30 July 2024

• Urban Policy: Budget's Transit-Oriented Development plans for 14 cities with over 30 lakh people detailed. Walkable cities reduce emissions and improve liveability.
• Foreign Policy: Act East Policy completed 10 years since its announcement at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit in 2014.
• Health: Oropouche fever, a viral haemorrhagic fever transmitted by sandflies and midges, spread in Brazil and Cuba in 2024. India on alert.
• Defence: India and the United States signed a Cultural Property Agreement; 358 antiquities repatriated from the US.

GS area: International Relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Look East to Act East Policy shift at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in November 2014.

• From Look East to Act East: Look East Policy (LEP) was launched in 1991 by PM Narasimha Rao. It pivoted India toward Southeast Asia after Cold War-era isolation. Act East Policy (AEP) in 2014 emphasised action and outcomes over engagement rhetoric.
• Strategic shift: Under AEP, India deepened connectivity (Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport, India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway), defence exercises, economic linkages.
• ASEAN trade: ASEAN is India's 4th largest trading partner. Two-way trade in 2023-24 was approximately 130 billion dollars. India runs a trade deficit of 43 billion dollars with ASEAN.
• India-ASEAN FTA review: India negotiated the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Goods (2010). A review process is ongoing to address India's deficit concern and ensure reciprocal market access.
• Northeast India integration: AEP aims to integrate Northeast India into ASEAN supply chains. Advantage: land border with Myanmar and proximity to Southeast Asian markets.
• Project Mausam: India's MoCI and ASI initiative to revive ancient maritime routes in the Indian Ocean, complementing AEP.

Static linkage: India's foreign policy (IR), Look East Policy, Southeast Asia.

GS area: Science and Technology, Health

Brazil declared a public health emergency over Oropouche fever in 2024. Two deaths were confirmed in Brazil and cases were reported in Cuba, reaching travellers in Europe.

• Pathogen: Oropouche virus (OROV). Family Peribunyaviridae, genus Orthobunyavirus.
• First identification: 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Transmission: Primary vector is the biting midge Culicoides paraensis. Culex mosquitoes are secondary vectors. No human-to-human transmission documented.
• Symptoms: High fever, severe headache, muscle pain, joint pain, light sensitivity (photophobia), rash. Most recover in about a week. Neurological complications (meningitis, encephalitis) documented in some cases.
• Treatment: No specific antiviral. No vaccine available (as of 2024). Supportive care only.
• 2024 outbreak: Unusual features. Cases spread beyond Amazonia for the first time. Vertically transmitted cases in pregnant women (intrauterine deaths noted). This raised the concern level significantly.
• India relevance: No Oropouche cases in India in 2024, but Culicoides midges are present in South Asia. ICMR placed on alert. India had seen deaths from Chandipura virus (sandfly-borne) in Gujarat in July 2024.

Static linkage: Emerging infectious diseases (S&T/Health), zoonotic diseases, vector-borne diseases.

GS area: Governance, Urban Development

The Budget 2024-25 proposed Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) plans for 14 cities with populations over 30 lakh, building on India's National TOD Policy (2017).

• TOD concept: Mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development within 800 metres to 1 kilometre of transit hubs (metro stations, bus rapid transit stops). Reduces private vehicle dependence and urban sprawl.
• National TOD Policy 2017: India's first national framework. Issued by MoHUA. Required state and local governments to create TOD plans linked to metro rail construction.
• Budget 2024-25 expansion: 14 cities to develop TOD plans (cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad among others over 30 lakh).
• Floor Area Ratio (FAR): TOD areas receive higher FAR permissions, allowing denser development. This makes it financially viable to build within walking distance of transit.
• Social equity dimension: TOD should include affordable housing near transit. Without this, gentrification displaces low-income residents from walkable areas.
• India's urbanisation: 35 per cent urban now, projected to 53 per cent by 2047. Urban infrastructure investment is essential before the urbanisation surge.

Static linkage: Urban policy (Governance), urbanisation (Geography).

GS area: Art and Culture, International Relations

India and the United States signed a Cultural Property Agreement (CPA), under which 358 antiquities were repatriated to India.

• Legal basis: US Cultural Property Implementation Act (1983), implementing the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
• Significance: India signed CPAs with US in 2016 (first) and 2024 (second). CPAs create a framework for law enforcement cooperation, seizure, and return of smuggled antiquities.
• Type of items: The 358 items include temple sculptures, bronze statues, terracotta figurines, and numismatic objects from various Indian periods.
• Operation Devashakti: India's coordinated effort involving MHA, MEA, Archaeological Survey of India, and CBI to recover antiquities from abroad.
• India's legal framework: Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972 prohibits export of antiquities over 100 years old without ASI licence. Many items in global markets were looted before or despite this law.
• Other repatriations: UK (Shiva Nataraja from Chola dynasty returned in 2024), Australia (several items returned in 2023).

Static linkage: Art and culture (Culture/IR), antiquity protection law.

GS area: Economy, Agriculture

The SAFAL (Spot and Forward Agri-Logistics) Test Cycle initiative aims to integrate Indian agricultural spot and futures markets.

• Problem: India's agri commodity forward markets (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, Multi Commodity Exchange) operate separately from spot markets. Price discovery is fragmented.
• SAFAL proposal: A unified national agricultural market that links spot transactions (immediate delivery) with standardised forward contracts. Quality assaying at arrival and electronic auctions.
• e-NAM: The existing Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) has 1.7 crore farmers and 2.4 lakh traders registered across 1,260 mandis as of 2024. SAFAL is envisaged to build on e-NAM's network.
• Farmer benefit: Better price discovery. Access to hedging instruments (futures) to lock in prices before harvest.
• World Bank comparison: India's agri futures markets remain under-utilised relative to the size of the farm economy, unlike US (CBOT) or global commodity markets.

Static linkage: Agricultural markets (Economy), commodity derivatives.

• RBI Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) for Urban Co-operative Banks: RBI revised the PCA framework for UCBs. Triggers are linked to net non-performing assets, capital adequacy ratio, and profitability parameters. Under PCA, UCBs face restrictions on dividend distribution and branch expansion until they restore financial health.
• Manu Bhaker mixed team event: On 30 July 2024, Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh competed in the 10m air pistol mixed team final at Paris 2024. They won the bronze medal, making Bhaker the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympic Games.
• India's National Games 2024: The 38th National Games were announced for Uttarakhand. The National Games are governed by the Indian Olympic Association and feature athletes from all states and union territories.