WSDP Bulletin (23/02/2024)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. The women of ASHA: overworked, underpaid and on the edge of breakdown READ MORE

2. Race to global eradication of Guinea worm disease nears finish line READ MORE

3. Raisina Dialogue | India to open diplomatic mission in Albanian capital READ MORE

4. Real interest rate of 2% creates risk of turning growth pessimism into a self fulfilling prophecy: Varma READ MORE

5. CBI raids places linked to Satya Pal Malik: What is the Kiru Hydel Project, focus of corruption allegations? READ MORE

6. Google introduces Gemma open source AI models: What does it mean for responsible AI? READ MORE

7. East Africa is losing its glaciers at astonishing speed, all on Kilimanjaro retreating READ MORE

8. 40 spotted deer translocated within Karnataka marking a new era in wildlife management READ MORE

9. What is Alaskapox? A microbiologist explains the recently discovered virus that just claimed its first fatality READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Indian nationhood thrives amid diversity READ MORE

2. Castes, Old and New READ MORE

3. Calm assessment: On the extent of ‘deemed forest’ READ MORE

4. Heed SC’s directive on saving forests READ MORE

5. Definition of forest: SC underscores concerns over land diversion READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Should India have regional benches of the Supreme Court? READ MORE

2. On recent Supreme Court verdicts, hold the celebrations READ MORE

3. In most states, jail is more the norm, not bail READ MORE

4. SC has upheld voter’s rights READ MORE

5. Aadhaar Deactivations and the Genealogy of Cybernetics Gone Rogue in India READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Higher Education Scenario READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. In a tough world, the beacon of U.K.-India strategic ties READ MORE

2. Greek PM’s Visit bolsters historic ties READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. At WTO meet, India could face pressure READ MORE

2. Upholding the essence of agriculture amidst market pressures READ MORE

3. Welfare vs prudence READ MORE

4. On counter-cyclical fiscal policy READ MORE

5. Why World Trade Organization’s Upcoming MC13 Conference Is Significant for India READ MORE

6. At WTO meet, India will have to balance between protecting local fishers and fishing sector growth READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Collapse of the ecological balance and an undeclared war with nature READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Tracing Algorithmic and AI-biased Data READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Self-reliance in defence crucial to winning wars READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. In Morbi’s debris, the role of the State in PPP projects READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. The anatomy of corruption READ MORE

2. Farmers protest: X complies with Indian government’s order to suspend accounts but says “We disagree…” READ MORE

3. Given the environmental costs, is it ethical to bring a child into the world? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. The UCC despite having contrastive interests clashing over the attributes of pluralism, will successfully balance out things by reinforcing social justice. Critically examine.

2. MSP is plugging more farmers into the industrial agriculture system and the consequent oversupply of agricultural commodities is crashing prices. Comment.

3. The Green Revolution transformed India from a ship-to-mouth existence to self-reliance, but it also sowed the seeds of its own destruction, leading to a grave farming crisis in the country. Examine.

4. Delimitation of constituencies on the basis of the present population will not only lead to inequitable representation in parliament but it will violate the 84th Constitutional amendment. Examine.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.
  • The possibilities for global prosperity cannot be understated and the importance of the Indo-Asia Pacific, not just to the United Kingdom, but to the world, has never been clearer.
  • While SC judgments on electoral bonds and Chandigarh mayoral election are welcome, they ought not to merely be an episodic legitimisation of the façade of constitutionalism.
  • Some of the unfavourable comments India received from EU member countries, post former, not taking a Western approach towards long-standing ally Russia, are likely to fade away with India developing closer bilateral partnerships in the region.
  • Leaving agriculture on the market is neither desirable nor pro-national; it is only pro-corporate and anti-nation.
  • Agriculture produce is for survival while all other industrial or service products are for additional comfort.
  • To keep the farmers growing sufficient for the people to survive, it is well within the reasonable sense for the government to compensate the gaps in case ‘demand and supply’ forces the sale of crops at prices lower than the MSP following the principle it employs in its intervention to support the corporate failures.
  • The legal guarantee for MSP is not about the procurement of the entire crop by the government but about its purchase at a price not less than the minimum remunerative price declared by the government itself.
  • Despite regional differences and identity quests, the strength of Indian nationhood persists, supported by a dedication to constitutional values and productive conversations.
  • Cost recovery from welfare programmes is essential to improve ailing state finances.
  • The risk with fiscal consolidation is that it may dampen growth. However, if fiscal consolidation can accommodate a growing capex budget, high growth is secured, as capex entails large growth multipliers of the order of 4 and above.
  • The SC has exposed the Orwellian double-speak and fake narrative put out that Electoral Bonds were meant to clean up black money from the electoral arena and that it had introduced a system of honest and transparent funding to all political parties.
  • Algorithmic bias in machine learning algorithms has potential consequences for perpetuating discrimination, reinforcing stereotypes, and violating individual privacy.

ESSAY TOPIC

  • We need to move forward on AI development but we also need to be mindful of its very real dangers.

50-WORD TALK

  • X has withheld some accounts while registering protest against the government’s order, another uneasy episode in their face-off that is already in court. Absolute free speech can’t mean hate and abuse. But suspending accounts without transparency is an irrational and illiberal system that doesn’t stand the test of public scrutiny.

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.
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