WSDP Bulletin (09-10-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Recommendations of 52nd GST Council Meeting READ MORE
2. India and Saudi Arabia sign MoU in Electrical Interconnections, Green / Clean Hydrogen and Supply Chains READ MORE
3. PATA and India to jointly promote Travel for LiFE in Asia-Pacific region READ MORE  
4. Attophysics — new tools to fathom the world of electrons | Explained READ MORE
5. Significance of quantum dots in nanotechnology | Explained READ MORE
6. Ganga-Ghagra basin canals pose a threat to dolphins: study READ MORE
7. Prey, habitat dictate Asiatic wild dog-tiger coexistence, says study READ MORE
8.  Afghanistan earthquake kills 2,000: The frequent tremors the country sees READ MORE  
9. Why the RBI’s Open Market Operation plan caught the market by surprise READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Women farm workers need workplace safety READ MORE
2. Dalit students still face discrimination READ MORE
3. Caste-wise census: An opportunity to rectify the injustice done to the Adi Dravidas READ MORE
4. What caused the flood in Sikkim? | Explained READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Why does the State want to control universities? READ MORE
2. Women’s reservation: A law on paper, but a reality far away READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. New malaria vaccine to be a game changer READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Why did Hamas launch a surprise attack on Israel? | Analysis READ MORE
2. Toofan Al-Aqsa jolts West Asian geostrategic architecture READ MORE
3. Regime change in the Maldives distinctly favours China READ MORE

 GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Revenue riddles: By not raising interest rates, RBI betrays its concerns about slowing growth READ MORE  
2. Building an India for manufacturers READ MORE
3. Inflation clouds growth dreams READ MORE
4. Why IBC should give bankrupting promoters a second chance READ MORE
5. Globalisation of Indian financial markets READ MORE
6. Rate decision signal of concern, uncertainty READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Why India is launching a national framework for climate services READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. What turned Teesta into a killer? Here’s proof Sikkim flash floods are a man-made disaster READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. How the Digital India Act will shape the future of the country’s cyber landscape READ MORE
2. Beefing up cybersecurity for India’s energy transition READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Gita can take you from mediocrity to perfection READ MORE
2. Why must you suffer? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Empowering women with the right to a safe and inclusive online environment is a crucial step toward a more equitable and just society in the digital age. Comment.
2. There is a need to redefine the relationship between the State and universities for a truly autonomous and thriving academic environment. Comment on the statement in light of recent developments.
3. While constitutional safeguards and legal protection for Dalits exist, caste-based discrimination has taken on new forms in the modern era. Discuss why the safeguards and legal protection are failed to address the issue of discrimination in higher educational institutions?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones.
• Recognising internet access as a fundamental human right, India is bound by international agreements like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
• The Adi Dravida community should seize the forthcoming caste census as an opportunity to rectify the errors made during the 1931 caste census.
• To create a world-class clean energy ecosystem in India that is safe, all stakeholders must work collectively to develop all critical components and associated cyber architecture.
• Implementation of reservation of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies will have to wait for the Census and a delimitation exercise.
• Since no one knows when women’s reservation will legally come into force, in the immediate future we can only monitor ticket allocation by all parties across the ideological spectrum and see who stands where.
• To keep up with the developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning, suitable vulnerability management tools and cyber-attack resilient capabilities may be co-developed with indigenous centres of excellence.
• Addressing cybercrimes requires tackling under-reporting, which currently obscures the true scale of the problem.
• Empowering women with the right to a safe and inclusive online environment is a crucial step toward a more equitable and just society in the digital age. It is time to act, bridge the gender gap, and make the internet a safer space for all.
• Dalit students face various forms of exclusion and caste-based discrimination in educational institutions across the country. While constitutional safeguards and legal protection for Dalits exist, caste-based discrimination has taken on new forms in the modern era.
• There is a need to redefine the relationship between the State and universities for a truly autonomous and thriving academic environment.
• In sync with India’s rising stock in the global economy and geopolitics, Indian financial market is about to be truly globalized.
• Measures such as collecting data, raising awareness, and creating safe spaces are needed to combat violence against women in agriculture.
• The proposed Digital India Act (DIA) encompasses several pivotal clauses that mirror the dynamic evolution of the digital environment, addressing its multifaceted challenges and opportunities.

50-WORD TALK

• Addressing cybercrimes requires tackling under-reporting, which currently obscures the true scale of the problem. Psycho-social cybercrimes pose a significant threat to women, particularly due to the gender gap in online access. These crimes thereby violate fundamental rights, including the right to privacy, freedom of speech, dignity, education, and information.
• In the face of a growing crisis of cybercrimes against women, recognising the right to internet access is imperative. It aligns with India’s democratic principles, expands on existing constitutional rights, and addresses the gender data gap. Empowering women with the right to a safe and inclusive online environment is a crucial step toward a more equitable and just society in the digital age. It is time to act, bridge the gender gap, and make the internet a safer space for all.

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.