International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
The book “Narendra Modi: The Making of a Legend” has been authored by Bindeshwar Pathak, the Sulabh International founder and a Padma Bhushan recipient. The book is recently launched by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in New Delhi. The coffee table book is all about PM Modi and the inspiring journey of his life. It has images and text depicting Modi’s journey, his struggles and several initiatives taken by him since he took oath as country’s prime minister in 2014.

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World leprosy day is annually observed around the world on the last Sunday of January. It was initiated in 1954 by French philanthropist and writer, Raoul Follereau. The day was chosen to coincide with the death anniversary of Indian freedom fighter and Father of nation Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination on January 30 1948.
Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) is one of the oldest diseases known to humankind. It is caused by a slow-growing type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae). It is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT)

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Peninsula Shield Force is the military side of the Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC, which intends to deter, and respond to, military aggression against any of the GCC member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

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The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental policymaking body that has a ministerial mandate to establish international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.  India joined the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as its 34th member in June 2010.

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Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. The National Party governed South Africa from 1948 until 1994. During this time, South Africa was a partial democracy because non-white people were barred from voting after 1958.
The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) was a British organization that opposed the South African apartheid system. The AAM supported South Africa’s non-white population who were persecuted by the policies of apartheid.
Nelson Mandela was sworn in as President of South Africa in 1994. He was known for his internal resistance to apartheid.

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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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The correct answer is G-20. Established in 1999, the G-20 includes major economies that represent about 85% of global GDP. Its role expanded importantly during the 2008 financial crisis, positioning it as a key forum for international economic cooperation. Unlike the G-7, which consists of advanced economies, the G-20 includes emerging markets, enhancing its influence in global economic governance and crisis management, sometimes challenging the traditional dominance of the World Bank and IMF.

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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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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on March 21st. The United Nations declared this day in 1966. The day is commemorated as Human Rights Day in South Africa, where the Sharpeville Massacre occurred. This event led to the creation of the day.

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The Dumbarton Oaks Conference was a series of meetings held at the Dumbarton Oaks estate in Washington, D.C. in 1944. The conference was attended by representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China, and was aimed at discussing the creation of a new international organization to maintain peace and security after World War II. The conference resulted in the drafting of the United Nations Charter, which was signed by the participating countries in 1945 and came into effect in 1945. The charter established the United Nations as an international organization dedicated to promoting peace, security, and cooperation among nations.