WSDP Bulletin (22-02-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Fundamental duties must be enforced, says plea in Supreme Court READ MORE
2. India’s maritime strength in full display at Presidential Fleet Review READ MORE
3. Rajasthan: Cairn Vedanta makes oil discovery in OALP block in Barmer dist READ MORE
4. Assam: Padma Shri awardee & Gandhian Shakuntala Chowdhary passes away at 102 READ MORE
5. 2022 Winter Olympics: Everything you need to know about the Beijing Winter Olympics READ MORE
6. Explained: What are NFTs? How is it different from cryptocurrency? READ MORE
7. Storm Antonia: Fresh hurricane-force winds hit Germany READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Why the right of young Indian Muslims to wear the hijab must be protected READ MORE
2. Global geography community commits to meaningful action in support of indigenous languages READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. A red pen moment for corporate governance: Convulsions of outrage after episodes such as the NSE affair are pointless; significant institutional reform is a must READ MORE
2. Appointing High Court Judges–II READ MORE
3. Governors on warpath: Locked in unsavoury tussle with govts in Bengal, Kerala READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

1. Protect LGBT people from violence, bias READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Jaishankar, French counterpart discuss India-EU ties, Ukraine, Afghanistan READ MORE
2. India-US partnership for post-pandemic world READ MORE
3. The Ukraine crisis: Its impact on India READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. What explains India’s high import traiffs READ MORE
2. Digital ecosystems: Who should finance what? READ MORE
3. Workers in Gig and Platform Economies READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Marine Birds Continue to Die as Peru Oil Spill Clean-Up Stretches On READ MORE
2. Humans have degraded 84% of the world’s coastlines, reveals a new study READ MORE
3. Wildfires will be more frequent, larger and intense due to climate change: UNEP READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Information threats to India’s security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Experience of interbeing READ MORE
2. Reforming Higher Education, With a Helping Hand From Philanthropy READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Centre-State ties require a working relationship and while it is not unusual for different parties to be in power at the Centre and in states, public interest requires them to work in tandem in a parliamentary democracy’. In the light of the statement discuss how the issue of Confrontation between state governments and Governors can be resolved?
2. ‘Confrontation between state governments and Governors are not unusual but they should adhere to political decorum and constitutional propriety with redress of public grievances being the common aim’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
• It is urgent to protect gig workers labour rights and ensure minimum wages and social security benefits.
• A reality that acknowledges that in India today there is a perceptible hardening of attitudes towards Muslims in general and an increase in negative feelings and vicious actions against them.
• The insufficient public spending on higher education needs to be supplemented, not with for-profit private investment, which does not consider educational standards and quality, but rather with genuine philanthropy.
• The government should rationalize the direct taxes to address anomalies between Personal Income Tax (PIT) and corporate tax at one level and capital gains tax at another. Moreover, the tax rates should be low but free from exemptions/deductions.
• Low import duties need not boost exports and a selective trade-pact approach could help us replicate other success stories.
• India-USA can spearhead a sustainable and inclusive abundance agenda through our trade partnership, making the case for democracy through our shared prosperity.
• The essence and reach of Geography is much more than the study of the earth’s physical features, atmosphere and the impact of human activity upon them.
• In a political system where securing a majority may make the party in power at the Centre act unilaterally, states are wary of the office of the Governor being used to destabilise an elected government.
• Centre-State ties require a working relationship and while it is not unusual for different parties to be in power at the Centre and in states, public interest requires them to work in tandem in a parliamentary democracy.
• Confrontation between state governments and Governors are not unusual but they should adhere to political decorum and constitutional propriety with redress of public grievances being the common aim.

50-WORD TALK

• The Ukraine crisis is curtailing Indian role in the UN Security Council. New Delhi is doing its best to remain relevant. India is developing relations with EU and other countries and would prefer the European way of dealing with Russia than the tough posture which the US wants NATO to adopt. European nations will toe America’s line if war erupts. This reduces the efficacy of India’s European initiative.

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.