Miscellaneous General Knowledge

Important International Organizations

Major International Organizations of the World are as follows:

(A) United Nations

United Nations is world’s largest organization which was formed on October 24, 1945. Since then October
24 is celebrated as the United Nations Day. The main objective of the United Nations is to make the world
a better place to live in by maintaining peace and security all over the world. There are 193 members at present
in the UN and South Sudan is the last entrant. The organisation headquartered at New York has got five
countries as the permanent members in its security council. They are China, UK, USA, Russia and
France; Besides this they have 10 non-permanent members.
1. Structure of the Organization: The following principle bodies of United Nations Organization.
(i) General Assembly: It is headquartered at New York. Its members are all member states of the
United Nations Organization (UNO).
(ii) Security Council: Headquartered at New York, it has five permanent members (mentioned
earlier) who enjoy veto power and 10 non-permanent elected members. The non-permanent elected members
are elected by the General Assembly and retire on rotation, every two years. The main function is to look
after the international peace and security.
(iii) The Economic and Social Council: Headquartered at New York, it consists of representatives of
54 member countries elected by two-third majority in the General Assembly. It functions in international
economic, social and culture-related matters.
(iv) Trusteeship Council: Headquartered at New York, it looks after the interests of inhabitants of territories
which are not yet fully self-governing and are governed by any administrating country. The Trusteeship
Council suspended its operations on 1 November 1994, a month after the independence of Palau, the last
remaining United Nations trust territory.
(v) United Nations Human Rights Council, the Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within
the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights
around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on
them. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations that require its attention
throughout the year. It meets at the UN Office at Geneva. The Council is made up of 47 United Nations
Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly. The Human Rights Council replaced the
former United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
(vi) International Court of Justice: Headquarted at the Peace Palace The Hague, in Holland, it
consists of 15 judges elected by General Assembly and Security Council for a term of nine years. Its
function is to give legal advice on legal matters to the bodies and special agencies of the UNO and
considers the legal disputes which are brought before it. Ronny Abraham is the current President of
International Court of Justice.
Note:
Four persons from India have been elected as Judges of International Court of Justice till date. They are:
1. Sir Benegal Rau (1952-53)
2. Dr. Negendra Singh (1985-88)
3. R. S. Pathak (1989-91)
4. Dalveer Bhandari (2012- till date)
7.2 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
(vii) Secretariat: It is headed by the Secretary - General who is the Chief Administrative Officer of the UNO
and supervises the activities of UNO. The Secretary - General is appointed by the General Assembly
on the recommendation of the Security Council. The term is of five years and can be re-elected after
the expiry of the term.
2. Secretary - General of UNO:
(i) First Secretary - General was Trygve Lie, from Norway.
(ii) The current Secretary-General of UN is António Guterres, appointed by the General Assembly
on 13 October 2016.
3. Official languages of the UNO: They are six in number, viz.:
(i) English (ii) Chinese (iii) French
(iv) Spanish (v) Russian (vi) Arabic
4. Important agencies related to United Nations Organization:

Name of the organization Headquartered at

International Labour Organization (ILO) Geneva
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Vienna
United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Paris
World Metrological Organization (WMO) Geneva
World Health Organization (WHO) Geneva
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Rome
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) New York
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
Geneva
[Now known as World Trade Organization (WTO)]
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) New York
International Development Association (IDA) Washington DC
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Nairobi
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Washington DC
United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) New York
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Geneva

(B) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Primarily concerned with the individual as well as collective security of the member nations, many countries
signed the Treaty which gave birth to NATO on 4, April 1949. The organization is headquartered at Brussels
in Belgium and it has currently 29 members. In 1949, there were 12 founding members of the Alliance:
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United
Kingdom and the United States. The other member countries are: Greece and Turkey (1952), Germany (1955),
Spain (1982), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania,
Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), and Montenegro (2017). The present secretary
general of NATO is Jens Stoltenberg (Norway) (from October 2014).

(C) South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

It was formed on December 8, 1985, at Dhaka but the idea for the organization was first mooted by the former
President of Bangladesh Zia-ur-Rahman. There are eight members in the organization, i.e. (i) Nepal, (ii)
Bangladesh, (iii) Sri Lanka, (iv) Maldives, (v) Bhutan, (vi) Pakistan and (vii) India (viii) Afghanistan (the
latest member). The Secretariat of SAARC is at Kathmandu (Nepal). The current Secretary General of
SAARC is Esala Ruwan Weerakoon from Sri Lanka.
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.3
(D) The Commonwealth
This is an association of independent states which originated in 1947and formally made up the British Empire.
The symbolic head of the Commonwealth is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. At present, there are over
50 countries which are the members of the Commonwealth. Patricia Janet Scotland was elected the 6th
Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations at the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting and took office April 1, 2016. She is the first and current woman Secretary General Commonwealth.
The former Secretary -General was Kamalesh Sharma.

(E) Group of 77
The Group of 77 (G-77) was established on 15 June 1964 by seventy-seven developing countries signatories of
the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Developing Countries” issued at the end of the first session of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. Although the members of the G-
77 have increased to 134 countries, the original name was retained due to its historic significance.

(F) Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

For controlling the production and pricing of crude oil, OPEC was established on September 14, 1960 by
Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. It is headquartered at Vienna, Austria was
founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries namely Islamic
Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. They were to become the Founder Members of the
Organization. These countries were later joined by Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya (1962), the United
Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Gabon (1975) and Angola (2007). Ecuador
suspended its membership in December 1992, but rejoined OPEC in October 2007. Indonesia suspended its
membership in January 2009, reactivated it again in January 2016, but decided to suspend its membership
once more at the 171st Meeting of the OPEC Conference on 30 November 2016. Gabon terminated its membership
in January 1995. However, it rejoined the Organization in July 2016. The latest country to leave from OPEC
is Qatar; it left the OPEC with effect from January 2019. HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo is currently the
Secretary General of the OPEC.

(G) Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

The concept of Non-Aligned Movement was developed by Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of
Independent India. The former members of this movement were.
President of Egypt – G.A. Nasser
President of Indonesia – Dr. Sukarno
President of former Yugoslavia – Marshal Tito
Established in 1961 in Belgrade. As of 2019 it has 120 members and 17 observer countries. Ilham
Aliyev is the current Secretary General of NAM.

(H) Other important organizations

Organization Year of establishment Headquartered at
*SEATO (South East Asia Treaty Organization) September 4, 1954 Bangkok in Thailand
OAU (Organization of African Union) May 25, 1963 Adis Ababa in Ethiopia
ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) August 9, 1967 Jakarta in Indonesia
* Please note that SEATO was dissolved on June 30, 1977.
(I) World Trade Organization (WTO)
By replacing General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), it came into existence on January
1, 1995. It is the third important Economic Organization after the World Bank and International Monetary Fund
and it can settle trade disputes between nations and encourages the principle of free trade to sectors
such as agriculture and services, etc. India was one of the founding members of WTO.
7.4 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Afghanistan became the 164th member of the Organization on 29 July, 2016. The present strength of WTO
is 164 members (as on July 25, 2018); headquartered at Geneva it is headed by Director General Roberto
Azevedo (Brazil).

(J) The Group of 15 (G-15)

It is an economic grouping of 15 nations of the world which are Third World nations and was formed in 1989 in
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit at Belgrade.

(K) Amnesty International

It was established by a British lawyer Peter Berenson on May 28, 1961 in London which is its headquarters
also. It is primarily concerned with the investigation in the violations of human rights. It has more than 11 lakhs
members in about 150 countries throughout the world.

(L) Interpole
The current Secretary General is Kim Jong Yang, unanimously elected at the 83rd INTERPOL General Assembly
session in Monaco, November 2014. It is world largest International Police Organization, with 190 member
countries. It has seven regional offices across the world, and a representative office at the united Nations in
New York and at European Union in Brussels. It’s an international organization of police commissions of the
member countries which are about 150 in number and was established in 1923. Its headquarters are at
Lyons, France.

(M) European Union (EU)

It is a group of European countries which got united to become strong — politically and economically, so that
war would not be a threat any more. This organization came into existence after Second World War, in 1957,
having its headquarters at Brussels, Belgium. At present, there are 28 members in the European Union
and the membership is open to any European country. The headquarters of EU is at Brussels in
Belgium. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (Germany) is the 13th President of the European Commission.
She is the first woman to become President of the European Commission. Charles Michel (Belgium)
is current President of European Council. The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, following on a
public vote held in June 2016. As of December 2020, the United Kingdom is the only former member state to
have withdrawn from the European Union. The process to do so began when the UK Government triggered
Article 50 to begin the UK's withdrawal from the EU on 29 March 2017 following a June 2016 referendum, and
the withdrawal was scheduled in law to occur on 29 March 2019.

(N) Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC)

It is head quartered at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Having 57 muslim countries as members, it was established after
a historical summit on September 25, 1969. It aims to promote Islamic co-operation and solidarity. Dr. Yousef
bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen is the current secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC), since November 2016.

(O) Red Cross

Formed by Swiss businessman J.H. Durant in 1863, it is the pioneering organization in providing medical aid
throughout the world. Red Cross Day is celebrated on May 8; its symbol is red cross on a white background.
This organization has received Nobel Prize on three occasions. The International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) is a private humanitarian institution founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Henry Dunant and
Gustave Moynier. Its 25-member committee has a unique authority under international humanitarian law to
protect the life and dignity of the victims of international and internal armed conflicts. The ICRC was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize on three occasions (in 1917, 1944 and 1963). The ICRC is governed by an Assembly, an
Assembly Council (a subsidiary body with certain delegated powers) and a Directorate (the executive body).
Both the Assembly, with up to 25 co-opted members of Swiss nationality, and the Assembly Council are
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.5
chaired by Peter Maurer, who has been President of the ICRC since 1 July 2012. He is assisted by a Vice-
President, Christine Beerli. The Directorate, with five members, is chaired by the Director-General, Mr. Yves
Daccord.

(P) The Group of Eight (G-8)

It is basically a group of eight countries (as the name indicates). These are world’s richest industrialized
nations, i.e. Italy, Canada, USA, UK, Japan, Germany, France and Russia. The forum primarily works to
resolve issues of either mutual concern or of global concern. The G8 reformatted as G7 from 2014 due to
Russia’s suspension. It was an inter-governmental political forum from 1997 until 2014, with the participation of
the major industrialized countries in the world that viewed themselves as democracies.

(Q) Medicin Sans Frontieres (MSF)

It was formed in 1971 by a small group of French doctors who believed that all people have the right to medical
care. It is a private, non-profit organization. This organization is also known as Doctors without Borders. This
delivers emergency aid to the needy. This organization won the Nobel Peace Prize for the year 1999.

(R) World Bank

Established as a result of Bretton Woords Conference in 1944 with the objective of assisting the member
nations in their reconstruction and development. The bank is headquartered at Washington D.C. World Bank
as an International Financial Institution comprises of only two instititutions (a) International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development. (b) International Development Association. Its present President is David Malpass.

(S) International Monetary Fund (IMF)

It provides loans to member nations to tide over their balance of payment (lack of foreign exchange to pay for
imports) problems. It is headquartered in Washington D.C. It is also called the twin organisation of World Bank.
Both of them are popularly referred to as Bretton Wood Twins. Andorra has joined the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), to become its 190th member. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 190
countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade,
promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. Created in
1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 190 countries that make up its near-global membership.
Kristalina Ivanova Georgieva-Kinova (Kristalina Georgieva) is a Bulgarian economist, who is the
current managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Christine Lagarde served as Chair and
Managing Director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), between July 2011 and November 2019. Gita
Gopinath was appointed as Chief Economist of IMF from 1 October 2018. Prior to her IMF appointment she
was economic adviser to the Chief Minister of Kerala, India.

(T) World Social Forum (WSF)

World social forum was started in Porto Alegre in Brazil. It is an antiglobalization movement, and its annual
meets are held parallel to the annual sessions of World Economic Forum (at Davos).

Heads of Important International Organizations

1. United Nations Secretary General: António Guterres
2. President of the International Court of Justice: Ronny Abraham
3. Director-General of International Labor Organization (ILO): Guy Ryder
4. Director-General of Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO): Dr QU Dongyu
5. Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO): Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
6. Head of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): Henrietta H. Fore
7.6 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
7. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Flippo Grandi
8. Director-General of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): Audrey Azoulay
9. President of the World Bank (WB): David Malpass
10. Managing Director the International Monetary Fund (IMF): Kristalina Georgieva
11. Director-General of World Trade Organization (WTO): Robert Azevedo
12. Head International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): Rafael Mariano Grossi
13. Secretary-General of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM): Ilham Aliyev
14. Secretary-General of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC): Esala Ruwan Weerakoon
15. Head of the Commonwealth of Nations: Queen Elizabeth-II
16. Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations: Patricia Scotland
17. Secretary General of Amnesty International: Julie Verhaar (Acting)
18. Secretary-General of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Jose Angel Gurria
19. Secretary General of Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries (OPEC): HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo
20. President of European Commission: Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen
21. President International Olympic Committee (IOC): Thomas Bach
22. Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC): Greg Barclay
23. Chief Executive Officer of International Cricket Council: Manu Sawhney
24. President of FIFA: Gianni infantino
25. Chairman of Federal Reserve Bank of America: Jerome Powell
26. President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB): Masatsugu Asakawa

Important Awards
The Nobel Prizes 2020
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020 was divided, one half awarded to Roger
Penrose "for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity", the
other half jointly to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the
centre of our galaxy."
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 was awarded jointly to Emmanuelle
Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna "for the development of a method for genome editing." The 2020 Nobel Prize
in Chemistry, awarded for the discovery of one of gene technology's sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic
scissors.
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020: The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 was awarded to Louise Gluck "for her
unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."
The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize: The Nobel Peace Prize 2020 was awarded to World Food Programme (WFP) "for
its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for
acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2020: The Sveriges Riksbank
Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2020 was awarded jointly to Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B.
Wilson "for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats."
Pulitzer Prizes 2020
The 2020 Pulitzer Prize winners in 15 Journalism and seven Book, Drama and Music categories were announced on
Monday, May 4 at 3 p.m. Eastern. A Special Citation was also awarded.
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
For its rapid coverage of hundreds of last-minute pardons by Kentucky's governor, showing how the process was
marked by opacity, racial disparities and violations of legal norms. (Moved by the jury from Local Reporting, where
it was originally entered.)
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.7
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
For an exposé of New York City's taxi industry that showed how lenders profited from predatory loans that shattered
the lives of vulnerable drivers, reporting that ultimately led to state and federal investigations and sweeping reforms.
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
For a groundbreaking series that showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme temperatures on the
planet.
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
For illuminating, impactful reporting on a lucrative, undisclosed financial relationship between the city's mayor and
the public hospital system she helped to oversee.
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
For their investigation into America's 7th Fleet after a series of deadly naval accidents in the Pacific.
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
For groundbreaking stories that exposed design flaws in the Boeing 737 MAX that led to two deadly crashes and
revealed failures in government oversight.
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
For a set of enthralling stories, reported at great risk, exposing the predations of Vladimir Putin's regime.
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
For a devastating account of a man who was kidnapped, tortured and deprived of his liberty for more than a decade at the
Guantanamo Bay detention facility, blending on-the-ground reporting and lyrical prose to offer a nuanced perspective on
America's wider war on terror. (Moved into contention by the Board.)
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
For a sweeping, provocative and personal essay for the ground-breaking 1619 Project, which seeks to place the
enslavement of Africans at the center of America's story, prompting public conversation about the nation's founding
and evolution.
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
For work demonstrating extraordinary community service by a critic, applying his expertise and enterprise to critique
a proposed overhaul of the L.A. County Museum of Art and its effect on the institution's mission.
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald Press
For editorials that exposed how pre-trial inmates died horrific deaths in a small Texas county jail-reflecting a rising
trend across the state-and courageously took on the local sheriff and judicial establishment, which tried to cover up
these needless tragedies.
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
For work that skewers the personalities and policies emanating from the Trump White House with deceptively sweet
watercolor style and seemingly gentle caricatures. (Moved into contention by the Board.)
7.8 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
For wide-ranging and illuminating photographs of Hong Kong as citizens protested infringement of their civil liberties
and defended the region's autonomy by the Chinese government.
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of Associated Press
For striking images captured during a communications blackout in Kashmir depicting life in the contested territory
as India stripped it of its semi-autonomy.
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O'Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer,
Vice News
For "The Out Crowd," revelatory, intimate journalism that illuminates the personal impact of the Trump Administration's
"Remain in Mexico" policy.
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News with contributions from ProPublica
For a riveting series that revealed a third of Alaska's villages had no police protection, took authorities to task for
decades of neglect, and spurred an influx of money and legislative changes.
Letters, Drama and Music
Drama
A Strange Loop, by Michael R. Jackson
A meta?ctional musical that tracks the creative process of an artist transforming issues of identity, race, and
sexuality that once pushed him to the margins of the cultural mainstream into a meditation on universal human fears
and insecurities.
History
Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America, by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford
University Press)
A masterfully researched meditation on reparations based on the remarkable story of a 19th century woman who
survived kidnapping and re-enslavement to sue her captor.
Biography
Sontag: Her Life and Work, by Benjamin Moser (Ecco)
An authoritatively constructed work told with pathos and grace, that captures the writer's genius and humanity
alongside her addictions, sexual ambiguities and volatile enthusiasms.
Poetry
The Tradition, by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
A collection of masterful lyrics that combine delicacy with historical urgency in their loving evocation of bodies
vulnerable to hostility and violence.
General Nonfiction
The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and
Care, by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
An elegant and unforgettable narrative about the brutality of illness and the capitalism of cancer care in America.
The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America, by Greg Grandin
(Metropolitan Books)
A sweeping and beautifully written book that probes the American myth of boundless expansion and provides a
compelling context for thinking about the current political moment. (Moved by the Board from the History category.)
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.9
Music
The Central Park Five, by Anthony Davis
Premiered on June 15, 2019 at the Long Beach Opera, a courageous operatic work, marked by powerful vocal
writing and sensitive orchestration, that skillfully transforms a notorious example of contemporary injustice into
something empathetic and hopeful. Libretto by Richard Wesley.
Fiction
The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
A spare and devastating exploration of abuse at a reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida that is ultimately a powerful
tale of human perseverance, dignity and redemption.
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
For her outstanding and courageous reporting on the horrific and vicious violence against African Americans during
the era of lynching.
The citation comes with a bequest by the Pulitzer Prize board of at least $50,000 in support of her mission.
Recipients will be announced at a later date.
Man Booker International Prize 2020
The International Man Booker Prize for the year 2020 awarded to Marieke Lucas Rigneveld for her debut novel The
Discomfort of Evening, translated from Dutch by Michele Hutchison. The book centres around a 10-year-old girl Jas
who is infuriated with her brother Matthies for not being permitted to go for ice-skating with him. This occurs at the
onset of the novel. Her wish turns true and he dies. The debut novel then is a fascinating case study of grief.
Booker Prize 2020
The Booker Prize of the 2020 has been announced and the coveted honour has been bestowed on Douglas Stuart's
Shuggie Bain. In his debut work, Stuart presents a tightly-cut portrait of the working class during the 1980s in Glasgow.
But at its heart, it is about a family struggling to survive and children loving damaged parents amidst all the struggle.
Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2020
Ramon Magsaysay awards, known as Asia's version of the Nobel Prize, have been cancelled this year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The Manila-based foundation issued a statement on June 9, 2020 saying that it has no choice
but to cancel the 2020 awards with COVID-19 almost immobilizing the world. This is the third time that the annual
awards have been cancelled in the last six decades, the first time was due to a financial crisis in 1970 and the
second time when a disastrous earthquake hit the Philippines in 1990.
Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2019
Senior Indian journalist Ravish Kumar was awarded this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as the
Asian version of the Nobel Prize. He is NDTV India's senior executive editor is one of India's most influential TV
journalists, the award citation by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said. The four other winners of the
2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award are Ko Swe Win from Myanmar, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand,
Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab from Philippines and Kim Jong-Ki from South Korea.
The Abel Prize 2020
The Abel Prize 2020 has been awarded to Hillel Furstenberg and Gregory Margulis "for pioneering the use of
methods from probability and dynamics in group theory, number theory and combinatorics". The prize, which has
been awarded since 2003, is one of the highest honours in maths and carries a prize money of around $400,000.
2020 Right Livelihood Award
2020 Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize," are honoured, December 3,
2020 in a live virtual Award Presentation. The 2020 Laureates honoured are: Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin
Sotoudeh, US civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, Indigenous rights and environmental activist Lottie Cunningham
Wren of Nicaragua, and Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski and the non-governmental organisation Human
Rights Center "Viasna." As part of the Award, the four Laureates are each receiving 1 million SEK to further their work.
World Food Prize 2020
Indian-American soil scientist - Dr. Rattan Lal - has been declared the winner of the World Food Prize 2020. He
played a major role in developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that
7.10 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change. Three separate United Nations Climate Change
Conferences have adopted his strategy of restoring soil health as a means to sequestering carbon. In 2007, he was
among those recognised with a Nobel Peace Prize Certificate for his contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) reports, when the IPCC was named co-recipient of the Nobel Prize.
Jnanpith Award (2019)
Noted Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboodiri, popularly known as Akkitham, was declared the
recipient of the 55th Jnanpith Award, the country's highest literary honour.
Saraswati Samman (2019)
Noted Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi was honoured with 29th Saraswati Samman. He has been selected for his short
stories collection:- Chequebook, published in 2012. This short stories collection talks about the agonies and sufferings
of marginalized sections of the society. He has authored 25 books of poetry, stories and translations. He has also
received the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Academy Awards or “Oscars Awards”
The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS),
honored films released in 2019 and took place on February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles,
and beginning. During the ceremony, the AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in
24 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Stephanie Allain and Lynette
Howell Taylor and was directed by Glenn Weiss. Parasite won four awards including Best Picture, the first non-
English language film to win that award.
Oscars 2020 winner list
Best Picture: "Parasite"
Best Director: Bong Joon Ho, "Parasite"
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker"
Best Actress: Renée Zellweger, "Judy"
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, "Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood"
Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, "Marriage Story"
Best Original Screenplay: "Parasite"
Best Adapted Screenplay: "Jojo Rabbit"
Best International Feature: "Parasite" (South Korea)
67th National Film Awards
The 67th National Film Awards ceremony is an upcoming event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals
presents its annual National Film Awards to honour the best films of 2019 in the Indian cinema. The ceremony was
supposed to held on 3 May 2020 but they were postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19 pandemic.
66th National Film Awards
Ayushmann Khurrana-Radhika Apte starrer Andhadhun has won the ‘Best Film’ award in the 66th National Film
Awards announced. Aditya Dhar-directorial debut Uri: The Surgical Strike has bagged four awards - best actor, best
background music, best sound design and best direction in the 66th National Film Awards 2019.
Best Actor: Ayushmann Khurrana, Andhadhun, and Vicky Kaushal, Uri
Best Actress: Keerthy Suresh for Mahanati
Best Direction: Aditya Dhar for Uri
Best Feature Film: Hellaro (Gujarati)
Best Children's Film: Sarkari. Hi. Pra. Shale Kasaragodu, Koduge
Best Film on Environment Conservation: Paani
Nargis Dutt Award for National Integration: Ondanya Eradalu
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Badhaai Ho
Jury Awards: Kedara (Bengali), Hellaro (Gujarati)
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.11
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of A Director: Sudhakar Reddy Yakanthi for Naal
Best Female Playback singer: Bindu Mani for Mayavi Manave from Nathicharami
Best Male Playback Singer: Arijit Singh for Binte Dil from Padmaavat
Best film on social issues: Pad Man
Best music director: Padmaavat
Best Rajasthani Film: Turtle
Best Panchanga Film: In The Land Of Poisonous Women
Best Garo Film: Anna
Best Marathi Film: Bhonga
Best Tamil Film: Baram
Best Hindi Film: Andhadhun
Best Urdu Film: Hamid
Best Bengali Film: Ek Je Chhilo Raja
Best Malayalam Film: Sudani From Nigeria
Best Telugu Film: Mahanati
Best Kannada Film: Nathicharami
Best Konkani Film: Amori
Best Assamese Film: Bulbul Can Sing
Best Punjabi Film: Harjeeta
Best Gujarati Film: Reva
Dada Saheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film
Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting. First presented in 1969, the award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate
Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema.
 Bollywood's megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been selected for Dada Saheb Phalke award this year. Amitabh
Bachchan to be honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2019.
 At the 65th National Film Awards, late actor Vinod Khanna was posthumously honoured with the Dadasaheb
Phalke Award. This award is considered as the highest honour in Indian cinema and is presented annually by the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The award is given for a personality’s “outstanding contribution to the
growth and development of Indian cinema”. Vinod Khanna is the 49th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
65th Filmfare Awards 2020
The 65th Filmfare Awards ceremony, presented by The Times Group, honored the best Indian Hindi-language films
of 2019. The ceremony was held on 15 February 2020 in Guwahati and broadcast on Colors TV the following day.
This is the first time in six decades that a Filmfare ceremony was held outside Mumbai. Karan Johar and Vicky
Kaushal were hosts of the award ceremony.
Best Film: 'Gully Boy'
Best Director: Zoya Akhtar ('Gully Boy')
Best Film (Critics): 'Article 15' (Anubhav Sinha), 'Sonchiriya' (Abhishek Chaubey)
Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male): Ranveer Singh ('Gully Boy')
Best Actor (Critics): Ayushmann Khurrana ('Article 15')
Best Actor In A Leading Role (Female): Alia Bhatt ('Gully Boy')
Best Actress (Critics): Bhumi Pednekar ('Saand Ki Aankh'), Taapsee ('Saand Ki Aankh')
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female): Amruta Subhash ('Gully Boy')
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male): Siddhant Chaturvedi ('Gully Boy')
Best Music Album: 'Gully Boy' l Zoya Akhtar-Ankur Tewari, 'Kabir Singh' I Mithoon, Amaal Mallik, Vishal
Mishra, Sachet-Parampara and Akhil Sachdeva
Best Lyrics: Divine and Ankur Tewari - Apna Time Aayega - 'Gully Boy'
7.12 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Best Playback Singer (Male): Arijit Singh…Kalank Nahi…'Kalank'
Best Playback Singer (Female): Shilpa Rao…Ghungroo…'War'
Best Debut Director: Aditya Dhar - 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'
Best Debut Actor: Abhimanyu Dassani - 'Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota'
Best Debut Actress: Ananya Pandey - 'Student Of The Year 2', 'Pati Patni Aur Woh'
Best Original Story: 'Article 15' - Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki
Best Screenplay: 'Gully Boy' - Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar
Best Dialogue: 'Gully Boy'- Vijay Maurya
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ramesh Sippy
Excellence In Cinema: Govinda
RD Burman Award For Upcoming Music Talent: Sashwat Sachdev- URI
66th Jio Filmfare Awards (South) 2019
Best Film: Mahanati
Best Director: Nag Ashwin (Mahanati)
Best Actor In A Leading Role Male (Popular): Ram Charan (Rangasthalam)
Best Actor Critics: Dulquer Salman (Mahanti)
Best Actor In A Leading Role Female (Popular): Keerthi Suresh (Mahanati)
Best Actress Critcs: Rashmika Mandanna(Geetha Govindam )
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male): Jagapati Babu (Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava)
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female): Anasuya Bharadwaj (Rangasthalam)
Best Music Album: Devi Sri Prasad - (Rangasthalam)
Best Lyrics: Chandrabose - Yentha Sakkagunnaave (Rangasthalam)
Best Playback Singer (Male): Sid Sriram - Inkem Inkem Inkem Kaavaale (Geetha Govindam)
Best Playback Singer (Female): Shreya Ghoshal -- Mandaraa Mandaraa (Bhaagamathie)
Tennis Grand Slams
2020 Australian Open Champions:
Men's Singles: Novak Djokovic
Women's Singles: Sofia Kenin
Men's Doubles: Rajeev Ram / United Kingdom Joe Salisbury
Women's Doubles: Tímea Babos / France Kristina Mladenovic
Mixed Doubles: Barbora Krejcikova / Nikola Mektic
2020 French Open Champions:
Men's Singles: Rafael Nadal
Women's Singles: Iga Swiatek
Men's Doubles: Kevin Krawietz / Germany Andreas Mies
Women's Doubles: Tímea Babos / France Kristina Mladenovic
2020 Wimbledon Champions
The 2020 Wimbledon Championships was a cancelled Grand Slam tennis tournament scheduled to be played
at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom, between 29 June
and 12 July. It was never played because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation of the tournament was
announced on 1 April 2020. Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep were the defending champions in the men's and
women's singles draw.
2020 US Open Champions
Men's Singles: Dominic Thiem
Women's Singles: Naomi Osaka
Men's Doubles: Mate Pavic / Brazil Bruno Soares
Women's Doubles: Laura Siegemund / Russia Vera Zvonareva
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.13
List of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees
Year Name of the Sportsperson(s) Sport Discipline
1991-92 Viswanathan Anand Chess
1992-93 Geet Sethi Billiards
1993-94 Not Conferred* -
1994-95 Cdr. Homi D. Motivala (Joint) Yachting (Team Event)
1994-95 Lt. Cdr. P. K. Garg (Joint) Yachting (Team Event)
1995-96 Karnam Malleswari Weightlifting
1996-97 Nameirakpam Kunjarani (Joint) Weightlifting
1996-97 Leander Paes (Joint) Tennis
1997-98 Sachin Tendulkar Cricket
1998-99 Jyotirmoyee Sikdar Athletics
1999-2000 Dhanraj Pillay Hockey
2000-01 Pullela Gopichand Badminton
2001-02 Abhinav Bindra Shooting
2002-03 Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat (Joint) Shooting
2002-03 K. M. Beenamol (Joint) Athletics
2003-04 Anju Bobby George Athletics
2004-05 Lt. Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Shooting
2005-06 Pankaj Advani Billiards and Snooker
2006-07 Manavjit Singh Sandhu Shooting
2007-08 Mahendra Singh Dhoni Cricket
2008-09 Mary Kom (Joint) Boxing
2008-09 Vijender Singh (Joint) Boxing
2008-09 Sushil Kumar (Joint) Wrestling
2009-10 Saina Nehwal Badminton
2010-11 Gagan Narang Shooting
2011-12 Vijay Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt (Joint) Shooting, Wrestling
2012-13 Ranjan Sodhi Shooting
No sportsperson has been named for the prestigious award. This is the third time no sports-
2013-14
person has been named since its inception of the country’s heighest sporting award in 1991.
2014-15 Ms Sania Mirza Tennis
2015-16 P.V. Sindhu Badminton
2015-16 Sakshi Malik Wrestling
2015-16 Dipa Karmakar Gymnastics
2015-16 Jitu Rai Shooting
2016-17 Devendra Jhajharia Athletics
2016-17 Sardara Singh Hockey
2017-18 Mirabai Chanu Weightlifting
2017-18 Virat Kohli Cricket
2018-19 Deepa Malik Shot Put
2018-19 Bajrang Punia Wrestling
2019-20 Rohit Sharma Cricketer
2019-20 Vinesh Phogat Wrestler
2019-20 Manika Batra Table Tennis
2019-20 Mariyappan Thangavelu Paralympic High Jumper
7.14 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
List of all Bharat Ratna awardees so far:

Birth Death Awarded

S.No. Name About
Year Year Year
Shri Chakravarti Independence Activist, Last Governor
1 1878 1972 1954
Rajagopalachari General
Physicist , Nobel Prize Winner
2 Sir C.V Raman 1888 1970 1954
(1930)
Philosopher, India’s First Vice
President (1952-1962), and
3 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 1888 1975 1954
India’s Second President
(1962-1967)
4 Bhagvan Das 1869 1958 1955 Independence activist, author
Mokshagundam
5 1861 1962 1955 Civil engineer, Diwan of Mysore
Visvesvarayya
Independence activist, author,
6 Jawaharlal Nehru 1889 1964 1955
First Prime Minister (1947-1964)
Independence activist, Chief Minister
7 Govind Ballabh Pant 1887 1961 1957
of Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister
8 Dhondo Keshav Karve 1858 1962 1958 Educator, social reformer
Physician, Chief Minister
9 Bidhan Chandra Roy 1882 1962 1961
Of West Bengal
10 Purushottam Das Tandon 1882 1962 1961 Independence activist, educator
Independence activist, jurist,
11 Rajendra Prasad 1884 1963 1962
First President (1950-1962)
Independence activist, Scholar, Third
12 Zakir Hussain 1897 1969 1963
President (1967-1969)
13 Pandurang Vaman Kane 1880 1972 1963 Indologist and Sanskrit scholar
Posthumous, independence activist,
14 Lal Bahadur Shastri 1904 1966 1966
Second Prime Minister (1964-1966)
15 Indira Gandhi 1917 1984 1971 Third Prime Minister (1980-1984)
Trade unionist and Fourth President
16 V.V. Giri 1894 1980 1975
(1969)
Posthumous, independence activist,
17 K. Kamaraj 1903 1975 1976
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu State
Catholic nun, founder of the
18 Mother Teresa 1910 1997 1980
Missionaries of Charity
Posthumous, social reformer,
19 Vinoba Bhave 1895 1982 1983
independence activist
First non-citizen, independence
20 Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan 1890 1988 1987
activist
Posthumous, film actor, Chief Minister
21 M.G. Ramchandran 1917 1987 1988
of Tamil Nadu
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.15
Birth De ath Aw arde d
S.No. Name About
Ye ar Yea r Yea r
Posthumous, chief architect of
22 B.R. Ambedkar 1891 1956 1990 the Indian Constitution, politician,
economist, and scholar
Second non-citizen and non-
23 Nelson Mandela 1918 2013 1990 Indian recipient, Leader of the
Anti-Apartheid movement
Posthumous, Sixth Prime Minister
24 Rajiv Gandhi 1944 1991 1991
(1984-1989)

Posthumous, independence activist,

25 Vallabhbhai Patel 1875 1950 1991
first Home Minister (1947-1950)

Independence activist, fourth Prime

26 Morarji Desai 1896 1995 1991
Minister (1977-1979)

Posthumous, independence activist,

27 Abul Kalam Azad 1888 1958 1992
first Minister of Education
28 J. R. D. Tata 1904 1993 1992 Industrialist and philanthropist
29 Satyajit Ray 1922 1992 1992 Bengali Filmmaker
Aeronautical Engineer,11th President
30 A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 1931 2015 1997
of India
Independence activist, interim Prime
31 Gulzarilal Nanda 1898 1998 1997
Minister
32 Aruna Asaf Ali 1908 1996 1997 Posthumous, independence activist
33 M.S. Subbulakshmi 1916 2004 1998 Carnatic classical singer
Chidambaram Independence activist, Minister
34 1910 2000 1998
Subramaniam of Agriculture
Posthumous, independence activist
35 Jayaprakash Narayan 1902 1979 1999
and politician
36 Ravi Shankar 1920 2012 1999 Sitar Player
37 Amartya Sen 1933 1999 Economist
Posthumous, independence activist,
38 Gopinath Bardoloi 1890 1950 1999
Chief Minister of Assam
39 Lata Mangeshkar 1929 2001 Playback singer
40 Bismillah Khan 1916 2006 2001 Hindustani Classical Shehnai Player
41 Bhimsen Joshi 1922 2011 2008 Hindustani Classical Singer
Indian Cricketer, First Sportsman and
42 Sachin Tendulkar 1973 2013
Youngest Indian who got Bharat Ratna
43 Prof. C.N.R Rao 1934 2013 Chemist
44 Madan Mohan Malaviya 1861 1946 2014 Educationist and politician
Former Prime Minister of India (1996),
45 Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1924 2018 2014
(1998), (1999-2004)
46 Pranab Mukherjee 1935 2019 Former President of India (2013-17)
Indian playback singer,
47 Bhupen Hazarika 1926 2011 2019
lyricist, musician
48 Nanaji Deshmukh 1916 2010 2019 Social Activist
7.16 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Important Days
International

Date Name of the Day

January 26 International Customs Day

March 8 International Women’s Day

March 15 World Consumers’ Day

March 21 World Forestry Day

March 22 World Day for Water

March 23 World Meteorological Day

April 7 World Health Day

April 17 World Haemophilia Day

April 18 World Heritage Day

April 22 World Earth Day

May 1 International Labour Day

May 3 International Press Freedom Day

May 8 World Red Cross Day

May 31 Anti-tobacco Day/World No Tobacco Day

June 5 World Environment Day

June 21 International Yoga Day

June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

July 11 World Population Day

August 12 International Youth Day

September 8 World Literacy Day

September 16 World Ozone Day

September 27 World Tourism Day

October 3 World Habitat Day

October 14 World Standards Day

October 16 World Food Day

December 1 World AIDS Day

December 10 World Human Rights Day

Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.17
National

Date Name of the Day

January 12 National Youth Day (birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda)

January 15 Army Day

January 23 Netaji S.C. Bose’s Birth Anniversary

January 26 Republic Day

January 30 Martyr’s Day (Mahatma Gandhi’s Death Anniversary)

February 24 Central Excise Day

February 28 National Science Day

May 21 Antiterrorism Day (Rajiv Gandhi’s Death Anniversary)

August 15 Independence Day

August 29 National Sports Day

September 5 Teachers’ Day

October 2 Gandhi Jayanti/International Day for Non-Violence

October 8 Indian Air Force Day

November 14 Children’s Day

December 4 Navy Day

December 23 Kisan Divas (Farmers’ Day)

7.18 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Important Sobriquets
Distinctive Name Country / Place
Bengal’s Sorrow Damodar river
Blue Mountains Nilgiris
City of Arabian Nights Baghdad
City of Palaces Kolkata
City of Seven Hills/Eternal city Rome
City of Skyscrapers /Empire city / Big Apple New York
City of the Golden Gate San Francisco
City of Joy Kolkata
Commercial Capital of India Mumbai
Dairy of Northern Europe Denmark
Dark Continent Africa
Forbidden City Lhasa (Tibet)
Garden of England Kent
Garden City of India Bangalore
Gate of Tears Bab-el-Mandab, Jerusalem
Gateway of India Mumbai
Gift of the Nile Egypt
Golden City Johannesburg
Great White Way Broadway (New York)
Hermit’s Kingdom Korea
Holy Land Palestine
Island of Pearls Bahrain
Key to the Mediterranean Gibraltar
Land of Five Rivers Punjab
Land of a Thousand Lakes Finland
Land of Cakes Scotland
Land of Kangaroos Australia
Land of Lillies /Lady of Snow Canada
Land of Morning Calm Korea
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.19

Distinctive Name Country / Place

Land of the Golden Fleece Australia
Land of the Golden Pagoda Myanmar
Land of the Midnight Sun Norway
Land of the Rising Sun Japan
Land of Thunderbolt Bhutan
Land of White Elephants Thailand
Manchester of South India Coimbatore
Mother-in-Law of Europe Denmark
Never, Never Land Prairies (North America)
Pink City of India Jaipur
Playground of Europe Switzerland
Queen of the Arabian Sea Cochin (India)
Roof of the World Pamir (Tibet)
Sick Man of Europe Turkey
Sorrow of China /Yellow river River Hwang Ho
Spice Garden of India Kerala
Sugar Bowl of the World Cuba
Sugar Bowl of India Uttar Pradesh
The Battlefield of Europe Belgium
The Down Under Australia
The Imperial City Rome
The Promised Land Canaan
The Saw Mill of Europe Sweden
The Sea of Mountains British Colombia
The Spice Island of the West Grenada
Twin City Budapest
Valley of Kings Thebes
White City Belgrade
White Man’s Grave Guinea Coast (West Africa)
Windy City Chicago
Workshop of Europe Belgium
World’s Bread Basket Prairies of North America
7.20 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Important Books and Authors
Name of the book Author

A
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Mark Twain
Ain-i-Akbari Abul Fazal
Alchemist, The Paulo Colelho
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
All’s Well that Ends Well William Shakespeare
An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser
An Idealist View of Life Dr S. Radhakrishnan
Anand Math Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Androcles and the Lion George Bernard Shaw
Ape and Essence A. Huxley
Apple Cart George Bernard Shaw
Arabian Nights Sir Richard Burton
Area of Darkness V. S. Naipaul
Arthashastra Kautilya
Arms and the Man George Bernard Shaw
Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Verne
As You Like it William Shakespeare
Autobiography of an Unknown Indian Nirad C. Choudhury

B
Babur-nama Babur
Between the Lines Kuldip Nayar
Bharat Bharati Maithili Sharan Gupt
Bitter Sweet Noel Coward
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
Broken Wing Sarojini Naidu
Bunch of Old Letters, A Jawaharlal Nehru
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.21
Name of the book Author

C
Caesar and Cleopatra George Bernard Shaw
Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer
Chitra Rabindranath Tagore
Comedy of Errors William Shakespeare
Coolie Mulk Raj Anand
Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky

D
Das Kapital Karl Marx
David Copperfield Charles Dickens
Descent of Man Charles Darwin
Dilemma of Our Time Harold Joseph Laski
Discovery of India Jawaharlal Nehru
Divine Life Swami Sivananda
Doctor’s Dilemma George Bernard Shaw
Doctor Zhivago Boris Pasternak
Don Juan Lord Byron

E
Ends and Means Aldous Huxley

F
Farewell to Arms, A Ernest Hemingway
First Among Equals Jeffrey Archer
For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway
Freedom at Midnight Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre
Future Shock Alvin Toffler
7.22 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Name of the book Author

G
Geet Govinda Jay Deva

Gitanjali Rabindranath Tagore

Gita Rahasya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Glimpses of World History Jawaharlal Nehru

Godan Munshi Prem Chand

Golden Threshold Sarojini Naidu

Golden Gate, The Vikram Seth

Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell

Gora Rabindranath Tagore

Grammar of Politics Harold Laski

Great Expectations Charles Dickens

Guide, The R K. Narayan

Gul-e-Naghma Raghupati Sahai Firaq

Gulliver’s Travels Jonathan Swift

H
Hamlet William Shakespeare

Harsha Charita Bana Bhatt

Heat and Dust Ruth P. Jhabwala

Hindu View of Life Dr S. Radhakrishnan

Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.23
Name of the book Author

I
If I am Assassinated Z. A. Bhutto
Illiad Homer
Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde
India Divided Rajendra Prasad
India Wins Freedom Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Indian Home Rule M. K. Gandhi
Indian Philosophy Dr S. Radhakrishnan
Invisible Man H. G. Wells
Iron in the Soul Jean Paul Sartre
Ivanhoe Walter Scott

J
Judgement, The Kuldip Nayar
Julius Caesar William Shakespeare
Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling

K
Kadambari Bana Bhatt
Kamasutra Vatsyayan
Kamayani Jai Shankar Prasad
King Lear William Shakespeare
Kumar Sambhava Kalidas

L
Life Divine Aurobindo Ghosh
Letters from a Father to his Daughter Jawaharlal Nehru
Lolita V. Nabakov
Love Story Eric Segal
7.24 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Name of the book Author

Macbeth William Shakespeare

Mahabharata Ved Vyas
Man and Superman George Bernard Shaw
Man of Destiny George Bernard Shaw
Meghdoot Kalidas
Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare
Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie
Mother Maxim Gorky
Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare
Mudra Rakshas Vishakadutta
My Experiments with Truth Mahatma Gandhi
My Music, My Life Ravi Shankar
My Truth Indira Gandhi

N
Natya Shastra Bharat Muni
Nine Days Wonder John Masefield

O
Odyssey Homer
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Origin of Species Charles Darwin
Othello William Shakespeare

P
Panchatantra Vishnu Sharma
Passage to England, A Nirad C. Choudhury
Paradise Lost John Milton
Passage to India, A E. M. Forster
Patriot, The Pearl S. Buck
Post Office Rabindranath Tagore
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.25
Name of the book Author

R
Raghuvamsa Kalidas
Ram Charita Manas Tulsidas
Ramayana Valmiki
Ratnavali Harsha Vardhan
Ritu Samhara Kalidas
Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare
Rubaiyat Omar Khayyam

S
Sadar-i-Riyasat Karan Singh
Satyartha Prakash Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Savitri Sri Aurobindo Ghosh
Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen
Satanic Verses, The Salman Rushdie
Shahnama Firdausi
Shakuntala Kalidas
Shape of Things to Come H.G. Wells
Shame Salman Rushdie
Sohrab and Rustum Mathew Arnold
Sunny Days Sunil Gavaskar

T
Tale of Two Cities, A Charles Dickens
Tempest, The William Shakespeare
Three Musketeers Alexander Dumas
Time Machine H.G. Wells
To Live or Not to Live Nirad C. Choudhury
Triumph John Kenneth Galbraith
Twelfth Night William Shakespeare
Twenty Years After Alexander Dumas
Two Leaves and a Bud Mulk Raj Anand
7.26 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Name of the book Author

U
Ulysses James Joyce
Unto This Last John Ruskin
Utopia Thomas Moore
Uttar Ramcharita Bhavbhuti

V
Valley of Dolls Jacqueline Susann
Vanity Fair William Thackeray
Vinay Patrik a Tulsidas
Virginians, The William Thackeray
Vish Vrik sha Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Voice of Conscience V.V. Giri

W
Wak e up India Annie Beseant
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
Wealth of Nations Adam Smith
Wonder that Was India, The A.L. Basham

Y
Yama Mahadevi Verma
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.27
Important Abbreviations

A
AAFI The Amateur Athletics Federation of India
ABC Audit Bureau of Circulation
ACPC Agricultural Costs and Prices Commission
AEZ Agri Export Zone
AD Anno Domini
AGM Annual General Meeting
ADB Asian Development Bank
AFP Agence France Presse
AC Ante Christum; Alternating Current
AI Artificial Intelligence; Air India
AG Accountant General
ARM Additional Resource Mobilisation
AM Ante Meridiem
APM Administered Price Mechanism
ASLV Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
AICTE All India Council for Technical Education
ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations
ASP Application Service Provider; Association of Shareware Professionals
AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences
AITUC All India Trade Union Congress
ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange
AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome
ANC African National Congress
APEC Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
AGMARK Agricultural Marketing Development
ALGOL Algebraic Oriented Language (Algorithmic Language)
ASSOCHAM Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry
AT&T American Telegraphic and Telephone Co. Ltd.
ATM Automated Teller Machine
AWACS Airborne Early Warning and Control System
7.28 Miscellaneous General Knowledge

B
B2B Business to Business
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BAT British American Tobacco
BC Before Christ
BHEL Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
BIFR Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction
BICP Bureau of Industrial Cost and Prices
B2C Business to Consumer
BIOS Basic Input Output System
BIS Bureau of Indian Standards
BOLT Bombay Stock Exchange On-Line Trading; Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer
BoP Balance of Payment
BSE Bombay Stock Exchange
BIMARU Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
BSF Border Security Force

C
CABE Central Advisory Board on Education
C2C Consumer to Consumer
CACP Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
C&W Cable and Wireless
CAG Comptroller and Auditor General of India
CAT Computed Axial Tomography
CBC Commonwealth Business Council
CBDT Central Board of Direct Taxes
CCEA Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
CBM Confidence Building Measures
CDAC Centre for the Development of Automatic Computing
CEA Central Electricity Authority
CEO Chief Executive Officer
CERC Central Electricity Regulatory Commission
CFC Chlorofluorocarbon
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.29

CHOGM Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

CIA Central Intelligence Agency

CBI Central Bureau of Investigation

CMA Credit Monitoring Arrangement

CII Confederation of Indian Industry

CISC Complex Instruction-set Computing

CRISIL Credit Rating Information Services of India Ltd.

CNC Computer Numerical Control

CSO Central Statistical Organisation

CRM Customer Relations Management

COPRA Consumer Protection Act

CMIE Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy

CIS Commonwealth of Independent States

COPU Committee on Public Undertakings

CID Criminal Investigation Department

CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

CNN Cable News Network

CRR Cash Reserve Ratio

CITU Centre of Indian Trade Unions

CTBT Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

D
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid

DFIs Development Financial Institutions

DMRC Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

DMZ Demilitarised Zone

DTP Desktop Publishing

DMAT Dematerialized Account

7.30 Miscellaneous General Knowledge

E
E-MAIL Electronic Mailing
ECG Electrocardiography
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council (UN)
EDI Electronic Data Interchange
EEG Electroencephalography
EIS Executive Information System
ELISA Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay
EOU Export Oriented Unit
EFTA European Free Trade Association
EPZ Export Processing Zone
ESMA Essential Services Maintenance Act
ECGC Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India
EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone
EPABX Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange
ESP Extra Sensory Perception

F
FRS Fellow of the Royal Society
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
FCI Food Corporation of India; Fertilizer Corporation of India
FCRA Foreign Contribution Regulation Act
FDA Food and Drug Administration
FDI Foriegn Direct Investment
FII Foreign Institutional Investors
FRCP Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
FM Frequency Modulation
FMCG Fast Moving Consumer Goods
FERA Foreign Exchange Regulation Act
FEMA Foreign Exhchange Management Act
FRCS Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
FMCT Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty
FIR First Information Report
FOREX Foreign Exchange
FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
FTII Films and Television Institute of India
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.31

G
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GAIL Gas Authority of India Ltd.
GDR Global Depository Receipt
GIS Geographical Information System
GMAT Graduate Management Aptitude Test
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GE General Electric (USA)
GMT Greenwich Mean Time
GNP Gross National Product
GIC General Insurance Corporation
GPS Global Positioning System
GRE Graduate Record Examination
GM General Motors (USA)
GSI Geological Survey of India
GSM Global System for Mobile Communications
GUI Graphical User Interface
GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
GSTP Global System of Trade Practices
GSLV Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
GTO Geo-Synchronous Transfer Orbit

H
HYV High Yielding Varieties
HUL Hindustan Unilever Limited
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HANGSENG Hong Kong Stock Exchange Index
HMV His Master’s Voice; Heavy Motor Vehicle
HDFC Housing Development Finance Corporation
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
http hypertext transfer protocol
HUDCO Housing and Urban Development Corporation
HDI Human Development Index
HINDALCO Hindustan Aluminium Company Limited
7.32 Miscellaneous General Knowledge

I
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IARI Indian Agricultural Research Institute
IBM International Business Machines
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research
ICC International Cricket Council / International Criminal Court
INA Indian National Army
ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations
ICJ International Court of Justice
IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India
IPC Indian Penal Code
IIT Indian Institute of Technology
IJRY Integrated Jawahar Rozgar Yojana
IDRA Industrial Development and Regulation Act
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICBM Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile
ILO International Labour Organisation
IGNOU Indira Gandhi National Open University
ICICI Industrial Credit Investment Corporation of India
INDU Indian National Defence University
INSAT Indian National Satellite
IOC Indian Oil Corporation
IP Internet Protocol
IQ Intelligence Quotient
IRA Irish Republican Army
IRBM Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
IRDP Integrated Rural Development Programme
ISBN International Standard Book Number
ISI Indian Standards Institution; Inter Service Intelligence
IFCI Industrial Finance Corporation of India
ISO International Standards Organisation
IST Indian Standard Time
ITU International Telecommunication Union
IVF Invitro Fertilisation
ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.33

IMF International Monetary Fund

IIP Index of Industrial Production
IDA International Development Agency
ICRA Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India
ITC Indian Tobacco Company
ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research
INTUC Indian National Trade Union Congress
IOU I Owe You
IPR Intellectual Property Rights
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network
IRDA Insurance Development and Development Authority

L
LAC Line of Actual Control
LIBOR London Inter Bank Offer Rate
LCA Light Combat Aircraft
L&T Larsen and Toubro
LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide
LDC Least Developed Countries
LIC Life Insurance Corporation (of India)
LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas
LPSC Liquid Propulsion System Centre

M
MDC Movement for Democratic Change
MCF Master Control Facility
M&A Mergers and Acquisitions
MFN Most Favoured Nation
MF Mutual Fund
MNC Multinational Corporation
MODVAT Modified Value Added Tax
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MRTPC Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission
MSP Minimum Support Price
MTCR Missile Technology Control Regime
MUL Maruti Udyog Limited
MODEM Modulator / Demodulator
7.34 M is c ellan eo u s Gen eral K n o w led g e

N
NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
NCAER National Council of Applied Economic Research
NCCF National Consumers Cooperative Federation
NCFSE National Curriculum Framework for Secondary Education
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NASDAQ National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NCL National Commission on Labour / National Chemical Laboratory
NCRWC National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution
NDC National Development Council
NGO Non-Government Organisation; Non-Gazetted Officer
NMR Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
NPT Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
NPC National Productivity Council
NPA Non Performing Assets
NASSCOM National Association of Software and Service Companies
NAFED National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
NREP National Rural Employment Programme
NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation
NCC National Cadet Corps
NMS Network Management System
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NAV Net Asset Value
NSIC National Small-scale Industries Corporation
NCERT National Council of Educational Research and Training
NWP National Water Policy

O
OAPEC Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries
OAU Organisation of African Unity
OBU Overseas Banking Unit
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
OIC Organisation of Islamic Conference
ONGC Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
OPEC Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
OOP Object Oriented Programme
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.35

P
PAC Public Accounts Committee
P&G Proctor and Gamble Limited
PAN Permanent Account Number
PAL Premier Automobiles Limited
PFI Petroleum Federation of India
Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy
PIL Public Interest Litigation
PGA Professional Golf Association
PIN Postal Index Number
PM Post Meridiem; Prime Minister
PPA Power Purchase Agreement
PDS Public Distribution System
PMRY Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana
PPP Purchasing Power Parity; Point-to-Point Protocol
PROLOG Programming Logic
PRI Panchayati Raj Institution
PSE Public Sector Enterprises
PSLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
PTA Pilotless Target Aircraft
PTO Please Turn Over
PAYE Pay as You Earn
PHDCCI Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industries
PCA Professional Chess Association
Pixel Picture element
POTA Prevention of Terrorism Act
POTO Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance
PS Post Scriptum
PTI Press Trust of India
PSU Public Sector Undertaking

Q
QR Quantitative Restriction
7.36 M is c ellan eo u s Gen eral K n o w led g e

R
R&D Research and Develoment
RAM Random Access Memory
RAW Research and Analysis Wing
RBO River Basin Organisation
RIDF Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
RPM Revolutions Per Minute
RSS Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh
RBI Reserve Bank of India
RAF Rapid Action Force
REC Rural Electrification Corporation
RISC Reduced Instruction–Set Computing
RRBs Regional Rural Banks

S
SAIL Steel Authority of India Limited
SEBs State Electricity Boards
SAPTA South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement
SCI Shipping Corporation of India
SCM Supply Chain Management
SEA Satellite Education Authority
SFCs State Financial Corporations
SDR Special Drawing Rights
SEBI Securities and Exchange Board of India
SENSEX Sensitivity Index (of Share Price)
SEZ Special Export Zone
SRTCs State Road Transport Corporations
SSI Small Scale Industries
SCOPE Standing Committee of Public Enterprise
SLR Statutory Liquidity Ratio
SPCA Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
STC State Trading Corporation
SUV Sports Utility Vehicle
STP Software Technology Park
SLV Satellite Launch Vehicle
SPIC Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation
SAI Sports Authority of India
STD Subscriber Trunk Dialing; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.37

T
TCP Transfer Call Protocol; Transmission Control Protocol
TELCO Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company
TIFR Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
TISCO Tata Iron and Steel Company
TNT Trinitrotoluene
TQM Total Quality Management
TCS Tata Consultancy Services
TRIMS Trade Related Investment Measures
TRIFED Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd.
TRIPS Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights
TADA Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act
TRYSEM Training of Rural Youth for Self-employment
TWAS Third World Academy of Science

U
UGC University Grants Commission
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UPSC Union Public Service Commission
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UFO Unidentified Flying Objects
UHF Ultra-high Frequency
UNI United News of India
USP Unique Selling Proposition
UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (At present known as
UNICEF
‘United Nations Children’s Fund’)
7.38 M is c ellan eo u s Gen eral K n o w led g e

V
VAN Virtual Area Network
VDIS Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme
VSAT Very Small Aperture Terminal
VAT Value Added Tax

W
WEF World Economic Forum
WHO World Health Organisation
WMO World Meteorological Organisation
WWW World Wide Web
WPI Wholesale Price Index
WWF World Wildlife Fund (At present known as Worldwide Fund for Nature)
WWF World Wrestling Federation
WTDC World Telecommunication Development Conference
WTO World Trade Organisation

X
XML Extensible Mark-up Language
XMS Extended Memory System

Important Facts about World and India

(A) World’s Largest, Longest and Highest Man-made Structures

Structure Name Location

Trans-Siberian line from Moscow to
Longest Rail Line Russia
Nakhodka, 9,438 kilometres long
Largest Temple (Hindu) Angkor Vat Cambodia
Longest Wall The Great Wall of China China
Longest Railway Platform Gorakhpur (1,366.33 m) Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
Largest Cathedral Diocese of New York New York
Longest Railway Bridge Huey P. Long Bridge Metairie, Louisiana, US
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
Busiest Airport Georgia, USA
International Airport
Highest Road Bridge
Royal Gorge River Arkanas, Colorado
over Water
Largest Library The Library of Congress Capital Hill, Washington, DC

(B) Important Natural Entities of the World

Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.39

Natural Entity Names

Largest Ocean Pacific
Largest Gulf Gulf of Mexico
Largest Island Greenland (renamed Kalaatlit Nunaat)
Largest Bay Hudson Bay, Northern Canada
Tallest Animal Giraffe
Largest Bird North American Ostrich
Largest Animal Blue Whale
Largest Egg Ostrich Egg
Smallest Bird Bee Hummingbird
Smallest River (shortest) Roe River in Montana
Largest Sea South China Sea
Largest Delta Sunderbans
Driest Place Atacama Desert, Chile
Highest Waterfall Salto Angel, Venezuela
Largest Desert The Sahara, North Africa
Hottest Place Aziza, Libya
Largest Glacier Siachen, Indo-Pak border
Coldest Place Vostok Staion (Antarctica)

(C) Important Facts of India.

National Insignia and Other Important Facts
1. National Flag: It was adopted by Constituent Assembly on July 22 1947. Ratio of width to length is 2 : 3
having three bands of equal width; lowest is green, middle one is white and saffron is the colour at the top.
A wheel is at the centre of the flag of navy blue colour having 24 spokes. Madam Bhikaji Cama was the
first to unfurl the tri-colour at an international body.
2. National Anthem: Composed by Rabindranath Tagore, have wordings: Jana Gana Mana..., in 1911.
Adopted on January 24, 1950, by the Constituent Assembly of India and takes about 52 seconds to sing it
completely. It was first sung on 27th Dec. 1911 at Calcutta session of Congress.
3. National Song: Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, wordings: Vande Mataram ..., taken from
‘Anand Math’, a novel by him and was adopted on January 24, 1950.
4. National Flower is Lotus.
5. National Animal is Tiger.
6. National Bird is Peacock.
7. State Emblem of India
The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. In the original, there are four lions,
standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a
galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a
single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).
In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950, only three lions are visible, the
fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a
horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted.
The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed
below the abacus in Devanagari script.
7.40 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
(D) Important Boundaries and Lines of the World
1. Durand Line: It is the line which separates India and Afghanistan.
2. MacMahon Line: It demarcates the boundries of China and India.
3. Radcliffe Line: It demarcates the boundary between India and Pakistan.
4. 38th Parallel: It is the parallel separating North Korea and South Korea.
5. 49th Parallel: It is the boundary between USA and Canada.
6. Siegfried Line: It is the line between Germany and France, from German side.
7. Maginot Line: It is the line between Germany and France from French side.
8. 17th parallel: It is the parallel (latitude) which separated north Vietnam from south Vietnam.
(E) States of India and Their Capitals
States Capitals States Capitals
1. Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad /Amaravati 15. Manipur Imphal
2. Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar 16. Meghalaya Shillong
3. Assam Dispur 17. Mizoram Aizawl
4. Bihar Patna 18. Nagaland Kohima
5. Chhatisgarh Raipur 19. Orissa Bhubaneswar
6. Goa Panaji 20. Punjab Chandigarh
7. Gujarat Gandhinagar 21. Rajasthan Jaipur
8. Haryana Chandigarh 22. Sikkim Gangtok
9. Himachal Pradesh Shimla 23. Tamil Nadu Chennai
10. Jharkhand Ranchi 24. Telangana Hyderabad
11. Karnataka Bangalore 25. Tripura Agartala
12. Kerala Thiruvananthapuram 26. Uttarakhand Dehra Dun
13. Madhya Pradesh Bhopal 27. Uttar Pradesh Lucknow
14. Maharashtra Mumbai 28. West Bengal Kolkata
National Capital Territory Capital
Delhi Delhi

Union Territories Capitals

1. Andaman & Nicobar Islands Port Blair
2. Chandigarh Chandigarh
3. Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu
Daman
(Come into effect on 26 January 2020)
4. Lakshadweep Kavaratti
5. Puducherry Puducherry
Srinagar (Summer Capital)
6. Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu (Winter Capital)
7. Ladakh Leh, Kargil
*Please know that there are 28 States and 8 Union Territories in India. Delhi is counted as a Union
territory.
Islands: India possesses two groups of Islands, i.e. (i) Lakshadweep, (ii) Andaman & Nicobar group.
(i) Lakshadweep: It is a collection of 27 islands present in the Arabian Sea lying about 300 kilometres west of
Kerala.
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.41
(ii) Andaman & Nicobar group: Nicobar consists of 19 small islands and Andaman has a collection of 204 small
islands.
(iii) Indira point is the Southmost extremity of India.
(F) Important Indian Towns and Associated Industries
Town Industry Town Industry
Aligarh Locks Mysore Silk
Ankleshwar Oil Nangal Fertilizers
Bhilai Steel plant Nepanagar Newsprint
Chittaranjan Locomotive Perambur Railway coach factory
Digboi Oil Pimpri Penicillin factory
Durgapur Steel plant Raniganj Coal mining
Jhamshedpur Steel Rourkela Steel plant
Jharia Coal Sindri Fertilizers
Katni Cement Surat Textiles
Khetri Copper Titagarh Paper
Hosiery, cycles, sewing
Ludhiana Vishakhapatnam Ship-building
machines

(G) Important Indian Cities on River Banks

City River City River
Ahmedabad Sabarmati Ludhiana Sutlej
Ayodhya Sarayu Nashik Godavari
Delhi Yamuna Srinagar Jhelum
Guwahati Brahmaputra Tiruchirapalli Cauvery
Howrah Hugli Ujjain Shipra
Hyderabad Musa Varanasi Ganges
Kota Chambal Vijayawada Krishna
Lucknow Gomti

(H) Important Indian Sites and Monuments and Their Locations

Site/Monument Location Site/Monument Location
Ajanta Caves Aurangabad Jantar Mantar Delhi
Anand Bhawan Allahabad Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu
Buland Darwaza Fatehpur Sikri near Agra Khajuraho Bhopal
Char Minar Hyderabad Kranti Maidan Mumbai
Dilwara Temples Mount Abu Minakshi Temple Madurai
Elephanta Caves Mumbai Red Fort Delhi
Ellora Temples Aurangabad Sabarmati Ahmedabad
Gol Gumbaz Bijapur Sanchi Madhya Pradesh
Golden Temple Amritsar Sarnath Varanasi
Gomateshwara Statue Mysore Shantiniketan Birbhumi
Jallianwala Bagh Amritsar Victoria Memorial Kolkata
Jama Masjid Delhi
7.42 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
(I) Major Indian Crops and Their Leading Producers

Name of the Crop Main Proucer

Cashew nuts Tamil Nadu, Kerala
Cloves Kerala
Coconut Tamil Nadu, Kerala
Coffee Karnataka, Kerala
Cotton Gujarat, Maharashtra
Groundnut Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Jute Bihar, W. Bengal, Odisha
Mustard Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan
Rice West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
Rubber Kerala, Karnataka
Saffron Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
Silk Karnataka, Kerala
Sugar cane Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra
Tea Assam, West Bengal, Kerala
Tobacco Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh
Wheat U.P., Punjab, Haryana

(J) Minerals and Their States of Abundance

Minerals States
Odisha is the largest producer of bauxite in the country
and contributes about one-third of the total production.
Bauxite
Jharkhand is the second largest producer of bauxite
and produces about 22% of India’s total.
Coal Bihar, West Bengal (Raniganj and Jharia)
Major copper ore deposits are located in Singhbhum
Copper district (Jharkhand), Balghat district (Madhya Pradesh)
and Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts (Rajasthan).
Diamond Madhya Pradesh (Panna)
Iron Odisha (Mayurbhanj, Bonai, Keonjhar)
Lignite Tamil Nadu (Neyveli fields)
Limestone Madhya Pradesh
Manganese Odisha
India has monopoly in the production of mica, producing
about 60% of the world’s total production. About 95% of
Mica
India’s mica is distributed in just three states of
Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.43
(K) Important River-based Projects

Name of the project River

Bhakra Nangal Project Sutlej
Chambal Project Chambal
Damodar Valley Project Damodar
Farakka Project Bhagirathi, Ganga
Gandak River Project Gandak
Hirakud Dam Project Mahanadi
Idukki Project Periyar
Kosi Project Kosi
Koyna Project Koyna
Mayurakshi Project Murali
Nagarjunasagar Project Krishna
Rihand Scheme Rihand
Tawa Project Tawa
Tehri Dam Project Bhilangana, Bhagirathi
Tungabhadra Project Tungabhadra
Ukai Project Tapti

(L) Important Dances of India

Name of the dance State which it belongs to

Bihu Assam
Bidesia Bihar
Bharatanatyam South India (Tamil Nadu)
Bhangra, Gidda Punjab
Chiraw Mizoram
Jatra, Chau West Bengal
Jhulan leela, Jhumar or Ghumar Rajasthan
Kathak North India (Uttar Pradesh)
Kuchipudi, Kottam Andhra Pradesh
Lota, Pandavani Madhya Pradesh
Mohiniattam, Kathakali,Theyyam Kerala
Manipuri, Maharasa Manipur
Nautanki Uttar Pradesh
Odissi Odisha
Bhavai Gujarat
Tamasha, Lavani Maharashtra
Yakshagana Karnataka
Kathakali Kerala
7.44 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
(M) Important Indian Tribes and Their Habitats
Name of the tribe Habitat
Abors Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Baiga Madhya Pradesh
Bhils Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
Bhotias Uttar Pradesh
Garos Meghalaya
Gonds Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh
Khonds Odisha
Khasis Assam, Meghalaya
Kuki Manipur
Mina Rajasthan
Mundas Jharkhand
Murias Chhattishgarh
Santhals West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh.
Todas (it is a polyandrous tribe) Tamil Nadu
Warlis Maharashtra

Important Demographic Facts of India

Census 2011
Following are few selected, important demographic facts, that you should always keep on your finger
tips. You can expect atleast one question from them.
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. House
listing phase began on April 1, 2010 to collect of information on all buildings. Information for National Population
Register was also collected in the first phase, which will be used to issue a 12-digit unique identification number
(Aadhar) to all registered Indians by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI). The second phase of population
enumeration was conducted between 9 to 28 February 2011. Census has been conducted in India since 1872. In
Census - 2011 biometric information was collected for the first time. Shri C. Chandramouli is the Registrar General
and commissioner of 2011 indian census.
1. Absolute population of India - 121.02 crores. It comprises 62.37 crores males and 58.65 crores females.
2. Population growth during the decade remained 17.64 percent.
 Total absolute increase in population during the decade is 18.15 crores.
 Sex ratio - 940 females per 1000 males. Child sex ratio for females is 914 per 1000 males.
3. Highest sex ratio - Kerala
4. Lowest sex ratio - Haryana
5. Most populous state - Uttar Pradesh
6. Least populous state - Sikkim
7. Most populous union territory - Delhi
8. Least populous union territory - Lakshadweep
9. Population density (people living in one square km) of India - 382.
10. Highest population density - Bihar
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.45
11. Lowest population density - Arunachal Pradesh
12. Literacy rate of India - 74.04% (males: 82.14%, female: 65.46%). Literacy rate of India has gone up to 74.04
percent from previous figure of 64.83 percent.
13. States with highest literacy - Kerala (93.9%)
14. State with lowest literacy - Bihar (63.82%)
15. Urbanization (% of population living in urban areas) - 27.8% (India)
16. Most urbanised state (1991 census) - Mizoram
17. Speakers of language (in descending order) - Hindi > Bengali > Telugu > Marathi > Tamil > Urdu
18. Census commissioner of India for the census 2011 is Dr. C. Chandramouli

Different UN Agencies
Abbrev- Date of
Nam e of Agency Headquarter Purpose Heads
iation Establishm ent
To promote social justice, improve
International Labour
1. ILO 1919 Geneva conditions and living standard of Guy Ryder
Organization
w orkers and promote economic stability
International A tomic To promote peacef ul uses of atomic Raf ael Mariano
2. IA EA 1957 V ienna
Energy A gency energy Grossi
To raise nutritional levels, living
standards, production and distribution
Food and A griculture
3. FA O 1945 Rome of f ood and agricultural products, Dr QU Dongyu
Organization
improving living conditions of rural
population
United Nations To promote collaboration among nations
Education, Scientif ic UNESC through education, science and culture A udrey A zoulay
4. 1946 Paris
and Cultural O in order to f urther justice, human rights (Director general)
Organization and f reedom
Dr Tedros
World Health A ttainment of the highest possible level
5. WHO 1948 Geneva A dhanom
Organization of health by all people
Ghebreyesus
Development of economies of members
International Bank f or
by f acilitating investment of capital and
6. Reconstruction and IBRD 1945 Washington David Malpass
f oreign investment, through provision of
Development
loans
To promote international exchange of
World Meteorological Petteri Taalas
7. WMO 1950 Geneva w eather reports and other w eather
Organization (Head)
related services

Promotes cooperation on technical

International Maritime Kitack Lim
8. IMO 1958 London matters of maritime saf ety, navigation
Organization (Head)
and encourages anti-pollution measures

United Nations
Henrietta H. Fore
9. International Children's UNICEF 1946 New Y ork Children's w elf are all over the w orld
(Ex.Directors)
Emergency Fund

General A greement
Treaty setting rules f or w orld trade, to
on Tarif f s and Trade
10. WTO 1948 - 1994 Geneva reduce tarif f s and other barriers to Rober A zevedo
(f rom 1994 it is know n
international trade
as WTO)
United Nations Help developing countries increase the
A chim Steiner
11. Development UNDP 1965 New Y ork w ealth producing capabilities and
(Chairperson)
Programme resources
7.46 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
United Nations Fund
Promotes Population related
13. f or Population UNFPA 1967 New Y ork Natalia Kanem
programmes
A ctivities
United Nations High
Provides international protection to
14. Commissioner f or UNHCR 1950 Geneva Filippo Grandi
ref ugees
Ref ugees
United Nationas Extends assistance to developing
15. Industrial Development UNIDO 1967 V ienna countries f or development and Li Y ong
Organization modernisation of industries

Promote economic development by Philippe Le

International Finance
16. IFC 1955 Washington encouraging private enterprise in its Houerou
corporation
member countries (CEO)
Promotes international monetary co-
International Monetary Kristalina
17 IMF 1945 Washington operation and expansion of international
Fund Georgieva
trade
Promotes saf ety of international aviation
International Civil
18 ICA O 1947 Montreal and establishes international standards Dr. Fang Liu
A viation
and regulations
Bishar
Improves various postal services and
19 Universal Postal Union UPU 1947 Berne A bdirahenan
promotes international collaboration
Hussein
International Sets international regulations f or radio,
20 Telecommunication ITU 1947 Geneva telegraph, telephone and space radio Houlin Zhao
Union communications
United Nations Promotes international trade w ith a view Mukhisa Kituyi
UNCTA
21 Conf erence on Trade 1964 Geneva to accelerate economic grow th of (Secretary-
D
and Development developing countries General)
Provides high priority training and of
United Nations projects to help f acilitate the UN Nikhil Seth
22 Institute f or Training UNITA R 1965 New Y ork research objectives of w orld peace and (Executive
and Research security, and of economic and social Director)
progress
United Nations Relief
Provides f ood, health services, Pierre Krahenbuhl
and Work f or
23 UNRWA 1949 New Y ork education vocational training f or those (Commissioner
Palestine Ref ugees in
displaced in the A rab-Israel w ar Gen)
the North East
International Olympic Lousanne Responsible f or Organizing Modern
24 IOC 1894 Thomas Bach
Committee Sw itzerland Summer & Winter Olympic Games

Anti-Poverty And Employment Generation Programs

A list of programmes by Narendra Modi Government:
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
It is a national mission for financial inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely Banking Savings &
Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, and Pension in an affordable manner. This financial inclusion
campaign was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 August 2014.He had announced this scheme
on his first Independence Day speech on 15 August 2014.Run by Department of Financial Services, Ministry of
Finance, on the inauguration day, 1.5 Crore (15 million) bank accounts were opened under this scheme. Guinness
World Records recognises the achievements made under PMJDY, Guinness World Records Certificate says "The
most bank accounts opened in 1 week as a part of financial inclusion campaign is 18,096,130 and was achieved by
Banks in India from 23 to 29 August 2014". By 7 October 2015, 18.70 crore accounts were opened, with around
Rs. 25146.97 crore (US$3.8 billion) were deposited under the scheme.
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.47
Digital India
Digital India is an initiative by the Government of India to ensure that Government services are made available to
citizens electronically by improving online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity. It was launched on
July 1, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative includes plans to connect rural areas with high-speed
internet networks. Digital India has three core components. These include: The creation of digital infrastructure,
delivering services digitally and digital literacy. The Government plans to complete this project in five years. That is,
by 2019, the Digital India project is expected to be fully functional.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched formally on October 2, 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The objective is to make India a clean India by 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The plan is to
provide toilet and sanitation facilities in all rural and remote areas, to create public awareness of cleanliness, to
clean roads, streets, encroachments and make India one of the cleanest countries of the world.

Make in India
Make in India is an initiative of the Government of India to encourage multinational, as well as domestic companies
to manufacture their products in India. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 September 2014.
India would emerge, after initiation of the programme in 2015, as the top destination globally for foreign direct
investment, surpassing the People's Republic of China as well as the United States. The Make in India campaign is
completely under the Central Government, in which the Government has identified 25 major sectors which have the
potential of becoming a global leader.

Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana is a rural development programme broadly focusing upon the development in the
villages which includes social development, cultural development and spread motivation among the people on social
mobilization of the village community. The programme was launched by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi
on the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, on 11 October 2014. According to this yojana, each MP will take
the responsibility of developing three villages by 2019. The idea is to make India's villages to be fully developed with
physical and institutional infrastructure. There are certain guidelines for this scheme, which has been formulated by
the Department of Rural Development. The Prime Minister released the guidelines on October 11, 2014 and requested
all MPs to develop one model village by year 2016 in their constituency and two more by 2019.

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

Atal Pension Yojana is a government-backed pension scheme in India targeted at the unorganized sector. It was
originally mentioned in the 2015 Budget speech by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in February 2015.It was formally
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May in Kolkata. As of May 2015, only 11% of India's population has
any kind of pension scheme, this scheme aims to increase the number. In Atal Pension Yojana, for every contribution
made to the pension fund, the government will contribute an equal amount to his/her fund. Depending on the contribution
made between 18 and 40, at the age of 60 a sum of Rs. 1000 (US$15), Rs. 2000 (US$30), Rs. 3000 (US$45), Rs. 4000
(US$60), or Rs. 5000 (US$75) will be paid monthly.

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is a government-backed Life insurance scheme in India. It was originally
mentioned in the 2015 Budget speech by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in February 2015. It was formally launched
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May in Kolkata.As of May 2015, only 20% of India's population has any kind
of insurance, this scheme aims to increase the number. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is available to
people between 18 and 50 years of age with bank accounts. It has an annual premium of Rs. 330 (US$5.00)
excluding service tax, which is above 14% of the premium. The amount will be automatically debited from the
account. In case of death due to any cause, the payment to the nominee will be 2 lakh (US$3,000).This scheme will
be linked to the bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana scheme. Most of these account
had zero balance initially. The government aims to reduce the number of such zero balance accounts by using this
and related schemes.
7.48 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is a government-backed accident insurance scheme in India. It was originally
mentioned in the 2015 Budget speech by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in February 2015.It was formally launched
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May in Kolkata.As of May 2015, only 20% of India's population has any kind
of insurance, this scheme aims to increase the number. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is available to
people between 18 and 70 years of age with bank accounts. It has an annual premium of 12 (18¢ US) excluding
service tax, which is about 14% of the premium. The amount will be automatically debited from the account. In case
of accidental death or full disability, the payment to the nominee will be 2 lakh (US$3,000) and in case of partial
disability 1 lakh (US$1,500). Full disability has been defined as loss of use in eyes, hands or feet. Partial disability
has been defined as loss of use in one eye, hand or foot.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme

It is a Government of India scheme that aims to generate awareness and improving the efficiency of welfare services
meant for women. The scheme was initiated with an initial corpus of Rs 100 crore. Prime Minister Modi launched the
programme on January 22, 2015 from Panipat, Haryana. This is being implemented through a national campaign
and focussed multi sectoral action in 100 selected districts low in CSR, covering all States and UTs. This is a joint
initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human
Resource Development. The objectives of this initiative are: Prevention of gender biased sex selective elimination,
ensuring survival & protection of the girl child and ensuring education and participation of the girl child.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Sukanya Samriddhi Account (literally Girl Child Prosperity Account) in a Government of India backed saving scheme
targeted at the parents of girl children. The scheme encourages parents to build a fund for the future education and
marriage expenses for their female child. The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22
January 2015 as a part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. The scheme currently provides an interest rate
of 9.2% and tax benefits. The account can be opened at any India Post office or a branch of some authorised
commercial banks.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

PMKSY is central scheme that aims at providing irrigation facilities to every village in the country by converging
ongoing irrigation schemes implemented by various ministries. It will have an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore over a period
of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). The allocation for the current financial year is Rs. 5300 crore. The major objective
of the PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under
assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani), improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the
adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop), enhance recharge of
aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal
based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

This will be the flagship scheme for skill training of youth to be implemented by the new Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The scheme will cover 24 lakh
persons. Skill training would be done based on the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) and industry led
standards. Under the scheme, a monetary reward is given to trainees on assessment and certification by third party
assessment bodies. The average monetary reward would be around Rs. 8000 per trainee.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

The initiative was announced by PM Narendra Modi on 25 June 2015, and is said to be aiming to transform 500 cities
and towns into efficient urban living spaces, with special focus on a healthy and green environment for children. it
was also reported that Cabinet has approved Rs 50,000 crore for this mission which is to be spent over the next five
years. The purpose of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is to (i) ensure that every
household has access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection; (ii) increase the amenity
value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces (parks); and (iii) reduce pollution by switching
to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g. walking and cycling).
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.49
Smart Cities Project
The government of India under Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has a vision of developing 100 smart cities as
satellite towns of larger cities and by modernizing the existing mid-sized cities. The government plans to identify 20
smart cities in 2015, 40 in 2016 and another 40 in 2017. The 100 potential smart cities nominated by all the States
and UTs based on Stage1 criteria will prepare Smart City Plans which will be rigorously evaluated in the Stage2 of
the competition for prioritizing cities for financing. In the first round of this stage, 20 top scorers will be chosen for
financing during this financial year. The remaining would be asked to make up the deficiencies identified by the Apex
Committee in the Ministry of Urban Development for participation in the next two rounds of competition. 40 cities
each will be selected for financing during the next rounds of competition.
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGRY)
 Started on April 1, 1999. It has replaced the following programs.
 Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP): Started in 1978-79.
 Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) : Started in 1978-79.
 Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY) : Started in 1997.
 Million Wells Scheme (MWS): Started in 1989.
 Supply of Improved Tool-kits to Rural Artisans (SITRA) : Started in 1992.
 The Yojana takes into account all the strengths and weaknesses of the earlier self-employment programs.
 It aims at establishing a large number of micro-enterprises in the rural areas.
 Every assisted family will be brought above the poverty line. It is proposed to cover 30% of the rural poor in each
block.
 To target at least 50% Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 40% Women and 3% disabled.
 Shared 75 : 25 by Centre and States.
Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY)
 It was introduced in 2000-01 with the objective of focusing on village level development in five critical areas, i.e.,
primary health, primary education, housing, rural roads and drinking water and nutrition with the overall objective
of improving the quality of life of people in rural areas. Rural electrification was added as an additional component
from 2001-02.
 It has the following components.
1. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
 It was launched on Dec 25, 2000 with the objective of providing road connectivity through good all
weather roads to all rural habitations with a population of more than 1000 persons by the year 2003 and
those with a population of more than 500 persons by the year 2007.
2. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (Gramin Awas)
 Launched on Apr 1, 2000. Based on the pattern of Indira Awas Yojana, the scheme is being implemented
in the rural areas throughout the country with the objective of sustainable habitat development.
3. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (Rural Drinking Water Project)

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)

 It was launched on Feb 2, 2006. The on-going programs of Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and
National Food for Work Programme (NFFWP) were subsumed within the NREGS in the 200 districts identified in
the initial stage. All the districts in the country are covered under the scheme now. The features of the scheme
are:
(a) State Government to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to
every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
(b) Until such time as a wage rate is fixed by the Central Government, the minimum wage for agricultural
laborers shall be applicable for the scheme.
7.50 Miscellaneous General Knowledge
(c) An applicant not provided employment within fifteen days, to be entitled to a daily unemployment allowance
as specified by the State Government subject to its economic capacity, provided such rate is not less than
quarter of the wage rate for the first thirty days during the financial year and not less than a half of the wage
rate for the remaining period of the financial year.

Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)

 It was started on September. 25, 2001, with the mergence of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and
the Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana (JGSY). Earlier Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, which started in 1989, was
merged with Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana.
 This scheme has been subsumed in National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Bharat Nirman Yojana

 Accepting the policy ‘a step towards village’, Union Government launched a new scheme, named ‘Bharat
Nirman Yojana’ on Dec 16, 2005. This scheme aims at developing rural infrastructure. The duration of
implementing this scheme has been determined for four years with the expected expenditure of Rs. 1,74,000
crore.
The major six sectors and their targets for next four years are
 Irrigation : To ensure irrigation for additional one crore hectare of land by 2009.
 Roads : To link all villages of 1,000 population with roads and also to link all ST and hilly villages upto 500
population with roads.
 Housing : Construction of 60 lakh additional houses for the poor.
 Water Supply : To ensure drinking water to all remaining 74,000 villages.
 Electrification : To supply electricity to all remaining 1,25,000 villages and to provide electricity connection to
2.3 crore houses.
 Rural Communication : To provide telephone facility to all remaining 66,822 villages.

Swarnajayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)

 The SJSRY came into operation in Dec 1997, through a restructuring and streamlining of the earlier urban
poverty alleviation programs, the Nehru Rozgar Yojana (NRY), the Urban Basic Services for the Poor
(UBSP) and the Prime Minister’s Integrated Urban Poverty Alleviation Programme (PMIUPEP).
 It seeks to provide employment to the urban employed or underemployed living below poverty line and educate
up to IX standard through encouraging the setting up of self-employment ventures or provision of wage employment.
 It is funded by the Centre and States on 75 : 25 bases.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana

 Launched on Dec 25, 2000, the scheme aims at providing food security to poor families.
 The Scheme contemplates identification of 10 million poorest of the poor families and providing them with 35 kg
of food grains per family per month at a low price of Rs. 2 per kg of wheat and Rs. 3 per kg for rice.

Annapurna Yojana
 Inaugurated on Mar 19, 1999.
 Initially the scheme provided 10 kg food grains to senior citizens who were eligible for old age pension but could
not get it due to one reason or the other. Later on, it was extended to cover those people also who get old age
pensions.
 Food grains are provided to the beneficiaries at subsidized rates of Rs. 2 per kg of wheat and Rs. 3 per kg of
rice.
Miscellaneous General Knowledge 7.51
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
 The Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was launched in 2001. The goals of SSA are as follows: (i) All
6-14 age children in school/Education Guarantee Scheme Centre/bridge course by 2003, (ii) All 6-14 age
children complete five year primary education by 2007; (iii) All 6-14 age children complete eight years of schooling
by 2010; (iv) Focus on elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for life; (v)
Bridge all gender and social category gaps at primary stage by 2007 and at elementary education level by 2010;
and (vi) Universal retention by 2010.
 The assistance under the program of SSA was on a 85:15 sharing arrangement during the Ninth Plan, 75:25
sharing arrangement during the Tenth Plan, and 50:50 sharing thereafter between the Central Government and
State Government.
 SSA addresses the needs of 194 million children in the age group of 6-14 years. Under the scheme, 9.72 lakh
existing primary and upper primary schools and 36.95 lakh existing teachers have been covered.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme for School Children

 The National Program of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NPNSPE), popularly known as the Mid-Day
Meal (MDM) Scheme, was formally launched on Aug 15, 1995. The objective of the program is to give a boost
to universalization of primary education by increasing enrolment, attendance and retention, and also improving
nutritional status of children in primary classes.
 Under the MDM scheme, cooked mid-day meal with a nutritional content of 450 calories and 12 grams protein
is served to children studying at primary level.
 About 12 crore children studying in over 9.50 lakh schools are presently covered under the scheme. In order to
improve the quality of meal, the scheme was last revised in June, 2006. The cooking cost norm has been fixed
at Rs. 2 per child per school day with Rs. 1.80 as Central assistance for North East States and Rs. 1.50 for
other States and UTs. Assistance to States has been provided at the rate of Rs 5,000 per school to procure/
repair kitchen devices.