WSDP Bulletin (21-06-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Russia condemns Lithuania transit ban to Kaliningrad, vows response READ MORE
2. Dutch disease READ MORE
3. India faces near-term challenges in managing its fiscal deficit: Finance Ministry READ MORE
4. Explained: Why is single-use plastic being banned in India from July 1? READ MORE
5. Explain Speaking: What is the link between rising food prices and central banks raising interest rates? READ MORE
6. Explained: What is a black swan event? READ MORE
7. With MSP procurement for the first time, ‘tricky’ moong spells good gains in Punjab mandis READ MORE

Main Exam    

GS Paper- 1

1. India’s Gig Workers: Life at the Mercy of ‘Platforms’ & ‘Algorithms’ READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Resurrecting a dead law: Even if there is a backdoor attempt at legislation, bringing Section 66A back into the statute book will not be easy READ MORE
2. Will the Aadhaar fiasco pave the way for a stronger Data Protection Bill? READ MORE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Textbook errors: NCERT’s edits will distort learning outcomes READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. India-ASEAN ties a morale-booster for the region READ MORE
2. WTO MC-12: Deft handling by India READ MORE
3. India & BIMSTEC: 25 Years Later, Bay of Bengal Remains Fragmented READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. We must rethink the insolvency ecosystem before it loses appeal READ MORE
2. Towards a socially just, ecological agriculture READ MORE
3. WTO agreements will shape government policy READ MORE
4. Grappling with the menace of black money READ MORE
5. Indian Rupee vs US Dollar: Why Currencies Depreciate and When We Should Worry READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. Coonoor Shows the Way To Sustainable Waste Management READ MORE
2. Is Migaloo … dead? As climate change transforms the ocean, the iconic white humpback has been missing for 2 years READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Ones and zeros or sentient beings? AI’s influence on our daily lives is getting stronger READ MORE

SECURITY

1. India lacks a National Security Doctrine READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. 10 yogic steps to become ruler of the self READ MORE
2. Change culture to keep the sport in Olympic: Investigator to boxing officials READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. ‘It is important to align the currency with the financial strength and economic requirements of a country, an overvalued currency can have disastrous consequences’. Comment on the statement.
2. How far do you agree with this view that even after the 25 years of its establishment, BIMSTEC remains fragmented, and no lesson has been learned from the failures or constraints of SAARC? Justify your view.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• The UIDAI’s failed advisory on use of photocopies of Aadhaar cards highlights the need for a tough data protection law, which the new Data Protection Bill was meant to be. However, in its present form it privileges a free and fair digital economy over informational privacy.
• If the objective is to induce trust in digital markets to enable their growth at the cost of informational privacy, accepting the draft Bill in its current form will be problematic.
• From an Indian perspective, the Act East Policy can be best realised if BIMSTEC and ASEAN are seen to be working more closely in identified areas.
• The slow evolution of the institutional framework of BIMSTEC has been fashioned along with that of SAARC. No effort seems to have been made to learn from the failures or constraints of SAARC.
• Although there is talk of BIMSTEC being a bridge between South and Southeast Asia, any effort towards building such a link remains invisible. Thus, the prospects of having BIMSTEC move ahead on trade and cooperation with ASEAN is missing.
• As machine-learning models grow in complexity and improve their ability to mimic feelings, they are becoming more difficult to understand even for their creators.
• War against the Covid pandemic has to embrace all three critical dimensions—testing, tracking, and treatment. Apart from the vaccine, diagnostics and therapeutics to need to be supplied at affordable rates.
• The India-ASEAN upgraded FTA could be a game-changer within the Indo-Pacific region.
• Reduce the IBC’s regulatory cholesterol and court delays if it’s to be the saviour it was conceived as.
• The possibility of Section 66A coming back on the statute book is bleak unless a bigger Supreme Court bench overrules Shreya Singhal.
• It is really important to align the currency with the financial strength and economic requirements of a country, an overvalued currency can have disastrous consequences.
• Gig work in India remains a distressing tale of long work hours, isolation and stagnant careers.

50 WORD TALK

• 22 FIRs and 34 days in jail for Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale for sharing one nasty Facebook post show how a state can go overboard to crush social media nuisance. And then we complain of overcrowded jails and judicial pendency. High time the higher judiciary ends this petty political vindictiveness.

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 on 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 main 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.