WSDP Bulletin (07/03/2024)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Villagers oppose declaring ‘orans’ as deemed forests, fearing loss of access and livelihood READ MORE

2. Why ASML’s new chip-making machine is a scientific marvel | Explained READ MORE

3. OPEC expects share of Indian oil imports to rise again READ MORE

4. President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu to confer Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the Years 2022 and 2023 to 94 Eminent Artists Tomorrow READ MORE

5. PM Modi flags off India’s first underwater Metro in Kolkata READ MORE

6. Huge Rally in Ladakh to Demand Statehood and Inclusion in Sixth Schedule READ MORE

7. Man-wildlife conflicts now a state-specific disaster in Kerala READ MORE

8. India to restart Penicillin G manufacture: why was it stopped, what changed now READ MORE

9. Bharat Biotech’s vaccine, Covaxin not as effective as Serum Institutes of India’s Covishield READ MORE

10. WHO highlights growing HIV drug resistance to dolutegravir, urges global action READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Remembering the forgotten women of science in India READ MORE

2. The consequences of workplace stress READ MORE

3. Deficit snowfall poses growing risk of glacial lake outburst in Himalayas, warn glaciologists READ MORE

4. 2023-24 El Nino among five strongest on record, will continue fuelling heat in 2024: WMO READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Explained: Ladakh, Article 371, and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution READ MORE

2. Supreme Court’s ruling on immunity for legislators facing bribery charges | Explained READ MORE

3. Safeguarding Local Democracy READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. How malnutrition and obesity are linked in India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. No major gains for India at WTO conference READ MORE

2. The limits of India-US strategic partnership READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. WTO is hanging on to life, but just barely READ MORE

2. Crop damage: Expedite loss assessment, relief payment READ MORE

3. Microinsurance boosts financial inclusion READ MORE

4. Clarify the MSP legal guarantee confusion READ MORE

5. Expanding grain storage capacity is essential READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Modernisation threatens livelihoods in the Himalayas READ MORE

2. Mountains of plastic are choking the Himalayan States READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. AI regulation needs a balanced pathway READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Lapses by intelligence agencies to blame for Maoist attacks READ MORE  

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Mitigating risks in infrastructure development READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Night that shows us the path to light READ MORE

2. Philanthropic collaboratives: A new paradigm for social impact READ MORE

3. Politically incorrect READ MORE

4. The tortuous path to justice READ MORE

5. A decision that lowers the prestige of the judiciary READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. In case of defections in local governments, the scope for the court’s intervention is limited since the anti-defection law under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution does not apply to panchayats and municipalities. Comment.

2. With the creeping centralisation of the Indian state, the principles underlying federalism and democracy should be extended to the elected forums of UTs and local governments to avoid defections. Comment on the statement in the light of recent developments.

3. MSP reduces the vulnerability of farmers to market fluctuations, ensuring a minimum income for their produce. Critically examine.

4. Replacing the decades-old and inefficient MSP policy with a legislatively guaranteed MSP offers a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by the agricultural sector. Do you agree with this view? Critically examine your views.

5. The Supreme Court related to the stripped of immunity judgement is a significant step towards curbing the rampant role of money power in horse-trading and other legislative malpractices. Critically Analyse.

6. In a welfare state, the government should act as an ideal employer and pay decent pensions to its employees, setting a good example for the private sector. Analyse whether the govt should revive OPS?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • The potential for such misuse is neither enhanced nor diminished by recognising the court’s jurisdiction to prosecute a member for bribery.
  • Double burden of obesity and diabetes can only be tackled by investing in health of adolescent girls and young women.
  • The party-political nature of local governments is now a reality that cannot be ignored. Hence, there is a need to adopt clear statutory measures that can curb defections at the local level.
  • With depleting trust in internal election processes, it is important for municipal laws to institute stronger systems that ensure a free and fair process for indirect elections.
  • In case of defections in local governments, the scope for the court’s intervention is limited since the anti-defection law under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution does not apply to panchayats and municipalities.
  • With the creeping centralisation of the Indian state, it is important to apply the principles underlying federalism and democracy to the elected forums of UTs and local governments as well.
  • In UTs without legislative Assemblies, it is important to safeguard local governments as they are the only democratically accountable institutions in their jurisdiction.
  • Instead of patchwork regulation or inconsistent policy advisories on AI, we need an all-inclusive public discourse on policy approach as well as regulation.
  • In the race between technology and regulation, more often it is the regulation which is in the ‘catch-up’ mode.
  • The currently popular general-purpose and generative AI systems like ChatGPT will have to comply with transparency requirements and ensure designs that don’t generate illegal content and publish summaries of copyrighted data.
  • It not only protects vulnerable populations from financial risks but also contributes to the overall socio-economic development of the country.
  • The Migrants Resilience Collaborative (MRC) a grassroots-led multi-stakeholder initiative formed at the height of the pandemic to provide relief to migrant workers, it now focuses on building resilience by fixing broken social protection delivery systems across India for these communities.
  • India will need to undertake stronger efforts to build a coalition of developing economies to deal with the aggressive posturing of the Global North.
  • MSP reduces the vulnerability of farmers to market fluctuations, ensuring a minimum income for their produce.
  • Replacing the decades-old and inefficient MSP policy with a legislatively guaranteed MSP offers a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by the agricultural sector.
  • Farmers can navigate uncertainties more confidently, knowing that the government is legally bound to intervene when market prices fall below the MSP. A guaranteed MSP leads to increased rural income.

ESSAY TOPIC

  • Passivity is fatal to a soldier.

50-WORD TALK

  • SBI’s seeking till June 30 to disclose details of electoral bonds will undo the crucial element of SC’s push for transparency in electoral funding. Elections will be long over. As SC said, information on political donations is essential for voting decisions. SBI must ensure disclosures are made well before elections.

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.
Spread the Word