Rajasthan

• 03 Mar 2025

Aaju Goja

Why in News? 

On 22-23 February 2025, the first Children's Festival 'Aaju Guja' was organized in Bikaner, Rajasthan. 

 Key Points 

• About the Festival: 
  • The festival was organised by the district administration , in which more than 50 artists from across the country participated. 
  • During the festival children were introduced to dance, music, painting and many other art forms. 
• Arts and Crafts Activities: 
  • The festival captivated children with a vibrant array of performances, including puppetry, storytelling, theatre, painting, mime, clown acts, magic shows, ventriloquism, Kavad, bioscope, and folk music and dance. 
  • An exhibition of children's literature books was also organised by various publishers , prominent among them being Pratham, National Book Trust, Eklavya, Amar Chitra Katha, Adidev, Raj Comics, and Callastic. 

National Book Trust (NBT) 

• NBT, India is an apex body established by the Government of India (Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development) in the year 1957. 
• The objectives of the NBT are: 
  • to produce and encourage the production of good literature in English, Hindi and other Indian languages. 
  • to make such literature available at moderate prices to the public. 
  • to bring out book catalogues, arrange book fairs/exhibitions and seminars and take all necessary steps to make the people book minded. 

Exercise Desert Hunt 2025

Why in News? 

The Indian Air Force conducted an integrated Tri-Service Special Forces exercise, Exercise Desert Hunt 2025, at Air Force Station Jodhpur from February 24 to 28, 2025. 

 

Key Points 

• Participation of Special Forces: 
  • This exercise brought together elite Para (Special Forces) of the Indian Army, Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Indian Navy, and Garud (Special Forces) of the Indian Air Force. 
  • These units operated in a simulated combat environment, executing joint missions. 
• Objectives and Key Focus Areas: 
  • The exercise aimed to enhance interoperability, coordination, and synergy among the three Special Forces units. 
  • It focused on ensuring a swift and effective response to emerging security challenges. 
  • The exercise featured a range of high-intensity drills, including: 
    • Airborne insertion 
    • Precision strikes 
    • Hostage rescue operations 
    • Counter-terrorism missions 
    • Combat free falls 
    • Urban warfare scenarios 
  • The Special Forces operated under realistic conditions to test their combat readiness. 
• Supervision and Strategic Significance: 
  • Senior military officials supervised the exercise to validate joint operational doctrines. 

The exercise reinforced the Indian Armed Forces' commitment to national security by promoting seamless inter-service cooperation.