WSDP Bulletin (14-10-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Ministry of Ayush’s endeavours towards Special Campaign 3.0 gear up READ MORE
2. Notification issued for Green Credit Program (GCP) and Ecomark scheme Under LiFE Initiative to Promote Sustainable Lifestyle and Environmental Conservation READ MORE
3. Indian Railways’ PSUs, RITES Ltd and IRCON granted Navratna status READ MORE  
4. India’s 1st CAR-T cell therapy developed by ImmunoACT gets CDSCO nod READ MORE
5. CJI says India’s abortion law is liberal, pro-choice and far ahead of other countries READ MORE
6. Government mulls partnerships to make semiconductor chips READ MORE
7. What is Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum? READ MORE
8. Farmers lost $3.8 trillion to disasters over 30 years: FAO’s first-ever global estimation READ MORE  
9. More than half of world’s poor out of safety net coverage, says World Bank READ MORE
10. World’s water cycle severely impacted by climate change and human activities in 2022: WMO READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Parents and educators must reduce student stress READ MORE
2. Changed outlook READ MORE
3. Is climate change the reason for Sikkim flash floods? READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Testing the waters for General Elections 2024 READ MORE
2. Democracy dies when justice suffers READ MORE
3. 16th Finance Commission’s political challenge READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Hunger pangs: Alarming findings of 2023 global index READ MORE
2. India Ranks 111 in Global Hunger Index; Report Makers Reject Indian Government Objections READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Balancing policy: On Israel, Palestine and India’s line: India must pressure Israel to act responsibly in the face of terror READ MORE
2. A war that ends the Saudi-Israel ‘normalisation’ process READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Claudia Goldin’s quiet revolution: How she helped feminise economic enquiry READ MORE
2. Why we must cheer the Nobel for Goldin READ MORE
3. The economic mosaic: Chugging along at the ‘new-old normal’ growth rate READ MORE
4. DC Edit | Inflation falls, RBI still cautious READ MORE
5. Role of Banks in Promoting Risky Financial Assets READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Clearing the air: Contrary to general perception, there is no change in India’s stand on Palestine READ MORE
2. Meeting the Goals of the Paris Agreement READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. AI could redefine police techniques READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Localise strategies to build climate resilience READ MORE
2. India’s cyclone warning system is the model for disaster-proofing the country. Floods next READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. How the Khalistan movement is interlinked with Punjab’s growing drug problem, gun culture READ MORE
2. Beyond ‘Black Mirror’s’ fiction – Impact of Generative AI on policing, security READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Working and praying READ MORE
2. Narges’ Nobel and the all-pervasive fear of freedom READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Repeated elections have a cost, but the benefits of enhanced democracy that they trigger are far greater. Critically examine the statement in the light of recent debate about One Nation, One Election.
2. India is diverse, with different regions confronting diverse issues, and that impacts politics in the states. In light of statement, how far do you agree with this view that the concept of One Nation, One Election goes against the reality of India’s diversity?
3. Balancing growth and inflation is a complex endeavour, requiring a steady hand on the economic tiller. Discuss how India can this balance in the ongoing uncertain global economic landscape?
4. Assessing vulnerabilities is the first step in reducing disaster risk. In light of recent disasters in the Himalayan region, discuss how the climate resilience approach in infrastructure development can minimize the disaster risk in that region.
5. The bureaucracy delivers on episodic events like conducting elections, which have a clear exit date but when it comes to daily events such as provision of civic amenities, the result is deeply unsatisfactory. Do you think that the division of bureaucracy between the three levels of government is a likely reason for such unamenities?
6. Modern states have evolved from directly running factories to regulating economic activity and for that, the Indian government need to revisit the bureaucracy’s recruitment process and should focus on more domain expertise. Discuss.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.
• Delhi’s history of intervening positively also led to the ironical consternation of the Maldivian opposition parties who started a disquiet campaign against the Maldivian Government’s traditional ‘India First’ policy to suggest a compromise to Maldivian sovereignty.
• Democracy weakens when the people’s choice is not based on who will represent their interests and fulfil their aspirations.
• Democracy is always in a state of flux and not in its ideal form.
• To strengthen democracy, politics needs to be more accountable.
• Having one election every five years will make political parties more unaccountable and free to fulfil the agenda of vested interests. That will weaken democracy and cost the nation far more than the direct and indirect costs of elections at present.
• Even if India had a perfect democracy, the ‘One Nation, One Election’ idea assumes homogeneity in the nation.
• A one-size-fits-all approach goes against the reality of the nation’s diversity and can lead to severe political backlash.
• The reality is that India has an imperfect democracy that needs to be strengthened.
• Elections are the times when the public can force political parties to become answerable.
• Repeated elections have a cost, but the benefits of enhanced democracy that they trigger are far greater.
• No farmers’ company can address climatic aberrations amidst a changing climate, broken landscapes, tattered ecologies and market volatilities unless supported by policies and incentives.
• Balancing growth and inflation is a complex endeavour, requiring a steady hand on the economic tiller.
• Ever since the artificial intelligence chatbot GPT technology burst on the global computer media scene suggesting its multifarious applications and uses in almost any area of human endeavour.
• If the ASEAN has to remain relevant, it needs to reinvent itself to suit the changing regional environment.
• Shortage of workers is pushing the demand for farm equipment. India can dominate the world market by leveraging its machine tools.
• The UN has the responsibility to resolve conflicts. But its failure should not be taken as an opportunity to abet terrorism in the name of freedom.
• It is crucial to re-evaluate building typologies and focus on developing climate-resilient designs.
• The bureaucracy delivers on episodic events like conducting elections, which have a clear exit date. But when it comes to daily events such as provision of civic amenities, the result is deeply unsatisfactory.

50-WORD TALK

• Instead of issuing defensive reactions to the Global Hunger Index, the government should instead engage with the root issue—nutrition. India might not have the empty-bellied hunger such indices imply, but it does have widespread and severe malnutrition and anaemia. Free foodgrain alleviates hunger, but balanced meals are what Indians need.
• Israel cannot carpet bomb Gaza into rubble. It has a right to defend itself and respond to terrorism, but indiscriminately targeting civilian areas isn’t the way. Israel will find it increasingly difficult to have the unambiguous support of its allies. It also risks ceding Middle East leadership role to Iran.

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.