State PCS - Haryana (HCS)

• 26 Nov 2025

Watchtowers in Aravallis

Why in News? 

Two new watchtowers are set to be constructed in the Aravalli region of Gurugram to strengthen surveillance, prevent illegal activities, and improve forest protection efforts. 

Key Points 

• About the Watchtowers: 
  • The Forest Department has approved construction of two elevated watchtowers planned in the Mangar Bani and Dhauj belts. 
  • It will enhance monitoring across vulnerable stretches of the Gurugram–Aravalli landscape, which faces encroachment, mining, tree felling, and illegal dumping, especially in eco-sensitive pockets such as Gairatpur Bas, Gwal Pahari, and Mangar. 
  • Officials plan to integrate the watchtowers with camera-based monitoring, enabling forest guards to track movement, detect intrusions, and coordinate with beat staff more effectively.
    
• About Aravalli Range: 
  • The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest fold mountain systems in the world, stretching across Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi. 
  • It acts as a natural barrier preventing desertification from the Thar Desert toward the Indo-Gangetic plains. 
  • The range hosts critical ecosystems such as dry deciduous forests, scrublands, and supports species like Indian leopard, striped hyena, sambar, and Indian peafowl. 
  • Aravallis play a crucial role in groundwater recharge, climate regulation, and reducing urban heat island effects in NCR. 
  • Major threats include illegal mining, urbanisation, encroachment, pollution, and habitat fragmentation.

Exercise SURYAKIRAN (2025)

Why in News? 

The 19^th edition of India–Nepal Joint Military Exercise SURYAKIRAN-XIX began on 25^th November 2025 at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. 

Key Points 

• About Exercise SURYAKIRAN: 
  • Exercise SURYAKIRAN is a bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the Nepal Army, held annually, with hosting duties alternating between the two countries. 
  • It aims to enhance interoperability, strengthen military diplomacy, and deepen India–Nepal defence cooperation. 
  • The exercise primarily focuses on counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, and jungle/mountain warfare terrain common to both armies. 
  • It is conducted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which deals with peacekeeping duties related to threats to peace, breaches of peace, and counter-terrorism scenarios.
    
• About the 2025 Edition: 
  • The 2025 edition of the exercise is being hosted at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, from 25^th November to 08^th December, 2025. 
  • The Indian contingent comprises 334 personnel, mainly from the Assam Regiment while the Nepalese contingent also includes 334 personnel, primarily from the Devi Datta Regiment. 
  • The 2025 edition highlights incorporation of niche and emerging military technologies, such as: 
    • Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) 
    • Drone-based ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) 
    • AI-enabled decision-support tools 
    • Unmanned logistics vehicles 
    • Armoured protection platforms 

Nayi Chetna 4.0 Campaign

Why in News? 

The Union Minister for Rural Development, alongside the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, launched ‘Nayi Chetna 4.0’, a national campaign under the DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission). 

Key Points 

• The fourth edition of Nayi Chetna – Initiative for Change focuses on strengthening women’s safety, mobility, dignity, and socio-economic participation, especially in rural India. 
• The campaign will run nationwide from 25th November to 23rd December 2025, led by the extensive network of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM. 
• Emphasis given on elimination of substance abuse, which was termed a major cause of domestic violence, and village-level campaigns for violence-free communities. 
• The initiative stresses women’s voices in governance, safe public spaces, shared domestic responsibilities, and recognition of women’s economic roles.
  

DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission) 

• The DAY-NRLM was launched in 2011 and later restructured in 2015 to strengthen its implementation framework and outreach. The mission is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. 
• The scheme aims to reduce rural poverty by promoting self-employment, skill development, and sustainable livelihoods through Self-Help Groups (SHGs). 
• It primarily focuses on mobilizing rural women into SHGs, providing them with credit linkages, capacity-building support, and enhanced access to markets. 
• It includes key components such as financial inclusion, digital literacy, and the diversification of livelihood activities to improve and stabilize household incomes in rural areas.