WSDP Bulletin (22-09-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. First Advance Estimates of production of major Kharif crops released READ MORE
2. E-Sanjeevani, Govt. of India’s telemedicine initiative, completes 1.2 Crore consultations READ MORE
3. COVID-19 | R-value dropped below one in mid-September READ MORE
4. CIA officer reports Havana syndrome symptoms on India trip: Reports READ MORE
5. Assam’s wild water buffalo is in troubled waters because of habitat loss READ MORE
6. Researchers develop super-hydrophobic cotton for oil-spill cleanup READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Creating citizen-centric police READ MORE
2. Perception gap plagues crime control in UP READ MORE
3. Taking states on board: It is time the Modi govt convened a meeting of the Inter-State Council READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The real deficit in India’s health care system READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Iran’s SCO Membership is a Big Deal READ MORE
2. The big deal behind the ruckus over AUKUS: China’s economic and military capacities, as well as its belligerence, have led to a shift in regional security paradigms READ MORE
3. Vaccine diplomacy: UK’s appalling bias against Covishield termed racist READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Changing the Agri exports basket: India has the potential to become a global leader in the food processing sector READ MORE
2. How to boost export of high-end products READ MORE
3. India’s financial system gets a reset READ MORE
4. To succeed, the bad bank must itself be good READ MORE
5. The Need for Major Changes in Agricultural Policies READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Biomedical waste dumping: Covid has caused a surge in hazardous waste production READ MORE
2. Deforestation in India during British rule READ MORE
3. Extreme weather events in India made women, children more vulnerable to modern slavery, flags report READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Can we ignore food ethics in a discussion about food diversity and politics? READ MORE
2. Why get away from the madding crowd? READ MORE
3. Teacher, a friend for life READ MORE
4. Overreaction READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Discuss the strategic & geopolitical implications of the AUKUS security agreement in the Indo-Pacific region.
2. ‘Crop diversification is essential for maintaining groundwater levels and soil health, and protecting the environment from pollution’. Substantiate the statement.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Alliance does not mean love; any more than war means hate.
• India has the potential to become a global leader in the food processing sector.
• The Centre’s policy should be in the direction of nurturing food processing companies, ensuring low cost of production and global food quality standards, and creating a supportive environment to promote the export of processed food.
• India has competitive advantages in various agricultural commodities which can be passed onto processed foods. It has the potential to become a global leader in the food processing sector.
• The Quad is not a security arrangement though there is a widespread feeling that without stronger security underpinnings it would play a limited role in dealing with the real challenge of China’s militarization.
• Allowing oneself to think critically and candidly about food may demand making challenging dietary changes.
• To enable honest police officers to concentrate on their professional work of crime prevention, investigation and maintenance of public order, instead of being used and abused by those in power.
• To accelerate the pace and meet our global health commitments, India must build more institutions for producing professionals and create a conducive environment, with adequate pay packages, to attract and retain the best talent in the workforce.
• There is no place for vaccine ‘racism’ in the global battle against the pandemic.
• For a bad bank to succeed, the government must take steps to ensure that the regulatory environment allows it to discharge its functions with some speed and a bearable cost to itself.
• Widespread public awareness can only be achieved through environmental education and demonstration projects, for which India is still far from its milestone.

50-WORD TALK

• India’s hurt over UK’s new, ‘discriminatory’ Covid travel restrictions for Indians is understandable. But this need not escalate into a diplomatic row. More than vaccines, this is about trusting India’s Cowin certification. New Delhi and London should resolve this sooner than later as this just requires reconciling technologies and processes.
• The flaw in the new marriage law in Rajasthan isn’t just ‘technical’. It can, will be misused. The state’s child marriage cases are higher than the national average — a colossal failure to end the abominable practice. Congress party claims to espouse progressive politics, but this law is willful blindness.

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.