Rajasthan

Appearance

Legislative & Policy Updates ​

  • Online Gaming Promotion and Regulation Bill 2025:
    • Passed by Parliament to regulate online gaming, especially fantasy games like Dream11.
    • Penalties:
      • For organizations promoting online games: 3 years imprisonment or ₹1 crore fine.
      • For advertisers of online games: 2 years imprisonment and ₹50 lakh fine.
    • Aims to combat financial fraud, depression, and suicides among youth due to online gaming.
    • Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, confirmed the bill's passage.
  • 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill (Upcoming):
    • Passed by Lok Sabha on August 20, 2025.
    • Allows for the removal of ministers or Chief Ministers from their posts if arrested and jailed.
  • India-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Free Trade Agreement:
    • India is pursuing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EAEU (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia).
    • Conditions for negotiation have been signed, indicating the start of discussions for an FTA.
  • Pulses Self-Reliance Mission:
    • Central Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a six-year mission to achieve self-reliance in Arhar (Tur), Masoor, and Urad dals.
  • Jalalabad Renamed Parshuram Puri:
    • The Central government approved renaming Jalalabad city in Uttar Pradesh to Parshuram Puri.
    • The city was named after Jalaluddin Akbar; the new name honors Lord Parshuram.
    • Other recent name changes:
      • Allahabad: Prayagraj
      • Foy Sagar Lake (Ajmer): Varun Sagar Lake
      • Rajpath: Kartavya Path
      • Old Parliament House: Samvidhan Sadan
      • Fort William (Kolkata): Vijay Command
      • Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar): Shri Vijayapuram
  • Uttarakhand Disbands Madrasa Board:
    • Uttarakhand abolished its Madrasa Board and established an "Minority Education Authority" in its place.
    • This aligns with the state's Uniform Civil Code (UCC), ensuring a unified education system for all minority groups (Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs, etc.).
    • The new authority will have 12 members and hold a meeting every three months.
    • This change relates to Constitutional Articles 29 (protection of language, culture, script) and 30 (establishment and administration of educational institutions by minorities).
  • Jammu & Kashmir LG's Nomination Power:
    • According to the Union Home Ministry, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir (currently Manoj Sinha) has the authority to nominate five members to the legislative assembly.
    • This power is based on the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019 (when J&K and Ladakh were made UTs on October 31, 2019).
    • This decision has sparked a potential dispute between the executive and judiciary.

Science & Technology ​

  • Uranus Moon Discovery (S 2025 U1):
    • NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered Uranus's 29th moon, named S 2025 U1.
    • The moon is approximately 6 miles wide.
    • The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021 by NASA, Europe, and Canada, replaced the Hubble Telescope.
    • Uranus, along with Venus, rotates in the opposite direction compared to other planets in the solar system.
  • UIDAI & Starlink Partnership:
    • The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has partnered with Starlink (Elon Musk's company).
    • The partnership aims to facilitate seamless Aadhaar-based customer verification, especially in areas with poor internet connectivity, using Starlink's satellite-based internet services.
    • Related: The Puttaswamy case affirmed "Right to Privacy" as a fundamental right in the context of Aadhaar.
  • Agni-5 Ballistic Missile Test:
    • India successfully test-fired the Agni-5 ballistic missile from the Chandipur test range in Odisha.
    • It is an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5000 km.
    • The missile incorporates MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle) technology, allowing it to hit multiple targets with a single launch.
    • It possesses "Fire and Forget" capability.
    • Historical context: The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP), initiated by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in 1983, developed five missiles: Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Nag, and Akash. Prithvi and Agni are surface-to-surface missiles.
  • Artificial Sun: China is credited with creating the artificial sun (EAST Tokamak).
  • Artificial Photosynthesis for Rocket Fuel: China has produced oxygen in space using artificial photosynthesis for rocket fuel.
  • Srijanam Biomedical Waste Treatment Plant: India's first operational biomedical waste treatment plant, Srijanam, has been established in Delhi.

Sports & Events ​

  • First Khelo India Water Sports Festival:
    • Commenced in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, from August 21-23, 2025.
    • Mascot: Himalayan Kingfisher, symbolizing courage, energy, and connection with nature.
    • Events include canoeing, rowing (boat racing), water skiing, Shikara Race, and Dragon Race.
  • Other Khelo India Games (2025):
    • Khelo India Youth Games: Held in Bihar, with Maharashtra topping the medal tally. Mascot: Gaj Singh.
    • Khelo India Beach Games: Held in Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, with Manipur topping for the first time.
    • Khelo India University Games: To be held in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
    • Khelo India Para Games: Held in Delhi, with Haryana securing the top position. Mascot: Ujjwala (a sparrow).
    • Khelo India Winter Games: Held in Gulmarg (J&K) and Ladakh.
  • 38th Surajkund International Crafts Mela: Held in Faridabad, Haryana.
  • 8th Indian Ocean Conference: Held in Oman.
  • Exercise Aquaverin: A joint military exercise between India and Maldives.
  • Exercise Dharma Guardian: A joint military exercise between India and Japan.

Economy & Banking ​

  • PNB First Public Sector Bank on .bank.in Domain:
    • Punjab National Bank (PNB) became India's first public sector bank to migrate its corporate website to the .bank.in domain.
    • This move aims to enhance cybersecurity and reduce financial fraud due to increased security features of the new domain.
  • Makhana Board: Established in Bihar by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Other Important News ​

  • Global Domestic Flight Load Ranking: India secured the first position, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) report.
  • UN Global Compact Initiative: GMR Airport Group joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative.
  • Vijay Durg Command: Indian Army's Fort William (Kolkata) was renamed Vijay Durg Command.
  • AI-generated Child Abuse Material: England became the first country to declare AI-generated child abuse material as a criminal offense.
  • First AI University in India: To be established in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
  • First White Tiger Breeding Center: To be started in Madhya Pradesh.
  • N. Biren Singh Resignation: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh reportedly resigned from his post.
  • 28th National Conference on E-Governance:
    • To be held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in September 2025.
    • Theme: "Viksit Bharat: Contribution of Civil Services in Digital Transformation."
    • The 27th conference was held in Mumbai in 2024; the first was in Hyderabad in 1997.
  • Languages in Lok Sabha Translation Services: Several languages, including Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu, and Sanskrit, have been included in the Lok Sabha's translation services.
  • Book "I Am": Launched by Gopichand Hinduja of the Godrej Group.
  • MAGA + MIGA: Refers to "Make America Great Again" (USA) and "Make India Great Again" (India) in the context of India-USA relations.
  • India-USA Subsea Cable Project: Meta (Facebook, Instagram) announced a 500 km long subsea cable project between India and the USA.
  • Committee for New Income Tax Bill: A 31-member committee, headed by Baijayant Panda, was formed to review the new Income Tax Bill.
  • The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: Natarajan Chandrasekaran was honored with this UK civilian award.
  • Thiruvalluvar Statue: A statue of the famous Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar was unveiled in the Philippines on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
  • South Central Railway Women Leadership: South Central Railway made history by entrusting five major departments to women leaders.
  • Begging Criminalization: Indore was the first city to declare begging a criminal offense.
  • WHO Withdrawal: Argentina withdrew its membership from the WHO, following the USA.