State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 17 Oct 2025

State Tourism Ministers Meet

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Tourism successfully concluded a two-day State Tourism Ministers’ Meet in Udaipur on  14th-15th October 2025.  

Key Points 

• About: The event gathered Tourism Ministers and senior officials from all States and Union Territories to collectively reshape India’s tourism landscape.  
  • This meeting was a significant step in advancing the Prime Minister's vision of “One State: One Global Destination,” a key initiative announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, aimed at developing at least one globally benchmarked tourist destination in every State and Union Territory (UT) as part of the Viksit Bharat roadmap. 
    • Selection criteria include accessibility, existing infrastructure, carrying capacity, and overall development potential. 
• Stakeholder Consultations: Over two days, discussions centred around two main strategies: Destination Development and Destination Management. 
  • States and UTs presented proposals for developing iconic destinations, aligning with the national tourism transformation agenda: 
    • Development of 50 Destinations: Focusing on private sector-led tourism hubs. 
    • Performance Linked Incentives (PLI): Introducing a PLI-based Destination Maturity Model to incentivise and reward high standards of destination management. 
• Regional Presentations: Each State/UT showcased one potential destination for development as a global tourism hub. Rajasthan, for example, proposed destinations like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Bharatpur, backed by detailed presentations on connectivity, infrastructure readiness, and projected outcomes. 
• Draft Integrated Tourism Promotion Scheme Guidelines: It also featured a focused discussion on the draft guidelines for the Integrated Tourism Promotion Scheme, aimed at positioning India as a comprehensive tourism destination in both domestic and international markets. 
  • The central government is also preparing a "Digital and Green (DG) Tourism Policy", with inputs from all states to create a unified national framework for sustainable and innovative tourism development. 

5th Edition of Samudra Shakti

Why in News? 

The Indian Navy is hosting the fifth edition of the bilateral maritime exercise Samudra Shakti with the Indonesian Navy from 14th to 17th October in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Key Points 

• About: The joint exercise aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen maritime cooperation between the two nations through a series of professional and operational engagements, both at sea and ashore. 
• Participating Units: 
  • INS Kavaratti: An anti-submarine warfare corvette from the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy. 
  • KRI John Lie: A corvette from the Indonesian Navy, equipped with an integral helicopter. 
• Harbour Phase: The harbour phase includes activities such as cross-deck visits, joint yoga sessions, friendly sports events, and professional exchanges under the Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) programme, all aimed at fostering professional interaction and camaraderie between the naval personnel of both nations. 
• Sea Phase: The sea phase will feature complex and high-tempo maritime operations aimed at improving tactical coordination between the two navies. These operations will include Helicopter manoeuvres, Air defence exercises, Weapon firing drills and Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations. 
• Significance: The exercise highlights the shared commitment of both nations towards maintaining stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region. 
• Other Military Exercises between India and Indonesia: Garuda Shakti, IND-INDO CORPAT