Table of Contents
Daily PIB Analysis
Cabinet
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the increase in the
Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Raw Jute by 200 rupees for 2018-19 season.
• The MSP for Fair Average Quality of Raw Jute has now been fixed at 3700 rupees
per quintal.
• The MSP of Raw Jute is expected to ensure appropriate minimum prices to the
farmers and step up investment in Jute cultivation and thereby production and
productivity in the country.
• The CCEA also gave nod to Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Bamboo
Mission, NBM, under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture during remaining
period of Fourteenth Finance Commission.
• The Mission will ensure holistic development of the bamboo sector by
addressing complete value chain and establishing effective linkage of producers
with industry.
• The committee also approved Empowerment of Executive Committee for
formulation of guidelines of the NBM. An outlay of 1290 crore rupees is provisioned
for implementation of the Mission during the remaining period of 14th Finance
Commission.
Union Cabinet
• The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the declaration of Scheduled Areas in
respect of Rajasthan under Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.
• The promulgation of new Constitution Order will ensure that the Scheduled
Tribes of Rajasthan will get benefits of protective measures available under the
Fifth Schedule.
• Government has also approved the renewal of Long Term Agreements for
supply of iron ore to Japanese Steel Mills and POSCO, South Korea for another five
years through MMTC Limited.
• Export of iron ore under the LTAs would help strengthen India’s bilateral ties with
long-standing partner countries, Japan and South Korea.
PMO
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reviewed the progress towards handling and resolution
of grievances related to the welfare of exservicemen.
• Chairing the 25th interaction through ICT based, multi-modal platform PRAGATI in New
Delhi, Mr Modi stressed on the importance of improving the speed of grievance disposal,
resolving the problems of ex-servicemen in the shortest possible time.
• The Prime Minister also reviewed the progress of ten infrastructure projects
related to railway, road, petroleum, power, coal, urban development, and health and
family welfare sectors.
• These projects are spread over states, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Mr Modi reviewed the progress in implementation of the Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
• He also reviewed the programmed for National Fellowships and Scholarships for
Higher Education of Scheduled Tribe Students.
MEA
• India and Mongolia today discussed economic cooperation in areas such as
infrastructure development, energy, services and IT.
• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the India-Mongolia Joint
Committee meeting on Cooperation with her Mongolian counterpart Damdin
Tsogtbaatar in Ulaanbaatar today.
• The two countries have agreed to explore ways to identify new areas of cooperation
in all sectors of mutual interest and to enhance bilateral trade and investments.
• Mrs Swaraj said, India sees Mongolia as a factor of stability in East Asia and believes
that Mongolia’s social and economic development is important for peace and
prosperity in the region.
• The Minister said, Mongolia can be an important partner in India’s growth story.
• Today India has emerged a fastest economy in the world.
• With its rich natural resources and strong aspiration for development, Mangolia can
be an important partner in India’s growth story.
• Collaboration for our ongoing refinery projects is in recognition in this respect.
• Ms Swaraj call upon the Mangolian business community to seize economic opportunities
arising out of India’s growth.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
• Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu, chaired the first
meeting of the think tank on the Framework for National Policy on E commerce
held on 24 April 2018.
• The Think Tank on the Framework for National Policy on E-commerce has been
established recently by the Department of Commerce.
• It will provide a credible forum for an inclusive and fact-based dialogue leading to
informed policy making, so that the country is adequately prepared to take advantage of
the opportunities, and meet the challenges, that would arise from the next wave of
advancements in the digital economy.
• The Think Tank collectively deliberated on the challenges confronting India in the
arena of the digital economy and e commerce, with a view to developing a
comprehensive and overarching national policy on e-commerce.
• Some of the issues that were discussed by the think tank included aspects of e-commerce
and the digital economy like physical and digital infrastructure, the regulatory regime,
taxation policy, data flows, server localisation, FDI, technology flows, skill
development and trade-related aspects.
• Global developments on e-commerce and evolving appropriate national positions on the
underlying issues, was another important dimension of the discussions of the think
tank.
Ministry of Defence
• As part of ongoing Indo-Malaysian defence cooperation, a joint training exercise
HARIMAU SHAKTI will be conducted in the dense forests of Sengai Perdik, Hulu Langat,
Malaysia from 30 April 18 to 13 May 18.
• The exercise is aimed at bolstering cooperation & coordination between
armed forces of both the nations and to share the expertise of both the contingents
in conduct of counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain.
• Indian contingent is being represented by one of the oldest infantry battalions, 4
GRENADIERS having rich operational experience in conventional as well as counter
insurgency warfare.
• The Malaysian contingent is being represented by soldiers from 1 Royal
Ranjer Regiment and the Royal Malay Regiment, known for their experience in
Jungle Warfare.
• This is the first instance wherein a joint training exercise of this magnitude
involving Indian and Malaysian soldiers is being organized on Malaysian soil.
Vice President’s Secretariat
• The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the Smart Cities Mission
is the beginning of India’s urban renaissance.
• He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Smart Cities Bundled’
authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, here today.
• The Vice President said that a Smart City is a livable city to the people with required
amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation, toilets, infrastructure etc.
• He further said that it as a renaissance because there has been a paradigm shift in
both the planning, approach and implementation of Smart City mission.
Foreign Policy
• The Modi government’s continuing foreign policy innovation is reflected in the
launch of a new forum, the Nordic Five, and revival of an old one, the
Commonwealth.
• The visit by an Indian PM to Stockholm after nearly three decades provided an
occasion to collectively engage with the five Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland,
Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
• With a combined population of barely 27 million, the Nordic Five have the world’s
11th largest GDP.
• Nordic group had simply fallen off India’s political radar.
• The rediscovery of the Nordics is part of the PM’s more intensive outreach to
Europe over the last year and more.
• Last-minute addition of Berlin to Modi’s itinerary
• Europe’s economic depth, shared political values and its eagerness for stronger
political ties with Delhi amidst the rise of China, assertion of Russia and growing
uncertainty about America’s future are opening up new possibilities for Indian
foreign policy.
• If Stockholm and Berlin are about India drilling deeper into Europe, the PM’s visit to
London was about Brexit — the United Kingdom’s breakup with the old continent.
• As Britain re positions itself in the world, it is looking to revitalize the Commonwealth and
deepen ties with India. Modi’s Delhi reversed the traditional Indian disdain for the
Commonwealth as a colonial relic.
• The PM sees the Commonwealth as a ready made forum for India’s outreach to the threescore
small island states in the 53-member Commonwealth.
• In London, Modi and British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to relaunch the
Commonwealth and recast the bilateral relationship around the theme of expanding
technological cooperation.
• The PM’s impressive diplomatic advances, however, were marred by the large number
of protests in London and growing criticism of his seeming indifference to
social and political turbulence at home.
• The traditional divisions on gender, caste, religion, region, and approach to modernity
— all of which have accentuated in the last four years — have triggered these protests by
sections of the Indian diaspora as well as civil society groups.
• Many in the official circles in the West, who had muted their voices in hope of economic
gain in ties with Modi’s India, are finding it hard to hide their disappointment with
India’s trade and investment policies.
• The PM should be aware that the current Western grumbling in private could in no
time become a flood of international criticism and undermine his substantial
foreign policy achievements.
1. Identify the largest temperate desert in the world.
A. Turkmen
B. Iranian
C. Thar
D. Patagonian
2. Identify terrestrial planet form the below given
options.
A. Uranus
B. Jupiter
C. Mercury
D. Jupiter
Answers-
1. Agariyas is a group of people known for Salt Farming. They
are from which of the following state?
1. Maharashtra
2. Gujarat
3. Andhra Pradesh
4. Odisha
2. Ticks and mites are actually
1. Myriapods
2. Crustaceans
3. Insects
4. Arachnids
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