WSDP Bulletin (05-07-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. What is the Large Hadron Collider, now readying to seek answers to fundamental questions of particle physics? READ MORE
2. Explained | The need for space sustainability READ MORE
3. Government to review oil export tax based on forex rate, oil prices every fortnight READ MORE
4. Explained: The Law of Arrest, Remand and Bail READ MORE
5. Amid rising inflation, the global drive to keep food cheap is unsustainable READ MORE
6. Urbanisation, low profitability: Why prices of tamarind leaves in Andhra Pradesh have rocketed READ MORE
7. Glacier collapses in Italian Alps, at least 6 reported dead READ MORE
8. Digital India empowered people by making technology more accessible, says PM Modi; launches ‘Digital India Bhashini’ to provide easy access to the internet & digital services in Indian languages READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. Contrasting laws on abortion in India, US READ MORE
2. The individual has become the new society READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Stable trading worse than horse-trading READ MORE
2. Protecting the SC: Politically sensitive matters require care READ MORE
3. India has 71 towns, cities under Police Commissionerate. It just creates hierarchy READ MORE
4. Don’t leave regulation in hands of social media platforms. Govt must re-evaluate its role READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A chaotic world, the perils of multilateralism: Instead, bilateral engagements may be much more productive at this point in history READ MORE
2. With China’s expanding influence, Asia is also seeking to diversify its security partnerships READ MORE
3. What will India’s G20 presidency focus on? READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Slippery slope: RBI should stick to its approach of maintaining an orderly movement in the rupee READ MORE  
2. GST @ 5 Years: The Union Govt and States Can’t Ignore the Most Contentious Bits Any Longer READ MORE
3. Amid rising inflation, the global drive to keep food cheap is unsustainable READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Clear & present danger: Five types of extreme weather events are linked to human-induced climate change READ MORE
2. Single-use plastic ban success is suspect without options READ MORE
3. Climate initiatives must keep out large hydropower projects READ MORE

GS Paper- 1

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Living Rightly READ MORE
2. The absence of civil liberties leads to violence READ MORE
3. Everyday mystic experiences God through duties READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. How far do you agree with this view that by disempowering MPs and MLAs, anti-defection law is undermining the very idea of representation in a parliamentary democracy? Analyse your view.
2. ‘Social media discourse has demonstrated an exceptional ability to upend trust in established authorities in recent years’. In light of the statement, to what extent do you think that Social Media regulation is needed at the time? Justify your views with relevant examples.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it.
• Multilateral negotiations will be increasingly difficult in the present chaotic global situation. Only by working bilaterally with potential allies can India attain the status of a pole in the new world with steadfast friends and followers.
• The core changes proposed by the Draft E-waste Management Rules require careful deliberation.
• The draft e-waste Rules propose a few positive changes, including expanding the definition of e-waste, more clearly specifying the penalties for violation of rules, introducing an environmental compensation fund based on the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and recognising the informal waste workers.
• The core changes it proposes within the EPR framework, however, require careful deliberation with all the relevant stakeholders before the Rules are finalised.
• With China’s expanding influence, Asia is also seeking to diversify its security partnerships. This has led to greater Asian engagement with Europe as well as the creation of new Indo-Pacific regional institutions – including Quad and AUKUS.
• Any form of media regulation is tricky, and that of social media hard to enforce, given its more amorphous nature.
• Comprehensive restrictions imposed on basic freedoms during the Emergency jolted India. We realised that it is not enough to grant rights.
• Freedom lies at the heart of a coherent theory of rights.
• Even after the Supreme Court judgment uphold the dignity of sex workers, a lot more needs to be done on the ground to ensure they really lead a dignified life.
• The anti-defection law is evil because, by disempowering MPs and MLAs, it has killed the very idea of representation in a parliamentary democracy.
• Social media discourse has demonstrated an exceptional ability to upend trust in established authorities in recent years.

Essay topic

• Freedom lies at the heart of a coherent theory of rights.

50 WORD TALK

• The hike in taxes on gold imports is retrograde. Taxes on gold, a high-priced commodity, reaching almost 19% breaches the arbitrage threshold where smuggling becomes profitable. A big gain of the 1991 reform was putting an end to gold smuggling, which financed malevolent mafias. It’d be imprudent to reverse that.

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.