State PCS - Haryana (HCS)

• 11 Nov 2025

Artificial Lake at Sirhaul

Why in News? 

The Haryana government approved a 12-acre artificial lake at Sirhaul, near Gurugram, to store monsoon runoff and recharge groundwater.

Key Points

• The artificial lake will be developed on land owned by the Haryana Tourism Department at Sirhaul border, aimed at flood-mitigation and water-conservation.
  • Sirhaul is a border village located along NH-48 at the junction between Gurugram and Delhi.
• The lake will not only address urban flooding but also enhance the city’s eco-infrastructure, reflecting a broader push for sustainable urban development in Gurugram.

18th Urban Mobility India (UMI)

Why in News? 

The 18th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2025 concluded in Gurugram, Haryana, highlighting innovations in sustainable urban transport. 

Key Points

• Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference:
  • It has been organised annually since 2008 under the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
  • It aims to promote sustainable urban mobility through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and policy dialogue.
• About the 18th Edition:
  • It was organised in Gurugram, Haryana with the theme of “Urban Development and Mobility Nexus” focusing on cleaner transport, innovative financing, and inclusivity in public transit.
  • Award Winners:

Category	Winner	Organisation
Best Public Transport System	Chennai	Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd.
Best Non-Motorized Transport System	Udaipur	Udaipur Smart City Ltd.
Most Innovative Financing Mechanism	Pimpri Chinchwad	Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation
Best Green Transport Initiative	Hyderabad	Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation Ltd.
Best Multimodal Integration (Metro Rail)	Chennai	Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.
Best Passenger Services (Metro Rail)	Delhi	Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.
Special Award – Traffic Management System	Aizawl	Town & Country Planning Dept., Mizoram

National Education Day 2025

Why in News? 

India celebrates National Education Day on 11th November, to mark the 137th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of independent India and a key architect of the nation’s modern education system.

Key Points

• National Education Day:
  • It is observed every year on 11th November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958)
  • The observance was first announced in 2008 by the then Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of Education).
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: 
  • He was born on 11th November 1888, in Mecca and later settled in Calcutta (Kolkata), where he emerged as a leading scholar and nationalist.
  • He served as India’s first Minister of Education (1947–1958) and introduced major reforms to strengthen scientific, technical, and cultural education.
  • He was instrumental in establishing the University Grants Commission (UGC), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), as well as cultural bodies like the Sahitya Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi, and Sangeet Natak Akademi.
  • In recognition of his immense contributions, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992.