25th October 2025

Explanation -
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent organ of the UN General Assembly. 

• Objective: To promote trade, investment, and sustainable development in developing nations. 

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland. 

• Key achievements: The Global System of Trade Preferences (1988) reduced tariffs among developing nations, and the Common Fund for Commodities (1989) provided trade-related financial assistance. UNCTAD continues to focus on empowering developing countries to integrate equitably into the global economy. 

Explanation -
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was founded in 1967 through the Bangkok Declaration by Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, partly to promote regional stability and counter the spread of communism during the Cold War. 

• The ASEAN Secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia, not the Philippines. 

• ASEAN hosts the East Asia Summit (EAS), attended by 18 nations, including the 10 ASEAN members, plus India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States. 

Explanation -
The National Means-cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) is a Central Sector Scheme, not a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. It supports meritorious students from economically weaker sections to arrest dropouts at Class VIII and continue studies up to Class XII. 

• One lakh new scholarships of ₹12,000 per student per year are awarded annually. 

• Students are selected through a State/UT-level examination. 

• 100% of funds are contributed by the Central Government, transferred directly to beneficiaries via the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) under the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). 

Explanation - 
India launched the National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) in 2018 to minimise and mitigate forest fire incidents by empowering local communities and building institutional capabilities in forest protection. 
India uses real-time data from NASA’s MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) satellites. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) receives and processes this data and relays alerts to state forest departments for rapid response, enabling efficient forest fire monitoring nationwide. 

Explanation - 
A Central Sector Scheme was launched in 2018-19 to support Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi in combating North Indian air pollution by encouraging in-situ management of crop residue. It provides subsidies for machinery like happy seeders and straw management systems. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, not MoEFCC. Beneficiaries are identified through District Level Executive Committees (DLEC) under the State Governments to ensure transparent distribution and creation of Farm Machinery Banks.