhavi Saran (from Jodhpur).

Recent Current Affairs (December 15, 2025) ​

  • State-level Exhibition Inauguration (Dec 15, 2025): By Bhajan Lal Sharma.
  • PepsiCo India's "Verses of Harvest Conference and Awards 2025" (New Delhi): Rajasthan farmers Gayatri Devi and Om Prakash Sharma were honored.
  • Central Railway Ministry Approval: For a new rail corridor from Jodhpur to Pachpadra.
  • Mission Samriddhi Abhiyan: Launched by Rajeevika.
  • Flying Schools: Rajasthan government plans to operate eight flying schools.
  • Soft Variety Sugarcane: Farmer Antim Kumar Jain developed a soft variety of sugarcane cultivation from the Philippines.
  • Youth Para Asian Games 2025 (Dubai): Rajasthan athletes won six medals.