Current Affairs Year in Review: 2024
Supreme Court
Electoral Bonds Judgment (February 2024) : A five-judge Constitution bench struck down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional. The Court held it violated the right to information of voters under Article 19(1)(a). The State Bank of India was directed to provide complete data on bonds purchased and redeemed since 2018 to the Election Commission, which was directed to publish it. The data, released in March 2024, showed ₹16,518 crore in bonds were purchased, with the ruling party receiving approximately 57%.
Article 370 Judgment Review (January 2024) : The Court dismissed review petitions against its December 2023 judgment upholding the abrogation of Article 370. The Court's original judgment held that Article 370 was a temporary provision and that the President could abrogate it using Article 370(3) after the dissolution of the J&K Constituent Assembly. The review dismissal reaffirmed this position.
Bilquis Bano Remission Case (January 2024) : The Court quashed the Gujarat government's remission order that had released 11 convicts in the Bilquis Bano gang rape and murder case. The Court held that the Gujarat government was not the "appropriate government" to grant remission (it was the Maharashtra government, where the trial was conducted and the conviction was recorded). The convicts were directed to surrender.
Schemes & Economy
Interim Budget 2024-25 (February 2024) : The government presented an interim budget ahead of the general election (April-May 2024). The full budget was presented in July 2024 by the new government. Key interim budget provisions: fiscal deficit target of 5.1% of GDP (revised from 5.8% in 2023-24), capex of ₹11.1 lakh crore (16.9% increase), no changes to direct or indirect tax rates (an election-year convention). The budget extended PM-KISAN, PM Awas Yojana (rural), and PM Fasal Bima Yojana.
PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana launched (February 2024) : The rooftop solar scheme was launched with a target of 1 crore households, a subsidy of up to ₹78,000 per household, and a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore. This was the first major scheme announcement of 2024.
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) memorandum: India and the UAE signed a framework agreement in February 2024 to operationalise the IMEC. This was the first bilateral agreement under the IMEC framework, which was announced at the G20 Delhi Summit (September 2023).
GDP growth 2023-24: The Second Advance Estimates (February 2024) projected GDP growth of 7.6% for 2023-24. India remained the fastest-growing major economy. Agriculture growth was subdued at 1.8% (below-normal monsoon). Industry grew by 8.5%, services by 8.3%.
International Relations
India-Maldives tensions (January 2024) : Three Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments about PM Modi after he posted pictures of his visit to Lakshadweep. The "Boycott Maldives" hashtag trended in India. Maldivian tourism (which depends on Indian tourists for approximately 12% of arrivals) was affected. The ministers were suspended. This incident highlighted the fragility of India's relationship with President Muizzu's government, which had been elected on an "India Out" platform in 2023.
Indo-French Defence Ties (January 2024) : President Macron was the Republic Day chief guest. A defence industrial roadmap was signed. Key provision: France and India agreed to co-develop a fighter jet engine (the "Shakti" programme). France's Safran and India's DRDO are the lead partners.
India-UAE Bilateral Investment Treaty (February 2024) : A new BIT was signed, replacing the 2013 BIT that lapsed in 2023. The new treaty provides stronger investor protections while preserving the state's right to regulate in the public interest. This is a template for India's BIT negotiations with other countries.
WTO 13th Ministerial Conference (Abu Dhabi, February-March 2024) : India blocked the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement, arguing that investment is not a trade issue and does not belong in the WTO. India also negotiated a temporary extension of the e-commerce moratorium (no customs duties on electronic transmissions) until MC14.
Iran-Israel escalation (April 2024) : Iran launched a direct attack on Israel (drones and missiles). India expressed "serious concern" and called for de-escalation. India has strategic relationships with both Iran (Chabahar port) and Israel (defence and technology). The escalation threatened India's energy security (crude oil prices) and the safety of Indian diaspora in the region. India launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indian nationals from Israel and Iran. Operation Ajay was also used earlier (October 2023) to evacuate Indians from Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.
Species & Environment
Tiger census 2023: Results released in January 2024: India's tiger population: 3,925 (2022 census). This was released in January 2024.
Cheetah reintroduction update: Three cheetah cubs were born in Kuno National Park in January 2024 (to the Namibian cheetah Jwala). This was the first cheetah birth in India since the species went extinct in 1952. However, the cheetah mortality rate remained high.
India's first snow leopard enumeration: Results released in January 2024: 718 snow leopards across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Ladakh had the highest population.
Ramsar sites: Five new Ramsar sites were added in January 2024 ahead of World Wetlands Day: Ankasamudra Bird Sanctuary (Karnataka), Aghanashini Estuary (Karnataka), Magadi Kere (Karnataka), Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest (Tamil Nadu). Total: 80.
July to December 2024. The new government presented its first full budget. India hosted the Voice of Global South Summit. COP29 was held in Baku. India-China reached a border patrolling agreement. The Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections were held.
Supreme Court
Aligarh Muslim University Minority Status (November 2024) : A seven-judge bench overruled the 1967 Azeez Basha judgment (which held that AMU was not a minority institution because it was established by a central Act, not by the Muslim community). The Court held that an institution established by a statute can still be a minority institution if it was "founded" by the minority community. The test is: who conceived the idea, raised the funds, and established the institution? The case was referred back to a regular bench to determine whether AMU meets this test in fact. This judgment has implications for all centrally-established minority educational institutions under Article 30.
Sub-classification of SC/ST Reservations (August 2024) : A seven-judge bench, by a 6:1 majority, held that states can sub-classify Scheduled Castes for the purpose of reservation. The judgment overruled the 2004 E.V. Chinnaiah judgment, which had held that SCs constitute a single homogeneous class and cannot be sub-classified. The Court held that within the SC category, some castes are more backward than others and have been historically excluded from the benefits of reservation. States can create sub-quotas for the most backward SCs, provided they base the sub-classification on quantifiable data. This is the most significant reservation judgment since Indra Sawhney (1992).
Bulldozer Justice Guidelines (November 2024) : The Court issued nationwide guidelines on the demolition of properties of accused persons. A demolition carried out without prior notice, without giving the affected person an opportunity to be heard, and without following the municipal law is unconstitutional (violates Article 21 and the right to shelter). The Court directed that: (a) no demolition can be carried out without 15 days' notice, (b) the demolition order must be a speaking order (with reasons), (c) the affected person has the right to appeal, (d) the demolition must be videographed, (e) the officer ordering an illegal demolition shall be personally liable for contempt of court. This judgment was a direct response to the use of bulldozers to demolish homes of people accused of crimes, predominantly from the Muslim community.
Schemes & Economy
Union Budget 2024-25 (July 2024) : The new government presented its first full budget. The fiscal deficit target was 4.9% of GDP. Key announcements: PM Package of five schemes for employment and skilling (₹2 lakh crore), the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (₹1 lakh crore corpus), and the PM Awas Yojana (Urban) Phase II (1 crore additional houses). The budget raised the capital gains tax (LTCG from 10% to 12.5%, STCG from 15% to 20%), generating controversy.
Unified Pension Scheme announced (August 2024) : The government announced the UPS for central government employees, effective April 2025. This was a response to protests by non-BJP-ruled states that had reverted to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The UPS is a hybrid: defined contribution (like NPS) with a defined benefit component (assured pension of 50% of last drawn pay).
COP29 (Baku, Azerbaijan, November 2024) : The conference was dominated by the NCQG (New Collective Quantified Goal) for climate finance. Developed countries committed to $300 billion per year by 2035 (the developing countries' demand was $1.3 trillion). India called the outcome "disappointing" and "an optical illusion." India also objected to the final text's reference to "transitioning away from fossil fuels" (agreed at COP28 in Dubai), arguing that coal cannot be equated with oil and gas because coal is essential for developing countries' energy security.
RBI Monetary Policy: Throughout 2024, the RBI held the repo rate at 6.50%. The MPC remained in "withdrawal of accommodation" mode. CPI inflation remained above 4% for most of the year, driven by food inflation. GDP growth was robust at 7.3% (2024-25 advance estimates).
International Relations
Modi-Putin Summit (Moscow, July 2024) : PM Modi visited Moscow for the annual India-Russia summit. This was his first bilateral visit after the 2024 election. The visit was criticised by the US and Ukraine (it coincided with a Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian children's hospital). India and Russia agreed to a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030 and cooperation on the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor. The visit reaffirmed India's strategic autonomy: India cannot abandon its relationship with Russia, even as it deepens ties with the US and Europe.
Modi-Kyiv Visit (August 2024) : PM Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ukraine since its independence in 1991. He met President Zelenskyy, expressed India's support for peace, and offered to act as a mediator. India did not join the Western sanctions on Russia but has consistently called for respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty. PM Modi's statement , "This is not an era of war" , delivered in the presence of President Putin in Samarkand (SCO Summit, 2022) , was reiterated in Kyiv.
India-China Border Patrolling Agreement (October 2024) : India and China announced an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the LAC , the first breakthrough since the Galwan clash. The agreement allows both sides to patrol up to their respective claimed lines, with prior intimation of patrol schedules to avoid confrontation. The Depsang and Demchok areas, where tensions had persisted, were specifically covered. This is a de-escalation measure, not a resolution. The border dispute remains unresolved. The announcement came ahead of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, where PM Modi and President Xi held their first bilateral meeting since 2019.
BRICS Summit (Kazan, Russia, October 2024) : The first BRICS summit after the expansion (with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia joining as full members). The Kazan Declaration called for reform of the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions (IMF, World Bank). PM Modi proposed seven pillars for BRICS cooperation, including a BRICS space exploration consortium. On the India-China bilateral: Modi and Xi had a brief meeting on the sidelines, their first structured interaction since 2019.
India-Canada diplomatic crisis (October-November 2024) : The crisis escalated after Canada designated Indian diplomats as "persons of interest" in the investigation into the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar (June 2023). India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled its High Commissioner. The Canada First Policy has become a flashpoint in India-Canada relations, with Canada accusing India of infringing on its sovereignty and India accusing Canada of harbouring terrorists and secessionists.
Other Notable Events
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections (September-October 2024) : The first assembly elections since the abrogation of Article 370 (2019) and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. The National Conference-Congress alliance won a majority. Omar Abdullah became the first Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The elected government has limited powers (law and order and land are with the Lieutenant Governor).
Three New Criminal Laws came into force (July 1, 2024) : The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replaced the IPC (1860), CrPC (1898), and the Indian Evidence Act (1872) respectively. This is the most significant reform of India's criminal justice system since independence. Key changes: community service introduced as a punishment, sedition (Section 124A IPC) replaced with "acts endangering sovereignty" (Section 152 BNS), organised crime and terrorism defined for the first time in general criminal law, and timelines for investigation and trial introduced.
Simultaneous Elections (One Nation One Election): The High-Level Committee chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind submitted its report in March 2024. The report recommended simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, followed by synchronised local body elections within 100 days. The panel recommended 18 constitutional amendments. Two Constitution Amendment Bills were introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament (December 2024) but were referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Species & Environment
| Development | Details |
|---|---|
| Cheetah reintroduction mortality | The cheetah reintroduction at Kuno continued to see high mortality. By July 2024, six cheetahs had died. The project was criticised by wildlife scientists for releasing too many cheetahs in a habitat with insufficient prey base and space. One cheetah gave birth to three cubs in January 2024 |
| Olive Ridley mass nesting | A record 6.5 lakh Olive Ridley turtles nested at Rushikulya (Odisha) in February 2024 , the highest in two decades. The increase was attributed to successful conservation measures (fencing of nesting sites, restrictions on trawler fishing during nesting season) |
| Great Nicobar Project environmental concerns | The NITI Aayog's Great Nicobar Island development project (transshipment port, airport, township) received environmental clearance in 2023. In 2024, the National Green Tribunal took suo moto cognizance of concerns raised by environmentalists: the project would involve the felling of 8.5 lakh trees and affect the habitat of the Nicobar Megapode and the Leatherback turtle. The NGT formed a committee to review the clearance |