WSDP Bulletin (02-02-2022)

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(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. A NEW SCHEME, PRIME MINISTER’S DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE FOR NORTH EAST ‘PM-DevINE’ ANNOUNCED; Rs. 1500 CRORE ALLOCATED READ MORE
2. SUMMARY OF UNION BUDGET 2022-23 READ MORE
3. INTRODUCTION OF CENTRAL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY ‘DIGITAL RUPEE’ ANNOUNCED READ MORE
4. NARI SHAKTI THE HARBINGER OF WOMEN-LED DEVELOPMENT DURING THE ‘AMRIT KAAL’ READ MORE
5. Longest lightning bolt record: 477 miles over 3 US states READ MORE
6. 5 months after nod, ZyCov-D set for rollout in 7 states. Bihar starts getting 1st set of shots READ MORE
7. Over 9,000 tree species on Earth remain undiscovered, says new international study READ MORE
8. Launch Of The Global Center Of Excellence In Affordable And Clean Energy (GCoE-ACE) At IIT Dharwad READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. What’s civic versus cultural nationalism? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Budget’s missed healthcare opportunity READ MORE
2. EC errs on side of caution: As Omicron cases mild, extending ban on rallies harsh step READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. What about the bottom half of Indian households? READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. China looks for ways to revive ties with US READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Big on hopes, short on ideas: On Union Budget 2022-23 READ MORE
2. Great on growth, not on jobs: Credit for avoiding populist giveaways, but job-creating MSMEs needed more READ MORE
3. Hits and misses of Budget 2022-23 READ MORE
4. Budget 2022 shows agriculture under change. Gone are talks about doubling farmers’ income READ MORE
5. Time for India to Set Up a Fiscal Council READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. In just two years, Indian forests the size of Nagaland were either chopped or thinned down READ MORE
2. How Auroville can teach us all a thing or two about offsetting carbon READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Believe to Succeed READ MORE
2. Gandhi is remembered, but Gandhi-ism? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The pandemic makes forecasts of growth and fiscal variables challenging. So, it is the right time to create a fiscal council that will provide independent forecasts on macro-variables’. Comment.
2. Discuss the need for ease credit availability for the priority sector. Can changes in the co-lending model ease credit availability for the priority sector? Analyse your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Used correctly, a budget doesn’t restrict you, it empowers you.
• The resource crunch manifest in the proposed higher debt issuance is ultimately bound to get more acute in the days ahead, given the Budget’s lack of growth-invigorating proposals.
• During this year, if government cash balances keep rising, and states are unable to scale up spending even after lockdowns are lifted, the government having to reduce its borrowing targets remains a possibility.
• Little has been done to address inequality and insecurity of the poorest in the budget.
• The Budget is notable for its big capex push, ultra-conservative projections and absence of populist proposals.
• It is essential for making informed choices in exercising their franchise.
• It is time democratically elected leaders threw away their masks, stepped out of their ivory towers, moved beyond their own shadows and gave a little more importance to Gandhism.
• Indeed, with income disparities having grown exponentially, there was a case for innovative tax reforms, but clearly, adventurism was not on the Finance Minister’s agenda.

50-WORD TALK

• Modi government’s announcement to tax crypto assets without creating a regulatory framework for their transactions is baffling. The temptation to dip into the digital goldmine is understandable, but the lack of regulations in a highly risky asset category can hurt investors. Rules should be framed before this becomes a reality.
• Chinese analysts were careful to subtly express their views about Xi’s US policy. However, in a thinly veiled criticism, Jia Qinggua, an America expert and member of China’s highest political advisory body, warned China not to unduly focus on national security as it would be self-destructive. These comments will have disconcerted Xi Jinping, coming as they do just months before the crucial 20th Party Congress, where his third term will be decided.

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.