WSDP Bulletin (01-11-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Combined Index of Eight Core Industries increases by 8.1% (provisional) in September 2023 over September 2022 READ MORE
2. Tamil Nadu government moves Supreme Court against Governor over delay in clearing bills READ MORE
3. Modi, Hasina to jointly inaugurate Akhaura-Agartala rail link on November 1  READ MORE
4. A Gaganyaan for the seas: inside India’s ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ READ MORE
5. Govt’s fiscal deficit rises to 39.3% of annual target in first half of FY24 READ MORE
6. India to choose between Bangladesh and Nepal candidates for WHO regional chief READ MORE
7. Recalling Pegasus, the last time phones of Oppn leaders were allegedly targeted by spyware READ MORE
8. Wildlife trafficking, organised crime linked: Nonprofit’s report sheds new light READ MORE
9. Brazzaville Summit of the Three Basins ends with a declaration READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Parenthood and surrogacy: Ethical and societal issues READ MORE
2. What a ‘normal’ monsoon hides READ MORE
3. Monsoon and Climate Change Threat in the Indian Ocean Region READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Staff shortage, financial dependency plague local governance READ MORE
2. Ethics, parliamentary conduct and the Indian MP READ MORE
3. On the defection issue and the Supreme Court’s deadline for the Maharashtra Speaker READ MORE
4. India can take the lead in advancing global AI governance READ MORE
5. Rescue RTI READ MORE
6. The A-G’s contention that poll bonds are not for public purview is anathema to democracy READ MORE
7. The Three Criminal Law Bills: Using Criminal Law to Establish Permanent Extra-Constitutional Emergency Powers READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How credible is the Global Hunger Report? READ MORE  

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. The stance of the Maldives President-elect on India READ MORE
2. London Summit and how to make AI responsible READ MORE
3. India to France: Solar solutions for the planet READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. Prioritise job creation READ MORE
2. Behind the global economic uncertainty READ MORE
3. For India’s low female labour force rate, what lessons does Claudia Goldin’s work hold? READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Stocktaking climate finance — a case of circles in red ink READ MORE
2. Who Is Accountable for the Disease and Death India’s Deadly Air Pollution Triggers? READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. US steps up to rein in Big Tech READ MORE
2. New research has clues about why Covid vaccine led to blood clots in some people READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Massive ‘data breach’: India needs to step up security measures READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Railways must upgrade its signalling and telecommunications network READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Elevate life, not just your lifestyle READ MORE
2. Myths are metaphors READ MORE
3. Work-Life Balance: Happiness will be a casualty of 70-hour work week READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Surrogacy encompasses a wide range of perspectives, including ethical, legal, emotional, and cultural considerations. Discuss.
2. An increase in the country’s wealth will not improve the number of working women, but more paid work opportunities will. Comment on the statement in light of India’s low female labour force rate.
3. Transparency is a must for the survival of democracy, and practice like non-disclosing source of electoral bond funding is anathema to democracy. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
• The politicisation of armed forces would erode its core competence of being a professional defence force and reduce it to a crass unit obeying political masters.
• The societal impact of surrogacy is very complex and needs to be addressed seriously. It encompasses a wide range of perspectives, including ethical, legal, emotional, and cultural considerations.
• While there are arguments in favour of privacy in certain contexts, political funding is not one of them. The argument often made in favour of non-disclosure is the protection of free speech and preventing donor harassment.
• Developed and developing economies are facing a shortage of quality workers in a variety of sectors including nursing, electrical, plumbing and agriculture and India is an engine for global economic growth through manpower exports.
• Keeping the inflation rate low and stable is the job of the RBI. But the RBI is overwhelmed by the fiscal overhang caused by the spendthrift tendency of government.
• India must build a safety net that not only supports those in need but also strengthens economic resilience. This is particularly critical at a time when the world is reeling in uncertainty, and India’s insulation from global trends is gradually wearing thin.
• An increase in the country’s wealth will not improve the number of working women but more paid work opportunities will.
• The Indian Ocean, the world’s third largest, is warming at a faster rate than the other oceans, due to increased anthropogenic activities.
• While law and the courts cannot change society by themselves, congruent judgments can at least provide a scaffolding for the thinking to begin.
• The developed world needs to mirror the moves seen in 2009-10 to save the global financial system — by displaying strong political will and urgency, once again, to safeguard the atmosphere.
• On solar energy just like on other global issues, the focus of the Indo-French strategic partnership is on scaling up solutions.

50-WORD TALK

• The fresh allegations of snooping on Opposition leaders after Apple’s “state-sponsored” notifications raise another stink. Such incidents hurt the health of a democracy and the government has done the right thing by quickly promising a detailed probe. It is now important to answer all questions, however uncomfortable they may be.
• Modi government has done a 180-degree turn on the contentious 360-degree appraisal system for civil servants due for empanelment. DoPT has informed CAT’s Nainital Bench that it isn’t operational anymore. Going back and forth on institutionalised mechanisms is disruptive, arbitrary. These evaluation processes need to be less opaque and unpredictable.
• The arbitration award of Rs 766 cr for Tata for being driven out of Singur is a lesson on the price of populism. It was a prestigious job-generating project for Bengal and an opportunity for Indian Communists to reinvent themselves. It was history-in-the-making—stopped in its tracks by myopic intellectual Left.

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.