Cost of production (CoP) is one of the important factors in the determination of MSP of mandated crops. Besides cost, the Commission for ‘Agricultural Costs and Prices’ (CACP), considers other important factors such as demand and supply, price trend in the domestic and international markets, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors and the likely impact of MSPs on consumers, in addition to ensuring rational utilization of natural resources like land and water. Thus, pricing policy is rooted not in ‘cost plus’ approach, though cost is an important determinant of MSP.

Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane on the basis of recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned and other relevant factors.

 

14 crops of the kharif season viz. paddy, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, arhar, moong, urad, groundnut-inshell, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, niger-seed and cotton;

 

6 rabi crops viz. wheat, barley, gram, masur(lentil), rapeseed/mustard and safflower

 

Two other commercial crops viz. jute and copra. In addition, the MSPs of toria and de-husked coconut are fixed on the basis of the MSPs of rapeseed/mustard and copra, respectively.

India’s quarterly GDP growth slumped to five-year low of 5.83% in the last quarter of Financial Year 2019.

India’s GDP grew at 5.8% in the January-­March 2019 quarter, dragging down the full year growth to a five-year low of 6.8%.

The unemployment rate in the country rose to a 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18, as per official data released on the first day of the second term of the Modi government.

The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of ₹25 lakh each on the States of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal for not taking adequate steps to curb pollution in the river Ganga.

Project Sashakt aims to strengthen the credit capacity, credit culture and credit portfolio of public sector banks.

The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are as under:

A pre-agriculture level of technology.

A stagnant or declining population.

Extremely low literacy.

A subsistence level of economy

Coffee white stem borer, Xylotrechusquadripes, is a serious pest of arabica coffee causing a yield loss up to 40 per cent in all coffee growing areas of India.

It is a blackish brown coloured beetle measuring about 2 cm in size with three pairs of white stripes running obliquely across the wings. Alternate host plants of this beetle include rose sandal wood, teak etc.

The World Organization of Animal Health, commonly known as OIE (an abbreviation of its French title), summarises the One Health concept as “human health and animal health are interdependent and bound to the health of the ecosystems in which they exist”.

The philosophy of One Health recognises inter-connectivity among human health, the health of animals, and the environment.

Commerce Minister emphasizes on reciprocal market access for Indian goods.

Countries use bilateral/regional trade agreements to increase market access and expand trade in foreign markets.

These agreements are called reciprocal trade agreements (RTAs) because members grant special advantages to each other.

RTAs include many types of agreements, such as preferential arrangements, free trade agreements, customs unions, and common markets, in which members agree to open their markets to each other’s exports by lowering trade barriers.