UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | July 22 to July 28, 2024

🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the July edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

Polity

“We are not pessimistic, we are actually very optimistic about growth but we are also mindful of the challenges” said Chief Economic Advisor Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran. File/Express Photo by Prem Nath Pandey.

• Economic Survey

— Economic Survey 2023-24 was tabled in Parliament on 22nd July by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.

— Economic Survey conservatively projects a real GDP growth of 6.5–7 per cent in FY 2024-25.

— 55% of the tax collected accrued from direct taxes and the remaining 45% from indirect taxes.

— The current account deficit for FY24 is around 0.7% of GDP.

— The average pace of National Highway (NH) construction is up by approximately 3 times from 11.7 km per day in FY 14 to approximately 34 km per day in FY 24.

• Union Budget

— Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2024 on 23rd July.

— The focus is on four major castes: ‘Garib‘ (poor), ‘Annadata’ (farmers), ‘Yuva’ (youth), and ‘Mahilayen’ (women).

— The theme of the Budget: Employment, Skilling, MSMEs, and Middle Class.

— The Budget presented 9 priorities for generating ample opportunities for all: (1) Productivity and resilience in Agriculture, (2) Employment & Skilling, (3) Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice, (4) Manufacturing & Services, (5) Urban Development, (6) Energy Security, (7) Infrastructure, (8) Innovation, Research & Development and (9) Next Generation Reforms.

— Purvodaya plan: This plan covers five states- Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand– to generate economic opportunities to attain Viksit Bharat.

— The industrial node at Gaya will be developed on the Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor.

— Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan has been announced for improving the socio-economic condition of tribal communities ( in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts).

— Vishnupad Temple at Gaya and Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar will be developed on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor to transform them into world-class pilgrim and tourist destinations.

— Angel taxes for all classes of investors have been abolished.

— The major source of revenue for the government: Borrowing and Other Liabilities (27%) > Income Tax (19%) > GST and Other Taxes (18%) > Corporation Txa (17%) > Non-Tax Receipts (9%).

— The major expenditure of the government: States’ share of taxes and duties (21%) > Interest Payments (19%) > Central Sector Scheme (16%).

— Expenditure on Key sectors: Defence (4,54,773 ₹ Cr) > Rural Development (2,65,808 ₹ Cr) > Agriculture and allied activites (1,51,851 ₹ Cr) > Home Affairs (1,50,983 ₹ Cr) > Education (1,25,638 ₹ Cr).

— The Actual Revenue receipt of the Government for 2022-23 was 23.8 ₹ Lakh Cr. The Budget estimate for the Revenue receipts for 2024-25 is 31.3 ₹ Lakh Cr.

— The Actual Capital receipt of the Government for 2022-23 was 18.1 ₹ Lakh Cr. The Budget estimate for the Capital receipts for 2024-25 is 16.9 ₹ Lakh Cr.

— The Actual Revenue expenditure of the Government for 2022-23 was 34.5 ₹ Lakh Cr. The Budget estimate for the Revenue expenditure for 2024-25 is 37.1 ₹ Lakh Cr.

— The Actual Effective Capital expenditure of the Government for 2022-23 was 10.5 ₹ Lakh Cr. The Actual Effective Capital expenditure for 2024-25 is 15.0 ₹ Lakh Cr.

(Source: pib)

(Just FYI: The main purpose of the data is to develop an understanding of the topic; you don’t need to learn all the data. Having an approximate idea of the data can help you with fact-based questions in prelims and serve as fodder for answers in the UPSC Mains.)

Defence

India successfully flight tested Phase-II of Ballistic Missile Defence System off the Odisha coast. (Photo: ANI)

• Ballistic Missile Defence System

— The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight-tested the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system off the Odisha coast.

— Phase II demonstrated the indigenous capability to defend against ballistic missiles of 5,000 km class.Phase-I is already deployed.

• INS Brahmaputra

— The INS Brahmaputra guided missile frigate listed heavily towards its port side following the fire on July 21, and could not be uprighted.

— The INS Brahmaputra is the first of India’s indigenously built Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigates.

— It was built by state-run Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited in Kolkata, and it was commissioned into the Navy in 2000.

— The INS Beas and INS Betwa are two other warships in this class.

Achievements

• International Mathematics Olympiad

— The International Mathematics Olympiad 2024 was held in Bath, United Kingdom between July 11 and July 22.

— India won four gold medals, a silver medal, and an honourable mention. The team’s rank is 4 out of 108 participating countries. Before this, the team recorded its best performance with rank 7 in 2001 and 1998.

— The team had Adhitya Mangudy Venkata Ganesh from Pune and Rushil Mathur from Mumbai, Ananda Bhaduri from Guwahati, Assam, and Kanav Talwar from Noida, Uttar Pradesh — all of who won gold medals. Arjun Gupta from Delhi won the silver medal and Siddharth Choppara from Pune won honourable mention.

Environment

• GM Mustard

— A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivered a split verdict on July 23 on whether to allow the “environmental release” of genetically modified (GM) mustard.

— The transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 (GM Mustard) was developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) at Delhi University.

— Mustard flowers have both female (pistil) and male (stamen) reproductive organs, making the plants largely self-pollinating, which complicates hybridisation.

— DMH-11 was developed by incorporating two alien genes isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

— This hybrid was created by crossing the popular Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ (the barnase line) with the East European ‘Early Heera-2’ mutant (barstar).

International Relations

• International Court of Justice (ICJ)

— ICJ said on July 19 that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem violated international law, and its presence in Palestinian territories should come to an end “as soon as possible”.

— The Court is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter.

— The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace, The Hague (Netherlands).

— The ICJ’s opinion is not binding or enforceable.

— The Court has no jurisdiction to deal with applications from individuals, non-governmental organizations, corporations or any other private entity.

(Source: icj-cij.org)

• Culture Property Agreement

— India and the US signed a bilateral cultural property agreement on July 26 to facilitate the return of stolen and smuggled antiquities, many of which end up in the US.

— This agreement makes India the 29th partner with the US in cultural property agreements, alongside countries like Afghanistan, China, Cambodia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, and Turkey.

 

Diseases

The Nipah virus is present in bat urine and potentially, bat faeces, saliva, and birthing fluids. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

• Nipah Virus

— A 14-year-old boy in Malappuram district in Kerala succumbed to the Nipah virus on Sunday morning. The virus takes its name from the village in Malaysia where the person in whom the virus was first isolated died of the disease.

— Nipah is a viral infection that mainly affects animals such as bats, pigs, dogs, and horses but can jump to humans who come in contact with the infected animals and cause serious disease. The transmission can happen due to “consumption of raw date palm sap or fruit that has been contaminated with saliva or urine from infected bats.

— According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Its symptoms are fever, headache, cough, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, and vomiting. In severe cases, disorientation, drowsiness, seizures, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) can occur, progressing to coma and death.

• Listeriosis

— Listeria outbreaks in the US and Canada have led to the death of four so far. It is attributed to the consumption of undercooked meats sliced at deli counters.

— Listeria or Listeria monocytogenes is a type of bacteria found in soil, vegetation, water, sewage and even the faeces of animals and humans. Listeria-contaminated food can lead to an infection called listeriosis.

— People with compromised immune systems, pregnant persons and their offspring and the elderly (aged 65 and above) are vulnerable. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, cramps, severe headache, constipation and fever.

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

 

Persons in News

The coronation ceremony at the national palace will formalize Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar role as king. (AP)

• Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar

— Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, of the southern state of Johor, has been sworn in as the 17th king of Malaysia under a unique rotating monarchy system.

Nine ethnic Malay state rulers take turns as Malaysia’s king for five-year terms under the world’s only such system, which began when Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

The King is known as the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, or He Who is Made Lord. The King is the nominal head of the government and armed forces and is highly regarded as the protector of Islam and Malay tradition.

• Kamala Pujari

— Kamala Pujari, a 76-year-old tribal woman from Odisha, passed away on Saturday while undergoing treatment.

— She was celebrated for her contributions to organic farming and for preserving hundreds of indigenous varieties of paddy, which earned her the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2019.

(Just FYI: Make a note of  anniversaries of historical personalities for your UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives and achievements is important for your static syllabus coverage.)

 

Places in News

The Moidams in Assam. File picture

• Charaideo Moidams

— The Moidams in eastern Assam — a 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty — made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on Friday, becoming the first cultural site from the Northeast to make it to the list.

— A moidam is a tumulus – a mound of earth raised over a grave – of Ahom royalty and aristocracy. Charaideo exclusively contains moidams of Ahom royals.

— The site, located in the foothills of the Patkai Ranges in Assam, is notable for containing the royal necropolis of the Tai-Ahom. It features ninety moidams—hollow vaults constructed from brick, stone, or earth—varying in size.

Ruins of the Monastery of St Hilarion. (Wikimedia Commons)

• The Monastery of Saint Hilarion/Tell Umm Amer

— The World Heritage Committee (WHC) has decided to include the Palestinian site of Tell Umm Amer, also known as the ‘Monastery of Saint Hilarion’, in both the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and the Lost of World Heritage in Danger during its 46th session in New Delhi.

— The site lies in the Gaza Strip which continues to reel under Israel’s relentless assault.

— This ancient Christian monastery was founded in the fourth century by Hilarion the Great (291-371 CE), considered by some to be the father of Palestinian monasticism.

The Durbar Hall. (PTI photo)

• Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan

— The Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan has been renamed as ‘Ganatantra Mandap’ on July, 25.

— The hall hosts Civil and Defence Investiture Ceremonies, where the President confers honours to the recipients. Swearing-in ceremonies, like those of the Chief Justices of India, are also conducted here.

— Durbar Hall witnessed a historic moment in the swearing-in ceremony of independent India’s first government in 1947.

The Ashok Hall. (PTI photo)

• Ashok Hall

— President Droupadi Murmu on July, 25 renamed the Ashok hall as ‘Ashok Mandap’.

— ‘Ashok Hall’ was originally a ballroom. It is now used for the presentation of credentials by Heads of Missions of foreign countries and as a formal place of introductions for the visiting and Indian delegations before the commencement of the State Banquets hosted by the President.

Sports

Paris Olympics and Paralympic 2024 mascots.

• Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

— PV Sindhu and Sharath Kamal were India’s flag-bearers, and a total of 78 athletes and officials from 12 disciplines represented India.

The mascot of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is Phryge. Inspired by the traditional Phrygian hats, this mascot embodies a deep-seated symbol of freedom, according to an article on the Olympics website. These caps stand for “freedom, identity and spirit in France”, the article said.

— The slogan of Paris 2024 is “Games wide open”.

— Paris has hosted two Olympic Games in the past: the first one in 1900 (the second modern Olympics held in history) and one in 1924, exactly 100 years ago. This means it will join London as the only two cities to host the Olympic Games three times.

— Indian athletes have won 35 medals so far at the Olympic Games. India first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, with a lone athlete, Norman Pritchard, winning two medals — both silver — in athletics and became the first Asian nation to win an Olympic medal.

— Olympic medal-winning rifle shooter Gagan Narang is the Chef-de-Mission of India’s Paris 2024 Olympics contingent. He replaced boxing legend Mary Kom.

— Three sports are being dropped from the Paris Olympics, which were there at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021: baseball, softball, and karate.

— Breaking, commonly known as breakdancing, is included at the Olympics for the first time in Paris.

— The 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles.

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

Terms making buzz

— Just Stop Oil (JSO): It is a UK-based climate-protest groups founded in 2022, which focuses on the issue of human-caused climate change. Its new demand is for the UK to sign a “legally binding treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas, and coal by 2030, as well as supporting and financing other countries to make a fast, fair, and just transition”.

— Puberty Blockers: These are drugs that can delay the changes of puberty in transgender and gender-diverse teens. The medicines are called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, which stop the body from making sex hormones.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)

A. Which cultural site from the Northeast of India was recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List?

(a) Sibsagar Historical Monuments

(b) Moidams of the Ahom dynasty

(c) Tawang Monastery

(d) Kamakhya Temple

B. What is the mascot of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?

(a) Wenlock

(b) Neve and Gliz

(c) Phryge

(d) Bing Dwen Dwen

C. Consider the following statements about Union Budget 2024:

1. The focus is on four major castes: ‘Garib’ (poor), ‘Annadata’ (farmers), ‘Yuva’ (youth), and ‘Mahilayen’ (women).

2. The Budget includes the Purvodaya plan, which aims to develop economic opportunities in five states.

3. The major source of revenue for the government is Corporation Tax, followed by Income Tax and GST.

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1 and 2

(b) Only 2 and 3

(c) Only 1 and 3

(d) All three

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC4ckaj-dJI?si=ecM71CfPtuEwft4G&w=560&h=315