WSDP Bulletin (23-12-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Heated winter session of Parliament concludes a day early READ MORE
2. Life expectancy reduced in 2020 after steady increase for 15 years: Study READ MORE
3. Cabinet approves Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Copra for 2022 season READ MORE
4. RBI intervention prevents Rupee slide READ MORE
5. Climate crisis has cost India 5 million hectares of crop in 2021 READ MORE

Main Exam  

GS Paper- 1

1. Address poverty, education to curb child marriage READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Electoral reform is welcome, but shouldn’t be selective READ MORE
2. Delimitation’s limit: J&K Commission needs to address Kashmiri fears. India needs to rethink 2026 plan READ MORE
3. Why the separation of the judiciary and executive is essential in a democracy READ MORE
4. LINKING voter ID AND Aadhaar A bad IDEA READ MORE
5. Human Fallibility in Justice System Is Why Capital Punishment Must Be Abolished READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. One nation, one ration card holds promise READ MORE
2. The children who quietly dropped out of school READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. As a regional leader, not a victim of circumstance READ MORE
2. Troubled waters: On Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan custody READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India not ready for cryptos, for now READ MORE
2. The politics and economics of fuel prices READ MORE
3. Lasting solution: WTO ruling is an opportunity to reform the sugar sector READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Coal, Glasgow, and the future of the Great Indian Bustard READ MORE  
2. How to climate-proof Indian agriculture through innovation – from fertiliser to farmer networks READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The Harm Principle: Explaining one of J.S. Mill’s most concise and relevant principles READ MORE
2. Jesus says centring happens through struggle READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The One nation, one ration card scheme is not only timely but is also necessary to overcome the ravages of the pandemic in a sustainable manner’. Substantiate.
2. ‘Violence and instability in the Northeast have important implications for national security and territorial integrity’. In the light of the statement, suggest the way forward for India to address the security and instability issues in the northeast.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Those who ‘abjure’ violence can do so only because others are committing violence on their behalf.
• The Constitution mandates ECI to function as an independent entity, apolitical in its character, but also appear to be so, because in the public domain “truth is not the truth, perception is the truth.” PMO’s recent invite to ECI shatters public trust in the latter.
• India must respond to neighbourhood challenges by making it clear that it is an arbiter of its destiny and the region’s.
• Government must take up all pending electoral reform proposals, instead of only going for politically motivated reforms like simultaneous elections and electoral bonds.
• A delimitation exercise represents a shift in political power. As the population is the main basis of seat allocation, an inherent problem is it dilutes the political clout of states and regions that have done well in realising the goal of population control.
• The ONORC scheme is not only timely but is also necessary to overcome the ravages of the pandemic in a sustainable manner.
• When laws restricting personal liberty are passed without debate, or under the cover of finance bills, the impact is felt by the citizens.
• Banning crypto should not detract from its underlying technology. Blockchain technology can be used even then.
• Facing the challenges posed by climate change, not just in terms of rising temperatures but also the growing need to better manage natural resources, promote resilient farming methods, and provide safe and nutritious food, many of India’s farmers are already making progress.
• With a population soon expected to become the world’s largest, agricultural innovations in India will help to not only ensure that more people can be fed, but also that the impact of farming upon the environment is minimised, and its resilience to climate change bolstered.
• The decision to award capital punishment is a question of life and death, which puts too much at stake for human institutions, such as the judiciary, to decide.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Truth is not the truth; perception is the truth.

50-WORD TALK

• When prices crash, economists blame it on supply-demand disequilibrium but fail to see the human suffering it unleashes. Not only in India but globally too, the volatility of the markets has destroyed livelihoods and increasingly forced farmers to abandon farming, sell off their lands and migrate to the cities looking for menial jobs. This is no less than mayhem. Take the case of America, where farm gate prices have been on a steady decline, gradually pushing farmers out of agriculture.

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.