WSDP Bulletin (04-04-2022)

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(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. NFC technology for instant payments READ MORE
2. The key takeaways of a UNEP report on noise pollution READ MORE
3. Government panel recommends inclusion of Covovax in national COVID-19 vaccination drive for 12-17 age group READ MORE
4. India, Australia sign FTA, trade likely to ‘double in 5 yrs, generate 1 mn jobs’ READ MORE
5. Technological advancements in India’s Aerospace and Defence sector READ MORE
6. Prehistoric relics point to riverine settlement at Attappady READ MORE
7. WHO records new recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variant READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

1. Manual scavenging is a blot on society READ MORE
2. Who Has an Authentic Conception of ‘Generation’? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Explained: Reforming death penalty READ MORE
2. Rethink the criminal identification bill READ MORE
3. To fix India’s criminal justice system, weed out the corrupt first READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Playing the strategic autonomy game: New Delhi should play its cards extremely well right now to invest in future geopolitical dividends READ MORE
2. BIMSTEC can boost ties with the East READ MORE
3. India puts itself first READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Renewable energy has a tariff problem. Here’s how to fix it READ MORE
2. RBI’s shift in stance imminent READ MORE
3. Ways to take Russia-India trade forward READ MORE
4. Balance economic & environment policies READ MORE
5. The need for evaluation of fiscal policies READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY  

1. Climate and Us | The Parvati Valley forest fire is a sign of the times to come READ MORE
2. A Promising Conservation Policy for India: Climate Change and the Miyawaki Forests READ MORE

SECURITY

1. For a full repeal: The relaxation of AFSPA is welcome, but the demand for full repeal should be considered READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Hellenic wisdom: Balm for frayed nerves READ MORE
2. Clash and Creation READ MORE
3. In Pursuit of Happiness: The efforts to officially prepare indexed happiness are nothing but an ideological production. READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Contemporary Indian diplomacy is a textbook example of a swing state that refuses to swing either way.’ Comment in the light of India’s stand on Ukraine-Russia war.   
2. “You must change your approach in order to change your results”. Explain the importance of given quotation in a Civil servant life?
3. How far do you agree with this view that to achieve $5 Trillion economy, India needs a regional free trade agreement with neighbouring countries and BIMSTEC group is the ideal group for it? Analyse your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• New Delhi should play its cards extremely well right now to invest in future geopolitical dividends.
• You must change your approach in order to change your results.
• Shifting to a two-part tariff for solar and wind will incentivise private investments.
• Geopolitical choices are almost never black and white, nor are they always readily available. Sometimes, therefore, states must proactively try to shape the environment to generate new options. It is New Delhi’s turn to do so.
• The Russia-Ukraine conflict has only worsened the growth-inflation matrix and raised the spectre of tighter financial conditions.
• India cannot forsake defence ties with Russia. To sidestep Western sanctions, the two nations can revisit rupee-rouble system.
• India as well as other neighbouring countries on the east can gain mutually. This way, India’s act East policy may strengthened.
• Improved connectivity will usher in lower trade cost which could be the driving force for gains from BIMSTEC.
• Criminal identification bill places the privacy of individuals at the mercy of the State; allows for the retention of personal data of convicted individuals for lifetime; and goes against the best practices of data protection.
• The West’s real agenda is the reimposition of a unipolar world order to perpetuate its domination of the international economic and political order.
• The political leadership addressing BIMSTEC cooperation have to realise that pushing a free trade agreement is going to be a domestic exercise, where their own political opponents would create roadblocks.
• In India, it is very difficult to stop a bad economic idea whose time has come, but there is a need for a rigorous assessment of the quality of expenditures by various state governments.

50-WORD TALK

• A longer-term option for countries that are adversely affected by the Western sanctions would be the development of financial messaging systems that can be alternatives to the SWIFT. Russia has developed its own financial messaging system, the SPFS (roughly translated as System for Transfer of Financial Messages) and China has its own Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, or CIPS.
• Air pollution is rising due to the failure of the State and the market forces to give importance to environment. Its genesis lies in policy failure and implementation of less stringent laws & regulations to attract more investment from the developed world. The free market considers only the private cost of production. It fails to consider the social cost of pollution.

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 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.