International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
The book “Army and Nation : The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence” has been authored by Steven Wilkinson, a professor of political science and International relations at Yale University. It is about Indian Army’s relationship with the civilian government after Independence. It is in news because Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has advised his officers to read the book “Army and Nation” to understand how India succeeded in keeping the military out of politics.

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SAARC is regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia. It promotes development of economical and regional integration. 
Member Countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (joined in 2007
The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) in December 1985.

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The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval battle fought on October 21, 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. It was fought between a British fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson and a combined French and Spanish fleet off the coast of Spain, near the Cape of Trafalgar. The British fleet emerged victorious, despite being outnumbered by the combined French and Spanish forces. The battle was a significant victory for the British, as it effectively ended the threat of a French invasion of Britain and cemented British naval dominance for the remainder of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was also notable for the death of Nelson, who was killed during the fighting.

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World Food Prize is given by World Food Prize Foundation and it was conceived by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, recipient of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize, sponsored by John Ruan.

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The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) that measures and tracks hunger at global, regional, and national levels. It takes into account factors such as undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and child mortality to provide an overall assessment of hunger and malnutrition in various countries.

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SLINEX is a bilateral naval exercise that takes place between the navies of India and Sri Lanka. It is an acronym for “Sri Lanka-India Naval Exercise”. The exercise typically involves a variety of naval drills and training activities, including surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue operations. The first SLINEX exercise was held in 2005, and it has been conducted regularly ever since. The exercise is aimed at improving the interoperability and cooperation between the navies of India and Sri Lanka, and at enhancing the security and stability of the Indian Ocean region.

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Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, wrote Majm-ul-Bahrain (or the Mingling of the two Oceans). Some of the famous works done by him are Safinat ul- Awliya, Sakinat ul-Awliya, Hasanaat ul-Aarifin, Risaala-i Haq Numa, Iksir-i ‘Azam (Diwan-e-Dara Shukoh), etc.

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The North-South Dialogue refers to the process through which the developing and newly independent nations of the “third world,” predominantly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, engaged the industrialized countries of North America and Western Europe in negotiations over changes to the international economic system.

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Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895. X rays are part of high energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers.

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MONUSCO or the United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a United Nations peacekeeping force established by the United Nations Security Council in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1999. Its headquarters is in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was established to ensure peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo post the Second Congo War. It had an active role of intervention in suppressing Kivu Conflict, M23 rebellion etc.