WSDP Bulletin (08-11-2023)

Print

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. IREDA Launches CSR Portal to Improve Transparency in CSR Initiatives READ MORE
2. Bihar seeks to raise quota to 65% after tabling caste survey READ MORE
3. Where do the wild colours of domesticated silkworm cocoons come from?  READ MORE
4. Free ration scheme to cost exchequer at least ₹15,000 crore extra per year READ MORE
5. ‘80% funds allocated for semiconductor manufacturing scheme remain unused’ READ MORE
6. Aditya-L1 captures first glimpse of solar flares READ MORE
7. 7.5 million new cases of TB in 2022: WHO report READ MORE
8. Zika virus | Centre writes to all States asking them to  strengthen the entomological surveillance READ MORE
9. India’s hidden costs of agrifood systems at $1.1 trillion, third-highest in the world, says new FAO report READ MORE  
10. PM 2.5, Sulphur Dioxide, and more: Where the pollutants in our air come from, and how they impact health READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Language: Emotional connect and more READ MORE
2. Giving the urban Indian a better life READ MORE
3. Farm sector is still reliant on rainfall READ MORE
4. The geography of power generation in India is slowly but surely changing READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Court’s message for governors READ MORE
2. CM-Governor discord: Both must not ignore apex court’s advice READ MORE
3. Hasty justice is justice denied READ MORE
4. Electoral Bonds Need Transparency READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Admission of failure to reduce poverty, hunger READ MORE
2. Vishwakarma scheme goes against social justice READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. On the India-Bhutan talks and the plans ahead READ MORE
2. The War in West Asia Will Define the New Multipolar World READ MORE
3. Dragon diplomacy: Has China undermined the India-Bhutan relationship? READ MORE
4. Why India needs to do more to retain influence over Bhutan READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. A verdict that hampers international law obligations READ MORE
2. How the Indian economy has been navigating a changing world READ MORE
3. Regulator must clarify due clearance order in insolvencies READ MORE
4. A new poverty conundrum READ MORE
5. How smog could affect India’s growth story READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Global climate finance increasing, but scale & pace not enough: New report READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. How is electricity transmitted? | Explained READ MORE
2. Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake: Regulate AI, don’t ban it READ MORE
3. Solving the mystery of sudden deaths in young adults READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. How ignored landslide warnings led to Subansiri running dry READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. From shadows to shine, embrace the inner light READ MORE
2. Powerful faculties READ MORE
3. Humanity at a crossroads READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The power structure in society is still dominated by dominant castes, while the disadvantaged communities remain underrepresented in the government, bureaucracy, and judiciary. Justify the statement with the help of relevant examples.
2. Implementing reservation in institutions is crucial for ensuring effective and equitable representation of all communities in the country’s governance. Comment on the statement in the light of recent developments.
3. Pollution isn’t just a health hazard; it affects India’s economic activities and needs urgent attention. In the light of the statements suggest some innovative ways to tackle the issue of Pollution in North India during winter.
4. The extension of the PMGKAY free ration scheme for another five years provides a much-needed lifeline to countless citizens but it also shows the economic growth of the country, and its quality is uneven. Critically examine the statement.
5. A holistic approach to the strong regulation of emerging technologies, including deepfake platforms and AI, is needed of time. Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.
• The power structure is still dominated by dominant castes, while the disadvantaged communities remain underrepresented in the government, bureaucracy, and the judiciary.
• Implementing reservation in institutions like the bureaucracy and the judiciary is crucial for ensuring effective and equitable representation of all communities in the country’s governance.
• Vishwakarma scheme will have a negative impact on the overall movement toward the annihilation of caste and the pursuit of social justice, as it is likely to strengthen caste-based occupations.
• India’s struggle with pollution has raised concerns among investors and international corporations. Numerous studies have linked China’s air quality to investment decisions.
• Pollution isn’t just a health hazard; it affects economic output, investor confidence, and the nation’s global image. To tackle this problem, leaders must first admit that it is a grave issue that needs urgent attention.
• When the food security scheme was launched, it was expected that the extent and scope of subsidy would be brought down over the years as income levels rose. But the income levels of the beneficiary population have not improved and the budgetary expenditure on the scheme has increased.
• The extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana must be seen as tacit admission by the government that poverty and destitution levels have not improved and raises questions about the claimed economic growth of the country and its quality.
• As the nation stands at the crossroads of an election, the extension of the PMGKAY is both a symbol of hope and resilience.
• The extension of the PMGKAY free ration scheme for another five years is more than a government policy. It iterates India’s dedication to prioritising the welfare of its citizens, especially during challenging times like the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The impact of this programme on the lives of citizens is immeasurable. The allocation numbers reflect the profound impact of the PMGKAY, providing a much-needed lifeline to countless Indians.
• In a globally interdependent world, actions that severely restrict the flow of goods and services across national boundaries are bound to be counter-productive.
• Languages growing simultaneously in any society are a binding force. Language cannot be a reason for mutual exclusion and antipathy.
• A cordial relationship between the Governor and the CM is a prerequisite for smooth conduct of the state’s affairs.
• A holistic approach to the regulation of deepfakes should focus on the interplay between platform and AI regulation, and ways to incorporate safeguards for emerging technologies more broadly.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Many worlds: Multipolarity in the new world order

50-WORD TALK

• In a transforming India, where education and technology act as levelling forces, caste-based affirmative action, refined through caste numbers, can drive more extensive dialogues on aspiration, ambition, freedom, opportunity, and the necessity for a system where citizens are not unfairly privileged or confined by their identities. If a robust methodology were to be used, this effort would be vital in identifying and addressing fault lines to promote gender justice.
• Extending free food for another 5 years is an acknowledgement that the poor continue to need ample support for years ahead. The move also rings the final death knell of farm laws. If government grain procurement is going to be so high, then that rules out entry of private sector.
• Indian envoy in Ottawa describing Canadian police probe into Nijjar killing as tainted and wiretapping of diplomats as illegal shows Delhi is doubling down. But Canada is being duplicitous in citing Vienna Convention on parity even as it illegally tapped diplomats. G7 and Five Eyes can’t play by different rules.

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.