WSDP Bulletin (17-11-2023)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

1. Biden, Xi restore military ties but remain apart on wider flashpoint of Taiwan READ MORE
2. T.N. House special session to readopt Bills returned by Governor READ MORE
3. Food prices pose risk to aligning inflation to 4% target: RBI officials READ MORE
4. Trade Deficit to narrow from October peak, but will still be over H1 average of $20 billion READ MORE
5. How was the first vaccine for chikungunya approved? | Explained READ MORE
6. Nearly a billion children globally exposed to extremely high water stress: UNICEF report READ MORE
7. Climate hazard: Heat-related deaths in elderly population to increase by 370% midcentury in a warming world READ MORE
8. Sand and dust storms are increasing, human activities contribute 25% emissions: UNCCD READ MORE
9. New species of small life forms recorded from northeast READ MORE

Main

GS Paper- 1

1. What can a domestic violence survivor do when the justice system lets her down? READ MORE
2. Challenges to curbing community-based prostitution READ MORE  

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. On the sub-categorisation within castes READ MORE
2. Should elections be state funded? READ MORE
3. Challenging the Electoral Bond Scheme READ MORE
4. Branded, generic and the missing ingredient of quality READ MORE
5. Freebies, a surefire recipe for disaster READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Toilets in schools: SC pushes for well-being of students READ MORE

 INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

1. Biden-Xi summit: Thaw in bilateral ties is welcome READ MORE  
2. Peace pipe READ MORE
3. India-US dialogue focuses on conflicts READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. India’s economic rise: How to capitalise on the moment READ MORE
2. State vs state fights, on taxes READ MORE
3. Don’t revert to old pension system READ MORE
4. Gentrification of consumer demand, global capitalism READ MORE
5. Roadmap for spurring agriculture towards sustainability READ MORE
6. Circular economy: A win-win for all READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

1. What a US-China climate deal means for COP28 READ MORE
2. High road to Dubai COP28: Scientists join group in saying 1.5°C warming limit too high READ MORE

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. The first chikungunya vaccine could be a game changer in global health READ MORE

INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Widening divide: Peace in Manipur cannot be restored by half-measures READ MORE
2. Do it via UIDAI: States shouldn’t create separate biometric databases. Multiple datasets increase security risk READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Expert Explains: What led to the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse — and how it could have been avoided READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

1. Master The Art Of Designing Your Destiny READ MORE
2. Living in a compartment READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

1. Public funding of elections will certainly bring transparency to the poll process. Critically examine.
2. State governments’ committed expenditure under OPS would shrink their commitment to the FRBM Act. Critically comment.
3. Increasing debt is not only creating fiscal imbalance but also affecting the ability of state governments to run welfare schemes and blocking the path for the development of the country. In light of the statement, analyse why freebie schemes are a recipe for fiscal disaster.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

• Power is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent.
• Public funding of elections can certainly bring transparency in the poll process, but it depends on how it is done.
• If there is to be any public funding of elections would insist on complete transparency about the money spent by the party or the candidate in the election.
• With the constitutionality of electoral bonds being contested more strongly, the citizen must push for a more level-playing field in the next round of elections.
• The recourse to a money bill to amend the relevant laws subverted the legislative scheme envisaged in the Constitution.
• To ensure affordable medicines for all under Universal Health Care, free medicines and free diagnostics are acceptable policy, but implementation needs to be monitored.
• State governments’ committed expenditure under OPS would surge, discretionary expenditures, particularly capital expenditure, would shrink given their commitment to the FRBM Act.
• The investment risk of the pension fund shall be borne by the employees. These concerns need to be addressed through market-driven solutions.
• The FDA’s approval of a chikungunya vaccine brings hope to regions facing the highest risk of the mosquito-borne virus that has affected over 110 countries.
• INDIA needs to radically re-examine its agricultural policy so that it serves current national imperatives and also looks after its farmers.
• While the country needs to remain self-sufficient in food, it needs to be examined if it should remain a food exporter.
• A water-scarce country exporting water-guzzling crops amounts to exporting water.
• In a world grappling with environmental challenges and resource scarcity, the concept of a circular economy has emerged as a beacon of hope.
• India, like the US, faces a tough challenge, being in a democratic set-up, where they have to carefully articulate their foreign policy goals, while not hurting domestic influence groups. Both countries also face a tough electorate next year, as the incumbent federal governments seek re-election.
• Only through unity within and among Arab countries can Palestinians achieve a life of dignity. Palestinians need life, like those in prosperous Arab countries.
• Increasing debt is not only creating fiscal imbalance but is affecting the ability of state governments to run welfare schemes and is also blocking the path for the development of the country and industry in particular.

ESSAY TOPIC

• Power is no blessing in itself, except when it is used to protect the innocent.

50-WORD TALK

• Joe Biden-Xi Jinping meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific summit is no cause for anxiety. It’s a good thing that the two big powers aren’t at odds with each other and are talking. Superpower contestations have and will always be there. Even during the Cold War, there was engagement.
• Strong protests by southern states have forced National Medical Commission to defer the plan of linking approval of new medical colleges and increasing the number of MBBS seats to a state’s population. It punishes performing states and is another way of introducing the Centre’s delimitation exercise. Backlash was only natural.

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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