Agricultural Developments

• New Mustard Varieties:
  • Bharat Sarson 7 (DMRS 15035): An early-maturing variety for cultivation in Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
  • Bharat Sarson 8 (DMRS 116540): A heat-tolerant variety for cultivation in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir.
  • Developer: Indian Mustard Research Center (IMRC), Sevar, Bharatpur.
    • Established: October 20, 1993.
    • Designated as a Directorate: February 2009.
    • Operating under: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
    • Current Director: Vijay Veer Singh.
• Malabar Neem Cultivation:
  • Achievement: Successful production of Malabar Neem in Rajasthan's climate.
  • Institution: Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur.
    • Purpose: Malabar Neem yields tall trees (up to 20 meters) suitable for plywood and paper industries, unlike smaller native neem varieties.
    • Development led by: Dr. Dheeraj Singh (recipient of the National Agricultural Scientist Award).
    • CAZRI was established as 'Maru Vanikaran' in 1952, renamed 'Maru Vanikaran evam Mrida Sanrakshan' in 1957, and 'CAZRI' in 1959.
    • CAZRI has five regional offices: Pali, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Bhuj, and Ladakh.
    • CAZRI's Pali office developed a mango variety that thrives in saline water.
• Other Agricultural Institutions Mentioned:
  • Rajasthan Agriculture Research Institute (RARI): Jaipur.
  • Shri Narendra Karan Krishi Vishwavidyalaya: Jobner, Jaipur.
    • Developed fennel variety RF 290.
    • Hosts Rajasthan's Second Veterinary University.
  • Maharana Pratap Technical and Agricultural University: Udaipur.
  • Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI): Jodhpur.
    • Established: 1988.
    • Operating under: Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).

Water Management

• Yamuna Water Project:
  • Objective: To store monsoon waters, generate electricity, and provide drinking water and irrigation to participating states.
  • New Dam Construction:
    • Renuka Ji Dam in Himachal Pradesh.
    • Lakhwar Dam in Uttarakhand.
  • Total Project Cost: Approximately ₹11,320 crore.
  • Rajasthan's Contribution: Rajasthan's share is approximately ₹215 crore, with ₹95 crore recently sanctioned by the state government.
  • Beneficiaries in Rajasthan: Provides drinking water and irrigation to Churu, Jhunjhunu, and Sikar districts.
  • Water Allocation to Rajasthan: 577 cubic meters.

Education and Social Initiatives

• Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University (MDSU), Ajmer:
  • New Vice Chancellor: Professor Suresh Kumar Agarwal.
  • Establishment: August 1, 1987.
  • Significance: It is the first state university in Rajasthan to make Rajasthani language compulsory.
• Other University Appointments Mentioned:
  • Professor Akhil Ranjan Garg: Vice Chancellor of Bikaner Technical University, noted as the first Vice Chancellor in Rajasthan to be appointed via transfer.
  • Bhagwati Prasad Saraswati: Vice Chancellor of Kota University.
• NREGA Akhar Campaign:
  • Objective: To make NREGA (now MNREGA) workers literate.
  • Initiated by: Jaipur District Administration.
  • MNREGA Background:
    • Launched as NREGA: February 2, 2006.
    • Renamed MNREGA: October 2, 2009.
    • Guarantees 100 days of employment.
    • Job cards issued within 15 days.
    • Employment provided within 15 days of application, or unemployment allowance is given.
    • Work provided within a 5 km radius; if further, a 10% daily wage allowance is given.
    • In Rajasthan: 125 days of work are provided (100 guaranteed + 25 extra for those requesting more after completing 100 days). Sahariya, Kathodi tribes, and differently-abled individuals are guaranteed 150 days of work.

Sports and Awards

• Scout Guide President's Award (2018-2021):
  • Recipients (Rovers category): Yatin Verma and Dinesh Kumar Empa.
  • Categories: Scout (boys) and Guide (girls), further categorized by age:
    • 5-10 years: Cub (boy), Bulbul (girl).
    • 10-17 years: Scout (boy), Guide (girl).
    • 17-25 years: Rovers (boy), Rangers (girl).
• Ocean Man Competition (Malaysia):
  • Event: 10 km swimming.
  • Winner from Rajasthan: Sandeep Tak (from Jodhpur).

Other Current Affairs

• Indian Vice President: Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post on July 21.
• Travel+Leisure Best Awards 2023: Jaipur was included among the world's top cities.
• Bisalpur Dam: Located on the Banas River.
• Youth Exchange Program (Kazakhstan): Naman Choudhary represents India as a Youth Brand Ambassador.
• Film City Construction: The state government is collaborating with the Bikaner District Administration for this project.
• NCERT National Symposium (New Delhi): Sheela Asupa from Rajasthan presented a project.
• 20th Asian Roller Skating Championship (Korea): Shubham Pawar from Rajasthan was named captain of the Indian team.