State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 26 Nov 2025

Dehradun’s First ‘Grey Smart Toilet’

Why in News? 

Uttarakhand has inaugurated its first Grey Smart Toilet designed specifically for senior citizens and the people with disabilities, introducing an accessible, tech-enabled sanitation unit in Dehradun. 

Key Points 

• The Grey Smart Toilet has been installed in Prem Nagar Area, Dehradun, marking the state’s first senior-citizen-centric sanitation facility. 
• The toilet equipped with sensor-based automated features, wheelchair-friendly ramps, supportive grab bars, anti-skid flooring, and low-height fixtures to ensure safety and comfort for the elderly. 
• It also includes IoT-based monitoring, automatic flushing, water-level sensors, and an app-linked dashboard for maintenance alerts, reducing manual supervision. 
• The structure uses pre-fabricated, weather-resistant material, ensuring durability in hilly terrains while maintaining ease of installation and mobility. 
• Built under a public-welfare initiative, the project aims to promote dignified and accessible sanitation, aligning with Uttarakhand’s push for people-friendly urban and rural infrastructure. 
• The model is expected to be replicated across popular pilgrim and tourist circuits in the state, such as Char Dham routes, where senior citizens form a significant visitor demographic. 

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.