WSDP Bulletin (27-12-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. ECI initiates delimitation of Assembly & Parliamentary Constituencies in the State of Assam as per Section 8A of the RP Act 1950 READ MORE 
2. Transfer of technology ‘Inactivated low pathogenic avian influenza (H9N2) vaccine for chickens’ developed by ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal READ MORE
3. India, ADB sign $125 million loan to improve Urban Services in Tamil Nadu READ MORE
4. Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for Indian Railways READ MORE
5. India said to plan $2 bn incentive for green hydrogen industry READ MORE
6. RBI’s revised bank locker rules are to come into effect from the 1st of January READ MORE
7. Why Antarctica’s emperor penguins could be extinct by 2100 READ MORE
8. RBI report shows credit growth spurs public lenders’ balance sheets to a 10-year high in the first half of FY23 READ MORE
9. Governor explores the option of sending university Bill to President READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Massive Decrease in Guwahati’s Forest Cover Since 1976 READ MORE
2. The Small Island Developing States in IOR: Challenges and opportunities READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Equipping IAS officers to deal with the manufacturing sector READ MORE
2. Uniform Civil Code: Reframe the debate READ MORE
3. Vacancies in district court: 23.3% vacant posts among reasons for case pendency READ MORE
4. The Media and Democracy India must now cope with a dominant ‘Godi Media’ READ MORE
5. RTI Act Does Not Need Any Covert Amendment; it Needs Implementation READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How the New Free Grain Scheme Will End up Increasing Poverty READ MORE
2. Why the Private Sector Is Immune to the Constitutional Goal of Social Justice READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Focus on Africa, the heart of the Global South READ MORE
2. Accepting the new normal in the Indo-Pacific contestation READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India can be a world leader in the sustainable production of cotton textiles READ MORE
2. A grassroots approach to pursuing SDGs READ MORE
3. Challenges ahead. The economy in a sour-sweet spot READ MORE
4. Leading the global digital economy READ MORE
5. GM mustard: Need to address economic issues of using the crop READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Climate action can’t be unidimensional READ MORE  

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Staying prepared: On scaling up the pace of COVID-19 genome sequencing READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Terror activity drops: Amid challenges, a flicker of hope in J&K 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. Happy and content READ MORE
2. Teachers should play the role of friends, parents READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘Social justice movements have increasingly feared that increasing privatisation may lead to a complete decline of opportunities for the historically marginalised caste groups’. In light of the statement, discuss the need for a quota-based reservation system in the private sector.
2. ‘The starting point of the discussion should not be whether India needs a Uniform Civil Code, but how to ensure every Indian is governed by a gender-just civil code of their choice’. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• A creative economy is the fuel of magnificence.
• One of the ‘silences’ in the Constitution is in Article 200, which has been used by some Governors to obfuscate the mandate of democratically elected governments.
• The Governor only must ensure that an elected government is working within the parameters of the Constitution. It does not mean that the Governor can sit on the Bills indefinitely merely because there is no time limit prescribed for the Governor to decide on the bills.
• The constitutional silences should not give way for unconstitutional inaction, leaving space for anarchy in the rule of law.
• With tensions between an aggressive China and an emerging India intensifying, significant changes and challenges will occur in the Indian Ocean and South Asian regions.
• There is a growing need to discuss the constitutional immunity the private sector has enjoyed, even as it has deepened caste cleavages in India.
• Social justice movements have increasingly feared that increasing privatisation may lead to a complete decline of opportunities for the historically marginalised caste groups.
• Health, environmental and ecological issues are subject to evidence-based critical scientific research. But we are concerned about a few broader socio-political and economic issues related to using GM mustard for commercial purposes.
• The starting point of the discussion should not be whether India needs a UCC but how to ensure every Indian is governed by a gender-just civil code of their choice. Bottom-up.
• Though there is greater awareness now, much more needs to be done to make SDGs a democratic exercise.

50-WORD TALK

• Using Tunisha Sharma’s tragic death to wage war on inter-faith relationships is a disservice to India’s women. Troubled relationships aren’t a Hindu-Muslim issue. Like Shraddha Walker, millions of women experience violence from partners and kin of all religions. The answer is empowering women to end abuse—not policing their choices.
• One consequence of the buffeting that the global economy has been receiving through most of the year, which has affected India, is that the employment picture has somewhat deteriorated. Since the Ukraine war began, the unemployment rate has actually been on a downward trend. But this is because, seeing the poor condition of the job market, many have not offered themselves work.

Things to Remember:

• For prelims-related news, try to understand the context of the news and relate it with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) the given options.
• Whenever any international place is in the 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 main 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.