📌 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 alone issues 3 major indices in this list (Global Competitiveness, Environmental Performance, Gender Gap).
✅ Certification Marks in India
| Mark | Introduced | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| ISI Mark (Indian Standards Institution) | 1947 | Renamed to BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) in 1987 | For industrial products |
| Agmark (Agricultural Produce Mark) | 1937 | Mandatory for agricultural products | Made compulsory by law in 1986 |
| FPO Mark (Fruit Products Order) | 1955 | For processed fruit products of standardized quality | Compulsory since 2006 |
| Eco Mark | 1991 (by BIS) | For pollution-free / environment-friendly products |
| BS Mark (Bharat Stage Mark) | 2000 | For vehicles manufactured per pollution control standards |
| 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 (1937) is actually older than ISI Mark (1947) — despite ISI being more commonly known, Agmark was introduced a decade earlier.
⚡ QUICK RECALL
ISI → renamed BIS (1987); BIS itself later issues both the Hallmark (gold/silver) and Eco Mark — BIS is the common thread linking multiple certification marks.
🌍 World Bank Reports
- World Development Report
- Report on Global Remittances
- Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report
- Human Capital Index
💵 IMF Reports
- World Economic Outlook
- Global Financial Stability Report
🌐 World Economic Forum (WEF) Reports
- Global Competitiveness Report
- Global Environmental Performance Index
- 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 |
| Gender Inequality Index | UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) |
| Global Hunger Index | Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe |
| Global Cyber Security Index | ITU (International Telecommunication Union) |
| World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders |
| Global Happiness Report | UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) |
| 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 | Karl Marx | 1867 |
| 3 | Principles of Economics | Alfred Marshall | 1890 |
| 4 | 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 | 1947 | Renamed BIS in 1987 | Industrial products |
| FPO Mark | 1955 | Compulsory since 2006 | Processed fruit products |
| Agmark | 1937 | Compulsory by law 1986 | Agricultural products |
| BS Mark | 2000 | Vehicles — pollution control standards |
| BIS Hallmark | Gold: 2000 | Silver: 2005 |
| India Organic Mark | 2002 | Organic agricultural produce |
| Eco Mark | 1991 by BIS | Pollution-free 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 |
| Global Environmental Performance Index | WEF |
| Global Education Monitoring Report | UNESCO |
| Gender Inequality Index | UNDP |
| Global Hunger Index | Concern Worldwide & Welthungerhilfe |
| Global Cyber Security Index | ITU |
| World Press Freedom Index | Reporters Without Borders |
| Global Happiness Report | UN-SDSN |
| 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 | Karl Marx — 1867 |
| Principles of Economics | Alfred Marshall — 1890 |
| Nature and Significance of Economic Science | Lionel Robbins — 1932 |
| The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money | J. M. Keynes — 1936 |