WSDP Bulletin (11-12-2021)

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(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Observer Status granted to International Solar Alliance READ MORE
2. Coal production affected for second day in a row READ MORE
3. Chinese project at Balochistan port: local protests, global concerns READ MORE
4. Explained: NASA’s IXPE mission that will explore universe’s mysterious objects READ MORE
5. 51% Indian women will be employable in 2022, compared to 46% men: Annual skills survey READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. As unequal as 70 years ago: World Inequality Database reveals little has changed for the poor in India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Glass ceiling: There are reasons for renewed hope for women’s quota in Parliament, an issue pending since 1996 READ MORE
2. The Ordinance Raj: The frequent promulgation of ordinances is detrimental for a constitutional democracy. READ MORE
3. Punishment and Violence: Capital punishment is untenable within a normative frame of non-violence meant to address social violence. READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Cry over inequality, harder over poverty READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Quixplained: What’s happening between Russia and Ukraine? READ MORE
2. Winning back some neighbours READ MORE
3. India thinks it’s safe, but Russia is getting close to China. Non-aligned days should be back READ MORE
4. What does AUKUS deal mean for Asia? READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Goods and Services Tax as an unfinished agenda: Seen purely from a revenue point of view and as a fiscal policy tool, India’s GST is still on a rocky road READ MORE
2. Green shoots: The Government should build political consensus on plans for reform in farm sector READ MORE
3. India’s Post-Pandemic Recovery is Unsustainable, New GDP Figures Hardly Indicative of a Positive Trend READ MORE
4. Cry over inequality, harder over poverty READ MORE

 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Beyond COP26: Why India Needs a Climate Investment Framework READ MORE
2. Radioactive pollution in water: A global concern for human health READ MORE

 SECURITY

1. Nagaland and the perils of a militaristic approach READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. School education is the key to developing character, building social and life skills READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘An educated citizenry is the greatest asset for any democratic society’. Comment.
2. ‘Idealism without ambition may not achieve any positive results. Ambition without idealism can be dangerous’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Capital punishment is untenable within a normative frame of non-violence meant to address social violence.
• The ordinance-making power in the Constitution is not a necessary feature of the Westminster form of parliamentary democracy that India has adopted.
• What has contributed to the phenomenon of GDP as a whole in the second quarter of 2021-22, recovering to around the same level as in the second quarter of 2019-20, is a recovery not in consumption but an investment.
• Instead of providing subsidies and tax concessions to the corporates, the government should be concentrating on increasing private consumption.
• Trickle-down economics does not work in a stratified country like ours. In order to make the most of our demographic dividend, we must get money into the hands of the poor and focus on equitable, inclusive growth.
• It requires the government to intervene when market prices fall below a pre-defined level, not buy all the produce.
• The Government should build political consensus on plans for reform in farm sector.

50-WORD TALK

• Pakistan giving US President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy a miss is a bit rich as was Biden’s invitation to Islamabad in the first place. Especially considering Washington’s preference for the Bonsai democracy Pakistan is over Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This is a transactional relationship that has gone steeply downhill.

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.