Weekly Current Affairs Highlight – 8th to 13th Mar.

On this page, you can read all the major news/Current Affairs of the week. On a daily basis, we are covering all relevant Current Affairs under our various initiatives. For further reading, you can refer to our following initiatives:

1. 9 PM: Daily Current Affairs Summaries For UPSC 
2. Daily Editorials: Daily Current Affairs Editorials For UPSC 
3. Factly: Daily Current Affairs For Prelims

The reservation debate

This week the reservation issue took the spotlight after the Supreme Court decision to examine the 50% reservation cap and Haryana government’s Job reservation for locals. We have covered a few important articles on the issue of reservation. They are,

• The Mandal case and Reservation in India – Explained, Pointwise
• Revisiting the Reservation Laws in India
• The ill effects of Job reservation for locals
• Concerns associated with Local Reservation Laws

Updates on New IT rules 2021

This week also, there were few news editorials on the New IT rules 2021. The Following are some of the important ones;

1. Flaws in New IT rules 2021
2. Why Criticisms of New IT Rules 2021 are illogical?

Steps towards Peace in Afghanistan

The Doha Agreement aims towards establishing peace in Afghanistan. Along with the USA, other stakeholders also tried to achieve peace in Afghanistan. The important articles in this regard are;

1. The Doha agreement and Afghan Peace Process
2. Biden’s “Afghanistan Peace Plan”
3. India Not Part of “Troika-plus-Pakistan Conference”
4. Afghan Peace Process and India

China’s new 5-Year plan

China formally approved the outline of its 14th 5-year plan (2021-25). Some proposed projects in China’s 5-year plan are the cause of concern for India. The articles that highlighted this issue are

1. “China’s 5-year plan” and India’s Concerns
2. China Approves Dam Building on “Brahmaputra River”
3. China’s plans for new dams on Brahmaputra River- Explained, Pointwise

Quad summit and related articles

Indian Prime Minister will take part in the first-ever Virtual Quad Summit on March 12, along with the Australian, US, and Japanese Counterparts. This is the first Quad leader’s meet after the US elections. The articles that covered these developments are;

1. First “Quad Summit” Held Virtually
2. Why India Should limit its Involvement With QUAD?
3. QUAD and its relevance – Explained, Pointwise

Refugees problem from Myanmar

After the military coup in Myanmar, this week witnessed widespread protests in Myanmar. Few articles covered this issue are,

• MHA directive on “Influx of Illegal Migrants From Myanmar”
• Issue of Refugees in India – Explained, Pointwise

Important updates in Economy

In this week the government performed spectrum auctions, defined limits to FDI in the insurance sector, and others. The articles that covered these updates are,

1. Cabinet clears 74% FDI in Insurance Sector
2. Spectrum Auctions in India – Explained, Pointwise
3. Issue of Pension System in India – Explained, Pointwise
4. Financial distress in Railways: Reasons and Way Forward
5. IDBI Bank out of “PCA framework”
6. India’s Rise as the new global manufacturing hub

Important update on Environment

This week saw a few articles in newspapers covering the issue of Climate change and mitigation. Apart from that, there were other environmental issues as well, in the news;

1. Why India should Focus More on Climate Change Adaptation?
2. Working towards Climate Justice
3. “Miyawaki method” to create dense green patches
4. PM received “Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award”
5. Conservation Initiatives for Sharks in India
6. Panel Recommendations to improve “Air Quality in Kerala”

Important Articles for Prelims

Important Schemes and other Initiatives by the government

This week the government launched a few important schemes and programs. In the following articles, we covered those schemes and programs;

1. “Cyber Volunteer programme” for Citizens
2. “Mission Shakti, Mission Poshan 2.0, and Mission Vatsalya” – 3 Umbrella schemes of Ministry of WCD
3. Cabinet approves “Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi | PMSSN”
4. “Shramik Kalyan Portal” of Indian Railways
5. PM to inaugurate ‘Maitri Setu’ Bridge

Report and Indices

There were many important reports and indices released this week. Few of them analyzed important social and economic issues in India. Few global reports also pointed out some important observations. The important ones are;

Parliamentary reports

1. Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Environment Ministry
2. Status of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act(UAPA) in 2019
3. Report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development
4. ‘Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India’ – A report of NITI Aayog
5. Present Status of “Stand Up India Scheme”

Other Reports released this week

1. UNEP releases “Food Waste Index Report 2021”
2. WHO released “World Report on Hearing” 
3. “Index of Economic Freedom” 2021 released

Miscellaneous articles for Prelims this week

1. DRDO tests Solid Fuel Ducted “Ramjet Technology”
2. El Salvador becomes “Malaria-free Country”
3. What are “Sattras”? 
4. Indo-Uzbek Joint “Exercise Dustlik-ll”
5. “INS Karanj” – the Scorpene-class submarine inducted into service
6. Commemorative “Dandi March” to mark 75 years of Independence