📌 Chapter Snapshot
8
Certification Marks
20
Reports / Indices
5
Major Economics Books
- This chapter compiles miscellaneous but high-yield static GK topics: Indian certification/quality marks, global reports & indices with their issuing institutions, and foundational economics books with authors & publication years.
- These are commonly tested as one-liner and matching-type questions in BPSC/BSSC Prelims.
⚡ QUICK RECALL
Institution-report matching is the most common question type here — WEF publishes the Global Gender Gap Report and the Global Competitiveness Report series (latest full/special edition 2020); EPI is associated with Yale, not WEF.
✅ Certification Marks in India
| Mark | Introduced | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| ISI certification mark | Marking scheme: 1955; institution: 1947 | BIS took over ISI functions on 1 April 1987; the ISI certification mark continued under BIS |
| Agmark (Agricultural Produce Mark) | 1937 | AGMARK certifies notified agricultural/allied commodities under the 1937 Act; not compulsory for all produce. Mandatory listed commodities include Multi Source Edible Oil and Fat Spread |
| FPO Mark (Fruit Products Order) | 1955 | Historical licensing/hygiene/quality order for fruit and vegetable products; subsumed/repealed under the Food Safety and Standards Act/FSSAI framework |
| Eco Mark | Original scheme 1991; replaced by Ecomark Rules, 2024 | For environmentally friendly products; current framework: Ecomark Rules, 2024 |
| BS Mark (Bharat Stage Mark) | 2000 | Vehicular emission standards (nationwide Stage-I/India Stage 2000 from April 2000); not a general product-certification mark |
| BIS Hallmark | 2000 (gold) / 2005 (silver) | Issued by BIS for gold and silver jewellery |
| India Organic Mark | 2002 | Under National Standards for Organic Production | For organic agricultural produce |
| Silk Mark | 2004 | Issued by Silk Mark Organisation of India | For pure/genuine silk garments |
⚠ EXAM TRAP
AGMARK's law dates to 1937. ISI institution: 1947; ISI marking scheme: 1955. BIS replaced the institution in 1987 while the ISI mark continued.
⚡ QUICK RECALL
BIS replaced the ISI institution on 1 April 1987; the ISI certification mark was retained. Hallmarking: gold April 2000, silver October 2005. Ecomark now operates under the 2024 Rules.
🌍 World Bank Reports
- World Development Report
- Report on Global Remittances
- Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report
- Human Capital Report / HCI+
💵 IMF Reports
- World Economic Outlook
- Global Financial Stability Report
🌐 World Economic Forum (WEF) Reports
- Global Competitiveness Report
- Global Gender Gap Index
⚠ EXAM TRAP
World Development Report (World Bank) is often confused with World Economic Outlook (IMF) — different institutions, different focus (development vs. macroeconomic outlook).
📊 Reports by Other Institutions
| Report / Index | Issuing Institution |
|---|---|
| Global Education Monitoring Report | UNESCO |
| Environmental Performance Index (EPI) | Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy; Yale team with Columbia collaboration/support |
| Gender Inequality Index | UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) |
| Global Hunger Index | Concern Worldwide, Welthungerhilfe and IFHV |
| Global Cyber Security Index | ITU (International Telecommunication Union) |
| World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders |
| World Happiness Report | Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford, with Gallup, UN SDSN and an independent editorial board |
| World Food Price Index | FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) |
| Global Innovation Index | WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) |
| Climate Change Performance Index | Germanwatch, New Climate Institute & Climate Action Network |
| SDG India Index | NITI Aayog |
| India Innovation Index | NITI Aayog |
⚡ QUICK RECALL
Both SDG India Index and India Innovation Index are issued by NITI Aayog — India's own domestic indices in an otherwise mostly-international list.
📚 Major Books of Economics
| # | Book | Author | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations | Adam Smith | 1776 |
| 2 | Das Kapital, Volume I | Karl Marx | 1867 |
| 3 | Principles of Economics | Alfred Marshall | 1890 |
| 4 | An Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economic Science | Lionel Robbins | 1932 |
| 5 | The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money | J. M. Keynes | 1936 |
⚠ EXAM TRAP
Chronological order is a favourite trap: Wealth of Nations (1776) → Das Kapital (1867) → Principles of Economics (1890) → Economic Science (1932) → General Theory (1936).
📋 Master Quick-Revision Table
Certification Marks
| Topic | Key Fact |
|---|---|
| ISI Mark | ISI institution 1947; marking scheme 1955; BIS took over in 1987, retaining ISI mark |
| FPO Mark | 1955 historical Fruit Products Order; subsumed/repealed under FSS Act/FSSAI system |
| Agmark | 1937 Act; grade certification, not compulsory for all agricultural produce |
| BS Mark | 2000 | Vehicles — pollution control standards |
| BIS Hallmark | Gold: 2000 | Silver: 2005 |
| India Organic Mark | 2002 | Organic agricultural produce |
| Eco Mark | Original scheme 1991; replaced by Ecomark Rules, 2024; environmentally friendly products |
| Silk Mark | 2004 | Silk Mark Organisation of India | Pure silk |
Reports & Indices
| Report / Index | Issuing Institution |
|---|---|
| World Development Report | World Bank |
| World Economic Outlook | IMF |
| Global Competitiveness Report | WEF |
| Global Gender Gap Index | WEF |
| Environmental Performance Index (EPI) | Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy; Yale team with Columbia collaboration/support |
| Global Education Monitoring Report | UNESCO |
| Gender Inequality Index | UNDP |
| Global Hunger Index | Concern Worldwide, Welthungerhilfe and IFHV |
| Global Cyber Security Index | ITU |
| World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders |
| World Happiness Report | Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, with Gallup, UN SDSN and an independent editorial board |
| World Food Price Index | FAO |
| Global Innovation Index | WIPO |
| SDG India Index & India Innovation Index | NITI Aayog |
Books of Economics
| Book | Author — Year |
|---|---|
| Wealth of Nations | Adam Smith — 1776 |
| Das Kapital, Volume I | Karl Marx — 1867 |
| Principles of Economics | Alfred Marshall — 1890 |
| An Essay on the Nature and Significance of Economic Science | Lionel Robbins — 1932 |
| The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money | J. M. Keynes — 1936 |