WSDP Bulletin (20-12-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Shri Nitin Gadkari launches first-ever ‘Surety Bond Insurance’ for infrastructure projects READ MORE  
2. Historic biodiversity deal gets the nod at COP15 summit in Canada READ MORE
3. K.’s Rwanda asylum seeker deportation plan is lawful, court rules READ MORE
4. LS passes Bill to extend ST status to Betta-Kuruba READ MORE
5. Explained | What are carbon markets and how do they operate? READ MORE
6. Haryana notifies rules to implement anti-conversion law; burden of proving innocence to be on accused READ MORE
7. The black hole of public finance: Unequal fiscal burden on citizens READ MORE
8. Measuring gamma-ray bursts’ hidden energy unearths clues to the evolution of the universe READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Census as a mirror of past and present READ MORE
2. How two laws and religion in India are open to same-sex marriage READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Judiciary and Its Collegium System: We need a more transparently and efficiently appointed, diverse set of judges. READ MORE
2. The era of free data is over — the law is coming for Big Tech READ MORE
3. Personal liberty sacred: Supreme Court shows the way by releasing petty thief READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Bihar’s prohibition policy is not working READ MORE
2. Rising Inequalities in Income in India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. A role for India in a world wide web READ MORE
2. Determined to lead & succeed: New Delhi wants to use the presidency to develop G20 into a substitute even for UN READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Ambiguity on food security: The procurement of foodgrains has declined which raises doubts about food security in the country READ MORE
2. Govt needs money: The central government is in dire need of money for subsidies. Its borrowings could lead to price rise READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. A planet in crisis: on tangible outcomes from biological diversity convention READ MORE  
2. 30-by-30: Key takeaways from the COP15 biodiversity summit READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Cyber-attacks on healthcare sector rising READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Ready for the worst: on government’s better preparedness for cyclones READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Femininity is a principle, not just a gender READ MORE
2. Nurture humility, key to realising the ultimate READ MORE
3. Why do we break our unity in God’s name? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Discuss how aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve threaten India’s economic growth and how it has a ripple effect on India?
2. The underscoring of the right to liberty assumes significance in the context of recent events in India, where the voice of ordinary people is being increasingly muzzled and their freedom brazenly curtailed. Analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.
• The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.
• India as a country and the Indian consumer are leapfrogging the world in digitisation and digital technology, with the government treating these as Digital Public Goods. And the world over, laws are being brought in to regulate the sector.
• Life is not about our performance in the outside world, but about keeping our focus on the Atman and always trying our best.
• Effacement is not a sign of weakness. It’s the hallmark of her innate strength.
• The feminine principle under provocation can unleash aggression and intimidation that can at times even eclipse the masculine principle.
• Some attributes like humility need to be nurtured as they hold the key to the realisation of the ultimate.
• India plays an influential role both in the United Nations, a universal organisation that has 193 member states, and in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) that has only its seven neighbours.
• Drug regulators caution medical device makers and users on the pitfalls of online connectivity and outline measures to protect from cyber threats.
• Cultivating oil palm under micro-irrigation is the best option.
• A diversified economy, tech adoption and a large working-age population are some of the factors that will help achieve the target of 5 Trillion- Dollar economy.
• The underscoring of the right to liberty assumes significance in the context of recent events in our country where the voice of ordinary people, especially if it goes against that of the political masters, is being increasingly muzzled and their freedom brazenly curtailed.
• It is time the policymakers held a review on the relevance of Governors and their roles.
• To improve the position on trade, Indian policymakers need to review how the currency is managed. A strong currency in real terms will not help the tradable sector.
• It should be allowed to adjust to avoid imbalances on the external front. Since currency adjustment is non-discriminatory, it is a far better tool for managing the external account than selective import controls.

50-WORD TALK

• Last week’s skirmish near Arunachal’s Tawang demonstrates China remains committed to seizing tactically-important territories along the Line of Actual Control. The Indian Army has shown it cannot be bullied into giving ground. The real challenge, however, is to protect the borders without being sucked into an expensive, resource-sapping military build-up.
• Sushil Modi saying the Rs 2,000 note is a tool of terror financing and black money is another indictment of demonetisation. If high-value notes were removed in 2016 for being used in illegal activities, it makes sense that higher-value notes would follow the same path. The answer lies in digitisation.

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.