International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

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Since 1997, UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is given to a person, organization or institution that makes outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world. This USD 45,000 Award is given on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May

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Mercosur is a sub-regional bloc of South American countries. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people, and currency. It was established in 1991 and its headquarters are located at Montevideo (Uruguay). It calls itself the common market of the South America At present, it is a full customs union and a trading bloc. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay

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Centre William Rappard is known as the first building in Geneva designed to house an international organization and was originally occupied by International labour Organization. ILO`s office was shifted to Grand Saconnex. Later it was occupied by GATT which was replaces by World Trade Organization in 1995.

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The Special Service Bureau (now Sashastra Seema Bal) was conceived in November 1962 and eventually created in March 1963 with the sole objective of achieving ‘Total security preparedness’ in the remote border areas for performing a ‘stay-behind’ role in the event of a war. SSB was started in North Assam, North Bengal, hill districts of Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), Himachal Pradesh, part of Punjab and Ladakh area of J&K.

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Headquarters of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is headquartered at Bangkok,Thailand. It is formed on 28 March, 1947.

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The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is a legal agreement between countries, whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas. It is to evolve rules of game for international trade.

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World Consumer Rights Day is observed on March 15th every year. This day is dedicated to promoting and raising awareness about consumer rights and responsibilities around the world. It provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of consumer protection, fair business practices, and the need for consumer advocacy.

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The BIS was formed in 1930. The main actors in its establishment were the then-Governor of The Bank of England, Montagu Norman, and his German counterpart Hjalmar Schacht, later Adolf Hitler’s finance minister. The Bank was originally intended to facilitate reparation payments imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War. The need for the bank was suggested in 1929 by the Young Committee, and was agreed to in August of that year at a conference at the Hague. A charter for the bank was drafted at the International Bankers Conference at Baden Baden in November. The charter was adopted at a second Hague Conference on January 20, 1930

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BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation)

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Krishna Sobti (94), the famous Hindi fiction writer and essayist, has passed away in New Delhi on January 25, 2019. She had won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her novel Zindaginama and was awarded the Jnanpith in 2017 for her contribution to Indian literature. Sobti is best known for her 1966 novel Mitro Marajani, an unapologetic portrayal of a married woman’s sexuality. Some of her notable works are as follows: Daar Se Bichchuri, Surajmukhi Andhere Ke, Yaaron Ke Yaar, Zindaginama. Some of her well-known short stories are Nafisa, Sikka Badal gaya, Badalom ke ghere.