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.

Notes:
BIMSTEC-Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
The BIMSTEC is sub-regional grouping comprising of seven countries of South Asia- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and South East Asia- – Myanmar, Thailand. It was established on 6 June 1997 through Bangkok Declaration. It is headquartered at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Notes:
Mudrarakshasa is a Sanskrit-language play by Vishakhadatta that tells the story of the ascent of King Chandragupta Maurya. Its timeframe varies from the late 4th century to the 8th century CE. This literary work mainly portrayed the Mauryas and the Nandas, hence marking an important event in Indian historiography.

Notes:
The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property was signed on March 20, 1883 in Paris, France.   It was one of the first intellectual property treaties. The convention established a Union for the protection of industrial property.   It still applies today, and has 177 member countries.  The convention’s provisions fall into three main categories:

1. National treatment
2. Right of priority
3. Common rules

The convention applies to:  Patents, Trademarks, Industrial designs, Utility models, Service marks, Trade names, Geographical indications, Repression of unfair competition.  The convention’s provisions include a 12-month priority period. This period begins on the date of filing the first application to the first country.

Notes:
World Health Day is celebrated on April 7th each year. This date marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948. The day aims to raise awareness about global health issues and promote healthy living. Each year, a specific theme is chosen to highlight a particular health concern, making it a important event in the public health calendar.

Notes:
World Press Freedom Day is observed every year on May 3. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, and is intended to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression. World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity for journalists, media professionals, and members of the public to come together and reflect on the importance of a free and independent press, and to support efforts to promote and defend press freedom around the world.

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Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations for economic promotion. All the countries of Latin America are part of this group. It is designed to promote its members collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations.

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Peter Denis Sutherland was an Irish businessman, barrister and politician. He served as last Director-General of GATT, and the first of the WTO.

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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.

Notes:
All given features are of Prithvi-I. Prithvi I was one of the first missiles developed under Government of India’s IGMDP. Launched in February 1988, Prithvi I is a single-stage, liquid-fuelled missile. A surface-to-surface missile, it has a range of 150 km and a mounting capability of 1000 kg. It was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994. The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme was conceived under the leadership of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and has proved to be one of India’s most successful defence research projects. The missiles developed successfully for Indian armed forces under the project are Prithvi, Akash, Trishul, Nag, and Agni. The IGMDP was conceived in 1982-83 and completed in 2008.