 India nudges Myanmar action on Naga militants  The week after

 A tale of six elephants using one corridor in  Deepening slowdown

two countries  India‟s electric vehicle success story will ride
 SpaceX‟s capsule docks on ISS on two wheels
 U.S.-Taliban talks „recording progress‟  „Saved 8300 MW with LED lights alone‟
 Trump favours „reciprocal tax‟  Cumulative spending on CSR crosses Rs.
 Kurds free 283 Syrian „IS suspects‟ 50,000 cr.
 Failing the forest  NITI Aayog to draw up list of non-core assets
 Lines being crossed of CPSEs for monetisation
 The basics are vital  FPI net inflows into stocks at 15-month high
Que. Elaborate on how fisheries will benefit if Paris climate agreement is implemented.
Ans. It would result in benefits for 75% of maritime countries, with the largest gains being made in
developing countries, say researchers.
Achieving the Paris Agreement global warming target could protect millions of tonnes in worldwide
fisheries catch, as well as billions of dollars of annual revenues, a study has found. The study compared the
ecosystem and economic impacts of the Paris Agreement warming scenario of 1.5 degrees Celsius to the
current “business as usual” 3.5 degrees Celsius warming scenario. The researchers concluded that
achieving the Paris Agreement would result in benefits for 75% of maritime countries, with the largest
gains being made in developing countries: Achieving the Agreement‟s target could increase global fishers‟
revenues by USD 4.6 billion annually, seafood workers‟ income by USD 3.7 billion, and reduce household
seafood expenditures by USD 5.4 billion.
The largest gains will occur in developing country waters, such as Kiribati, the Maldives and Indonesia,
which are at greatest risks due to warming temperatures and rely the most on fish for food security,
incomes and employment.
The study also found that under the Paris Agreement scenario, the total mass, or biomass, of the top
revenue generating fish species would increase globally by 6.5 per cent and a marginal decrease of 0.4 per
cent in the waters of developed countries. Larger fish biomass and higher ocean productivity means higher
catch potential.
Practice Questions
1. Explain the factors behind deceleration of economic growth in the last quarter.
2. Next steps in winning the war on terror involve diplomacy on a larger scale. Comment
Today’s MCQ
I. With reference to ‘Geographical Indication’, which among the following statements is/are correct?
1. India has enacted Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 as a
member of World Trade Organization.
2. West Bengal was recently given the GI tag for the Rasogolla.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 only b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2
II. ‘Global Risks Report’ is published by which among the following?
a) World Economic Forum
b) World Bank
c) United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction
d) None of the above
III. Consider the following about ‘Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana’:
1. PMRPY Scheme aims to incentivise employers for employment generation by the Government paying
the employers' EPS contribution of 8.33%.
2. The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 only b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2
IV. ‘OneerTM’, recently seen in news is a/an:
a) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
b) Nuclear radiation identification device
c) Drinking Water Disinfection System
d) None of the above
V. Consider the following about ‘SWAYAM Platform’:
1. SWAYAM platform has been developed by Ministry of Science and Technology.
2. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 only b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

Today’s MCQ Answer & Explanation

I. Answer: c)
Explanation: A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to
a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). India, as a member of the World
Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,
1999 has come into force with effect from 15 September 2003. GIs have been defined under Article 22(1) of
the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) Agreement as:
"Indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a member, or a region or a locality in that
territory, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its
geographic origin."
II. Answer: a)
Explanation: The Global Risks Report is an annual study published by the World Economic Forum.
III. Answer: c)
Explanation: The PMRPY Scheme aims to incentivise employers for employment generation by the
Government paying the employers' EPS contribution of 8.33%, for the new employees, for the first three years
of their employment and is proposed to be made applicable for unemployed persons that are semi-skilled and
unskilled. The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and is operational
since August, 2016.
The Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) is a scheme to incentivise employers registered with
the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for job creation by the Government paying the 8.33%
contribution of employers to the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) in respect of new employees having a new
Universal Account Number (UAN). For the textile (apparel) sector, the Government will also be paying the
3.67% Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution of the eligible employer for these new employees.
This Scheme has a dual benefit, where, on the one hand, the employer is incentivised for increasing the
employment base of workers in the establishment, and on the other hand, a large number of workers will find
jobs in such establishments. A direct benefit is that these workers will have access to social security benefits
of the organized sector.
IV. Answer: c)
Explanation: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-
IITR), Lucknow has developed an innovative technology for “Drinking Water Disinfection System” with
Trade name “OneerTM”. It is useful for continuous treatment of water and eliminates all disease causing
pathogens such as virus, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and cyst to provide safe drinking water to domestic and
communities settings as per National and International standards prescribed for potable water (BIS, WHO
etc.).
V. Answer: b)
Explanation: SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active–Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is a programme
initiated by Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy
viz., access, equity and quality. The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to
all, including the most disadvantaged. SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have
hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the
knowledge economy. This is done through an indigenous developed IT platform that facilitates hosting of all
the courses taught in classrooms to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. All the courses are
interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to the residents in India.
SWAYAM platform is indigenously developed by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) with the help of Microsoft and would be ultimately
capable of hosting 2000 courses and 80000 hours of learning: covering school, under-graduate, post-graduate,
engineering, law and other professional courses.