WSDP Bulletin (31-01-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. ‘Bomb cyclone’ hits eastern U.S., triggers transport chaos, outages READ MORE
2. Pegasus issue: CPI MP submits notice to move privilege motion against Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw READ MORE
3. The rich history of the Chalukya dynasty READ MORE
4. India-ASEAN Digital Work Plan 2022 approved at 2nd ASEAN Digital Ministers (ADGMIN) meeting READ MORE
5. Explained: What is reverse repo normalisation? READ MORE
6. $150-million India-UAE VC Fund set up to boost start-up ecosystem READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. India needs a new social contract READ MORE Social
2. Justice Matters | What a Dalit girl’s rape trial tell us about caste READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Limits of power: SC serves a reminder that the House should work within constitutional parameters READ MORE
2. Angst over IAS transfers is missing the point READ MORE
3. Turning India into a republic of villages READ MORE
4. AIS cadre rules issue is neither complex nor controversial. Here’s what you are missing READ MORE
5. Proposed changes to IAS rules runs unintended risk of undermining administrative ability of states READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Show commitment to equity in the Budget: The Government needs to stop India’s avalanching slide into a grossly divided society, made worse by the pandemic READ MORE
2. Back to school READ MORE
3. Need to revisit global health agenda right now READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1.  Michael Brecher: Pioneering scholar of Indian foreign policy READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Go-ahead for ‘bad bank’: Tackling stressed assets a formidable task READ MORE
2. Deeper correction: Geo-politics & monetary policy have increased market risks READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. India’s elephants will suffer huge setback if proposed changes to Wildlife Protection Act are passed READ MORE
2. Climate crisis in North-East India: How geography, rainfall variations define calamity course READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Pegasus row: Govt needs to come clean on damning revelations READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. J S Bandukwala: Conscience keeper & courageous crusader READ MORE
2. Between Pride and Modesty READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. “The Covid-19 pandemic has made the unequal in India more unequal” Critically analyse the statement in the light of the Inequality Kills report recently released by Oxfam.
2. “A combination of a distorted tax regime, declining social sector expenditure and unbridled privatisation policy have deepened inequality in India” Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.
• The Government needs to stop India’s avalanching slide into a grossly divided society, made worse by the pandemic.
• SC serves a reminder that the House should work within constitutional parameters.
• The Centre and States should work out out-of-the-box ways to bridge the learning gap in absolute and relative terms. The Budget must take the education crisis seriously.
• If India has established robust protocols when it comes to surveillance, as the government claims, stonewalling the damning revelations only adds fuel to the fire.
• Lending in the aftermath of the pandemic will be required to boost economic activities but safeguarding the capital and assets of banks, individuals and companies will also be a must for the economy to flourish without hitches.
• Lower liquidity and higher policy rates will mean a downgrade for risky assets and could lead to a deeper correction.
• Time has perhaps come to amend All India Services Cadre Rules, and make central posting mandatory for a specified period. But only through spirit of federalism.
• The simple fact is that aspiring students are looking for government jobs, but these have declined due to increased privatisation, digitisation and automation.

50-WORD TALK

• The Prime Minister’s meeting with five Central Asian leaders shows New Delhi wants to play the regional Great Game, with former imperial power Russia and big-spending China. Beijing has hit back with big aid promises. New Delhi can’t outspend the dragon, so it has to find ways to outsmart it.
• There is near unanimity that the Budget must signal a much higher level of healthcare spending to not just set right historical deficiencies but also address the glaring deficit in public healthcare that the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed. It is important to remember that India’s healthcare sector was severely deficient even before the pandemic came. Bangladesh, for example, is poorer than India but has a higher life expectancy.

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.