UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 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 3: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024)

1. Drowning: A Neglected Public Health Crisis

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

2. NCERT: 10 Bagless Day for Students

Reports In News:

3. Report on Currency and Finance 2023-24

4. The State of the World’s Mangroves 2024” Report

Facts for Prelims (FFP)

1. Ideas4LiFE portal

2. Pumped Storage Hydropower

3. Global Water Tech Summit – 2024

4. Project Tiger

5. Hoolock Gibbon

Mapping:

6. Gobi Desert (China)

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024

GS Paper 3:

Drowning: A Neglected Public Health Crisis

Syllabus: Health/Social Issues/Disaster Management

 Source: The Hindu

Context: The increasing frequency of drowning incidents globally (including the recent case of drowing in Rau’s IAS basement library) highlights the need for comprehensive public health interventions and policy measures to prevent such tragedies.

What is Drowning?

It is defined as the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid. It is a significant yet often overlooked cause of preventable deaths, particularly affecting children and marginalized communities.

As per the NCRB -Accidental Deaths and Suicides, eighty persons die of drowning each day in India, which accounts for 7.4% of all unnatural deaths.

Key Features:

1. Causes: Rising sea levels, urban flooding, unsafe water transport, and risky livelihoods.
2. At-risk Populations: Children, adolescents, forcibly displaced people, and individuals living in poverty.
3. Types of Drowning Incidents:
   • Unintentional drowning in natural water bodies.
   • Drowning during floods and natural disasters.
   • Drowning in urban settings due to poor infrastructure and safety measures.

Examples from India:

1. IAS Coaching Centre, New Delhi (2024): Flooding in the basement of a coaching centre led to the drowning of three IAS aspirants.
2. 2024 Lonavala Waterfall Tragedy
3. Chennai Floods, 2015: Flooding of basements damaged electric equipment, causing disruptions and deaths in a hospital due to the failure of emergency power generators.

Examples from the World:

1. Florida, USA (May 2024): An incident of Toddlers drowning in home swimming pools.
2. Vietnam and Uganda: Children drowning in rivers and lakes.
3. India and Bangladesh: Children drowning while travelling to school or near their homes.
4. El Salvador: Refugees and displaced people drowning during perilous journeys.

Drowning is a neglected public health crisis because:

1. Lack of awareness: Drowning is often under-recognized as a critical public health issue, leading to insufficient funding and attention.
   1. g. Swimming is neglected at the school level.
2. Invisibility in health policies: It is frequently excluded from national health policies and priorities, overshadowed by more visible health crises.
   1. g. No policy covers drowning as a health crisis.
3. Fragmented data: Inadequate data collection and reporting on drowning incidents hinder effective policy-making and resource allocation.
   1. g. the Centre reported, there were 38,000 drowning deaths reported in 2023 in India.
4. Limited resources: Resource constraints and competing health priorities result in limited investment in drowning prevention measures and public education.
5. Complexity of solutions: Addressing drowning requires multi-faceted solutions involving community engagement, infrastructure improvements, and education, which can be challenging to implement effectively.
   1. g. the Urban flooding of Chennai has taken many lives in the recent past.

1. Cultural and Social Barriers: Resistance to safety regulations and lack of awareness.

Impact of Drowning:

Steps Taken:

1. Global Initiatives:
   • WHO’s Global Report on Drowning Prevention (2014).
   • UN General Assembly resolution on drowning prevention (2021).
2. Country-specific Measures:
   • Vietnam: Swimming lessons for children under the Swim-Safe curriculum.
   • Bangladesh: Community-based childcare centres (Anchal) to supervise young children.
3. India’s Strategic Framework for Drowning Prevention (2023):
   • Emphasis on robust data collection.
   • Multi-sectoral response including infrastructure improvements, transport safety, and public awareness campaigns.

Conclusion:

It is essential to incorporate water safety education and swimming skills into curricula for children and adolescents to mitigate risks. By prioritizing drowning prevention and enhancing safety measures, we can significantly reduce the incidence and impact of this often-overlooked issue.

Insta Links:

• Urban Flooding

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024 Reports in News:

Reports in News:

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

NCERT: 10 Bagless Day for Students

Source: TH

Context: The NCERT has proposed 10 ‘bagless days’ for students of Classes 6 to 8 to provide them with exposure to the world outside the classroom.

Teachers are encouraged to plan activities with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, and artists. These guidelines align with the National Education Policy 2020 and emphasize work-centered pedagogy to prepare students for the ‘World of Work’. The curriculum is divided into three themes: ‘Science, Environment and Tech’, ‘Public Office, Local Industry and Business’, and ‘Art, Culture and History’.

Benefits:

1. Experiential Learning: Encourages hands-on, practical education.
2. Community Engagement: Involves learning from local vocational experts.
3. Respect for Labor: Promotes the dignity of various vocations.
4. Holistic Education: Balances theoretical knowledge with practical application.
5. Cultural Awareness: Includes exposure to art, culture, and history.
6. Environmental Responsibility: Focuses on understanding science, environment, and technology.
7. Social Responsibility: Involves visits to public offices and local industries.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)

Ideas4LiFE portal

Source: PIB

Context: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, launched the Ideas4LiFE portal at IIT Delhi.

• The portal invites innovative ideas to promote environment-friendly behaviours and lifestyles, encouraging students, researchers, faculty, and innovators to contribute.
• The Ideas4LiFE initiative supports Mission LiFE’s seven themes: saving water, saving energy, reducing waste and e-waste, rejecting single-use plastics, adopting sustainable food systems, and healthy lifestyles.
• The initiative is supported by educational institutions and partners like UNICEF YuWaah.

Pumped Storage Hydropower

 Source: HT

Context: The Uttar Pradesh government has granted in-principal approval for a 1,200 MW pumped storage power project in, Sonbhadra district.

• The project will draw its water supply from the Son River. It aims to generate electricity for over 6 hours daily to meet peak demand.

Global Water Tech Summit – 2024

 Source: PIB

Context: The Central Water Commission (CWC) has been awarded the GEEF Global WaterTech Award for ‘Water Department of the Year’ at the Global Water Tech Summit 2024, hosted by the Global Energy and Environment Foundation (GEEF).

• This award acknowledges significant achievements in the water sector, focusing on innovation, technology, conservation, and sustainable development.
• The CWC was recognized for its crucial role in hydro-meteorological data collection, flood forecasting, reservoir storage monitoring, water quality monitoring, coastal area management, appraisal and monitoring of water resources projects, and resolving inter-state water issues.

Project Tiger

 Source: TH 

Context: A report by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) released on International Tiger Day highlights that Project Tiger will displace approximately 5.5 lakh Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers.

• The number of displaced individuals from tiger reserves has surged dramatically since 2021, with an average increase of 967% per protected area.
• Smaller displacements are noted in reserves in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
• The report criticizes the lack of free, prior, and informed consent as mandated by the Forest Rights Act and the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

Hoolock Gibbon

 Source: HT

 Context: The Union Environment Ministry’s approval for oil and gas exploration by Cairn India in Assam’s Hoollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary has raised concerns about the endangered hoolock gibbon’s habitat.

Key Facts about Hoolock Gibbon:

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024 Mapping:

Gobi Desert (China)

Context: China is set to build the world’s first nuclear power plant using molten thorium salt in the Gobi Desert, aiming for operation by 2025.

About Thorium-based nuclear power station:

It utilizes thorium instead of uranium as fuel. Unlike uranium, thorium must first be converted to U-233 in a reactor to produce nuclear energy. This station’s reactor uses liquid salt or carbon dioxide for heat transfer and electricity generation, eliminating the need for water cooling and significantly reducing the risk of meltdowns. It will also be the first molten salt reactor since the United States shut down its test reactor in 1969.

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 31 July 2024 [PDF]

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