WSDP Bulletin (17-09-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. India observes the 27th Global Ozone Day READ MORE
2. Government sets up ‘bad bank’ to clear the NPA mess READ MORE
3. Air, water pollution offences more than triple in 2020: NCRB READ MORE
4. Explained: How a Gupta era temple in Etah has put the focus back on shankhalipi script READ MORE
5. India’s climate action ‘highly insufficient’: New rating system READ MORE
6. AUKUS—a new military alliance to deal with China’s expansion in Indo-Pacific READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Just not justice: NCRB data reveals badly struggling judicial system, and several action points for policymakers READ MORE
2. The role of civil society organisations READ MORE
3. Balancing privacy and agency: Data governance needs a gender lens READ MORE
4. Going down the wrong path: India slips on indices of freedom and the government has not even acknowledged there is a problem READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Socialists vs conservatives harmed Indian education. Bahujans need market forces READ MORE
2. Terror and hunger READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The Greatest Game: The Indo-Pacific READ MORE
2. Building Blocks of Development: India has its task cut out to make itself heard in global affairs concerning its interests READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Delaying the inevitable: On relief to telcos READ MORE
2. This is not how Centre should be dealing with recession READ MORE
3. Why a bad bank is good for the economy READ MORE
4. Good to see the telecom crisis resolved. Govt should promote competition to boost private sector READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Oil Palm Mission Threatens Rich Biodiversity of A&N Island, Northeast READ MORE
2. COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed climate change: UN READ MORE
3. With climate change, the need to conserve India’s urban water bodies has become even more urgent READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The God of Fresh Beginnings – Real Happiness READ MORE
2. Rising Above Stressful Thoughts READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Instant justice cannot be a substitute for justice delivered through statuary means in time’. Comment on the statement.
2. ‘The rise of big data and machine learning has caused an immense growth in powerful technologies and applications but these technologies have become a privacy nightmare for their users’. Examine the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Authority does not come from the loudest voice, but the wisest.
• Prescribing higher standards of education is one thing but at the same time blocking the entry of poor people by prescribing an examination which has not been hitherto there is another.
• Instant justice cannot be a substitute for justice delivered through statuary means in time.
• The Centre’s relief to telcos can only be the first step in efforts to boost the stressed sector.
• E-Shram is a vital system to provide hitherto invisible workers much-needed visibility. It will provide the Labour Market Citizenship Document to them.
• Developing basic infrastructure and the production sector is the only way to face an economic crisis. The Centre has the responsibility to help states in this respect.
• NCRB’s data makes a strong case for expediting judicial appointments given the huge pendency rate and improving the quality of policing, evident from low conviction rates in many heinous offences.
• The government must treat civil society as an ally; non-governmental organisations must be transparent.
• Given sensitivities around women’s data and its impact on their ability to use the internet, India’s various data governance proposals that are under discussion currently must be evaluated from a gender lens.
• The rise of big data and machine learning has caused an immense growth in powerful technologies and applications. But simultaneously, the same technologies have become a privacy nightmare for their users.
• Allowing greater private participation in the telecom sector is not enough. It needs to be accompanied by a conducive environment for promoting competition.
• With climate change, the need to conserve India’s urban water bodies has become even more urgent.
• Oil palm cultivation in the most ecologically sensitive and vulnerable regions of the A&N Islands should be ruled out.

50-WORD TALK

• A strategic shift has been made to migrate to a US-India strategic relationship based on mutual economic interests and security especially in the Indo-Pacific region. There is growing confidence among the two largest democracies to deal with the new challenges of the global order based on shared targets and economic prosperity.

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.