Rajasthan cabinet postpones RAS mains; decides no holiday on January 22

Jaipur, Jan 18: With an eye on wooing youth voters for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the newly elected Rajasthan Cabinet, in its first decision today, postponed the Rajasthan Administrative Service exam, providing significant relief to students who have been agitating for it in the past few days.

In a turnaround from other states, Rajasthan will not observe any holiday on January 22. Instead, the state will celebrate the 'Pran-Prathisthan' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on that day with devotion and enthusiasm.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma convened his first-ever Cabinet meeting today, a month after assuming charge. His ministers were sworn in on December 30, causing a delay in the inaugural Cabinet meeting.

With the affirmative decision to postpone the RAS main exams, students originally slated to take the exam on Jan 27-28 express their natural elation. Over the past few days, these students have been staging a dharna at the Rajasthan University premises, advocating for the rescheduling of exams due to insufficient preparation time this year. Their demands also included urging the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) to release an exam calendar akin to the UPSC. The government has now acceded to this request, providing students with a clearer understanding of their exam schedule.

Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena addressed the students, stating that the postponement was agreed upon because approximately 40% of the students, who had cleared the RAS preliminary exams and might be employed elsewhere, were engaged in election duties. Consequently, they did not have sufficient time to prepare for the mains.

It is noteworthy to recall that voters in the age group of 18 to 39 years will play a crucial role in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In the recent Assembly elections, they exerted influence over 132 seats out of the total 200, constituting 51% or more of the total electorate. At least 2,73,90,107 youth voters fall within this age bracket.

In another significant development, the government is poised to establish an investigation committee to scrutinize the decisions of the Congress government over the last six months. The committee is anticipated to present its report within three months.

The pension for MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) and DIR (Defence of India Act) detainees, discontinued by the previous Congress government, will be reinstated. In Rajasthan, approximately 1120 individuals were affected by this decision, receiving a monthly pension of Rs 20,000, along with complimentary travel on government roadways buses and free hospital treatment.

Additionally, a prior decision, ratified before the Cabinet meeting, dictates that the CBI will no longer require permission from the state government to conduct investigations. This clearance, previously halted by the Congress government, is now rescinded.

In efforts to address the escalating crime rate in the state, other decisions include the seizure of property belonging to those involved in organised crime. Furthermore, young individuals involved in gang activities are cautioned against using social media, with a warning of potential consequences if they fail to comply.