WSDP Bulletin (07-08-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelims and Mains

1. Sankalp Programme READ MORE
2. Celebrations begin to mark 150 years of iconic artist Abanindranath Tagore READ MORE
3. RBI holds rates steady, inflation forecast now close to 6% limit READ MORE
4. In Bhutan, the world’s rarest heron is on the brink of extinction READ MORE
5. India & China finally disengage in Gogra, temporary structures removed, ‘buffer zone made’ READ MORE
6. India’s elderly population to rise 41% over next decade to touch 194 mn in 2031: Govt report READ MORE
7. No provision to declare any natural disaster as a ‘National Calamity’: Panel report READ MORE

Main exam  

GS Paper- 1

1. Telling Numbers: Arabian Sea cyclones more frequent in recent years READ MORE
2. Sustainable livelihoods and resilience through community forest management READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Rewind to fast forward: Delayed reset on retrospective tax is onlythe first step to regaining investor confidence READ MORE
2. India’s schoolchildren need their childhood back READ MORE
3. Towards a Political Etymology of Sedition READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How do we address the complicated claims of backwardness by various politically powerful castes? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Why US posturing is yet to convince India READ MORE
2. Afghan turmoil READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Explained: What does RBI move to keep rates steady, hike inflation target mean? READ MORE
2. Retrospective tax: New legislation expected to allay investors’ fears READ MORE
3. Need to cut fuel tax to rein in inflation demon READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Floods, heavy rains killed a lakh people in 65 years, caused loss of Rs 4 lakh crore READ MORE
2. Widen met station network in Himalayas to better predict extreme weather: Panel READ MORE

SECURITY

1. An opportunity for India to pitch for holistic maritime security READ MORE
2. N-proliferation and regional security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Seven lessons to be learnt from sports READ MORE  
2. Caste, ethnicity, religion – United colours of Indian hockey prove the game thrives in inclusivity READ MORE
3. Gandhi and the Re-enactment of Racism READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. Discuss the need and challenges of reopening of schools in India. What measures required to be in place before such re-opening?
2. ‘DNA is very sensitive information and creating DNA databases is a perilous venture’. Examine the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Answers determined by the social division of labour become truth as such.
• There is evidence that the region’s post-pandemic adoption to digital life will shape its future prosperity.
• Be it fluctuating trade tariffs or shifting GST rates and rules, India needs to demonstrate greater clarity and consistency in policy across the board to fix its broken credibility.
• Education, like oxygen and medicines during the second novel coronavirus wave, is becoming the responsibility but also a privilege of private citizens.
• Instead of getting caught up in vaccine nationalism, India needs to get all the vaccines it can to enhance supplies and achieve its target of universal vaccination.
• India must stand with the world to ensure that peace returns to the violence-ravaged Afghanistan.
• Criminalisation of sedition is normatively inconsistent with the value framework of demo­cracy, an argument which is equally applicable to other laws passed by democratic governments in India.
• The meaning of sedition needs to be liberated from its legal definition to focus on the form of politics that the act of sedition has characterised to understand the normative relationship bet­ween sedition and democracy.
• DNA is very sensitive information and creating DNA databases is a perilous venture.

50-WORD TALK

• The Supreme Court verdict on the Amazon vs Future case proves, once again, that legal processes work and rule of law prevails. Indian courts are non-partisan, and do not distinguish between foreign and swadeshi. It’s especially a good signal, coming a day after the repeal of the dreaded retrospective tax.
• India has had low fungibility so far by hitching its anti-China wagon to the US. The Trump administration’s forthright opposition appeared promising, but the Biden team needs to spell out its China policy in bigger fine print. It also needs to be seen as acting on it, before New Delhi is convinced that its appeal for security partnership is for posterity.
• As Pakistan, China, the US and Russia begin their moves to see who influences Afghanistan the most, India needs to decide on what its role will be. Others seem to think that India must have communication links open with the Taliban to be able to closely monitor the intra-Afghan affairs. India needs to decide if it prefers a direct involvement or a distant one.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
• Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do a map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers etc. same applies for the national places.)
• For economy related news (banking, agriculture etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related with various economic aspects, for examples if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing prices rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates etc.
• For main exam related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occurs frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
• Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment in your writing.