WSDP Bulletin (27-05-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. SEBI to ring in easier rules for index funds, ETFs soon: Barua READ MORE  
2. European Union official seeks to allay India’s concerns on ‘carbon tax’ READ MORE
3. Centre directs officials to upscale efforts for ‘better utilisation’ of river waters in J&K under Indus Water Treaty READ MORE
4. Souvenirs recorded math’s handover of sceptre to Mountbatten, says Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam spokesperson READ MORE
5. Withdrawal of Rs 2k note is ‘currency management’, not demonetisation: RBI READ MORE
6. Plan being discussed to create petroleum reserves from salt caverns in Rajasthan READ MORE
7. What is XPoSat, India’s first polarimetry mission? READ MORE
8. French bird flu vaccine for ducks may be launched soon READ MORE
9. Odisha’s Chilika lake gets more winged visitors this summer despite scorching heat READ MORE
10. Hybrid seeds are multinational firms’ tool to monopolise agri markets READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. IMD retains its normal outlook for monsoon READ MORE
2. India’s hill states need sustainable cooling solutions to beat warming READ MORE
3. 2023 hurricane forecast: Get ready for a busy Pacific storm season, quieter Atlantic than recent years thanks to El Niño READ MORE
4.  Anger and Aspiration in Caste Society READ MORE  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Sedition and its roots in rudeness as an offence READ MORE
2. A fountainhead of the people’s hopes and aspirations READ MORE
3. Data in the dock: A little-noted flaw in the judicial system is the recording of incomplete & wrong information. This skews calculations of disposal rates, especially for old cases READ MORE
4. Nehru laid strong foundation of parliamentary democracy READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Nutritional penalty of motherhood: Can midday meals for children also improve their mothers’ health outcomes? READ MORE
2. Opinion: How To Recover From the Great Education Disruption READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Why the Pacific islands are key READ MORE  

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Can India earn ‘developed’ tag by 2047? GDP growth seems elusive, human development may be easier READ MORE  
2. The rise of Digital India: India’s digital infrastructure tries to promote “ease of living” on top of “ease of doing business” READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why public consultations should be built into policy and law making on environmental issues READ MORE
2. Beating plastic pollution READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Terrorists are using newer ways of executing their acts READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. India’s G20 presidency can show the way on disaster management READ MORE
2. How the World Health Organization could fight future pandemics READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. It is about time we started enjoying life READ MORE
2. Why happiness is a journey and not a destination READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The decision to holding the G20 meeting in Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh shows the Indian government’s commitment to a united India but it may create many new challenges in its neighbourhood. Discuss the statement.
2. The NITI Aayog acts as the quintessential platform for the Government of India to bring states together as ‘Team India’, to work towards the national development agenda. Critically examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms.
• While the courts are examining the validity of the law of sedition, its defining logic has already transplanted itself into several different provisions of law that criminalise speech.
• The inauguration of a new Parliament building presents an opportunity for us to seriously introspect on our parliamentary conduct.
• Articles 264 to 293 deal with financial relations between the Union and the states. Because India is a federal country, it adheres to division of powers when it comes to taxation, and it is the responsibility of the Union to allocate funds to the states.
• Strengthening the federal system is critical for meeting the demands of the people governed by state governments, while also preserving India’s unity. As a result, centre-state relations, or agreements between the Union government and the states regarding their respective powers, functions, and responsibilities, have always been crucial.
• The Indian Constitution requires that no government, whatever be its hue, at the Union will discriminate against or in favour of any state government on the basis of political dissonance.
• India’s thriving startup ecosystem is a testament to the country’s digital infrastructure, which has provided entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to innovate and disrupt traditional business models.
• Democracy demands dialogue as the primary medium of achieving equilibrium among citizens who have entered into this social contract with the state.
• If India is to tackle the climate crisis, it is essential for governments to recognise the value of the role of citizens in the decision-making process and to prioritise public consultations while drafting environmental and climate policies.
• Midday meals provide a nutritional safety net for children and improve their learning outcomes and attendance.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.

50-WORD TALK

• The decision to hold the G20 tourism meet in Kashmir and another in Arunachal Pradesh shows the clever geopolitical messaging by the Modi government. It also shows that the government is not shying away from being firm to reject any claims by Pakistan and China over status of these states.
• First Karnataka, now Tamil Nadu – the opposition by two states to the entry of Amul into their milk cooperative market is, at its core, an anti-competition, anti-consumer, anti-choice position. More than that, this argument doesn’t serve the milk producers either. They should have the freedom to decide where they sell.

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.