Welcome to the Ujiyari Rajasthan Current Affairs notes for 16 September 2026, prepared for the RPSC State Service and other Rajasthan government examinations. The day opens with the final party-wise tally of the urban local body (ULB) elections, counted on 14 September 2026, ahead of mayor and chairperson polls on 21 September. In New Delhi on 15 September, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and the Chief Ministers of five other states signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the Kishau multipurpose project on the Tons, a Yamuna tributary, which gives Rajasthan a share of stored Yamuna water for Shekhawati. The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs announced an NSTFDC-HPCL MoU for smart classrooms and computer labs in 29 Eklavya Model Residential Schools across 11 districts, and the state met its 10 crore sapling target for 2026-27 under Hariyalo Rajasthan. Each item carries a Prelims fact set and a Mains angle, followed by five practice MCQs.

1. Rajasthan ULB 2026 Final Tally: BJP Ahead Overall, Congress Largest in Ajmer; Mayoral Polls on 21 September

Why in News: Counting for Rajasthan’s urban local bodies concluded on 14 September 2026, and the consolidated party-wise tally was reported on 15 September. The Bharatiya Janata Party leads overall on ward wins, with Independents a significant bloc. Mayor and chairperson elections will be held on 21 September 2026, and deputy mayor and vice-chairperson elections on 22 September.

The numbers. Party-wise ward wins: BJP 4,179, Congress 3,613, Independents 2,273, RLP 63, AAP 42 and CPI(M) 38. Among the 10 municipal corporations, the BJP holds a clear majority in four. In Ajmer Municipal Corporation the Congress is the largest party with 37 of 80 wards, short of a majority, against the BJP’s 32 and 11 Independents. The Aam Aadmi Party won 31 of 60 wards in Baran, a majority on its own.

Why the indirect polls matter. Where no party has a majority, as in Ajmer, the mayor is decided by councillors in the indirect election, so the Independents’ choices will shape several boards.

The framework. Municipal elections are governed by Part IXA of the Constitution (Articles 243P to 243ZG), inserted by the 74th Constitutional Amendment, with municipal functions listed in the Twelfth Schedule. Article 243ZA vests the superintendence, direction and control of municipal elections in the State Election Commission.

Rajasthan Relevance:

  • Prelims: Counting: 14 September 2026; mayor and chairperson polls: 21 September 2026; deputy mayor and vice-chairperson polls: 22 September 2026.
  • Prelims: Ward wins: BJP 4,179; Congress 3,613; Independents 2,273; RLP 63; AAP 42; CPI(M) 38.
  • Prelims: BJP has a clear majority in 4 of 10 municipal corporations.
  • Prelims: Ajmer: Congress largest party with 37 of 80 wards (BJP 32, Independents 11); Baran: AAP 31 of 60.
  • Mains: Hung boards and indirectly elected mayors raise the question of whether directly elected mayors with fixed tenure would give cities more stable executives; the Twelfth Schedule functions (urban planning, water supply, public health, sanitation, fire services) now pass to the new boards (GS2 local government).

2. Kishau Multipurpose Project: Six States Sign the Memorandum of Agreement; Rajasthan Gets Water for Shekhawati

Why in News: On 15 September 2026, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for construction of the Kishau multipurpose project. Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil attended. The MoA is the formal follow-up to the background consensus reached among the same states on 16 June 2026; with it signed, the project will now go to the Union Cabinet for approval.

The project. Kishau is proposed on the Tons, a major tributary of the Yamuna, on the border of Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district and Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district. It envisages a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam with live storage of 1,562 million cubic metres, irrigation for about 0.97 lakh hectares and about 1,476 million units of electricity a year. It will be implemented by Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture of the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments. It is the third upper Yamuna storage project for which the basin states have signed a construction agreement, after Renuka ji and Lakhwar, both under construction.

Cost and water sharing. The Centre will bear 90 per cent of the cost of the water component as Central assistance, and the six states will share the remaining 10 per cent. According to the Rajasthan government, 95 per cent of Himachal Pradesh’s allotted water share will go to Delhi and Rajasthan in a 75:25 ratio, in return for their contribution to the cost of Himachal Pradesh’s power component, and Himachal keeps 5 per cent.

What Rajasthan gets. The Rajasthan government says the Kishau water allotted to the state will be carried through the three underground pipeline systems being planned under the Yamuna water arrangement with Haryana to Churu, for drinking water in Sikar, Churu and Jhunjhunu, the water-short Shekhawati region.

Background. The upper Yamuna basin states signed an MoU on 12 May 1994 for sharing the utilisable surface water of the Yamuna up to Okhla barrage. That MoU provided for separate agreements for each storage project, which is why Kishau needed its own MoA.

Rajasthan Relevance:

  • Prelims: River: Tons, tributary of the Yamuna; site on the Uttarakhand (Dehradun)-Himachal Pradesh (Sirmaur) border.
  • Prelims: Dam: 232.6 m concrete gravity; live storage 1,562 MCM; irrigation 0.97 lakh ha; energy about 1,476 MU a year.
  • Prelims: Funding: Centre 90 per cent of the water component; states 10 per cent.
  • Prelims: Signatory states: UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana; MoA signed 15 September 2026.
  • Prelims: Implementing agency: Kishau Corporation Limited (JV of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand).
  • Mains: River water is a State List subject (Entry 17), subject to Entry 56 of the Union List on inter-state rivers, and Article 262 covers inter-state water disputes. Kishau shows negotiated basin agreements, with Central funding as the incentive, working where adjudication has been slow (GS2 federalism; GS3 water resources).

3. NSTFDC-HPCL MoU: Smart Classrooms and Computer Labs for 29 Eklavya Schools in Rajasthan

Why in News: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs announced on 15 September 2026 that the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have signed an MoU to set up integrated computer lab-cum-smart classroom facilities in 29 functional Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) across 11 districts of Rajasthan.

What the schools get. The HPCL Board has approved Rs 16.01 crore, and the project is to be completed within six months of signing. Each school will get four smart classrooms with 86-inch interactive panels, a networked computer laboratory, ten tablets loaded with coaching material for competitive examinations, and internet connectivity with a one-year subscription. The project aims to benefit more than 10,000 Scheduled Tribe students a year, with equal representation of girls; at full capacity the 29 schools can hold 13,920 students of Classes 6 to 12.

Districts covered. Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Karauli, Pratapgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Sirohi, Tonk and Udaipur.

Institutional roles. NSTFDC handles implementation and procurement, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) gives academic validation, and the state EMRS society and school principals manage site readiness and daily running. The funding is corporate social responsibility (CSR) money from a central public sector enterprise.

Rajasthan Relevance:

  • Prelims: Parties: NSTFDC (Ministry of Tribal Affairs) and HPCL; 29 EMRS in 11 Rajasthan districts.
  • Prelims: Budget: Rs 16.01 crore; four smart classrooms and one computer lab per school; completion within six months.
  • Prelims: Beneficiaries: over 10,000 ST students a year; capacity 13,920 students, Classes 6 to 12.
  • Prelims: The southern tribal belt districts on the list include Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh and Udaipur.
  • Mains: Tribal students are often first-generation digital learners; pairing CSR funds with the EMRS network under NEP 2020’s digital-literacy goals narrows the digital divide, but recurring costs (maintenance, connectivity after year one, trained teachers) decide whether the labs outlast the project (GS2 welfare of vulnerable sections; GS1 tribal society).

4. Hariyalo Rajasthan Meets Its 10 Crore Sapling Target for 2026-27 Ahead of Schedule

Why in News: Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said on 15 September 2026 that the target of planting 10 crore saplings for 2026-27 under the Hariyalo Rajasthan campaign has been achieved ahead of schedule, and appealed to people to care for every planted sapling.

About the campaign. Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan was launched in 2024, on Hariyali Teej, 7 August 2024, with a goal of planting 50 crore trees in five years. It runs alongside the national “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign and relies on public participation through panchayats, schools and social organisations.

Rajasthan Relevance:

  • Prelims: 2026-27 target: 10 crore saplings, met ahead of schedule (announced 15 September 2026).
  • Prelims: Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan launched on Hariyali Teej, 7 August 2024; five-year goal of 50 crore trees.
  • Mains: The test of a mass plantation drive is survival, not planting. Arid-zone planting needs native species, water for the first summers and independent survival audits (GS3 environment and conservation).

Practice MCQs

1. The Kishau multipurpose project, whose Memorandum of Agreement Rajasthan and five other states signed on 15 September 2026, is proposed on which river?

a) Giri, a tributary of the Yamuna in Sirmaur b) Bhagirathi, a headstream of the Ganga in Tehri c) Tons, a tributary of the Yamuna on the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border d) Sutlej, a tributary of the Indus in Kinnaur

Answer: c

Explanation: Kishau is proposed on the Tons, a major tributary of the Yamuna, on the border of Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district and Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district. The project envisages a 232.6-metre concrete gravity dam with live storage of 1,562 million cubic metres. The Renuka ji project, by contrast, is on the Giri.

2. Which of the following statements about the Kishau multipurpose project agreement of 15 September 2026 is correct?

a) The Centre will bear 90 per cent of the cost of the water component, with the six participating states sharing the remaining 10 per cent b) The project will be implemented by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation alone c) Rajasthan is not among the signatory states d) The agreement replaces the 1994 upper Yamuna MoU on water sharing

Answer: a

Explanation: The Centre will fund 90 per cent of the water component as Central assistance, and the six states share 10 per cent. The implementing agency is Kishau Corporation Limited, a joint venture of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Rajasthan is a signatory, and the MoA works within the 12 May 1994 upper Yamuna MoU, which provided for separate agreements for each storage project, rather than replacing it.

3. Under the MoU between NSTFDC and HPCL announced on 15 September 2026, smart classrooms and computer labs will be set up in how many Eklavya Model Residential Schools in Rajasthan, spread over how many districts?

a) 11 schools in 29 districts b) 50 schools in 33 districts c) 13 schools in 7 districts d) 29 schools in 11 districts

Answer: d

Explanation: The Rs 16.01 crore CSR project covers 29 functional EMRS in 11 districts: Alwar, Banswara, Baran, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Karauli, Pratapgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Sirohi, Tonk and Udaipur. Each school gets four smart classrooms and a computer lab, benefiting more than 10,000 Scheduled Tribe students a year.

4. Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan, which met its 10 crore sapling target for 2026-27 ahead of schedule, was launched on which occasion with what long-term goal?

a) World Environment Day 2023; 100 crore trees in ten years b) Hariyali Teej 2024; 50 crore trees in five years c) Rajasthan Diwas 2025; 25 crore trees in three years d) Van Mahotsav 2024; 10 crore trees in one year

Answer: b

Explanation: Mission Hariyalo Rajasthan was launched in 2024, on Hariyali Teej (7 August), with the goal of planting 50 crore trees in five years. The Chief Minister announced on 15 September 2026 that the 10 crore target for 2026-27 had been met ahead of schedule.

5. In the final tally of the Rajasthan ULB 2026 polls, which of the following results was reported?

a) The BJP won a clear majority in all 10 municipal corporations b) The Congress won Baran with more than 55 of 60 wards c) The Aam Aadmi Party won 31 of 60 wards in Baran, and the Congress emerged as the largest party in Ajmer Municipal Corporation with 37 of 80 wards d) The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) won the most wards across the state

Answer: c

Explanation: The consolidated tally shows the BJP ahead overall with 4,179 ward wins, followed by the Congress (3,613), Independents (2,273), RLP (63), AAP (42) and CPI(M) (38). The BJP has a clear majority in 4 of the 10 corporations. In Ajmer the Congress is the largest party with 37 of 80 wards but short of a majority (BJP 32, Independents 11), and the AAP won 31 of 60 wards in Baran. Mayor and chairperson elections will be held on 21 September 2026.