Rajasthan

Appearance

Five-Year Plans of India

  • First Five-Year Plan (1951-1956):
    • Began on April 1, 1951.
    • Based on the Harrod-Domar model, with its blueprint prepared by K.N. Raj.
    • Primary focus was on agriculture.
    • Achieved 3.6% growth against a target of 2.1%.
  • Second Five-Year Plan (1956-1961):
    • Based on the Mahalanobis model.
    • Emphasized heavy industries.
    • Established major iron and steel plants: Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Rourkela (Odisha), and Durgapur (West Bengal).
    • Achieved 4.27% growth against a target of 4.5%.
  • Third Five-Year Plan (1961-1966):
    • Based on the Sukhamoy Chakravarty model.
    • Aimed at development in both agriculture and industry.
    • Impacted by India-China War (1962) and India-Pakistan War (1965), leading to failure to meet targets.
    • "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" slogan was coined.
    • Food Corporation of India (FCI) was established in 1965.
  • Plan Holiday (1966-1969):
    • A three-year gap due to poor economic conditions.
    • One-year plans were implemented during this period.
    • Green Revolution was initiated to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains.
  • Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969-1974):
    • Based on the Ashok Rudra model, with its blueprint prepared by D.R. Gadgil.
    • Objective: economic growth with stability and promotion of self-reliance.
    • India-Pakistan War occurred in 1971.
    • India conducted its first nuclear test (Operation Smiling Buddha) in Pokhran, Gujarat, in 1974.
    • 14 banks were nationalized in 1969.
  • Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-1978):
    • Based on the D.P. Dhar model.
    • Primary objective: poverty eradication ("Garibi Hatao").
    • Unique as it was the only plan to be terminated one year early, in 1978.
  • Rolling Plan (1978-1980):
    • Introduced after a change in government (Janata Party).
    • Concept attributed to Gunnar Myrdal globally (in his book "Asian Drama").
    • Implemented in India by Lakdawala.
    • Consisted of two one-year plans.
  • Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-1985):
    • Based on the Input-Output model.
    • Objectives: employment generation and poverty eradication.
    • NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) was established in 1982.
    • Six more banks were nationalized in 1980.
    • Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984.
    • Operation Blue Star and Operation Meghdoot (Siachen) took place in 1984.
  • Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-1990):
    • Objective: social justice with modernization.
    • Slogan: "Roti, Rozgar, Utpadakta" (Food, Work, and Productivity).
    • SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) was established in 1988.
  • Plan Holiday (1990-1992):
    • A two-year gap due to economic instability.
    • India faced a foreign exchange crisis.
    • New Economic Policy (LPG - Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization) was adopted in 1991 under PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and FM Dr. Manmohan Singh.
  • Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-1997):
    • Based on the John W. Miller model.
    • Focused on human resource development, influenced by the HDI concept (1990-91).
    • 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (Panchayati Raj and Nagara Palika) were passed in 1992.
    • WTO (World Trade Organization) was established on January 1, 1995.
  • Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002):
    • Objective: economic growth with social justice and equality.
    • Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) launched on December 25, 2000.
    • Kargil War occurred during this period.
  • Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-2007):
    • Based on the Input-Output model.
    • Objective: social justice and equity with development.
    • Achieved 7.6% growth, the highest recorded until this plan.
    • NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) was enacted in 2005 and implemented nationwide on February 2, 2006.
  • Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-2012):
    • Objective: "Rapid and Inclusive Growth."
    • Achieved 8% growth, the highest ever GDP growth rate for India.
    • Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009 was implemented from April 1, 2010.
  • Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-2017):
    • The final Five-Year Plan.
    • Objective: "Rapid, Sustainable, and Inclusive Growth."
    • Targeted 4% growth in agriculture.
    • Aimed for a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1% (replacement rate).

Important Constitutional Schedules of India

  • First Schedule: Lists states (28) and Union Territories (8).
  • Second Schedule: Deals with salaries, allowances, and pensions of high-ranking officials.
  • Third Schedule: Contains forms of oaths or affirmations.
  • Fourth Schedule: Allocates seats for states and Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha.
  • Fifth Schedule: Provisions for administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes (SC and ST regions).
  • Sixth Schedule: Provisions for administration of Tribal Areas in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
  • Seventh Schedule: Distributes powers between the Union and States through Union List, State List, and Concurrent List.
  • Eighth Schedule: Lists 22 official languages of India (originally 14).
    • Sindhi added by 21st Amendment.
    • Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani added by 71st Amendment.
    • Bodo, Dogri, Santhali, Maithili added by 92nd Amendment.
  • Ninth Schedule: Deals with land reforms; added by the 1st Constitutional Amendment (1951).
  • Tenth Schedule: Contains anti-defection provisions; added by the 52nd Constitutional Amendment.
  • Eleventh Schedule: Relates to Panchayati Raj; added by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment (effective April 24, 1993), comprising 29 subjects.
  • Twelfth Schedule: Relates to Nagar Nikay (Urban Local Bodies); added by the 74th Constitutional Amendment, comprising 18 subjects.

Important Constitutional Articles of India

  • Article 1: Name and territory of the Union (India).
  • Articles 5-11: Citizenship.
  • Article 14: Equality before law (Right to Equality).
  • Article 17: Abolition of Untouchability.
  • Article 18: Abolition of Titles.
  • Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of speech and expression.
  • Article 21: Protection of life and personal liberty.
  • Article 21A: Right to Education (added by 86th Amendment).
  • Article 24: Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc. (Right against Exploitation).
  • Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion.
  • Article 32: Remedies for enforcement of Fundamental Rights (Constitutional Remedies), called "Soul of the Constitution" by B.R. Ambedkar. Allows filing of writs in Supreme Court.
  • Article 37: Application of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs are non-justiciable).
  • Article 38: State to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of the people (Welfare State).
  • Article 39A: Equal justice and free legal aid (added by 42nd Amendment).
  • Article 40: Organization of village panchayats.
  • Article 44: Uniform Civil Code.
  • Article 47: Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.
  • Article 50: Separation of judiciary from executive.
  • Article 51: Promotion of international peace and security (India's foreign policy).
  • Article 51A: Fundamental duties (added by 42nd Amendment, 1976, on recommendations of Swaran Singh Committee).
  • Article 52: The President of India.
  • Article 53: Executive power of the Union.
  • Article 54: Election of President (electoral college).
  • Article 55: Manner of election of President (proportional representation by means of single transferable vote).
  • Article 56: Term of office of President (5 years).
  • Article 60: Oath or affirmation by the President (administered by CJI).
  • Article 61: Procedure for impeachment of the President.
  • Article 63: The Vice-President of India.
  • Article 64: The Vice-President to be ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha).
  • Article 71: Matters relating to, or connected with, the election of a President or Vice-President (disputes decided by Supreme Court).
  • Article 72: Power of President to grant pardons, etc., and to suspend, remit, or commute sentences (including death penalty).
  • Article 76: Attorney-General for India (current: R. Venkataramani).
  • Article 108: Joint sitting of both Houses in certain cases (convened 3 times so far).
  • Article 110: Definition of "Money Bills".
  • Article 112: Annual financial statement (Budget).
  • Article 123: Power of President to promulgate Ordinances.
  • Article 124: Establishment and constitution of Supreme Court (Judges, tenure, appointment, removal, oath).
  • Article 129: Supreme Court to be a court of record.
  • Article 143: Power of President to consult Supreme Court.
  • Article 148: Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) (current: Girish Chandra Murmu).
  • Article 153: Governors of States.
  • Article 161: Power of Governor to grant pardons, etc. (except death sentence and court-martial).
  • Article 165: Advocate-General for the State.
  • Article 213: Power of Governor to promulgate Ordinances.
  • Article 214: High Courts for States.
  • Article 215: High Courts to be courts of record.
  • Article 226: Power of High Courts to issue certain writs.
  • Article 239AA: Special provisions with respect to Delhi (added by 69th Amendment).
  • Articles 243-243O: Provisions relating to Panchayats (added by 73rd Amendment).
  • Article 246A: Special provision with respect to Goods and Services Tax (GST) (added by 101st Amendment).
  • Article 263: Provisions with respect to an Inter-State Council (headed by Prime Minister).
  • Article 266: Consolidated Funds and public accounts of India and of the States.
  • Article 267: Contingency Fund of India (at the disposal of the President).
  • Article 280: Finance Commission (15th FC Chairman: N.K. Singh).
  • Article 300A: Right to property (removed from Fundamental Rights by 44th Amendment, now a legal right).
  • Article 315: Public Service Commissions for the Union and for the States (UPSC).
  • Article 324: Superintendence, direction, and control of elections to be vested in an Election Commission.
  • Article 338: National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
  • Article 338A: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (added by 89th Amendment).
  • Article 343: Official language of the Union (Hindi).
  • Article 352: Proclamation of National Emergency.
  • Article 356: Provisions in case of failure of constitutional machinery in States (President's Rule).
  • Article 360: Provisions as to Financial Emergency.
  • Article 368: Power of Parliament to amend the Constitution and procedure therefor (in Part XX).
  • Article 370: Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir (partially abrogated).

Recent Current Affairs

  • Appointments/Awards/Achievements:
    • Michelle Donati: First woman appointed to the position of Astronomer Royal in Britain in 350 years.
    • Pushpendra Singh: New Deputy Chief of Army Staff.
    • Sanjay Vatsayan: 47th Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.
    • "12th Fail": Awarded Best Feature Film at the 71st National Film Awards.
    • Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey: Best Actor at 71st National Film Awards.
    • Rani Mukerji: Best Actress at 71st National Film Awards.
    • Nitin Gadkari: Honored with the 43rd Lokmanya Tilak Award.
    • Vedika Bhansali: Won US Kids Golf World Champion Award in the Under-9 category.
    • Magnus Carlsen (Norway): Won the first Chess E-Sports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
    • Dr. Ademola Adunola (Nigeria): Winner of the first Global M.S. Swaminathan Award 2025.
    • S. Radha Chauhan: New Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission.
    • Sara Tendulkar: Brand Ambassador for Australia Tourism.
  • National Events/Policies:
    • Hong Kong returned Buddha relics associated with Piprahwa Stupa, Uttar Pradesh, after 127 years.
    • Indian Army conducted "Divya Drishti" high-altitude technology exercise in Sikkim.
    • "Kavach 4.0": Technology aimed at preventing train accidents.
    • India's first Make in India 1 MW Green Hydrogen plant established in Kandla (Gujarat).
    • SRY Gene Test: Discussed for sex determination, particularly in relation to transgender identity at birth.
    • Rajasthan's "Gavri" festival (40-day cultural and spiritual Bhil festival) began on Rakshabandhan.
    • New rare blood group CRRBG discovered in Bengaluru.
    • India won a Bronze medal in the 2025 World Junior Team Squash Championship after 13 years (featuring Anahat Singh).
    • First indigenous Hovercraft for the Indian Coast Guard was built in Goa.
    • Kerala became the first state to launch a pilot project for a "Faceless GST" Act.
    • Punjab lifted a 28-year-old ban on traditional sports like bullock cart and pigeon racing.
    • "HOPE Mission": ISRO's project for simulating lunar life conditions, launched in Ladakh.
    • "Apna Ghar" initiative for truck drivers launched by the Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry.
    • Gomti Nagar Railway Station (Uttar Pradesh) became the first private railway station in the state.
    • New India Cooperative Bank merged with Saraswat Cooperative Bank.
    • Indian Navy conducted its first naval exercise near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea with the Philippines.
    • India ranked 5th in the world's largest aviation market by IATA (International Air Transport Association).
    • WHO-ICH workshop on Herbal Drug Safety and Regulation held in Ghaziabad.
    • India's first FIFA Talent Academy for girls launched in Hyderabad by FIFA and AIFF.
    • Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi inaugurated "Agnishodh Anusandhan Prakoshth" (fire research cell) at IIT Madras.
    • "Operation Sahyog": Joint effort by Assam Rifles and IAF in Manipur to aid villages cut off by landslides.
    • Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project: Located in Jammu & Kashmir on the Chenab River.
    • Bengaluru ranked 26th in the Global AI City Index 2025.
    • Hepatitis D declared carcinogenic by WHO.
    • Moldova became the 107th member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
    • NITI Aayog launched the India Electric Mobility Index.
    • Lok Sabha passed a bill to provide Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation in the Goa Assembly.
    • Eravikulam National Park (Kerala) recorded the highest Nilgiri Tahr population in a joint census with Tamil Nadu.
    • "Mukhyamantri Nijut Mohini Asomi Yojana 2.0": Launched in Assam for promoting girls' higher education.
    • Kheerganga River in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, experienced flash floods due to heavy rainfall.
    • Repo Rate determined by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) stood at 5.5%.
    • Punjab became the first state to include sign language experts in panels under the Juvenile Justice Act.
    • Nickel, Copper, and Platinum Group Element deposits discovered in Bhalukona-Jamini D block, Chhattisgarh.
    • IIT Palakkad launched "Tutorz," an AI-powered teaching app for competitive exam students.
    • Patna, Bihar, topped the first District Flood Vulnerability Index.
    • India's first I-STEM Catalyst Center established at NIT Calicut.
    • Gujarat was the top exporter in FY 2024-25, according to the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO).
    • Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrated its 8th anniversary on August 8, 2024 (established Aug 8, 2016).
    • The second edition of UN Women's "Seleads" program was held in Delhi.
    • Tata Autocom announced the acquisition of IAC Group in Slovakia.
  • International Events:
    • Cambodia adopted Assam's "Hargila Army" conservation model for biodiversity.
    • Noted economist Meghnad Desai passed away in England.
    • Klyuchevskoy and Shiveluch volcanoes erupted in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
    • Australia's orbital rocket "Aries" had an unsuccessful test launch.
    • Lu Sho appointed as the new acting Prime Minister of Myanmar.
    • 3rd UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries held in Turkmenistan.
    • 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games will be hosted by Malta.
    • Myanmar's acting President U Mintsew passed away at 74.
    • 12th World Games 2025 to be held in Chengdu, China.
    • Argentina won gold in both men's and women's categories at the 2025 Pan American Hockey Cup.
    • International Seabed Authority (ISA) held its 30th session in Kingston, Jamaica.
    • USA's AST SpaceMobile's 6500 kg BlueWorld communication satellite to be launched by ISRO.
    • First BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival held in Delhi.
    • INF Treaty (1987) between USA and Russia was discussed (Russia had withdrawn).
    • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) certified an 829 km "mega flash lightning" record from a 2017 storm in the USA.
    • India was made a special guest at the 38th Bogota International Book Fair in Colombia.
    • Jason Huon topped Fortune's 2025 list of the Top 10 Most Powerful Business Leaders.
  • Important Days:
    • World Wide Web Day: August 1 (commemorates Tim Berners-Lee's invention).
    • National Handloom Day: August 7.
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Shibu Soren: Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and founder of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, passed away.
    • R. Kaushik: Author of "The Rise of The Hitman," a book on cricketer Rohit Sharma.