WSDP Bulletin (19-06-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Banking on China READ MORE  
2. What’s the India, U.S. initiative on future tech? READ MORE
3. Monkeypox outbreaks in Asia-Pacific region READ MORE
4. Air strikes hit Sudanese capital, killing 17 persons including 5 children READ MORE
5. Explained | The remarkable endurance of the Y chromosome, ‘master of maleness’  READ MORE
6. States look for alternatives as Centre restricts FCI purchase READ MORE
7. Paddy and the price of water READ MORE
8. Law Commission seeks views on Uniform Civil Code: What is the UCC, the debate around it READ MORE
9. Google doodle honours Kamala Sohonie: How she made CV Raman change his stance on women in science institutions READ MORE
10. What is Russia’s problem with the Black Sea grain deal? READ MORE
11. PM Modi talks of Miyawaki forests in Mann ki Baat: What is this method, also being used in Mumbai READ MORE
12. New Study Details Serious Effects Long COVID Has on Fatigue, Quality of Life READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

1. Biparjoy part of a new trend in Indian cyclones READ MORE
2. Weather Report: Rains to hit east India midweek, low pressure area may form in Bay of Bengal soon READ MORE
3. A wandering monk who was a social reformer READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Democracy’s balance between certainty and uncertainty READ MORE
2. Uniform Civil Code: Time to delegitimise appeasement politics READ MORE
3. Central Government’s Fiscal Capacity to Support States is Weakening Over Time READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Rural healthcare: Village family adoption included in MBBS course READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The incredible Delhi-DC embrace READ MORE
2. Technology spurring growth in India-US ties READ MORE
3. World Government~I READ MORE
4. US-India Strategic Convergence: A Bridge Too Far? READ MORE
5. BRICS Expansion Can Wait, Strengthen the Core First READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The political fictions of economics READ MORE
2. Freebie culture may garner electoral triumphs, but India can hardly sustain resulting public debt READ MORE
3. Central Government’s Fiscal Capacity to Support States is Weakening Over Time READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Responsibility and the complexities of climate leadership READ MORE
2. On climate change, wealthy nations must show the way READ MORE

SECURITY

1. Tri-service integration: Common ACR for top brass a step forward READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Preparedness pays off: On Cyclone Biparjoy READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. You are just one thought away from happiness READ MORE
2. From ego consciousness to soul consciousness READ MORE
3. Jallikattu and animal rights READ MORE
4. A theory of justice READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. At a time when space technologies are essential for power and prestige in the international system, how far do you think that China’s space presence alters the current power balance? Analyse your view.
2. India’s Constituent Assembly felt the need to preserve cultural differences in India, the absence of which would lead to the creation of a majoritarian State. In light of the statement, discuss how cultural conservation provided its citizens with social freedom and eliminated the vestiges of India’s colonial past?
3. The PCA Act, 1960 and the cultural rights of a community under Article 29(1) of the Indian Constitution are conflicting in nature and there is a need to create a balance between these two.
4. The principles of basic equal liberty and equal opportunity only work when the inequalities are handled to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged members of society. Comment.
5. There is no immediate need for expanding BRICS rather, a stage for social and economic coalescing among BRICS countries at the institutional, governmental and diplomatic levels should be given. Critically analyse.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
• Today space technologies are essential for power and prestige in the international system.
• Space may look distant, but today it is one of the necessary tools for proper functioning of civilian, economic and defence sectors.
• India’s core foreign policy objective has been its economic development and this should hold true even today. For India to remain focused on development it also requires a stable neighbourhood which implies ensuring stable, even if adversarial, relations with China.
• India’s Constituent Assembly felt the need to preserve cultural differences in India, the absence of which would lead to the creation of a majoritarian State. Cultural conservation provided its citizens with social freedom and eliminated the vestiges of India’s colonial past.
• Rawls’ Theory of Justice suggests the principles of basic equal liberty and equal opportunity only work when the inequalities are handled to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged members of society.
• Essence of secularism implies removing any trace of religion from family laws. A uniform civil code (UCC) needs to be implemented at the earliest to keep India’s diverse moral fabric intact.
• Given the stage of evolution and social and economic coalescing among BRICS countries at the institutional, governmental and diplomatic level, there is no immediate need for expanding BRICS.

50-WORD TALK

• Outrage over RBI’s guidelines on settlements between banks and loan defaulters is misplaced. The financial aspect of defaults must be separated from their criminal liability. It’s prudent to allow banks to recover what they can, while criminal cases run in parallel. Else, recovery and prosecution will both take costly years.
• The Law Commission’s public consultations on the contentious UCC is good, but all of India cannot have one law. Diversity of faith-based practices will continue. So, like triple talaq, India can pick what is regressive, irrelevant and unfair to women in each faith—like polygamy, and age of marriage—and bring reforms.
• The Delhi Police’s decision to seek cancellation of the case against Brij Bhushan Singh for sexually harassing a minor must be subjected to very careful judicial scrutiny. The teenager and her family have given multiple contradictory statements. The criminal justice system must ensure powerful perpetrators cannot intimidate or influence victims.

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.