Economy of Rajasthan

What the official syllabus says

RPSC, RAS/RTS Preliminary Examination, General Knowledge and General Science, under “Economy of Rajasthan”:

• Macro Overview of Economy and State budget.
• Current Status, Issues and Government Initiatives of Agriculture, Industry and Service Sector.
• Infrastructure Development: Energy, Transportation and Communication.
• Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and State Finance Commission.
• Basic Social Services – Education and Health.
• Major Welfare Schemes of Government of Rajasthan.

The figures for this page change every year. Read them from the latest Economic Review of Rajasthan and the State Budget, and learn trends and shares rather than single numbers.

Topics in detail

Macro overview and the state budget

• Gross State Domestic Product: size, growth, sectoral shares (agriculture, industry, services), per capita income compared with India
• Sources: the Directorate of Economics and Statistics and the annual Economic Review of Rajasthan
• State budget: receipts (own tax revenue including state GST, excise, stamp duty, mining royalty; share in central taxes; grants), expenditure (committed, development), deficits
• Fiscal responsibility: the Rajasthan Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005; debt position
• The state’s long-term vision document (Viksit Rajasthan 2047)

Agriculture and allied sectors

• Status: rainfed farming, crop pattern, productivity; Rajasthan’s place in bajra, oilseeds, seed spices, guar, wool and milk
• Issues: low rainfall and droughts, groundwater depletion, small holdings, soil salinity, marketing
• Initiatives: micro-irrigation and farm ponds, crop insurance, agricultural marketing and agro-processing policies, organic farming, the dairy co-operative network (Saras), animal husbandry

Industry

• Industrial structure: mineral-based industries (cement, marble and stone, zinc smelting), textiles, gems and jewellery, handicrafts, automobiles (Neemrana-Bhiwadi), food processing
• Institutions: RIICO (industrial areas and infrastructure), Rajasthan Financial Corporation, Bureau of Investment Promotion; single-window clearance
• Policies: investment promotion schemes, MSME policy, export and logistics policies; investment summits
• Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor in Rajasthan; special economic zones (Sitapura, Mahindra World City); the refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra (Balotra)
• Issues: water scarcity, distance from ports, skilled labour

Service sector

• Tourism (heritage, desert, wildlife, religious), trade, transport, banking and IT services
• Education hubs (Kota), health services, e-governance

Infrastructure: energy, transport, communication

• Energy: thermal (Suratgarh, Kota, Chhabra, Kalisindh), lignite-based plants, nuclear (Rawatbhata), hydro (Chambal and Mahi); renewable energy: solar parks (Bhadla) and wind (Jaisalmer, Barmer); Rajasthan as a leading state in solar power
• Power utilities: generation, transmission and the three distribution companies (Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur)
• Transport: national highways and expressways (including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway), state highways, rural roads; railways (North Western Railway, headquarters Jaipur); airports; RSRTC; dedicated freight corridor
• Communication: BharatNet, Rajasthan State Data Centre, e-Mitra kiosks, Jan Aadhaar, Raj Sampark (grievances)

Rural development, Panchayati Raj and the State Finance Commission

• Rural development programmes: MGNREGA, rural housing, rural livelihoods (Rajeevika), sanitation, drinking water (Jal Jeevan Mission)
• Panchayati Raj institutions as implementing agencies; devolution of funds, functions and functionaries
• State Finance Commission (Articles 243-I and 243Y): role in sharing state revenue with panchayats and municipalities

Basic social services: education and health

• Education: literacy and enrolment, gender gaps, school education programmes (Samagra Shiksha, mid-day meal), higher and technical education
• Health: indicators (infant and maternal mortality), public health infrastructure (sub-centres, PHCs, CHCs, medical colleges), free medicines and tests, health insurance
• Specific issues: fluorosis, silicosis among mine workers, malnutrition, anaemia

Major welfare schemes of the Government of Rajasthan

• Learn the current schemes by group: girl child and women, social security pensions, food security, health insurance, education and scholarships, employment and skills, farmers, tribal areas, persons with disabilities
• Long-running examples: Palanhar Yojana (care of orphaned and vulnerable children), Mukhyamantri Nishulk Dava Yojana (free medicines), Jan Aadhaar as the delivery platform
• For each scheme: year, objective, beneficiaries, benefit, implementing department

Overlaps

Mains Paper I (Unit II, Part C) covers the Economy of Rajasthan; welfare schemes also appear under current affairs in Mains Paper III.