WSDP Bulletin (20-08-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. DRDO develops Advanced Chaff Technology for Indian Air Force READ MORE  
2. BRICS signs deal on cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing READ MORE
3. Explained: What is IATA’s travel pass, and why is it needed? READ MORE
4. India, Australia sign document to boost naval ties READ MORE
5. Explained: Ozone pact in climate fight READ MORE
6. CM to inaugurate Capital’s first smog tower READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Arms and the women: On gender parity in the Army READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Collegium clears 9 names: Calendar of judicial vacancies a must to check pendency READ MORE
2. Enforcing the right to education: All minorities, whether based on religion or language, have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Domestic Violence as the Shadow Pandemic: INDIRA JAISING takes a look at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic violence. READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The Abraham Accords as India’s West Asia bridge: The signing of the Accords has helped remove strategic obstacles for New Delhi and aided defence cooperation READ MORE
2. India, Pak should together engage Taliban READ MORE
3. What the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan means for America’s influence in West Asia READ MORE
4. Why the Afghanistan Crisis Underscores the Need for a Refugee Law READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. What India’s informal sector needs right now READ MORE
2. In a competitive marketplace, protecting India’s gig workers READ MORE
3. Building on inclusion READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. COP15: After Delays, UN Biodiversity Agreement Expected Next Year READ MORE  
2. Deficient rainfall leads to low storage in water reservoirs of north, central India READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Idea of Self-reliance in Science and Tech has Lost Focus READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The hard problem of consciousness READ MORE

Questions for MAIN exam

1. Discuss the role that Abraham Accords deal can play for India to secure its interests in West Asia region.
2. ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code is the best available tool for speedy and transparent dispute resolution but it should be enriched with more judicial powers to achieve the desired results’. Justify the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Authority does not come from the loudest voice, but the wisest.
• Highlighting the glaring absence of legislation to govern the grant of asylum to refugees, and the moral imperative on India to support refugees that will be fleeing the political crisis in neighboring Afghanistan.
• India’s future looks grim unless it again embraces self-reliance in S&T, strengthens its PSUs and increases public investment in research and education in general.
• The Collegium needs to prepare a calendar of judicial vacancies and recommend names three months in advance so as to ensure that litigants don’t suffer due to insufficient judicial strength. Else, pendency would become unmanageable.
• Bringing the informal sector to the forefront of policy decisions can lead to a significant payoff for the entire economy for years to come.
• Iran, as part of India’s ‘West Asia’ construct, will also play a significant part in India’s outreach in the months to come as the crisis in Afghanistan deepens.
• India’s strategic play in West Asia will be reflective of its economic growth, and by association, an increasingly important place in the global order.
• India has many strategic infrastructure investments in Afghanistanas well. India has to balance its approach in the region and find new regional allies who can influence the Taliban in a way beneficial to Indian interests.

50-WORD TALK

• Whether Indian embassy/consulates in Afghanistan should’ve stayed open is a fake debate. India can’t have its diplomats accredited to a regime it doesn’t recognise. Of course Taliban would want India to stay as it’ll be de facto recognition. Nobody’s dumb, and Indian missions have lost lives to targeted Taliban attacks.
• Modi government’s National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm is a pragmatic idea. There’s no reason why a resourceful country like India can’t produce its own palm oil and should depend on expensive imports. While farmers need encouragement to start growing palm, the sunset clause for incentives/MSP should be strictly enforced.
• The Supreme Court collegium has done well to end the 22-month logjam over filling up its vacancies and also pick a judge who could be India’s first woman chief justice. The onus is now on the government to approve this quickly. Nine vacancies in the SC are nine too many.
• The court-monitored CBI probe into West Bengal post-poll violence rightly signals the importance being finally given to the culture of political violence in the state. CM Mamata Banerjee is choosing to call this a transgression of the state’s right. The probe must stay scrupulously clear of any partisan power play.

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 map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
• For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price 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 occur 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 to your writing.