WSDP Bulletin (08/03/2024)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Every citizen has right to criticise decision of state: SC relief for professor who put status against Article 370 abrogation READ MORE

2. Deforestation driving malaria risk among vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa, finds study READ MORE

3. James Webb Telescope spots oldest ‘dead galaxy’ that stopped forming stars 13 billion years ago: Study READ MORE

4. El Niño and the summer, monsoon: What is in store this year READ MORE

5. Linking Aadhaar with voter ID: Why EC wants changes in electoral forms READ MORE

6. What is Haiper, the text-to-video model created by Google DeepMind, TikTok alumni? READ MORE

7. Centre extends Ujjwala subsidy by another year READ MORE

8. Centre to rope in ISRO to provide Internet in 80 remote tribal villages READ MORE

9. RBI, Bank Indonesia sign MoU for use of local currencies for bilateral transactions READ MORE

10. For India’s homeless women, TB care is shaped by gender norms and economic precarity READ MORE

11. Contempt plea in SC against SBI’s prayer for time extension to disclose electoral bond details READ MORE

12. Supreme Court asks whether Maharashtra Speaker contradicted verdict READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. Preserving the feminine essence of India READ MORE

2. How to bridge the gender gap in South Asia READ MORE

3. How inclusive pedagogies can end gender oppression READ MORE

4. Himalayan challenge~I READ MORE

5. Himalayan Challenge~II READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Can a justice system without women bring justice to women? READ MORE

2. Electoral democracy faces headwinds READ MORE

3. Need to invest in women READ MORE

4. Cooling-off period needed before judges join politics READ MORE

5. When Process Becomes Punishment READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Bridging the gender gap in health research READ MORE

2. The shadow education challenge READ MORE

3. Welfare politics targets women READ MORE

4. Women and health in India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Troubled waters: On the tensions between China and the Philippines READ MORE

2. Muizzu’s folly: Antagonising India to appease China READ MORE

3. Why India’s relations with its neighbours do not fit inside the definition of a ‘bully’ READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. The determinant in more women in the job market READ MORE  

2. Boost presence in workforce READ MORE

3. Harnessing nutritional resilience for food security and gender equality READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. RBI and the net-zero transition — A roadmap for green India READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. A bold step towards a cervical cancer-free future READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Defence Budget 2024 and India’s deep tech leap READ MORE  

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Mitigating risks in infrastructure development READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Meeting aspirations of a young, dynamic India READ MORE

CASE STUDY

1. Bengaluru’s Water Crisis — Who’s Suffering and What’s the Solution? READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Progress in gender equality has been made, but disparities persist, requiring more government spending on healthcare and gender-responsive policies. Comment.

2. Without a paradigm shift in the pedagogies, NEP’s education strategy would remain a mere rhetorical policy statement enacted through some mechanical, ritualised processes. Comment.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • Justice demands that no one should do more ruling than being ruled, but that all should have their turn.
  • India raising the participation rate of well-educated women in the labour market could also lead to a huge army of exploited domestic workers.
  • With economic growth and increasing education, the strength of patriarchy has perhaps declined in some ways. However, the overall culture of male dominance over women has not changed much in our traditional society.
  • Public-private partnerships are instrumental in ensuring equitable access to vaccination services, thereby advancing the collective goal of safeguarding women’s health against cervical cancer.
  • The coaching class ecosystem exacerbates educational inequalities and raises student anxiety.
  • The National Education Policy 2020, shifts the focus towards continuous and comprehensive evaluation of students to promote learning, moving away from the traditional final assessments that often lead to a reliance on coaching institutes.
  • Progress in gender equality has been made, but disparities persist, requiring more government spending on healthcare and gender-responsive policies.
  • The SC’s order on the shutdown of the Sterlite-Vedanta smelter is a timely reiteration that the health of the environment can’t be compromised for profits.
  • The longstanding problem of gender inequality in India pervades most economic and social outcomes, including health.
  • Although women constitute almost half of India’s population, they lag behind men on many social indicators, such as health, education and economic opportunities.
  • India is on the cusp of major economic development. But unless women are encouraged to walk alongside men, lofty economic goals may remain a mere pipedream.
  • It’s crucial to recognise the pivotal role women’s participation plays in driving inclusive and sustainable development in India.
  • India has spearheaded a normative shift in the narrative on gender equality and empowerment, with a focus on women-led development, and not just simply women’s development.
  • Calcutta HC judge’s rapid resignation to join politics prompts debate on judiciary’s independence and proximity to political parties, highlighting the need for mechanisms to ensure judicial integrity.
  • The guarantee of fundamental rights, which are the citizen’s shield against the state, is at the mercy of the high courts and the Supreme Court; people rush to these courts to save themselves from an omnipotent state.
  • Destructive of the aspirations and deliberative ideals of the Constitution and creates a polity which deprives citizens of a responsible, responsive, and representative democracy.
  • India is carefully and pragmatically playing its cards and asserting its position in South Asia as well as the world, and providing aid and assistance to weaker neighbouring countries.
  • Gender empowerment and food security are deeply interconnected, with profound implications for achieving sustainable development goals

ESSAY TOPIC

  • Passivity is fatal to a soldier.

50-WORD TALK

  • Supreme Court has rightly used strong words to quash the ‘waging war’ case against the Maharashtra professor who merely updated his WhatsApp status criticising abrogation of Article 370. It has called for educating the police about free speech and democracy. This is key to preventing citizen harassment by the authorities.

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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