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September 19, 2024 05:22
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Important Current Affairs Topics for UPSC Mains 2024 can significantly aid aspirants in staying updated on current events, ensuring they are well-prepared for the examination.
Important Current Affairs Topics for UPSC Mains 2024: It is important to stay updated with current affairs for UPSC Mains preparation. Understanding recent events and their impact on a national and international level is crucial. The UPSC examination assesses candidates on their ability to analyze and critically evaluate current events. Hence, it is vital to incorporate current affairs into your study plan.
Here’s a comprehensive guide on the important current affairs topics for UPSC Mains 2024, tips on current affairs preparation, and methods for effective monthly revision.
Understanding and keeping up with current events is crucial for the UPSC Mains exam, as current affairs play a key role in all the General Studies papers. Staying updated on issues of national and international importance, government policies, and socio-economic developments is essential. Below is a list of important subjects and topics that aspirants should focus on for UPSC Mains 2024.
| Subject | Key Topics for Current Affairs |
| Economy | Inflation, monetary policy, fiscal policy, budget, economic reforms, digital economy, banking sector, and unemployment |
| Environment & Ecology | Climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development, environmental policies, conservation efforts |
| Science & Technology | Artificial Intelligence (AI), space exploration, cybersecurity, biotechnology, innovation in healthcare |
| International Relations | India’s foreign policy, major international organizations (UN, WHO, etc.), India’s relations with neighboring countries |
| Internal Security | Cybersecurity, terrorism, border security, insurgency in Northeast India, role of armed forces |
| Social Issues | Gender equality, healthcare reforms, education policies, poverty alleviation, rural development |
| Polity & Governance | Recent Supreme Court judgments, electoral reforms, constitutional amendments, welfare schemes, decentralization |
| Agriculture & Food Security | Agricultural reforms, food processing, agrarian crisis, minimum support price (MSP), irrigation |
| Disaster Management | Disaster preparedness, role of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), recent disasters and mitigation strategies |
Understanding current affairs related to the environment and ecology is crucial for UPSC Mains 2024. These topics are important for the General Studies papers and for essay writing and interviews. Here we have provided Environment and Ecology Current Affairs for UPSC Mains 2024:
| Topic | Current Facts | Static Facts |
| Environmental Degradation | UN reports land degradation over 30% of India’s land. | Types of environmental degradation: Land degradation, Soil pollution. |
| Environmental Pollution | Air pollution in India: 9 out of 10 most polluted cities globally are in India (IQAir 2023). | Major types of pollution: Air, water, marine, plastic, soil, radioactive. |
| Climate Change and Global Warming | COP 28 outcomes and agreements. | Causes and consequences of climate change: Greenhouse effect, global warming, ozone depletion. |
| Sustainable Development and Waste Management | Progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and localization. | Core elements of sustainable development: Sustainable agriculture, zero-budget natural farming. |
| Efforts for Environmental Conservation | Budget allocation for MoEFCC in 2024-25: ₹3,265.53 crore. | National acts and policies related to pollution and environmental conservation. |
| Conservation of Biodiversity | Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023. | Biodiversity hotspots in India, conservation efforts for Western Ghats, mangroves, and coral reefs. |
| Water, Wetlands and Coastal Conservation | UN 2023 World Water Conference outcomes. | Measures taken by the government to address water scarcity and wetland conservation. |
| Clean Energy and Energy Conservation | India’s target for renewable energy: 100 GW of solar power capacity. | Importance of renewable energy: Solar, wind, hybrid, geothermal, bioenergy. |
| Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) | Draft EIA Notification, 2020. | Process of EIA, EIA Notification 2006, comparison with other countries’ EIA processes. |
Understanding the important current affairs topics for UPSC Mains 2024 related to the economy is vital for UPSC Mains 2024. The latest economic developments, policies, and global economic trends are essential areas of focus. Here are some key economy current affairs topics for UPSC Mains 2024 based on the information from the “Prahaar 2024 – Economy:
| Topic | Current Facts | Static Facts |
| Drivers of India’s Growth in the Last Decade | Recapitalization and PSB Merger, SARFAESI Act 2002 Amendment, IBC 2016, Unified GST | GST collections increased from ₹0.9 lakh crore in FY18 to ₹1.5 lakh crore in FY23. |
| Navigating the Global Recession: India’s Economic Outlook in 2024 | Projections of exceeding 7% growth for FY24 and potentially FY25. | India’s economic resilience amidst global economic slowdown. |
| Steps Needed To Build A Resilient Economy | Investment in infrastructure, human capital, and employment generation. | National Infrastructure Pipeline investment of Rs 111 lakh crore by 2025. |
| Measurement And Indicators Of Economic Growth And Development | Use of GDP, GVA, and other metrics for economic analysis. | Introduction of new GDP base year 2011-12. |
| Inclusive Growth | Government schemes like Ayushman Bharat, PMJDY, and Digital India promoting inclusivity. | India’s global gender gap score improved from 135th to 127th place. |
| India’s Regional Income Disparities | Increasing income disparities among states over the last three decades. | Higher-income states have 2.5 times the per capita SDP compared to lower-income states as of 2019-20. |
| Environment And Development Linkage | Poor compliance with environmental laws, neglect of negative externalities. | Vulnerability to climate change impacting economic sustainability. |
| Minimum Wage Vs Living Wage System | India to replace minimum wage system with a living wage system by 2025. | ILO’s endorsement of living wage to afford a decent standard of living. |
| Economic Planning Commission | Disbanded and replaced by NITI Aayog. | Planning Commission established in 1950, replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015. |
| Road to 5 trillion $ economy | Government’s goal to achieve a $5 trillion economy. | Emphasis on demographic dividend, digital transformation, and infrastructure development. |
| Government Budgeting | Budget as an annual financial statement of revenue and expenditure. | Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003. |
| Components Of The Budget | Revenue and capital budgets, gender budgeting, zero-based budgeting, outcome budgeting. | Article 112 of the Indian Constitution mandates an annual financial statement. |
| Fiscal Responsibility And Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003 | Amendments and recent updates to the FRBM Act. | Objectives to reduce fiscal deficits, control government debt, and ensure intergenerational equity. |
| Government Borrowings | Different types of government borrowings and their implications. | Components include market borrowings, loans from banks and financial institutions, external debt. |
| Taxation | Recent trends in tax collection, initiatives to improve direct and indirect taxation. | Tax system in India divided between Central, State, and Local Governments. |
| Direct Taxation | Measures to improve direct tax compliance and broaden the tax base. | Income tax, corporate tax, GAAR, POEM guidelines. |
| Indirect Taxation | Introduction and impact of GST, administrative reforms. | GST as the biggest indirect tax reform in independent India. |
| Goods And Services Tax (GST) | Significant impact on transparency, reducing tax evasion, and promoting a formalized economy. | Launched on July 1, 2017, under the 101st Constitutional Amendment. |
| Taxation On Virtual Assets | Framework for taxing virtual digital assets, associated concerns, and way forward. | Section 115BBH of the Income Tax Act imposes a 30% tax on virtual digital assets. |
| Global Minimum Corporate Tax | Steps towards global tax uniformity, India’s positive interpretation of the 15% rate pact. | India reduced corporate tax rate to 22%, with an effective tax rate of 25.17% for domestic companies. |
| Place Of Effective Management (POEM) | Guidelines for determining the tax residency of foreign companies. | Introduced in the Finance Act 2015, applicable from FY 2017-18. |
| Monetary Policy | RBI’s tools and stances on monetary policy, inflation targeting framework. | Liquidity Adjustment Facility, repo rate, reverse repo rate, CRR, SLR. |
| Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) | Introduction of CBDC, its significance, and potential impact on the economy. | RBI’s pilot projects and initiatives towards launching a digital rupee. |
| Trends In India’s External Sector | Observations from the Family Survey 2022-23, trends in foreign exchange reserves. | India’s foreign exchange reserves trends and policies for maintaining stability. |
| Foreign Exchange/Forex Reserves | Status and importance of maintaining adequate forex reserves. | India’s forex reserves as a cushion against economic shocks. |
| Recent Developments In Agriculture Sector In India | Precision farming, crop insurance schemes, zero-budget natural farming, integrated farming systems. | Importance of agriculture for India’s economy and food security. |
| Agricultural Credit And Indebtedness In India | Measures to improve agricultural credit, tackle indebtedness, and enhance productivity. | Various schemes and policies to support farmers’ access to credit. |
| Key Drivers Of India’s Food Processing Sector | Government initiatives to boost the food processing industry, significant for the economy. | National Food Processing Policy 2019. |
| Digitization & Modernization of Land Records | Success and challenges in digitizing land records, and modernizing land management. | Efforts towards comprehensive digitization and modern land records management. |
| Industries In India New Industrial Policy – 1991 |
Key reforms, and policies to boost MSMEs, semiconductor industry, and startup ecosystem. | India’s transition to a liberalized economy post-1991 industrial policy reforms. |
| Production Linked Incentive Scheme | Government initiatives to boost manufacturing, making India a manufacturing hub. | Focus on various sectors to promote manufacturing and exports through incentives. |
| Services Sector | Performance and government initiatives in e-commerce, tourism, medical tourism, IT/BPM, and communication. | Contribution of the services sector to India’s GDP and employment. |
| Infrastructure: Energy, Roads, Railways, Ports, and Aviation | Achievements and challenges in renewable energy, DISCOM strategies, and logistic sector improvements. | Government’s focus on infrastructure development and energy sector reforms. |
| Importance Of Investments For Economy | Public and private investment models, FDI, PPP, and infrastructure investment funds. | Key initiatives like National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and National Monetisation Pipeline. |
| Employment, Unemployment, and Skill Development | Skill development programs, addressing jobless growth, gig workers, and labor law reforms. | International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions and standards. |
The Indian Polity and Constitution section is critical for UPSC Mains as it encompasses the foundational framework of the Indian state and its functioning. Understanding both static concepts and dynamic current affairs is essential for a comprehensive grasp of the subject. Here are the key important current affairs topics for UPSC Mains 2024, current facts, and static details:
| Topic | Current Facts/Updates |
| Evolution of Indian Constitution | Government of India Acts (1919, 1935), Indian Independence Act 1947. |
| Constitutional Amendments | 106th Amendment (2023), 105th Amendment (2021). |
| Union Executive & State Executive | Roles and functions of the President, Vice President, Governor, and Chief Minister. |
| Judiciary | Judicial appointments, accountability, activism, significant roles, and concepts. |
| Dispute Redressal Mechanism | ADR, Lok Adalat, Gram Nyayalayas, Tribunals, Online Dispute Resolution. |
| Local Self Government | 44.4% of seats in Panchayati Raj institutions are held by women. |
Here we have provided Prahaar 2024 – monthly current affairs for topics such as Governance, Ethics, Indian Society, International relations, Internal Security, and other key areas. We have provided magazine which offers consolidated view of important events to keep UPSC aspirants updated with the latest developments and trends relevant to the Mains examination.
| Monthly Current Affairs for UPSC | |
| Topics | PDF Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Ethics | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Governance | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Indian Society | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Internal Security | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – International Relations | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Modern India | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Post-Independence India | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Science & Technology | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Social Justice | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – World History | Link |
| Prahaar 2024 – Geography And Disaster Management | Link |
Candidates can find the comprehensive coverage of Current affairs under each topic. These magazines are designed for Current affairs revision for UPSC Mains 2024.
For expert guidance and support, candidates can consider enrolling for PW UPSC online coaching course.
| UPSC Mains 2024 Related Articles | |
| UPSC CSE Mains 2024 | UPSC Mains Exam Pattern 2024 |
| UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024 | UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers |
| UPSC Mains Admit Card 2024 | UPSC Mains Previous Year Cutoff |
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