State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 06 Dec 2025

Rajasthan Begins Ferozepur Feeder Reconstruction

Why in News? 

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Ferozepur Feeder canal at Sadhuwali, marking a major initiative to strengthen irrigation facilities in northern Rajasthan. 

Key Points 

• About: The project aligns with the government’s commitment to farmer prosperity by ensuring reliable irrigation water supply to distant agricultural regions. 
• Reconstruction: The feeder’s reconstruction, costing ₹647 crore, aims to improve the diversion of surplus water from Harike Barrage and enhance irrigation reliability for both rabi and kharif crops. 
  • A separate allocation of ₹300 crore will restore the Bikaner Canal, directly benefiting lakhs of farmers and strengthening the state’s century-old canal network. 
• Automation: An investment of ₹695 crore will automate irrigation across 3.14 lakh hectares, increasing efficiency, regulating water flow, and boosting farm productivity in the command area. 
• Capacity: The upgraded Ferozepur Feeder will increase its carrying capacity from 9,000 to 13,842 cusecs, enabling storage of surplus monsoon water that would otherwise flow toward Pakistan. 
• Completion: The works, including concrete lining, reconstruction of regulators, and repairs of railway crossings, are scheduled for completion by October 2027, aligning with the canal’s historic inauguration date. 
• Centenary: The launch of works worth ₹1,717 crore coincides with the 100-year completion of the Gang Canal, originally built under Maharaja Ganga Singh and a lifeline for Rajasthan’s arid districts. 
• Legacy: The project honours Maharaja Ganga Singh’s persistent early-20th-century struggle to secure Sutlej waters for Bikaner despite strong political resistance, technical doubts, and delays caused by World War I. 

Joint Military Exercise in Rajasthan

Why in News? 

The 5th edition of the India-Malaysia bilateral military Exercise Harimau Shakti 2025 commenced in Rajasthan to enhance interoperability in counter-terrorism and peacekeeping scenarios.

Key Points 

• About: Exercise Harimau Shakti is a bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army. It focuses on jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations. 
  • Started in 2012, it reinforces India’s Act East Policy and commitment to global peacekeeping frameworks. 
• Participants in 2025: Indian Dogra Regiment and Malaysia’s 25th Battalion Royal Malaysian Army. 
• Objective & Mandate: Joint rehearsal of Sub-Conventional Operations under UN Chapter VII mandate, emphasizing counter-terrorist drills like cordon/search, heliborne operations, and casualty evacuation. Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR), combat reflex shooting and Yoga is also part of the exercise curriculum. 
  • UN Chapter VII authorizes military/non-military actions (sanctions, blockades, troop deployment) for international peace enforcement. 
• Other Military Exercises:  
  • Samudra Laksamana (bilateral maritime exercise) 
  • Udara Shakti (bilateral air force exercise). 

Amit Shah Inaugurates EARTH Summit 2025

Why in News? 

Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the EARTH Summit 2025 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, in the presence of Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and several dignitaries. 

Key Points 

• About: The EARTH Summits (three-part series) aim to strengthen the rural economy, resolve issues across four ministries linked to rural development, and produce a national policy framework by the final summit in Delhi next year. 
  • It brings together 10,000+ delegates, 1,200 corporates, 500 experts, 300 startups, and 250 exhibitors to build a collaborative framework for rural innovation, cooperative-driven growth, and PM Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. 
• Organiser: The summit is jointly organised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).  
• Digital Launches: During the event, the Home Minister launched 13+ new cooperative digital services under Sahakar Sarathi, including Digi-KCC, Cooperative Governance Index, ePACS, Grain Storage Application, Shiksha Sarathi, and technology forums to unify rural and urban cooperative banks. 
• Technology Integration: NABARD’s Sahakar Sarathi platform will place all cooperative banks under one tech umbrella, offering modern banking tools, real-time tracking, KYC, documentation, and e-KCC services comparable to global credit systems. 
• Model Replication: Gujarat’s “Cooperation Among Cooperatives” experiment, where cooperatives bank within the cooperative system has generated thousands of crores in low-cost deposits, a model set to be replicated nationally. 
• Organic & Natural Farming: India now has 49 lakh natural farmers, and 40+ organic products are available online. A national organic lab network with Amul and Bharat Organics will boost exports, aiming for 20% global market share by 2030 and 40% by 2035. 

Handicrafts Awards

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Textiles will confer the prestigious Handicraft Awards for 2023 and 2024 on 9th December 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, as part of National Handicrafts Week celebrations. 

Key Points 

• About: Instituted in 1965, the National Handicrafts Awards honour exceptional craftspersons who have enriched India’s cultural heritage through outstanding artistic excellence. 
• Dignitaries: The ceremony will be graced by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, presided over by the Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, with Shri Pabitra Margherita as Guest of Honour. 
• Shilp Guru Awards: Introduced in 2002, the Shilp Guru Awards represent the highest national recognition in the handicrafts sector, celebrating unparalleled mastery and innovation. 
• National Handicrafts Week: Observed annually from 8th–14th December, the Week includes exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations, discussions, outreach and cultural programmes to celebrate India’s artisans and craft traditions. 
• Sectoral Importance: The handicrafts sector preserves centuries-old traditions, supports millions of livelihoods, especially in rural and semi-urban India—and plays a key role in national export earnings.