Rajasthan

Appearance

Census 2011 ​

  • Genesis and Milestones:

    • First census in India: 1872 during Viceroy Mayo's tenure.
    • First scientific/decadal census: 1881 during Viceroy Ripon's tenure. This established the 10-year interval.
    • First Census Commissioner of India: W.C. Plowden.
    • The 2011 Census was the 15th census in overall series and the 7th since India's independence (from 1951).
    • The decade 1911-1921 is known as the "Great Divide" year (महाविभाजक वर्ष) due to a decline in population growth caused by famines and epidemics.

  • Key Data (2011 Census):

    • Commissioner: C. Chandramouli.
    • Motto: "Our Census, Our Future" (हमारी जनगणना, हमारा भविष्य).
    • Total Population: 121.09 crore (second globally after China at the time, now India is first).
    • Decadal Growth (2001-2011): 17.7%.
    • Gender Distribution:
      • Male: 51.47%
      • Female: 48.53%

  • Geographical Area (States/UTs):

    • Largest State (Area): Rajasthan (after Chhattisgarh was separated from MP in 2000).
    • Smallest State (Area): Goa.
    • Largest UT (Area): Ladakh.
    • Smallest UT (Area): Lakshadweep.

  • Population (States/UTs):

    • Highest Population (States):
      1. Uttar Pradesh (16.51% of India's population)
      2. Maharashtra (9.28%)
      3. Bihar (8.6%)
      4. West Bengal (7.54%)
    • Lowest Population (States):
      1. Sikkim (0.05%)
      2. Mizoram (0.09%)
      3. Arunachal Pradesh (0.11%)
      4. Goa (0.12%)
    • Highest Population (UT): Delhi.
    • Lowest Population (UT): Lakshadweep.

  • Decadal Growth Rate (States):

    • Highest Growth Rate: Meghalaya (27.9%)
    • Lowest/Negative Growth Rate: Nagaland (-0.6%) - The only state with negative growth.

  • Population Density:

    • India's Density: 382 persons/km².
    • Highest Density (States):
      1. Bihar (1106 persons/km²)
      2. West Bengal
      3. Kerala
      4. Uttar Pradesh
    • Lowest Density (States): Arunachal Pradesh (17 persons/km²).
    • Highest Density (Overall/UT): Delhi (significantly higher than states like Bihar).

  • Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 Males):

    • India's Sex Ratio: 943.
    • Highest Sex Ratio (States):
      1. Kerala (1084) - Only state with >1000.
      2. Tamil Nadu
    • Lowest Sex Ratio (States): Haryana (879).

  • Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years):

    • Highest Child Sex Ratio: Arunachal Pradesh (972).
    • Lowest Child Sex Ratio: Haryana (834).

  • Literacy Rate:

    • India's Literacy Rate: 73%.
      • Male: 80.09%
      • Female: 64.60%
    • Highest Literacy Rate (States): Kerala (94%).
    • Lowest Literacy Rate (States): Bihar (61.80%).

  • Rural & Urban Population:

    • Highest Rural Population (Percentage of state population): Himachal Pradesh (90%).
    • Highest Urban Population (Percentage of state population): Goa (62.2%).
    • Highest Urban Population (Numbers/Counting): Maharashtra (5.08 crore), followed by Uttar Pradesh.

  • Scheduled Castes (SC) Population:

    • Highest SC Population (Numbers): Uttar Pradesh (~5.25 crore).
    • Highest SC Population (Percentage of state population): Punjab (31.9%).

  • Scheduled Tribes (ST) Population:

    • Highest ST Population (Numbers): Madhya Pradesh (~1.5 crore).
    • Highest ST Population (Percentage of state population): Mizoram (94%).

International & National Current Affairs ​

  • Bulgaria and Eurozone:

    • Bulgaria will become the 21st member of the Eurozone on January 1, 2026.
    • The Eurozone consists of EU member states that have adopted the Euro as their currency.
    • Bulgaria's current currency is Lev; its capital is Sofia.
    • The Euro currency started in 2002.
    • The European Union was established by the Treaty of Rome.
    • To exit the EU, a country follows the Treaty of Lisbon (e.g., Brexit by UK).
    • The UNESCO meeting in 2025 will be held in Bulgaria.

  • Awards & Recognition:

    • 72nd Miss World Title (2025): Won by Opal Suchata (Thailand), held in Hyderabad.
    • Prime Minister Modi's International Honors: PM Modi received the highest civilian honors from four countries during a recent five-nation tour (Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Brazil, Namibia).
      • Brazil: Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross. Brazil also hosted the 17th BRICS Summit. Brazil's capital is Brasília. Coffee plantations are called 'Fazenda', and the coffee port is Santos. Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer; in India, Karnataka is the largest.
      • Ghana: Highest award from Ghana (capital Accra).
      • Trinidad & Tobago: Highest award from Trinidad & Tobago (capital Port of Spain).
      • Namibia: Order of the Most Ancient Mirabilies. Namibia's President is Nangolo Mbumba, capital Windhoek.
      • Previous awards received by PM Modi include those from Cyprus, Nigeria, Kuwait, Bhutan, France, Russia, Greece, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Palau.
    • Knightwood Title: Awarded to famous footballer David Beckham by the King of England (King Charles III) on his birthday.
    • UN Sasakawa Award 2025 (Disaster Risk Reduction): Awarded to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra (known for predicting cyclones).

  • Health & Medicine:

    • Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Peers Initiative: Launched by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its President Masatsugu Asakawa (not Masato Kanda as mentioned). It aims to establish a peer-to-peer learning platform for UHC in the Asia Pacific region, providing health coverage to vulnerable populations.
      • ADB was established in 1966, headquartered in Manila, Philippines, with 69 member countries (69th is Israel).
    • Cortem - First Malaria Drug for Neonates: Developed by Novartis company, it is sweet-tasting and milk-soluble for easy administration to infants.
      • Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasite, affects RBCs/spleen, symptoms include chills and fever. Quinine (from Cinchona tree) is a traditional medicine. Transmitted by female Anopheles mosquito. Ronald Ross discovered its transmission. Suriname recently declared malaria-free.
      • Hepatitis is a liver disease; the HeviSur vaccine was developed for it.
      • Diarrhea is caused by the Rotavirus.
    • CM Sehat Yojana (Punjab): Launched by CM Bhagwant Mann (Aam Aadmi Party) and Arvind Kejriwal. Provides annual cashless health insurance of ₹1 lakh to all families in Punjab. It will start from October 2, 2025, benefiting 65 lakh families.

  • Sports & Championships:

    • 53rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championship (2025): To be held in Jakarta, Indonesia in October 2025. First time in Southeast Asia. 86 countries to participate. Organized by the Asian Sport Federation (established 1949 in Delhi).
    • National Para Archery Championship: Held in Beijing, China. China ranked first, India second (9 medals: 3 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze). Harvinder Singh won gold.
    • European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Tabletop Exercise: Held in Mumbai, India.
    • 18th Indian Premier League (IPL) Season: Won by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the first time, captained by Rajat Patidar.
    • 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum: Held in Brazil.
    • ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: To be hosted by India.
    • World Police and Fire Games 2025 (USA): Hosted in Alabama, USA. India won 650 medals, with Uttar Pradesh police winning the highest number from India (95 medals, including 45 gold).
    • Asmita Weightlifting Scheme: Launched by Mansukh Mandaviya from Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh, to increase women's participation in sports.
    • French Open 2025: Men's singles won by Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), women's singles by Coco Gauff (USA).
    • Anahat Singh (Squash): Awarded Women's Young Player of the Season.
    • Paris Public Swimming: Allowed in the Seine River for the first time since 1923.

  • Defense & Technology:

    • Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket (ERASR): Successfully tested from INS Kavaratti. Designed to neutralize enemy submarines. Developed by DRDO's Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune. Features an electronic time fuse.
    • Nistar (Indian Navy): India's first indigenous diver support vessel, commissioned in Visakhapatnam. Manufactured by Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
    • Vasarodh: Short-range Air Defense System.
    • Samar: Surface-to-Air Missile for Assured Retaliation.
    • Gandiva: New name for Astra, a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile.
    • Dassault Aviation & Tata Rafael Fighter Fuse Production: Will be done in Hyderabad, India.
    • India's First Indigenous, Government-Supported AI Model: BharatGPT (Large Language Model).

  • Government & Economy:

    • New Development Bank (NDB) Latest Members: Colombia and Uzbekistan. Headquartered in Shanghai, led by Dilma Rousseff.
    • WTO: Established January 1, 1995, headquartered in Geneva. Formerly GATT (1948).
    • WHO: Established April 7, 1948, headquartered in Geneva. World Health Day is celebrated on April 7.
    • Permanent Observer to UN General Assembly 80th Session: Annalena Baerbock (Germany).
    • PM's Economic Advisory Council Chairman: Mahendra Dev.
    • First E-commerce Company to Receive RBI Non-Banking Financial Company License: Flipkart.
    • Bangladesh: Removed the image of its "Father of the Nation" from currency notes and abolished the title.
    • India's UN Security Council (2026-27) Non-Permanent Member: India was chosen.
    • UN Security Council President (July): Pakistan.
    • Five New Non-Permanent Members of UNSC: Latvia, Bahrain, Colombia, Liberia, and Congo Democratic Republic.
    • 16th Finance Commission Part-Time Member: T. Ravishankar. Arvind Panagariya is the current chairman.
    • C-CARES 2.0 Digital Platform: Launched by the Coal Ministry.

  • Environment & Heritage:

    • World's Highest Rail Arch Bridge: On the Chenab River, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link. Length 1315 meters, height 359 meters. (Correction: Length was stated as 1350, then corrected to 1315).
    • Climate Change Performance Index 2025: India's rank is 10th.
    • National Ramsar Sites (Latest Additions): Khichan (Phalodi) and Mainal (Udaipur) in Rajasthan. Total 91 Ramsar sites.
    • UN Ocean Conference 2025: To be held in France.
    • Vatsala, Asia's Oldest Elephant: Died at 100 years old in Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.
    • Madhav Tiger Reserve: 58th and latest Tiger Reserve in India, located in Madhya Pradesh.
    • Ratapani Tiger Reserve: 57th Tiger Reserve in India, located in Madhya Pradesh.
    • Simlipal National Park: India's 107th and latest National Park, located in Odisha.
    • Vande Ganga Water Conservation Campaign: Started in Rajasthan.
    • Daujli Hading (Neolithic Site): Located in Assam.

  • Culture & Events:

    • Kheer Bhawani Mela: Held in Jammu & Kashmir.
    • Operation Sindoor Memorial Park: Established in Kutch, Gujarat, commemorating Operation Sindoor (May 7, 2025, when India destroyed nine enemy hideouts).
    • Sangatamanava Vyavasthapan (Book): Authored by Nitin Gadkari.
    • Mount Etna Volcano: Erupted in Italy (also Mount Vesuvius).
    • Confessions of a Shakespeare Addict (Book): Launched by Modi V.S. Ravi in Hyderabad.
    • Smog from Mosquitoes: Associated with Andhra Pradesh.
    • World Biofuel Day: July 7.
    • Paedophryne amauensis (smallest fish): Discussed as an example of a small creature with a long name.
    • National e-Governance Award 2025 (Gram Panchayat Digital Governance category): Gold medal to Rohini Gram Panchayat of Maharashtra.
    • Anderson Tendulkar Trophy: Name for the cricket series between India and England (formerly Pataudi Trophy).
    • Agriculture Technology Innovation Center: To be established in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to educate people on new agricultural techniques.
    • King Suheldev Memorial: Inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh. King Suheldev defeated Ghaznavi general Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud in 1033.
    • First Vande Bharat Rail Maintenance Depot: To be in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
    • International Sports Day: Celebrated on June 11.