• Indian Navy's First Female Fighter Pilot

  • Aastha Punia, a student of Vanasthali Vidyapeeth, became the Indian Navy's first female fighter pilot.
  • She is a Sub Lieutenant in the Navy.
  • Originally from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, she received her education in Rajasthan (Ajmer, Jaipur, and Vanasthali Vidyapeeth, Tonk).

• Other Notable Indian Women in Defense

  • Operation Sindoor: Represented by Vamika Singh and Colonel Sofia.
  • Shiva Chauhan (Udaipur): First Indian female officer deployed at the highest altitude.
  • Avani Chaturvedi: India's first female fighter pilot.
  • Mohana Singh (Jhunjhunu): Rajasthan's first female fighter pilot and the first to fly the Tejas aircraft.
  • Pratibha Punia (Churu): Another female fighter pilot from Rajasthan.
  • Priya Sharma (Jhunjhunu): Another female fighter pilot from Rajasthan.
  • Sandhya Mehla (Jhunjhunu): Led the Agniveer women's contingent parade on Indian Army Day 2024 in Pune.

• Van Mahotsav Inauguration

  • Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the Van Mahotsav program on July 7, 2025.
  • The inauguration took place at Mukundra Hills Sanctuary, Kota.
  • This initiative is part of the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 5, 2024.

• Related Green Initiatives in Rajasthan

  • "Hariyalo Rajasthan" (Green Rajasthan) Program: Launched on August 7, 2024, from Jaipur.
    • Aims to plant 10 crore saplings in 2025-26.
    • Targets planting 50 crore saplings over the next 5 years.

• Key Wildlife Sanctuaries and Parks in Rajasthan

  • Mukundra Hills Sanctuary, Kota: Location of Rajasthan's third Tiger Project (established 2013). Site where remnants of early humans were found.
  • Keoladeo Sanctuary, Bharatpur: Designated as a Ramsar Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known as the "heaven for birds."
  • Ranthambore Sanctuary, Sawai Madhopur: Rajasthan's first National Park and the site of the state's first Tiger Project.
  • Tal Chhapar, Churu: Renowned for blackbucks and the presence of a sweet grass variety called "Mothiya."

• Camel Race Championship 2025

  • The first edition of the Camel Race Championship 2025 was organized on July 7, 2025, in Pushkar, Ajmer.
  • It was inaugurated by Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat.

• Pushkar, Ajmer - Key Features

  • Pushkar Lake: Features 52 ghats, with Goshat being the most sacred. It is considered Rajasthan's most ancient and holy lake.
  • Savitri Mata Ropeway.
  • Shilpgram (Crafts Village).
  • Hot Air Balloon operations: Conducted under the National Air Games/Adventure Tourism initiatives (also in Jaipur).
  • Tent City: Currently being developed as a tourist attraction.
  • Brahmlok Corridor: Under development, modeled after the Mahakal Corridor.

• Other Notable Places

  • Hameergarh, Bhilwara: Site of a new Flying Training Institute and a designated Reserve Area.
  • Chauhatan, Barmer: Renowned for its gum (Gond) production.
  • Sam, Jaisalmer: Known as "Rajasthan's Thunder Bolt," it is a vegetation-free village where a Tent City has been developed.

• Miss Universe India Beauty Pageant

  • Jaipur will host the Miss Universe India 2026-27 Beauty Pageant.

• Rajasthan's First Community Reserve

  • Menar, located in Udaipur, will be developed as Rajasthan's first Community Reserve.
  • A Community Reserve implies local people voluntarily dedicating their land for conservation and wildlife protection.

• Recent Ramsar Site Inclusions

  • On June 4, 2025, two locations in Rajasthan were designated as Ramsar Sites:
    • Khichan (Phalodi)
    • Menar (Udaipur)

• Ramgarh Crater, Baran: Recognized as India's first Geo-heritage Site.

• Kabir Yatra in Japan

  • The Kabir Yatra, which recently commenced in Osaka, Japan, is being led by the Malang Sansthan of Bikaner.
  • The leadership for this yatra is provided by Gopal Singh.

• Key Art and Cultural Institutions in Rajasthan (with establishment years)

  • Rajasthan Lalit Kala Akademi, Jaipur: Established 1957.
  • Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi, Jodhpur: Established 1957.
  • Rupayan Sansthan, Borunda, Jodhpur: Established 1960 by Komal Kothari.

• Wushu Federation of Asia Cup (China)

  • Rajasthan players secured three medals at the Wushu Federation of Asia Cup held in China:
    • Nitika Bansal: Bronze medal.
    • Jaanvi Mehra: Bronze medal.
    • Mahak Sharma: Silver medal.

• 38th National Games (Uttarakhand)

  • Rajasthan Contingent: 421 members.
  • Team Leader: Om Prakash Nitharwal.
  • First Medal for Rajasthan: Monica Jat (Silver in Cycling).
  • Medal Distribution: Rajasthan won medals in 19 different sports.
  • Dominant Sport: Wushu accounted for the highest number of medals (12) and gold medals (4) for Rajasthan.
  • Overall Ranking: Rajasthan secured the 15th position in the medal tally.
  • Total Medals: 43 (9 Gold, 11 Silver, 23 Bronze).
  • Notable Gold Medalists:
    • Shubham Gaura (Wushu)
    • Nitika Bansal (Wushu)
    • Mahak Sharma (Wushu)
    • Neelam Chaudhary (Wushu)
    • Yashvardhan (Archery)
    • Rajat Chauhan (Archery)
    • Pradyuman Singh Rathore (Canoeing)
    • Anantjeet Singh Naruka (Shooting)
    • Kabaddi Team
    • Harcharan Singh (Weightlifting)

• Miscellaneous Current Affairs Updates

  • Council of Architecture, India: Ritu Singh has been elected as a member of its executive committee.
  • Jaipur International Airport: Has been made paperless.
  • Jodhpur Nano-technology: Nano-technology has been developed in Jodhpur for cleanliness and infection control.
  • Indian Railways (Jodhpur Division): Developed indigenous speedometer analysis software.
  • Jodhpur Central Jail: National Commission for Women Chairperson, Vijay Rahatkar, inspected the female prisoners here.
  • Chhabra Power Plant (Baran): Recently discussed for coal supply.
  • 32nd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championship: Rajasthan players participated in this championship.