UPSC Key- February 24, 2023: Know about World Bank, Chancellor of Germany and Cyberbullying

Punjab govt gives in to radical leader, his aide being freed after clash

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– In scenes not witnessed in Punjab in recent years, hundreds of supporters of radical leader Amritpal Singh, including several carrying swords and guns, clashed with police and stormed the Ajnala police station near Amritsar Thursday. They camped there until police “assured” Amritpal and his supporters that his associate Lovepreet Singh Tufan, arrested on charges that included kidnapping, would be released Friday.

• Who is Amritpal Singh?

• What Was the Khalistan Movement?

• What you know about the Khalistan movement?

• What are the Historical events responsible for Khalistan?

• What is ‘Waris Punjab De’?

• What exactly happened?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Deep Sidhu’s successor, 29-yr-old radical returned from Dubai to lead a following

Previous Year Mains Questions Based on Similar theme:

📍 Analyse the multidimensional challenges posed by external state and non-state actors, to the internal security of India. Also discuss measures required to be taken to combat these threats. (UPSC GS3 Mains, 2021)

Biden picks Ajay Banga for president of World Bank

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- PRESIDENT JOE Biden on Thursday announced that the US is nominating Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, saying the Indian-American business leader is uniquely equipped to lead the global institution at “this critical moment in history”. If confirmed by the World Bank board of directors, Banga would be the first Indian-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

• Personality in News-Ajay Banga

• What is the World Bank?

• For Your Information-The people of 184 nations own the World Bank, an organisation that provides worldwide financial services. It is a development group, not a bank, with the mission of reducing poverty and enhancing people’s lives by offering policy recommendations and providing funding for transportation, education, agriculture, and other basic needs. Founded in the 1940s to support Europe’s post-war recovery, the World Bank has evolved over the years into the largest provider of development assistance to developing countries, committing about $20 billion in new loans each year. The World Bank is not a “bank” in the common sense. One of the world’s largest development assistance, the World Bank supports the efforts of developing countries to build schools and health centres, provide water and electricity, fight disease, and protect the environment.

• What is the World Bank Group?

• Know these institutions-International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Financial Corporations (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

• The World Bank Group and World Bank-Compare and Contrast

• What is the difference between the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

• How is the World Bank Governed ?

• Where does the World Bank get its funds?

• What is the Country Assistance Strategy?

• World Bank Group and India-Connect the dots

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is the World Bank?

EXPRESS NETWORK

Delhi, Berlin to focus on economic ties, green technology, Indo-Pacific strategy

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– Ahead of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s first visit to India on Saturday, New Delhi and Berlin are working overtime to stitch together a slew of outcomes in four key areas-green technology, economic cooperation, Indo-Pacific strategy and projects in third countries. Sources said the two sides will share perspectives on the situation arising out of the Russia-Ukraine war and the path ahead as both leaders will meet again in September this year for the G-20 Summit.

• Map Work-Germany

• What Indian constitution has taken from Germany?

• What type of constitutional system exists in Germany?

• Is chancellor of Germany same as prime minister?

• Why is Olaf Scholz called chancellor and not Prime Minister?

• India and Germany Bilateral relations-Know the historical relations

• For Your Information-According to sources, this is the first standalone visit by a German Chancellor to India since the commencement of the Inter-Governmental Consultation (IGC) mechanism between the two countries in 2011. The IGC is a whole-of-government mechanism, which brings together ministers and officials from both sides to hold discussions in their domain areas and then report on the discussions during a plenary session chaired by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. Sources said the Chancellor’s visit comes after a year of renewed engagement between India and Germany. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chancellor Scholz, who will hold a bilateral meeting on Saturday, have met on three occasions in 2022, the last time being on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali in November 2022.

• ‘On economic cooperation, India and Germany share a strong partnership’-discuss the statement in the light of India and Germany bilateral relations

• Do You Know-Germany is India’s largest trade partner in the European Union and has consistently been among India’s top 10 global trade partners. It is also one of the largest foreign direct investors in India.

• What is Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP)?

• Do You Know-The GSDP is an umbrella partnership that provides political guidance and steer to the robust ties in climate action and SDGs. Under this, Germany will also place 10 billion euros in new and additional commitments under their development cooperation portfolio in India. Around 983 million euros of new commitments were finalised during the Annual Negotiation Meeting held on November 28, 2022 in Delhi.

• What is ‘Triangular Development Cooperation’?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Ahead of Scholz visit, German security adviser says India voice heard in Russia

Lok Sabha Speaker urges all lawmakers to act on cyberbullying

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Basics of Cyber Security

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Legislative bodies should ensure people’s participation in the process of law-making, said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday. He also urged lawmakers to work collectively to end drug abuse and cyberbullying among the youth, with new laws if required.

• 19th Annual Zone III conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)-Know in Brief

• What is cyberbullying?

• How cyberbullying is prevalent in India and in world?

• “Cyberbullying, with the advent of social media, has a direct impact on the lives of the young”-Discuss

• Know these terms-Cyber Stalking, Cyber Defamation, Cyber Pornography, Cyber bullying and Cyber grooming

• How Cyber Security is ensured in India?

• How cyberbullying is categorized?

• What are the government initiatives?

• The National Council for Educational Research & Training (NCERT) had issued guidelines for the cyber security-Know them in detail

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How one can help kids overcome cyber bullying trauma

THE IDEAS PAGE

What’s feeding inflation

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Pranjul Bhandari Writes: There is a mystery of sorts. As input prices and demand soften, goods inflation, globally, is falling. But in India, goods inflation is rising. With pent-up demand for high-touch services still having some way to go, services inflation, globally, remains elevated. In India, services inflation is falling. What’s going on? We believe there is a very Indian story brewing which must be told.

• In India, goods inflation is rising-Why?

• Why is India’s inflation turning out to be sticky?

• What factor distinguishes Indian inflation from many other developed countries?

• What is Inflation?

• Know the Types of Inflation like Moderate Inflation, Galloping Inflation, Hyper-Inflation, Stagflation, Deflation, Core Inflation etc.

• What are the causes of Inflation in the present situation

• How Inflation is Measured in India?

• What is the Long term, Medium Term and Short-term impact of Inflation?

• New Standard for Measuring Inflation in India and Old Standard for Measuring Inflation-Key Differences

• Steps or Measures Taken by GOI to Control Inflation

• What do you understand by Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and Consumer Price Index? WPI and CPI is published by whom?

• What is the Monetary Policy Committee?

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is a Statutory Body-True or False?

• What is the Primary Objective of monetary policy in India?

• There are several direct and indirect instruments that are used for implementing monetary policy-What are they?

• What is REPO rate?

• What is Current Repo Rate?

• What’s the RBI assessment on inflation?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Sticky inflation and Jan spike: causes, consequences

EXPLAINED

A changed Europe, and India’s tightrope walk

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Russia’s war against Ukraine is exactly a year old today. Calculations on both sides that this would be a short, swift war have proved wrong.

• Why Russia-Ukraine war is still going on?

• Russia-Ukraine Crisis and India-Connect the dots

• What are the key takeaways from the ongoing Ukraine crisis?

• Russia and Ukraine-Historic relations

• ‘Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped the geopolitics of the world’-How?

• Know about 1991 Crimean sovereignty referendum

• India’s stand in Current Ukraine Crisis-Discuss

• How India can help US and Russia to maintain ‘Peace’ in this Conflict?

• Understand the quote- “war (or the threat of war) is a continuation of politics (by other means)”.

• How has India responded to international crises previously?

• Role of United Nations in Ukraine-Russia Crisis-Analyse

• Ukraine-Russia War-Try to understand the changing dynamics in diplomatic relations and its impact on India

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How New Delhi’s stand evolved, and why

📍Express View on one year of Ukraine war: For India, a tightrope walk that is bound to get tighter

📍Russia’s war on Ukraine in numbers: Poverty, displacement crises

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