WSDP Bulletin (02-08-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. West Bengal to get seven new districts; total now 30 READ MORE
2. Explained: 3 reasons why GST collections continue to surge READ MORE
3. Manufacturing growth hits 8-month high in July: S&P PMI READ MORE
4. Comment | Har Ghar Tiranga — taking the National Flag into homes READ MORE
5. Explained | AlphaFold: A tour de force in science READ MORE
6. Kharif 2022: Area under paddy dips by 13% as July ends READ MORE
7. Explained | Earth’s record of shortest rotation and its impact READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Tackling inequality takes social reform READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Reengineering India’s consciousness: India’s democracy has been successfully hacked and progressive forces need hard course-correction in any fightback READ MORE
2. D Sivanandhan writes: The powerful and ubiquitous ED READ MORE
3. Why the suspension of MPs may need to be reconsidered READ MORE
4. Rights and duties: Fix institutional gaps for credible justice delivery READ MORE
5. Modi govt takes IAS promotions to next level—Additional, Joint Secretary now come closer READ MORE
6. What the Court Can Do to Really Implement the Fundamental Right to Shelter READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Evolving digital education in rural India: The role of society, government and supply chain READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. US-China rivalry not the same as US-Soviet. What India needs to watch out READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Government’s own ‘gig workers’: Outsourcing jobs to contractors is far more inefficient than fixed term contracts READ MORE
2. Using a rupee route to get around a dominating dollar READ MORE
3. RBI does not need to really hit the panic button now READ MORE
4. How shifting policies propelled our economy READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. What will Supreme Court judgement on Aravalli mean for forest conservation? READ MORE
2. Monsoon 2022: Driest July on record for east and North East India READ MORE
3. More harm than good: New study scans global treaties on environment, rights READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. May all creatures everywhere be happy READ MORE
2. The legacy of JRD continues READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘India’s ‘wheat waiver’ stand in WTO will dilute its core agenda of pushing for a permanent solution to public stockholding for food security’. Critically examine.
2. How far do you agree with this view that Indian policymaking in international affairs are facing moral indecisiveness, diplomatic reticence and ideological confusion and this is making a shift in foreign policy from non-alignment to multi-alignment? Analyse your view.
3. ‘Monetary policy cannot bring food inflation under control thus, curbing inflation requires streamlining value chains’. Justify.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A good half of the art of living is resilience.
• India’s democracy has been successfully hacked and progressive forces need hard course-correction in any fightback.
• As we seek to regulate the “gig economy”, it may be time for the government to take some concrete measures for its own “gig workers”.
• India could take advantage of geopolitical developments to promote trade and gain better status for the rupee.
• If the Government is serious in taking forward its stated position of creating higher education access to certain sections, it should dispassionately study the advantages and the disadvantages.
• It is quite clear that the central agencies are now going to be the big brothers of investigations, while state and city police forces function in their shadows with limited powers and jurisdictions.
• By recognising the right to shelter as a conditional social right rather than a systemic one, the Delhi high court narrowed its jurisdiction in the matter, limiting its ability to provide substantial benefits to slum dwellers.
• In addition to direct Chinese military pressure in both the Himalayas and in the seas, New Delhi will have to worry about a possible Chinese hegemony over Asia.
• If India is the mother of democracy, it becomes an obligation to ensure that conditions are created for the smooth functioning of Parliament.

50 WORD TALK

• The Delhi excise policy mess reflects poorly on the AAP government. All businesses need a stable and predictable policy environment. Dramatic U-turns are unfair to businessmen who make investments and workers whose livelihoods depend on them. Pity Delhiites who have to go back to buying their booze from government dumps.

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.