Rajasthan in 2025: Tragedies, tough laws and political churn mark a turbulent year

Jaipur, Dec 30 (PTI) A series of tragedies, passage of a stringent anti-conversion law in the state Assembly, environmental disputes and governance challenges. These are the issues that Rajasthan navigated in 2025 as it pitched long-term growth aligned with national goals.

One of the gravest incidents occurred in October when a massive fire blazed through the neuro ICU in Rajasthan's largest Sawai Man Singh government hospital in Jaipur, killing six of the 11 patients on critical care support. Fourteen patients from another ICU on the same floor were also evacuated, and two of them later died.

Days later, 40 LPG cylinders exploded one after another on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway after a truck carrying them caught fire following a collision with a tanker. The tanker driver was burned alive, and another man was injured. The incident revived memories of a similar collision on the same highway in December 2024 that killed 19 people.

Less than a week later, a private sleeper bus caught fire in Jaisalmer, barely 10 minutes after starting its journey to Jodhpur, killing 20 people on the spot. The death toll eventually increased to 29. Army personnel joined rescue efforts, breaking open doors and windows, while water from a passing tanker was used to douse the flames.

Two weeks later, another private bus caught fire due to electrocution in Jaipur's Manoharpur area, killing two and injuring 10.

The year also saw a significant legislative development. Rajasthan passed the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion bill, which provides for punishment ranging from seven to 14 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for conversion through fraudulent means.

Conversion of minors, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and persons with disabilities through deceit would attract a jail term of 10 to 20 years and a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh under the law.

While organisations such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad welcomed the law, critics warned it could curb voluntary religious choice.

Political controversies abounded with the Aravalli hills redefinition row in December. The Congress accused the BJP-led government of facilitating mining interests, triggering protests by local communities seeking to protect the ecologically sensitive range.

The Congress drew morale-boosting gains with its victory in the Anta Assembly bypoll in November. It came as a blow to former chief minister Vasundhara Raje as the seat was in the Hadoti region, considered her bastion. The seat had fallen vacant after the disqualification of the sitting BJP MLA following a criminal conviction.

The monsoon session of the assembly in September witnessed a controversy over the installation of additional cameras facing the opposition bench. The CCTV installation sparked debates on transparency, with the Congress accusing the government of "spying" on opposition MLAs.

However, Speaker Vasudev Devnani clarified that the cameras were meant only for video recording and did not capture audio.

Corruption allegations also surfaced. A newspaper sting operation in December accused three MLAs -- BJP's Rewantram Danga, Congress' Anita Jatav and Independent legislator Ritu Banawat -- of demanding commission for sanctioning MLA Local Area Development (LAD) funds.

The government ordered a high-level inquiry, froze their LAD accounts and referred the matter to the Assembly's ethics committee.

Separately, Bharat Adivasi Party MLA Jaikrishn Patel was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in May for allegedly accepting a Rs 20 lakh bribe to drop questions in the Assembly.

The Rajasthan High Court barred the use of more than 86,000 dilapidated classrooms in government schools across the state in the aftermath of the Jhalawar school roof collapse on July 25, which killed seven students and injured eight others.

Education Minister Madan Dilawar remained in the spotlight for controversial remarks and decisions, while Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena drew attention for surprise inspections of units allegedly producing fake fertilisers and seeds, and for public criticism of his own government.

Dilawar's directive to hold Surya Namaskar in schools in February, with claims that heatwaves were the result of the "misdeeds" of the Congress and asking Bharat Adivasi Party MP Rajkumar Roat to undergo a DNA test to verify whether the tribal leader was "the son of a Hindu" was met with strong opposition.

Environmental and social tensions persisted. A protest against a proposed ethanol production unit in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district by locals turned into a bone of contention for the state government. The previous Congress government had signed an MoU for setting up the factory, and later the party's leaders made it an issue against the state government.

Religious and cultural controversies included a court petition by Hindu Sena President Vishnu Gupta, claiming the Ajmer Dargah was built over a temple and demanding that a survey be conducted to locate the shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Places of worship turned into sites of clashes in Rajasthan. A video circulated on social media showing shopkeepers purportedly assaulting devotees who had come for darshan at Sanwaliya Ji temple in Chittorgarh. A similar incident had happened near the Khatushyam temple in Sikar, where some shopkeepers thrashed a family after an altercation over a petty issue.

Two prominent Bollywood film directors were booked in Rajasthan. An FIR has been lodged against filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Bikaner by a man who alleged fraud, misbehaviour, and breach of trust during the production of the film 'Love and War'. In Udaipur, Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari were remanded to seven days' police custody by a local court in connection with a case of alleged fraud of over Rs 30 crore.

Man-animal conflict frequently occurred this year, with at least three people, including a forest ranger, killed in tiger attacks. Several incidents of leopard straying into residential colonies in Jaipur and other cities of the state have happened, raising questions about their habitation and food requirements.

More than 8,700 people registered for the Pravasi Rajasthani Divas held in Jaipur. The event brought together Non-Resident Rajasthanis from across the world, alongside industrial leaders, policymakers and experts from various sectors. During the session, the Non-Resident Rajasthani Policy 2025 and Rajasthan Development Support Portal were launched.

Tragic incidents underscored safety lapses. In Alwar, a one-and-a-half-month-old infant was killed during a police raid, drawing condemnation for excessive force against minorities and fueling reports of religiously motivated violence.

A French tourist was sexually assaulted in Udaipur. An FIR was filed, but the accused absconded, raising concerns over tourist safety in the lake city. Another Udaipur case saw a man murder a woman and burn her body, inspired by films like 'Drishyam' and shows like 'Crime Patrol', raising alarms over the media's societal impact.

On the development front, the 'Developed Rajasthan @2047' vision document, unveiled in August, outlined a roadmap for a USD 4.3 trillion economy by 2047, focusing on agriculture, health, education, industry, and employment, aligning with Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to Bikaner and Churu for Operation Sindoor commemorations, and Chittorgarh, and Banswara underscored national security, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailing the operation for meeting its objectives against terror infrastructure.

An Army exercise in Jaisalmer and SI recruitment drives addressed security needs. Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the Mahi-Banswara Nuclear Power Plant project, which is expected to be a historic step in strengthening the state's energy sector.

The death of Arvind Singh Mewar, descendant of Maharana Pratap, at 81, was a cultural loss, with his nephew Vishvaraj Singh anointed amid family feuds. An Alwar MBBS student's death in Russia prompted calls for repatriation, similar to cases of Indian nationals abroad.

As Rajasthan steps into 2026, the year-end reflections highlight the need for balanced governance amid these challenges. PTI SDA AG NSD