UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles

InstaLinks :  Insta Links help you think beyond the  current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.

Table of Contents 

GS Paper 1: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024)

1. Union Budget 2024-25: Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for 14 large cities

GS Paper 2:

2. A Decade of India’s Act East Policy (AEP)

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

1. SAFAL Test Cycle 2024 to Reduce Exam Stress

2. External Cooperation

3. Cultural Property Agreement

4. Prompt corrective action framework

5. Oropouche fever

6. Agarwood 

7. Caller ID spoofing

Mapping:

8. Golan Heights (Isreal)

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024

GS Paper 1:

Union Budget 2024-25: Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for 14 large cities

Syllabus: Geography/ Goverance

Source: LM

Context: The Union Budget 2024-25 highlighted Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for 14 large cities with populations over 30 lakhs.

What is Transit Oriented Development (TOD)?

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is an urban planning approach that focuses on creating compact, walkable communities centered around high-quality public transport systems. It aims to maximize accessibility to public transportation, reduce reliance on private vehicles, and promote sustainable urban growth.

Key Features:

1. Mixed-Use Development: Incorporates residential, commercial, and recreational spaces within walking distance of transit stations.
2. High Density: Encourages higher population densities near transit hubs.
3. Walkability: Prioritizes pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
4. Public Transport Integration: Ensures efficient, reliable public transport systems are central to community design.

Examples from India:

1. Delhi Metro: Areas around metro stations like Connaught Place have seen significant development, with mixed-use buildings and pedestrian-friendly designs.
2. Mumbai Metropolitan Region: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has proposed TOD policies to enhance development around metro and monorail stations, improving access and reducing traffic congestion.
3. The redevelopment of New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) was become the first project to be undertaken on the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) concept in the NCR.

Examples from the World:

1. Hong Kong: The city’s MTR Corporation integrates property development with its transit network, creating highly accessible, mixed-use developments around stations.
2. Portland, USA: The Pearl District transformed from an industrial area into a vibrant neighborhood centered around the Portland Streetcar, featuring high-density housing, retail, and parks.
3. Copenhagen, Denmark: The Finger Plan incorporates TOD principles, ensuring suburban development follows rail lines, promoting compact growth and efficient public transport use.

Pillars of TOD & Policy:  

Benefits:

1. Economic: Increased property values, reduced transit times, and higher labor productivity.
2. Environmental: Lower carbon emissions, reduced air pollution, and protection of green spaces.
3. Social: Improved public health through increased physical activity, reduced urban sprawl, and enhanced quality of life.
4. Reduces vehicular traffic and congestion – This reduces private vehicular usage and congestion on roads.
5. Efficient use of land resources: Optimizes land-use efficiency compared to distributed standalone terminals. This allows for sustainable urban planning and growth.
6. Leveraging complementary advantages: Congestion pricing, parking policies along with promotion of non-motorized transit via walking and cycling can be dovetailed into the system.
7. Inclusivity: Develop inclusive habitats in transit areas so public transport users can live in walkable, livable communities. Allocate a portion of housing for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and affordable housing in the influence zone.
8. Safety for Vulnerable Sections: Ensure a safe society by focusing on the safety of women, children, senior citizens, and differently abled individuals through necessary amendments to building bylaws.

Challenges to Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in India:

1. Land Acquisition Issues: Difficulty in acquiring land for development due to legal and ownership disputes.
2. Coordination Among Agencies: Lack of coordination between various urban development and transportation agencies.
3. Funding Constraints: Insufficient financial resources for large-scale TOD projects.
4. Regulatory Hurdles: Complex regulatory and approval processes delaying implementation.
5. Public Resistance: Resistance from local communities due to displacement fears and lifestyle changes.
6. Infrastructure Gaps: Inadequate existing infrastructure to support high-density development.
7. Environmental Concerns: Potential negative environmental impacts and challenges in maintaining green spaces.
8. Technical Expertise: Lack of technical expertise and skilled professionals in urban planning and TOD.
9. Policy Inconsistencies: Inconsistent policies and lack of a unified approach across different regions and cities.
10. Cultural Barriers: Cultural preferences for private vehicles over public transportation.

Steps Taken for TOD in India:

1. National Transit Oriented Development Policy, 2017: Guiding Principles: Includes Last Mile Connectivity, Mixed Landuse, Interconnected Street Network, etc.
   • Supportive Tools: Emphasizes Universal Accessibility, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), etc.
2. Smart Cities Mission: Incorporates TOD as a key component to promote sustainable urban development.
3. Multi-modal Integration: Efforts to integrate various transport modes (metro, bus, cycling, etc.) for seamless connectivity in TOD zones.
4. Local TOD Policies: Development of specific guidelines like the TOD Manual for Delhi to guide local implementation.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024 GS Paper 2:

A Decade of India’s Act East Policy (AEP)

Syllabus: International Relations

Source: ET

Context: 2024 is the tenth anniversary year of the Act East Policy (AEP). The AEP, which replaced the Look East Policy (LEP) in 2014, has laid the foundations for India’s engagements with the East.

What is Act East Policy? 

The Act East Policy (AEP) is an initiative by the Indian government, launched in 2014, to strengthen economic, strategic, and cultural ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, with a core focus on the ASEAN nations. It aims to enhance regional connectivity, promote economic cooperation, and develop strategic partnerships to bolster India’s influence and integration in the region. The policy evolved from the earlier Look East Policy of 1992, expanding its scope and strategic objectives.

Its key principles are-

• Develop strategic security cooperation and strategic relations in the Indo-Pacific.
• Strengthen India’s economic ties and connectivity with the region through increased trade and investment.
• Boost historical cultural ties.
• 4C’s of Act East Policy: Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity building

India- ASEAN Strategic Partnership 

• In 2012, ASEAN & India became strategic partners.
• ASEAN is India’s 4th largest trading partner.
• India set up a separate Mission to ASEAN and the East Asia Summit in Jakarta in April 2015 with a dedicated Ambassador to strengthen engagement with ASEAN and ASEAN-centric processes.

India and Other Regional Partners in the East

Apart from ASEAN, India has taken other policy initiatives and collaborations in the region that involve some members of ASEAN

• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC),
• Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)
• Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM),
• East Asia Summit (EAS),
• ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF),
• ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting + (ADMM+) and
• Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF).

Initiatives under Act East Policy:

Achievements:

1. Positioned India in the Indo-Pacific: E.g., support for the Philippines on South China Sea dispute.
2. Strengthened strategic partnerships: India has upgraded its relations to a strategic partnership with Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia and Singapore forging close ties with all countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
3. Enhanced links with BIMSTEC and IOR.
4. Greater integration of Northeastern states with ASEAN, e.g., India-Japan Act East Forum.

Challenges:

• Chinese economic influence in ASEAN.
• India’s economic under-performance, e.g., trade deficit of over $43 billion.

Conclusion

The Act East Policy lies at the heart of India’s initiatives in the Indo-Pacific which aims to strengthen economic, security and cultural ties with ASEAN and other regional partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Prelims Link:

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP):

SAFAL Test Cycle 2024 to Reduce Exam Stress

Context: CBSE Launches SAFAL Test Cycle to Ease Exam Pressure

External Cooperation

 Source: NDTV

Context: The Indian central government criticized Kerala for appointing a secretary for “external cooperation,” stating that foreign affairs fall solely under the central government’s jurisdiction according to the Constitution.

Constitutional provisions regarding External Affairs Seventh Schedule:

• All matters which bring the Union into relation with any foreign country” is listed under Union List.
• Article 253: Parliament has power to make any law for implementing any treaty with any other country or any decision made at any international conference, etc.
• Article 293: Places territorial limits on borrowing power of the states, i.e., states non-access to foreign loans.

Cultural Property Agreement

 Source: Hindustan Times

Context: India and the US signed their first Cultural Property Agreement (CPA) to prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of Indian antiquities to the US.

• The agreement aligns with the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which aims to prohibit and prevent the illicit import, export, and transfer of cultural property.
• Since 1976, India has repatriated 358 antiquities, with 345 retrieved since 2014, mostly from the US.
• In 2023, the US offered 1,440 artefacts for repatriation, with around 300 deemed eligible under the “antique” category.
• The agreement aims to make the repatriation process faster and smoother.

With this agreement, India joins 29 other nations with US bilateral cultural property agreements, strengthening cooperation between the two countries in protecting cultural heritage.

Prompt corrective action framework

Source: Business Standard

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has introduced a Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).

• This framework aims to enable timely supervisory intervention and ensure UCBs implement necessary remedial measures to restore their financial health.
• It replaces the existing Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) last revised in January 2020.
• The new PCA framework is designed to provide flexibility by allowing entity-specific supervisory action plans based on individual risk assessments.
• It aligns with similar frameworks for Scheduled Commercial Banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies while maintaining supervisory rigor.
• The revised framework focuses on capital, asset quality, and profitability, particularly targeting larger UCBs for intensive monitoring.
• It will not apply to small Tier 1 UCBs. The RBI has categorized UCBs into four tiers for regulatory purposes.

Oropouche fever

 Source: IE 

Context: Brazil has reported its first-ever deaths from Oropouche fever, a mosquito-borne disease with symptoms similar to dengue, but severe cases are rare.

• The virus, first detected in Trinidad and Tobago in 1955, has spread to Latin America, the Caribbean, and recently to Europe, with Italy reporting its first case in June 2024.
• Oropouche fever is transmitted by infected midges and mosquitoes, and symptoms start between four and eight days after the bite, including fever, headaches, pain, and sometimes nausea.
• Most patients recover in about seven days, and there is no vaccine or specific treatment.

The disease’s spread may be influenced by climate and environmental factors such as deforestation, but much about its transmission remains understudied.

Agarwood

 Source: TH

 Context: India has successfully prevented the inclusion of Aquilaria malaccensis (agarwood) in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) under CITES, allowing for a new export quota.

• This development will benefit farmers, particularly in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
• Informal trade had increased due to past restrictions, but the new quota aims to regulate and legalize the trade.

Caller ID spoofing

 Source: TH 

Context: Caller ID spoofing allows a phone call to appear as if it originates from a falsified number, often used by fraudsters, telemarketers, and others to hide their identity.

• It’s legal in many places, leading to the rise of commercial spoofing services since 2004.

About Spoofing:

• Spoofing is used for social engineering attacks, bypassing call blocking, and exploiting IVR system vulnerabilities.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) suggested a Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) system to display caller names based on KYC documents.
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed telecom operators to block international calls with manipulated Caller Line Identity (CLI), though the system’s effectiveness remains unclear.

The Telecommunications Act, 2023 empowers the government to control telecom services during emergencies, but there has been criticism of government inaction on spoofing.

Addressing this issue would reduce fraud and spam calls, saving revenue for telecom providers and benefiting consumers and the economy.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024 Mapping:

Golan Heights (Isreal)

 Source: BBC

Context: Israel conducted air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after a rocket attack killed 12 young people playing football in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 30 July 2024 [PDF]

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