WSDP Bulletin (03-01-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. PM releases 10th instalment of PM-KISAN READ MORE
2. Two new plant species discovered in Ghats READ MORE
3. Pilgrims pray at renovated century-old temple in Pakistan READ MORE
4. Dharmendra Pradhan launches 100-day reading campaign ‘Padhe Bharat’ READ MORE
5. Drilling under Antarctic ice shelf, scientists find treasure trove of life with 77 species READ MORE
6. India and Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear installations and prisoners READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: How to Reunite India READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Fair and safe: The ECI must ensure a fair election process that also limits public health risks READ MORE
2. Why EC can’t delay upcoming polls READ MORE
3. Government data negates the need for laws to control India’s population growth READ MORE
4. Is India ready for delimitation of constituencies? Time has come for reorganisation of states READ MORE
5. Attacks on RTI Activists Are Rising. We Need Accountability Laws. READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Secure women from the impact of health emergencies READ MORE  
2. Picture of health: Health index needs a rejig READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Explained: China’s border law and India READ MORE
2. Why India and China must work together READ MORE
3. RCEP: Asia Readies World’s Largest Trade Deal READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Patchwork policy: The temporary rollback of tax hikes on textiles is a harbinger of challenges before GST regime READ MORE
2. The time to privatise PSU banks is now READ MORE
3. Are Subsidies Trade-distortionary? To benefit the farmers green box subsidies may be given. READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. The cost of extreme weather events READ MORE
2. Half of global cropland expansion replaced natural vegetation and tree cover: Study READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Pilgrim’s distress: Fixing accountability is key to ensuring that the Vaishno Devi tragedy does not recur READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Greed vs life READ MORE
2. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: How to Reunite India READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Critically examine the importance of the Delhi Declaration on Afghanistan. Do you think it can help bring out a coordinated response against the Taliban regime?
2. Do you think that Democracy resulting in better economic growth and educational attainment is a universal standard? Substantiate.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The Cold War is over but Cold War thinking survives.
• The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021, recently introduced in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, is blatantly unconstitutional, as it is in abrogation of Articles 14 and 25 of the Constitution of India.
• Once the role of an authority like the state, vested with the specific task of ensuring compliance with the rule of law, is weakened, people take the law into their own hands and all hell breaks loose.
• Any ranking of human development indicators also offers a static picture and can be exploited for partisan ends unless they are measured against a standard.
• The most important breakthrough that’ll be required will be that of food production outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
• More education and the use of technology can help mitigate their unequally harsh effects on women.
• The ECI must take political parties into confidence and ensure an environment conducive to a fair election process that also limits public health risks.

50-WORD TALK

• China’s move to rename 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh is laughable. However, it also shows China is not looking at any kind of reproachment as far as border tensions with India are concerned. China is digging its heels in and has no plans of going back to pre-May 2020 status-quo.
• The Omicron surge, Delhi and Mumbai’s R values crossing 2 for the first time in the Covid pandemic is worrying. It calls for caution and discipline but not knee-jerk paranoia. Each variant is different, and we know little about Omicron yet. Hospitalisation and fatality figures need to be watched closely.

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.