PIB

24*7
24th April 2024
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Q1: What is the purpose of the World Trade Organisation

(WTO) Agreement on Safeguards?
[a] To allow member countries to temporarily restrict imports
of a product if it threatens to cause serious injury to their
domestic industry
[b] To prevent cross-border movement of arms and
ammunition to countries involved in armed conflicts
[c] To regulate the trade of dual-use items
[d] To prevent misuse of trade subsidies
[e] To prevent cross-subsidization of exports

Solution: [a]
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WTO Agreement on
Safeguards
What: India and other members of the
World Trade Organisation (WTO) have
criticised the European Union’s decision
to extend its existing safeguard measure
on steel products imposed under the
WTO Agreement on Safeguards
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About EU Safeguard duty

• These countries have argued that the EU's safeguard duty is
inconsistent with the global WTO's rules.
▪ These rules were brought into force by the EU in 2018 by
imposing additional duties on certain categories of steel
imports from the bloc.
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About WTO Agreement on Safeguards

• Under it, as an emergency action WTO members can temporarily
restrict imports of a product if it threatens to cause serious injury
to their domestic industry.

• It was negotiated and introduced as member countries were

increasingly applying a variety of so-called “grey area” measures
to limit imports of certain products.
▪ Grey-area measures are bilateral voluntary export restraints,
orderly marketing agreements, and similar measures.
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About WTO Agreement on Safeguards

• It prohibits grey-area measures by using bilateral negotiations to
pursue exporting countries to restrain exports voluntarily.

• It also sets time limits on all safeguard actions, which should not
last more than four years, although this can be extended up to
eight years.
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Q2: Which country had proposed the establishment of

the ASEAN Future Forum at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in
2023 for promoting and shaping ASEAN’s development
path?
[a] India
[b] Cambodia
[c] USA
[d] China
[e] Vietnam

Solution: [e]
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ASEAN Future Forum

What: Union External Affairs Minister Dr.
S. Jaishankar recently virtually
participated in the first ‘ASEAN Future
Forum’, held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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About ASEAN Future Forum (AFF)

• ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is an
intergovernmental organization aimed primarily at promoting
economic growth and regional stability among its 10 members.
▪ 10 Members are: Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam.
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About ASEAN Future Forum (AFF)

• ASEAN Future Forum was proposed by Vietnam at the 43rd
ASEAN Summit in 2023.
▪ Objective: To contribute for promoting and shaping ASEAN’s
development path.
▪ It is a common platform for ASEAN member states as well as
partner countries to share new ideas and policy
recommendations.

• Theme of AFF 2024: “Toward Fast and Sustainable Growth of a

People-Centered ASEAN Community”
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Q3: When had Ministry of Communications launched the

Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) Scheme to
fund R&D in rural-specific communication technology
applications?
[a] 2018
[b] 2020
[c] 2022
[d] 2021
[e] 2023

Solution: [c]
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Telecom Technology
Development Fund
What: C-DOT, the premier Telecom R&D
Centre of the Department of
Telecommunications and Indian Institute
of Technology, Jodhpur (IIT-J) have
signed an agreement under the Telecom
Technology Development Fund (TTDF)
Scheme
Why: For “Automated Service
Management in 5G and Beyond
Networks Using AI”.
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About TTDF Scheme

• Objectives:
▪ To fund R&D in rural-specific communication technology
applications and form synergies among academia, start-ups,
research institutes, and industry to build and develop the
telecom ecosystem.
▪ To promote technology ownership and indigenous
manufacturing
▪ To create a culture of technology co-innovation, reduce
imports, boost export opportunities and creation of
Intellectual Property.

• Launch Year: 2022

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About TTDF Scheme

• Launched by: Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), a body
under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of
Communications.

• Benefits: It provides funding support to domestic companies and

institutions involved in technology design, development, and
commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions
▪ This funding is provided to enable affordable broadband and
mobile services in rural and remote areas.
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Q4: When was Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)

incorporated by the Government of India to ensure
supply-side assurance of critical and strategic minerals
and mineral security of the nation?
[a] 2014
[b] 2016
[c] 2018
[d] 2019
[e] 2021

Solution: [c]
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MoU: KABIL and CSIR-NGRI

What: Khanij Bidesh India Limited
(KABIL) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research -
National Geophysical Research Institute
(CSIR-NGRI)
Why: To foster a long-term collaboration
in the field of geophysical investigations
to bolster its ongoing projects and
activities in critical and strategic
minerals.
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About KABIL
• Objective: To ensure supply-side assurance of critical and
strategic minerals and mineral security of the nation.

• It was incorporated in 2019

• It is a joint venture company of three public sector undertakings

under the Ministry of Mines viz.
▪ National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco)
▪ Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL)
▪ Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd (MECL)
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Q5: Which country is hosting the 6th edition of the

International Conference on Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (ICDRI) under the theme “Investing today
for a more resilient tomorrow”?
[a] UAE
[b] Saudi Arabia
[c] Sri Lanka
[d] Japan
[e] India

Solution: [e]
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6th International
Conference on Disaster
Resilient Infrastructure
What: The 6th edition of the International
Conference on Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (ICDRI) has begun in New
Delhi.
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About Conference
• Goal: To build a global community that is engaged in creating
resilient infrastructure, which can withstand disasters and climate
change.

• It is an annual conference that brings together governments,

organizations, institutions, the media, and infrastructure
stakeholders to discuss disaster and climate-resilient
infrastructure.

• Organiser: Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

• 2024 Theme: “Investing today for a more resilient tomorrow”.

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About Coalition for Disaster

Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
• Objectives:
▪ To promote the resilience of infrastructure systems to climate
and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development.
▪ To promote research and knowledge sharing in the fields of
infrastructure risk management, standards, financing, and
recovery mechanisms.

• Launch Year: 2019

▪ It was launched by PM Narendra Modi at the UN Climate
Action Summit (New York).
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About Coalition for Disaster

Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
• It is a multi-stakeholder global partnership of National
Governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks and
financing mechanisms, private sector, academic and knowledge
institutions.

• Headquarters/Secretariate: New Delhi.

▪ It is being set up with financial support of Rs. 480 crores from
India over a period of 5 years from 2019-20 to 2023-24.
▪ NOTE: It is the second major global initiative launched by
India and headquartered in India, after International Solar
Alliance (HQ- Gurugram).
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About Coalition for Disaster

Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

• Members: 39 members consisting of- 31 Countries, 6

International Organizations, and 2 private sector organizations.