State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 12 Nov 2025

‘Maru Jwala’ Drills in Rajasthan

Why in News? 

The Indian Armed Forces conducted the ‘Maru Jwala’ phase of Operation Trishul on 11th November, 2025, in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, as part of the country’s largest tri-services exercise. 

Key Points 

• Maru Jwala Exercise: 
• The exercise featured T-90 Bhishma tanks, precision missile launches, UAV surveillance, and live-fire drills, testing the Army–Air Force joint combat strategy for desert operations. 
• It demonstrated real-time coordination between land and air forces, validating the integrated theatre command approach. 
• Agadawa Air Strip: 
• The 3 km long Agadawa Air Strip, located on National Highway 925A in Barmer district, about 40 km from the Pakistan border, hosted emergency landing and take-off drills in this exercise involving Rafale, Tejas, and Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets. 
• Originally inaugurated in September 2021, the strip is India’s first national highway-based emergency landing facility, built jointly by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

India’s First MWh-Scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB)

Why in News? 

Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs inaugurated India’s first megawatt-hour (MWh) scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) in Greater Noida. 

Key Points 

• About: 
  • The 3 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) is developed by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)’s NETRA (National Energy Technology Research Alliance)  
  • It aims to demonstrate Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) technology for large-scale renewable energy integration and grid stability. 
• Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB): 
  • It uses vanadium ions in different oxidation states to store and discharge electricity efficiently. 
  • The system offers long operational life, and excellent scalability compared to lithium-ion batteries. 
  • Non-flammable electrolytes make it safer for large-scale energy storage applications. 
  • It is well-suited for grid-scale renewable energy storage, microgrids, and peak-load management. 
  • VRFBs are increasingly viewed as a sustainable alternative for integrating intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind into the grid.