WSDP Bulletin (12-10-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Skilling of girls in non-traditional livelihoods included in ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ scheme READ MORE
2. India Lebanon, Israel clinch maritime border deal READ MORE
3. Principle of seniority and next CJI Chandrachud’s ‘5+1’ collegium READ MORE
4. The lingering monsoon READ MORE
5. UNGA: India votes against Russia’s call for secret ballot on Ukraine resolution READ MORE
6. Nord Stream spews high levels of methane, likely to affect marine life READ MORE
7. PM Modi inaugurates Mahakal Lok corridor at Mahakaleshwar temple READ MORE
8. China launches first solar observatory to solve mystery of Sun’s eruptions READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. The 5 biggest threats to West Africa’s oceans — and what to do about them READ MORE
2. Blaming technology for deaths by suicide is misguided: It takes the focus away from a comprehensive understanding of the issue READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Curbing hate speech: Need to avoid pick-and-choose action against offenders READ MORE
2. Ways of global governance: Change must come from outside the established institutional structure READ MORE
3. Justice is not delayed or denied for some READ MORE
4. RTI rules need changes to make it more effective READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Vishwaguru needs high HEI ranking READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Urban consumers are still not confident enough: Manufacturing, service and infrastructure sectors are on the recovery path, but consumer confidence about the economy is yet to reach pre-COVID levels READ MORE
2. Solutions by the people, for the people READ MORE
3. Why NPAs are not just about bank governance READ MORE
4. Step up exports to arrest rupee’s persistent slide READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate crisis: Expect more extreme heatwaves in near future READ MORE
2. Urban elites can help push urgent climate adaptation READ MORE
3. Ineffective implementation: Ban on single-use plastic is not working READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Unlike knowledge, wisdom is life-nourishing READ MORE
2. Adaptability quotient READ MORE
3. India@75 looking at 100: What India’s education system needs READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘The menace of plastic pollution cannot be mitigated without ensuring plastic-product manufacturers’ stringent compliance with the extended producer responsibility ‘. Discuss in the light of recent single-use plastic ban in India.
2. ‘The remit of election freebies could prompt a discussion around what a framework for political party regulation in India should be’. In you view, should the Supreme Court intervene in the issue to secure transparency and accountability in electoral democracy?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The processes of good governance have gone astray. There is erosion of transparency, independence & accountability.
• The menace of plastic pollution cannot be mitigated without ensuring plastic-product manufacturers’ stringent compliance with the extended producer responsibility.
• Manufacturing, service and infrastructure sectors are on the recovery path, but consumer confidence about the economy is yet to reach pre-COVID levels.
• Acknowledgement of suicidal thoughts and attempts to address a host of inter-related causes and effects are necessary to design effective and proportionate policy prescriptions. While technology is certainly an agent of this complex matrix, it can neither be seen as a root cause nor as a panacea.
• Policy-making at all levels has to become more inclusive and less dominated by the powerful and the wealthy, while a paradigm shift is needed in problem solving at global and national levels.
• People are not just numbers, nor merely resources for the economy. Policymaking must become more inclusive and less dominated by the powerful and the wealthy on the top.
• Probing the links between twin balance sheet crisis and external commodity shocks could lead to a better understanding of the NPAs problem.
• Transformational leaders don’t build large organisations. They multiply leaders and enlarge movements.
• Rankings serve as a tool to measure the academic reputation of any institution. Healthy and meaningful academic contests can help any institute and its faculty to navigate toward excellence.
• Indian judiciary is best known in the world for its unique reputation of being a role model for its impartiality, fairness and independence.

50-WORD TALK

• Measures like internationalising the Indian rupee and settling trade agreements between India and other nations in rupees can curb the currency’s fall. Foreign direct investment should be encouraged in Indian industries. Besides, India has to export goods and services worth at least $2.5 trillion if it wants to make its economy reach the $5-trillion mark by 2025 since exports currently make up around 25% of the GDP.

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.