International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
The book “From Inside the Steel Frame: The Memoirs of an Administrator” has been authored by Dr. Ashok Pandey, a retired IAS officer. This is an account of his journey from a small village in Bihar to the corridors of powers in Delhi.

Notes:
Kalidasa was one of the gems of the court of Gupta king Chandragupta II (375–415 CE). The poems he wrote were usually of epic proportions and were written in classical Sanskrit. He wrote two epic poems called Kumara sambhava, which means birth of Kumara and the Raghuvamsha, which means dynasty of Raghu. There are also two lyric poems written by Kalidasa known as Meghadutta that stands for cloud messenger and the Ritusamhara that means description of the seasons. Meghadutta is one of the finest works of Kalidasa in terms of world literature. The beauty of the continuity in flawless Sanskrit is unmatched till date. The most famous and beautiful work of Kalidasa is the Shakuntalam. It is the second play of Kalidasa after he wrote Malavikagnimitra. The Shakuntalam tells the story of king Dushyant who falls in love with a beautiful girl Shakuntala, who happens to be the daughter of a saint.

Notes:
China is not a member of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising of countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia that border the Bay of Bengal. The member countries of BIMSTEC are:

1. Bangladesh
2. Bhutan
3. India
4. Myanmar
5. Nepal
6. Sri Lanka
7. Thailand

China is not a member of BIMSTEC; it is not located along the Bay of Bengal and is not part of the South Asian or Southeast Asian region covered by this organization.

Notes:
The International Development Association (IDA) is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank’s other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and advisory services.

Notes:
Balika Diwas, or National Girl Child Day, is celebrated in India on January 24 each year. However, the date mentioned in the options is incorrect. The day aims to promote the rights of girls and highlight issues they face. It was first observed in 2008 and is part of the government’s efforts to improve the status of girls in society.

Notes:
The name of the upper house of the European union is Council of the European Union. It is composed of twenty-eight national ministers (one per state).

Notes:
Indian Peace Keeping Force took control of Jaffna from the LTTE in late 1987 to enforce the disarmament of the LTTE as a part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. This operation was named operation Pawan.

Notes:
FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, and helps developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all. Its Latin motto, fiat panis, translates into English as “let there be bread”

Notes:
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:
Ratnavali, Priyadarsika and Nagananda are famous plays written by the powerful Indian Emperor Harsha