Table of Contents
(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)
Prelim and Main
1. States’ gross fiscal deficit below Budget Estimate for a 2nd yr: RBI report READ MORE
2. CPI inflation rises to 5.55% in November: IIP growth rate at 11.7% in Oct READ MORE
3. El Niño impact: Warm winter awaits Bengalureans READ MORE
4. 74.1% of Indians unable to afford a healthy diet: FAO Report READ MORE
5. LS clears Bills for women’s quota in J&K, Puducherry Assemblies READ MORE
6. ECI members to have same status as SC judges: Why Govt has chosen to make U-turn on proposed Bill READ MORE
7. What does ‘unabated’ fossil fuels mean — and can carbon capture help achieve net-zero? READ MORE
8. New marine amphipod species found in Chillika Lake, Odisha READ MORE
9. Miracle on the Steppe: The Saiga has beaten extinction for now, finds new IUCN Red List READ MORE
10. Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduces redrafted criminal Bills in Lok Sabha READ MORE
Main
GS Paper- 1
1. Address concerns over untouchability READ MORE
2. India India’s extreme rain was restricted to a ‘corridor’ during 1901-2019 | Explained READ MORE
GS Paper- 2
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. An anti-terror law and its interference with liberty READ MORE
2. Welcome direction: On the Supreme Court’s deadline to conduct elections in J&K READ MORE
3. Patent exclusions — Madras High Court shows the way READ MORE
4. With Article 370 verdict, SC has let down federalism READ MORE
5. Explained: How the Supreme Court upheld Modi government’s Article 370 abrogation READ MORE
SOCIAL ISSUES
1. National policy must promote cohesion READ MORE
2. An invisible figure READ MORE
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
1. Decoding Putin’s dramatic visit to the Gulf READ MORE
2. Unravelling Saudi Arabia’s grand vision for Africa READ MORE
GS Paper- 3
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1. How India can become the bank for the Global South READ MORE
2. RBI should loosen the monetary lever READ MORE
3. Electronics manufacturing poised for breakthrough growth READ MORE
4. India has a problem of guesstimating crop stocks & consumption. 3 new govt projects will help READ MORE
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. COP28 ambitions must go local. Share the burden of net zero transition with MSMEs too READ MORE
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Game-changer: On approval for gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia READ MORE
2. A law to keep AI under check READ MORE
3. Balance AI and human intelligence for better healthcare READ MORE
INTERNAL SECURITY
1. Check cyber crime raging in Bengaluru READ MORE
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
1. Chennai bears the brunt of cyclone Michaung READ MORE
GS Paper- 4
ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY
1. Logical prowess of Nyaya Darshan READ MORE
2. Why Is Integrity Important in Leadership? READ MORE
Questions for the MAIN exam
1. A casual cancellation of statehood is against federalism and the basic feature of the Constitution. Comment on the statement in light of the recent developments.
2. RBI’s decision to keep the policy rate unchanged could pose a serious risk to growth. Critically examine.
3. While technology demonstrates remarkable utility across diverse domains, its multifaceted nature engenders substantial concerns and ethical challenges. Comment on the statement in light of recent deepfakes-related controversies.
4. While making laws against the synthetic media, striking a balance between regulating harmful deepfakes and preserving freedom of expression is the major challenge against the lawmakers. Analyse how this balance can be created.
5. COP28’s commitment to addressing the global climate crisis requires tailored strategies at the local level and adopting energy-efficient technologies in MSMEs can play an active role in energy transition. Comment.
QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS
- However good a Constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad.
- In matters pertaining to pharmaceutical and medical patents, courts need to be acutely conscious of the competing interests at play and find a robust balance point that all parties can live with.
- If there is a legislative vacuum and the executive has not satisfactorily addressed an issue, the judiciary has an important role to play in making its contribution in furthering the public health interests of the nation.
- While the Union has the power to rename a state or change its boundaries, it cannot simply “downgrade” a state to a Union Territory under the Constitution.
- If federalism is indeed a basic feature of the Constitution, a casual cancellation of statehood cannot be accepted.
- While accepting that federalism is a basic feature of the Constitution, the SC still holds that the Union may extinguish statehood at will.
- The unilateral abrogation of Article 370 was an attack on some core features of the Constitution, namely federalism and democracy.
- Where a dispute arises about the validity of a legislation or government action, it falls on the courts, especially superior courts such as the Supreme Court (SC) and high courts in the exercise of their writ jurisdiction, to determine authoritatively the outcome of the dispute and provide clarity in law.
- The flash floods and the resultant mishaps including the loss of human lives are the fallout of the failure of local bodies to fortify the metropolis from floodwater.
- RBI’s decision to keep the policy rate unchanged could pose a serious risk to growth due to a rise in lending rates and higher-cost of loans to industries.
- While the technology demonstrates remarkable utility across diverse domains, its multifaceted nature also engenders substantial concerns and ethical challenges.
- India, like its contemporaries, must act promptly to create a framework to deal with synthetic media. In doing so, lawmakers must strike a balance between regulating harmful deepfakes and preserving freedom of expression.
- COP28’s commitment to addressing the global climate crisis requires tailored strategies at the local level. Recognising diversity across and within industries and the hurdles faced by MSMEs in adopting energy-efficient technologies are key to overall success in energy transition.
ESSAY TOPIC
- The economy is an owned subsidiary of ecology.
50-WORD TALK
- SC verdict on Article 370 gives untrammeled power virtually to the Union in matters of states under President’s rule. This undermines federalism, considered Constitution’s basic structure, and has far-reaching consequences. It makes it tempting for powerful central governments to misuse Article 356 and then employ this flawed Article 3 interpretation.
- A bill on appointment of election commissioners — SC says objective approach is essential — weighs heavy in favour of the executive, with CJI not being included in selection panel and the officials being shielded from civil or criminal proceedings. Impartiality and transparency may suffer behind this smokescreen of objectivity.
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.