Rajasthan

Appearance

  • Current Affairs Coverage: Current affairs will be covered after the main course completion by June 15th. The June timeframe dictates the inclusion of relevant current events.

  • Current Affairs Quick Facts:

    • The Indian Navy conducted its first multinational joint exercise ("Exercise Aakami") with Tanzania.
    • The salary of central government MPs has increased to ₹1.24 lakh.
    • Ajay Seth has been appointed the new Finance Secretary.
    • The new business limit for micro enterprises in the MSME sector is ₹10 crore.
    • The "Kukrail Night Safari" is located in Lucknow.
    • The "Karumbi" goat is found in Kerala.
    • The Sigma Festival takes place in Goa.
    • India won both the men's and women's Kabaddi World Cups.
    • Vicky Kaushal has been made a brand ambassador for Tata Motors.
    • The Ganga and Sharada rivers are being promoted for religious tourism in Uttarakhand.
    • The "Desert Hunt" integrated tri-service special forces exercise was held in Rajasthan.

  • Military Exercises: India, France, and UAE conducted the "Desert Knight" trilateral air exercise.

  • India-Singapore Agreement: India and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding for a green and digital shipping corridor.

  • Government Initiatives:

    • The central government increased the salary of parliamentarians to ₹1.24 lakh.
    • The central government appointed Ajay Seth as the new finance secretary.
    • A new turnover limit of ₹10 crore was set for micro enterprises in the MSME sector.
    • The Indian Navy conducted a multinational joint exercise "Ekam" with an African nation (Tanzania).

  • Other Current Events:

    • The Kumbhi goat, measuring 1.3 feet tall, is found in Kerala.
    • The Sigma Festival was held in Goa.
    • India won both the men's and women's Kabaddi World Cups.
    • Vicky Kaushal was appointed brand ambassador for Tata Motors.
    • The "Integrated Trishakti Special Forces Exercise Desert Hunt" was held in Rajasthan.
    • The government is promoting religious tourism along the Ganga-Sharda rivers in Uttarakhand.

  • State Formation Dates:

    • Chhattisgarh: November 2000
    • Jharkhand: November 2000
    • Telangana: June 2, 2014
    • Uttarakhand: 2000 (Note: The lecture mentions the movement predates the state's formation.)

  • Current Events:

    • The Chipko Movement's 50th anniversary (26 March 1974).
    • Inauguration of a Geology Museum in Gwalier by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
    • Chhattisgarh Police receiving the President's Colour from Home Minister Amit Shah.
    • Construction of a UDAN passenger cafe at Kolkata Airport.
    • "Desert Knight" trilateral air exercise involving India, France, and UAE.
    • India and Singapore signing a letter of intent for a green and digital shipping corridor.
  • Chipko Movement:
    • 51st anniversary observed on March 26th, commemorating the 1973 event in Uttarakhand.
    • Led by Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna. Involved hugging trees to protect them.
    • Gaura Devi also participated.
  • Khejrili Movement (Rajasthan, 1730):
    • Led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi to protect Khejri trees in Khejrili, Jodhpur (Rajasthan).
  • Narmada Bachao Andolan:
    • Started by Medha Patkar.
  • State Formation Dates:
    • Uttarakhand: 2000
    • Chhattisgarh: November 2000
    • Jharkhand: November 2000
    • Telangana: June 2, 2014
  • Assam:
    • Granting Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) to the Moran community, originally from Arunachal Pradesh but residing in Assam, particularly Dibrugarh.
    • PRCs will grant access to employment and educational opportunities.
  • Sports:
    • D. Gukesh won the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, defeating Ding Liren.
  • Ayurveda:
    • 10th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo was inaugurated in Uttarakhand.
  • Technology:
    • Google launched a revolutionary quantum chip.
  • Politics:
    • François Bayrou is the new Prime Minister of France.
  • Committees:
    • S. Ravi Bhat chaired a committee following his farewell from the Supreme Court.
  • Awards:
    • Madhav Gadgil received the Champions of the Earth Award from the United Nations in the Lifetime Achievement category.
  • Cricket:
    • Sami Silwa was appointed as the chairman/President of the Asian Cricket Council.
  • Handball:
    • Japan won the 20th Asian Women's Handball Championship, hosted in India.
  • Time Person of the Year:
    • Donald Trump (Male)
    • Poornima Devi Verman (Female)
  • National Task Force:
    • A national task force has been formed by the Supreme Court of India to address student suicides and mental health issues in higher education. Justice Ravindra Bhatt will head the task force.
- **National Task Force on Student Mental Health:**
    - Formed by the Supreme Court of India to address rising student suicides and mental health concerns.
    - Headed by former Justice Ravindra Bhatt.
    - Focuses on pressure in higher education institutions.

- **Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025:**
    - Hosted in Patna, Bihar.
    - Men's final: India (Gold) vs. Japan (Silver). India's first gold.
    - Women's: Thailand (Gold), India (Bronze).
    - 5th edition, 21 teams. Originated in Malaysia.
    - India's medal tally: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 5 Bronze (7 total).

- **WTA Player of the Year 2024:** Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus).

- **Merriam-Webster Word of the Year 2024:** Polarization.

- **Kerala's J.C. Daniel Award 2023:** Saji N. Karun.

- **India's First Integrated Residual Management City:** Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

- **Vulture Conservation Center:** Established in Maharajganj.

- **East Business Summit:**
    - Seventh edition inaugurated by Conrate Sangma in Shillong.
    - North Eastern Council headquarters is in Shillong (established 1971).

- **INS Sushil Commissioning:** Commissioning ceremony of INS Sushil (multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate) in Russia. Rajnath Singh participated.

- **Indira Gandhi Peace Prize:** Veronica Michelle (Chile) received the 24th Indira Gandhi Peace Prize.

- **Bima Sakhi Yojana:** Launched by Prime Minister Modi in Haryana.

- **Mount Kanlaon Eruption:** Mount Kanlaon volcano erupted in the Philippines.

- **Meghalaya:**
    - Mawsynram: Highest rainfall globally (Khasi Hills).
    - Cherrapunji: Known for high rainfall (Khasi Hills).
    - Shillong: Capital of Meghalaya.
    - Festivals: Cherry Blossom, Behdienkhlam, 100 Drum Festival (Bangla Mahotsav).

- **INS Sumedha:** Commissioning ceremony in Russia. Rajnath Singh attended.
```- **Act East Business Show:**
    - Seventh edition launched in Shillong, Meghalaya.
    - Inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
    - Three-day festival aimed at boosting trade and investment.
    - First held in 2014.

- **North-Eastern States' Statehood:**
    - Arunachal Pradesh: Became a state in 1987.
    - Nagaland: Became a state in 1963.
    - Manipur, Tripura, and Meghalaya: Became states in 1972.
    - Mizoram: Became a state in 1987.
    - Sikkim: Became a state in 1975.

- **Meghalaya:**
    - Three hill ranges: Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia.
    - Mawsynram and Cherrapunji (located in the Khasi Hills) receive the highest rainfall in the world.
    - Capital: Shillong.

- **Appointments:**
    - Sanjay Malhotra appointed as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

- **Chemical Formula of Voting Ink:**
    - Silver Nitrate (AgNO3).

- **Google's New Security Engineering Center:**
    - Established its second security engineering center in Asia, located in Hyderabad.

- **New App for Public Distribution System:**
    - The "Annachakra" app was launched to optimize the supply chain of the Public Distribution System.

- **World Meditation Day:**
    - The UNGA designated December 21st as World Meditation Day.

- **New Banknote and Passport Ink:**
    - Developed jointly by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, and the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali.
    - Uses SR2 BiF7 nanoparticles.
    - Purpose: Prevent counterfeit banknotes and enhance passport security.

- **Indian Banknote Printing Locations:**
    - Nasik (Maharashtra)
    - Dewas (Madhya Pradesh)
    - Mysore (Karnataka)
    - Salboni (West Bengal)

- **Meaning of "Nano":**
    - 1 nano = 10<sup>-9</sup> meters.
*   **Indian Forest Survey Report:**

    *   18th edition reports 25.17% of India's area is covered by forests and trees.
    *   Highest growth was in Chhattisgarh.
    *   Madhya Pradesh has the largest area.
    *   Lakshadweep has the highest percentage.
    *   Released every two years from Dehradun.
*   **New Criminal Laws:**

    *   Chandigarh was the first city to fully implement the new criminal laws (replacing IPC and CrPC).
*   **Navy Day:**

    *   The annual Navy Day celebrations were held in Visakhapatnam on December 4th.
*   **Maharashtra Chief Minister:**

    *   Devendra Fadnavis is the Chief Minister.
    *   Eknath Shinde is the Deputy Chief Minister.
*   **Asia Cup Hockey:**

    *   India won the 5th Asia Men's Junior Hockey Cup, defeating Pakistan.
*   **New Security Ink:**

    *   BARC and the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, jointly developed a new security ink (SR2Bi7 Strontium Bismuth Fluoride nano particles)
    *   To combat counterfeit currency and enhance passport security.
    *   Will be used in printing banknotes and passports.
*   **Forest Land Diversion:**

    *   1734 sq km of forest land diverted in India between 2014-15 and 2023-24 for development and non-forest uses.
    *   Madhya Pradesh had the highest diversion, followed by Odisha.
*   **European Space Agency's PROBA-3 Satellite Launch:**

    *   Launched using PSLV-C59.
*   **Oxford Word of the Year 2024:**

    *   "Goblin mode"
*   **New University in Gujarat:**

    *   The Tribhvan Sahakari Vishwavidyalaya bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha.
    *   It will be established in Anand, Gujarat.
    *   Named in honor of Tribhuvandas Patel, considered the father of cooperative movement in India and founder of Amul.
    *   Amit Shah presented the bill.
*   **White Revolution (Operation Flood):**

    *   Dr. Verghese Kurien is credited with spearheading the White Revolution (Operation Flood).
    *   His birthday (November 26th) is celebrated as National Milk Day, while World Milk Day is on June 1st.
*   **World Maritime Conference:**

    *   The 24th World Maritime Conference was held in Tamil Nadu.
*   **Rayatu Bharosa Yojana:**

    *   The Rayatu Bharosa scheme, aimed at boosting farmer welfare, has been launched by Telangana.
*   **Space Debris Mitigation:**
    *   India's Digantara and Bellatrix Aerospace, along with Japan's Astroscale, are collaborating to address space debris and the Kessler Syndrome.

*   **Lunar Exploration:**
    *   The LUPEX mission (Lunar Polar Exploration) is a collaboration between ISRO and JAXA.
    *   An agreement between ISRO and JAXA also exists for Chandrayaan-5.
    *   Japan launched LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite.

*   **Sports:**
    *   Pawan Kaimpeli won a bronze medal at the first Asian Esports Games in Thailand.
    *   Syed Modi International Badminton Tournament:
        *   Women's Singles: P.V. Sindhu
        *   Men's Singles: Lakshya Sen

*   **Infrastructure:**
    *   The Pamban 2.0 vertical rail bridge is located in Tamil Nadu.

*   **Transportation:**
    *   Uber Shikara service launched in Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

*   **Education:**
    *   India's first cooperative sector university, Tribhuvan Cooperative University, will be established in Anand, Gujarat. The Ministry of Cooperation, headed by Amit Shah, is responsible.

*   **New Development Bank:**
    *   Indonesia is the ninth member of the New Development Bank.
    *   Dilma Rousseff is the current president of the New Development Bank.

*   **Latest Members of International Organizations:**
    *   Asian Development Bank: Israel
    *   ASEAN: Timor-Leste
    *   G20: African Union
    *   SCO: Belarus
    *   NATO: Sweden

*   **WTO:**
    *   Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was re-elected as the Director-General of the WTO.

*   **Military Exercises:**
    *   Harimau Shakti is a joint military exercise between India and Malaysia.
    *   "Samudra Lakshman" also takes place between India and Malaysia.

*   **Judicial Officers Retirement Age:**
    *   Andhra Pradesh increased the retirement age of judicial officers from 60 to 61 years.

*   **BRICS:**
    *   Four new members (Egypt, Ethiopia, UAE, and Iran) recently joined BRICS. Saudi Arabia is considering membership.
    *   BRICS Summit 2025: Held in Brazil.
    *   There are now 10 members in BRICS, with Indonesia being the latest addition.

  • Indonesia Joins New Development Bank: Indonesia became the newest member of the BRICS New Development Bank.

  • Space Debris Removal Partnership: Japan's Astroscale partnered with Bengaluru-based Digantara and Bellatrix for space debris removal.

  • India's First Cooperative University: A bill to establish India's first cooperative university in Gujarat was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

  • Forest Land Diversion: 1734 kilometers of forest land diverted for development and non-forest use over the past 10 years.

  • New Anti-Counterfeiting Ink: Indian scientists developed a new ink with double security features using SR2 BiF nanoparticles to prevent counterfeit notes.

  • Seventh Act East Business Show: Meghalaya's Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, inaugurated the seventh Act East Business Show in Shillong.

  • India Wins First Gold in Sepak Takraw: The men's regu team won India's first gold medal at the Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025.

  • National Task Force Formation: The Supreme Court formed a national task force headed by Justice S. Ravindra Bhat.

  • Assam Grants PRC to Moron Community: The Assam government announced granting permanent resident certificates (PRC) to members of the Moron community in Arunachal Pradesh.

  • 51st Anniversary of Chipko Movement: The 51st anniversary of the Chipko movement was observed on March 26, 2025.

  • India-Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor: India and Singapore signed a letter of intent for a green and digital shipping corridor.

  • Nobel Prizes Awarded to Indians:

    • 1913 Literature: Rabindranath Tagore (Gitanjali)
    • 1930 Physics: C.V. Raman (Raman effect/scattering of light)
    • 1968 Medicine: Har Gobind Khorana (genetic code)
    • 1979 Peace: Mother Teresa (aid to the suffering)
    • 1983 Physics: Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (structure and evolution of stars; Chandrasekhar limit)
    • 1998 Economics: Amartya Sen (welfare economics)
    • 2001 Literature: V.S. Naipaul (In a Free State)
    • 2009 Chemistry: Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (structure of the ribosome)
    • 2014 Peace: Kailash Satyarthi & Malala Yousafzai (children's rights)
    • 2019 Economics: Abhijit Banerjee (poverty reduction)

  • The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel:

    • Established in 1968, first awarded in 1969 to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen.
    • 2023 Award: S. Mougallu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson (for contributions to understanding the importance of social institutions for economic prosperity).

  • 1901 Nobel Prizes:

    • Literature: Sully Prudhomme, for literature that confronted historical traumas and highlighted the fragility of human life.
    • Peace: Henri Dunant and Frédéric Passy.

  • Japanese Peace Nobel Prize (Year Unspecified): Awarded to the Nihon Hidankyo group, a group of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for their work preventing future use of nuclear weapons.

  • Economics Nobel Prize:

    • Established in 1968, first awarded in 1969.
    • 1969 recipients: Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen.
    • Recipients unspecified in this chunk, but mentioned to have received the award for contributions to national prosperity and demonstrating the importance of social institutions.

  • Nobel Prizes Awarded in specific fields (2023 or unspecified):

    • Medicine: Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discovery of modified mRNA.
    • Physics: Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, and Yann LeCun for their work on artificial neural networks. In 1901, it was awarded to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen for the discovery of X-rays.
    • Chemistry: David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for their work on protein structure prediction. In 1901, it was awarded to Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff.
    • Literature: Han Kang, a South Korean author, for her work exploring historical trauma and the fragility of human life. In 1901, it was awarded to Sully Prudhomme.
    • Peace: The Nihon Hidankyo group, a Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors, for their work in preventing the future use of nuclear weapons. In 1901, it was awarded to Jean Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy.
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  - **Physiology or Medicine:** Gary Ruvkun and Victor Ambros for discovery of microRNAs.
  - **Physics:** Geoffrey E. Hinton and John Hopfield for work on neural networks.
  - **Chemistry:** David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for work on protein structure prediction.
  - **Literature:** Han Kang, a South Korean author.

- **Historical Note:** The Nobel Prize was first awarded in 1901 in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. The Economics prize was added in 1968 (first awarded in 1969). The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the prizes (except for the Peace Prize, awarded in Norway) on December 10th.