International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
Under Project 75, six Scorpene submarines are being built with assistance and technology transfer from DCNS of France under deal signed in October 2005. The Project 75I-class submarine is a follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarine for the Indian navy.

Notes:
The Human Rights Day (HRD) is observed every year on December 10 to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 as the shared standard benchmark to protect human rights across the world.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
National Education Day of India is celebrated on 11 November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, who served from 15 August 1947 until 2 February 1958. 

Notes:
The MIG series of super fighters, including the MIG-21 and MIG-29, were developed by the Soviet Union, which is now Russia. These aircraft were introduced to India in the 1960s and have been a important part of the Indian Air Force’s fleet. The MIG-21, in particular, became one of the most widely used fighter jets in the world, with over 11,000 units produced.

Notes:
The Apple Cart: A Political Extravaganza was written by George Bernard Shaw. It is a play that was first performed in 1929. The play is a satirical look at politics and government, and explores the tension between the forces of tradition and progress in society. It is one of Shaw’s most popular and enduring works.

Notes:
Among the given options, the junior most rank in the Indian Air Force is Flight Lieutenant. The rank hierarchy in the Indian Air Force from junior to senior among the listed ranks is as follows: Flight Lieutenant, Squadron Leader, Wing Commander, and Group Captain.

Notes:
The correct answer is the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Established in 1992, the CSTO is a military alliance of several former Soviet republics, aimed at mutual defense and security cooperation. Its headquarters are indeed located in Moscow, Russia. In contrast, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was formed in 1954 and dissolved in 1977, while the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was founded in 2001 with its headquarters in Beijing, China.

Notes:
Atin Bandyopadhyay (85), the renowned Bengali writer, has passed away in Kolkata on 19th January, 2019. Born in 1934 in Dhaka, he had taken up various jobs as a sailor, school teacher, factory manager, journalist to finally became a writer. He won the 2001 Sahitya Akademi award for his compilation of short stories ‘Panchashati Galpo’. His masterpiece is considered to be a four-part tetralogy on the Partition: “Nilkantha Pakhir Khonje”, ”Manusher Gharbari”, “Aloukik Jalajan” and “Ishwarer Bagan”.

Notes:
The President’s Bodyguard (PBG), as it is known today, was raised in 1773 at Benares, by then Governor General Warren Hastings, with a strength of 50 picked troopers and horses. This nucleus of the Bodyguard was later augmented by another 50, provided by Raja Chet Singh of Benares, bringing the overall strength of the Bodyguard up to 100 horses and men by the end of that year.