WSDP Bulletin (24-02-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. NASA’s plan to decommission the International Space Station READ MORE
2. Indian Navy’s MILAN exercise to be held in Visakhapatnam from February 25 READ MORE
3. Ukraine Crisis: US Imposes Sanctions On Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline READ MORE
4. Tejas to participate in prestigious Cobra Warrior exercises of the Royal Air Force in the U.K. READ MORE
5. Explained: Who are Angadias and what are the challenges they face? READ MORE
6. SC to hear plea to declare ‘Ram Sethu’ national heritage monument on March 9 READ MORE
7. ‘Lakshya Zero Dumpsite’: Daddumajra Dumpsite Remediation in Chandigarh READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. India must revisit its forestry goals READ MORE
2. On Hijab issue, listen to the missing voices READ MORE
3. Why Judges Should Not Interpret Religion READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Drafting a new Constitution is impossible: That the Centre is suppressing the powers of the States is not reason enough for a new statute READ MORE
2. Understanding the Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy, 2022 READ MORE
3. India needs to take a serious look at its business laws. Here’s why READ MORE
4. Democracy needs challenges to assert itself READ MORE
5. India needs judicial reforms – but granting more powers to the chief justice won’t solve anything READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUE

1. Introduce digital media literacy in schools READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Emerging axes, new equations: Pak-Russia dynamics in a changing world READ MORE
2. Quad takes another step forward READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Explained: How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could impact Indian exports READ MORE
2. No garble, please READ MORE
3. Dealing with unclaimed bank deposits READ MORE
4. Circular economy for plastic: Progress in handling waste has been uninspiring READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. In Antarctica, Does a Burgeoning Krill Fishery Threaten Wildlife? READ MORE
2. Human presence has accelerated snow melting in Antarctica: Report READ MORE

SCIENCE

1. Fixing the under-representation of women in the sciences READ MORE
2. Promote the whys & hows: Objective should be to encourage the spirit of enquiry, not reverence for science READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Explained: How big is insurgency threat in Manipur? READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Nueva Pescanova: World’s First Octopus Farm Stirs Ethical Debate READ MORE
2. Living in gratitude is a way to be at peace READ MORE
3. Apathy, cynicism of babus hurt welfare READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘India needs judicial reforms but granting more powers to the chief justice won’t solve this issue’. Comment on the statement.
2. Discuss the need for a protection law that can provide accountability and remedy for privacy violations such as coercive and excessive data collection.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The important thing is to never stop questioning.
• Mining activities result in deforestation, alter the community ecology of native wildlife and push populations to extinction or migration. This will increase the instances of human-wildlife conflict.
• Drafting a new Constitution will be a chaotic exercise and will shut the voices of some sections, especially the vulnerable.
• India does not have a data protection law that can provide accountability and remedy for privacy violations such as coercive and excessive data collection or data breaches.
• Efforts to ensure gender equity should not be limited to the academies. All stakeholders must get involved.
• Muslim women’s voices are infantilised, dismissed, and they are forced to choose between false binaries such as education or hijab, Indianness or Muslimness.
• Financial illiteracy and lack of awareness about the procedures among the people lead to these kinds of situations. Therefore, financial literacy drive is welcome.
• A recent study focused on the United States and India pointed out the lack of attention to digital media literacy in education policies as a critical factor in spreading online misinformation.
• To reform the system, bureaucrats must start believing in welfare. Only then they will be able to find the right algorithm.
• Instead of wasting public money on grand events, government agencies engaged in science popularisation should direct their resources towards genuine engagement with people and communities.
• The fate of Indian democracy at this juncture hangs on the outcome of this struggle.
• The Quad has to now deliver on the identified sectors to maintain credibility and not regress again into a dormant state.
• Instead, the focus should have been on the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for judicial infrastructure, which is the flagship program for funding judicial infrastructure.

50-WORD TALK

• Mining activities result in deforestation, alter the community ecology of native wildlife and push populations to extinction or migration. This will increase the instances of human-wildlife conflict. These short term economic gains will ruin wildlife habitat as well as impose soil, water and air pollution. Such projects are being challenged by public interest litigators in the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

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.