Dipin Damodaran’s Classes

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GLOBAL GOVERNANCE, GEOGRAPHY, ISSUES & INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

READERS NOTE
 The study material covers important current affairs topics from July 2016 to March 2017
 This is the 'Volume 1’ of the ‘SURE PT’ program
 The study material is the result of unaccountable hours of exhaustive research
 It is presented in the most comprehensive manner required for UPSC prelims
 Most important note: refer the mains study material and the MCQs given in class
 READ and REVISE

1. Disputed Territories (Locate in the map)

1. SOUTH CHINA SEA
(1) It is a semi enclosed sea. It links Indian ocean with pacific ocean
(2) It encompasses an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan
(3) “Nine-dash line"- demarcation line used by china to show the extant of its claim
(4) Currently, China is involved in numerous territorial and maritime disputes with countries in SCS
a) Spartly island is also claimed by Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia
b) Paracel island is completely under Chinese control but disputed with Vietnam
c) Scarborough Shoal (known as Huangyan Island in China) is claimed by by Philippines and China
(5) Philippines approached Permanent Court of Arbitration against China
(6) In 2016, PCA ruled that China has "no historical rights" based on the "nine-dash line" map
2. CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO
(1) Sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is disputed between Mauritius and the United Kingdom
(2) The Chagos Islands- referred to by the British as the British Indian Ocean Territory, but which is not
recognised as such by Mauritius- is home to the US military base Diego Garcia
(3) In the 1960s and 1970s, inhabitants were removed from the islands. Tensions remain, with Mauritius
maintaining that the archipelago remains its integral part.
3. DIAOYU or SENKOKU
(1) It is in east china sea
(2) Disputed between China and Japan
(3) It is a group of uninhabited islands and known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, the Diaoyu Islands in China
4. FALKLAND ISLANDS
(1) Disputed between Britain and Argentina
(2) The isolated and sparsely-populated Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic
Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina, who waged a brief but bitter
war over the territory in 1982
5. KURIL ISLANDS
(1) Disputed between Russia and Japan
(2) The island chain known as the Kurils stretches north across the Pacific Ocean from the Japanese island of
Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula
(3) Four islands - which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories - are the subject
of a 60-year-old dispute between the two nations

2. Ethnic groups
6. MADHESIS
(1) The Madhesis are Hindi speaking people of Nepal
(2) They migrated into the vast stretches of plain, referred to as Madhes or Terai from the border states of Bihar
and UP
7. ROHINGYAS
(1) They are muslim ethnic minority group living in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh
(2) Boats filled with Rohingyan refugees and a number of economic migrants from Bangladesh are attempting to
escape Burma via the waters of the Malacca Strait and the Andaman Sea.
(3) These migrants have been collectively dubbed 'boat people' by the international media
8. KURDS

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(1) Kurds inhabit a mountainous region straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia.
(2) They make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East
(3) But they have never obtained a permanent nation state
9. YAZIDIS
(1) They are members of the Yazidi religion, one of Iraq’s oldest minorities
(2) They were forced to flee to Mount Sinjar in the Iraqi north-west region, or face slaughter by an encircling
group of Islamic State terrorists
10. HAZARAS
(1) Persian-speaking people who mainly live in central Afghanistan, and Pakistan
(2) They are overwhelmingly Twelver Shia muslims and make up the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan
11. KACHIN
(1) The Kachins are an ethnic group predominantly in Myanmar
(2) It is a coalition of six tribes whose homeland encompasses territory in Yunnan, China, Northeast India and
Kachin State in Myanmar.
12. UIGHURS
(1) They are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia
(2) They live primarily in the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region in China, where they are one of recognized
ethnic minorities

3. Bilateral agreements/Issues
13. India USA
a) Defence Deals
(1) The three “foundational agreements” guide the U.S. high technology cooperation with other countries.
(2) The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) (traditionally called the Logistics Support
Agreement)
(3) Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and
(4) Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA)
(5) India and US signed only LEMOA
(6) India was also designated as a “Major Defence Partner”
(7) India and US signed Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)
(8) India is not designated as “a major Non NATO ally”
b) Visa issues
(1) L1 and H1B visas are sought-after work visas in the United States and do not cover unskilled workers
(2) The US H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ graduate level workers in
specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields for a certain period of
time
(3) H-1B visa holders can bring immediate family members/spouse under the H-4 visa category as dependents.
(4) An L1 Visa is an Intra-Company Transferee Visa. It specifies no education requirement and a maximum of 7
years stay is allowed.
(5) Both are non-immigrant visa
c) SPECIAL 301 REPORT
(1) United states trade representative(USTR) releases an annual report reviewing the global state of IP rights
protection and enforcement.
(2) It categorize countries based on their IP-ness.
(3) The not so good ones are put either on the‘watch list’ or on ‘priority watch list’.
(4) The bad ones are put in ‘priority foreign countries’ categories
(5) India is on the ‘PWL”
(6) GIPC (Global Intellectual Property Centre) releases GIPC index
14. India Seychelles - INDIAN NAVEL BASE
(1) Seychelles government has provided India a plot of land in its Assumption Island to build its first naval base
in the Indian Ocean region
(2) It is a joint project between India and Seychelles involving the two Defence Forces to enhance mutual security
(3) The project has acquired significance following China acquiring its first African naval base in Djibouti in Nov
2015
(4) India recently handed over the navigational charts relating to Aldabra island of Seychelles
15. India Japan

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(1) Japan is the largest bilateral donor for India
(2) Japanese ODA ( Official Development Assistance) supports India's development initiatives
(3) Recently India and Japan signed Civil nuclear Deal
(4) It is Japan’s first nuclear pact with a country which is not a signatory to NPT
(5) The Nishikasai area in Tokyo is emerging as a “mini-India” because of the large presence of Indian IT
professionals
16. India Tajikistan
(1) Farkhor Air Base is a military air base located near the town of Farkhor in Tajikistan
(2) It is the first overseas military base of India

17. India Iran - CHABAHAR PORT

(1) India signed a deal to develop the Chabahar port for which India will extend $500 million
(2) A Trilateral Transit and Trade Corridor deal was also signed by India, Iran and Afghanistan which would
ensure easy movement of goods between the three countries, bypassing Pakistan
(3) India will get vital access to Afghanistan, Central Asia, Russia and European markets
(4) India would be involved in the creation of a railway line linking Chabahar with Zaranj in Afghanistan
(5) Indian’s involvement in the Chabahar port project is termed as a “peace port” and “transit diplomacy
(6) It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the Indian ocean
(7) The Port is located at the mouth of the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf way
18. India Central Asia
a) Ashgabat Agreement :
(1) Multimodal transport agreement signed by India, Oman,Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, for
creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia
and the Persian Gulf
(2) It will synchronize with INSTC
b) INSTC
(1) The International North–South Transport Corridor is the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between
India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia
(2) The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow,
Tehran, Bandar Abbas etc
(3) Russia, Iran and India signed the agreement for the INSTC project in 2002
(4) Besides Iran, India and Russia, countries that are members of INSTC include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Turkey, Tajikistan, Oman, Syria and Bulgaria
19. India Venezula - Oil for drugs
(1) India has proposed an Oil for Drugs barter plan with Venezuela
20. India - UAE
(1) MoU signed between ISRO and the UAE Space Agency ( UAESA )
(2) The UAE will be the only Gulf nation to have embarked on such ambitious project
(3) India is working on what is called a "farm-to-port" project to fulfill UAE’s food security
(4) Both countries signed a deal for a strategic oil reserve in India
(5) Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan was the chief guest at Republic day
parade 2017
21. India Afghanistan
(1) The Afghan-India Friendship Dam, known as Salma Dam, was inaugurated.
(2) It is built on Hari River in Chishti Sharif District of Herat Province neighbouring Iran
(3) A consortium led by SAIL is invested in Hajigak iron ore reserves in Afghanistan
22. India France
(1) India and France had finally agreed upon the terms and conditions for the purchase of 36 Rafale multi-role
fighter jets by the former from the latter.
(2) Dassault, the French aviation company that manufactures the Rafale, had won the tender in January 2012 but
had been locked in negotiations with the Indian government over the technical details ever since
(3) France was the first country with which India entered into an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation
following the waiver given by the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group, enabling India to resume full civil nuclear
cooperation with the international community
23. India Srilanka
(1) The Kachchatheevu issue - It is, a ‘barren island’ lies about 15 km from Rameswaram and 20 km north of

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Neduntivu off the Jaffna peninsula and is just 1.5 km from the International Boundary Line in Sri Lankan waters
(2) The 1974 Agreement ceded Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka
(3) In 1976 the maritime boundary between the two countries was delineated in the Gulf of Mannar from the
south-western edge of the Bay of Bengal to a point further down in a south-western axis up to the point where the
boundaries of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives met in the Indian Ocean
(4) The 1974 and 1976 agreements have made the sovereign rights of Sri Lanka in its part of the zone
unquestionable.

24. India China Pak - CPEC

(1) China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(2) CPEC will connect Pakistan with China with highway connecting Kashgar to Gwadar
(3) CPEC which includes roads and railways will pass through the entire length of Pakistan, PoK and Baluchistan
and it will reduce the distance for Chinese goods bound for Europe, Africa, the entire western hemisphere,
substantially by almost 2000 miles and vice versa.
(4) Trade through CPEC will benefit China to bypass the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia
25. India Pakistan - River water
(1) Kishanganga River Dispute
a) Kishanganga is a tributary of Jhelum river which it joins in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
b) In India, it flows through Jammu & Kashmir.
c) It is known by the name of River Neelum in Pakistan.
d) Recently Pakistan has decided to take the matter of Kishanganga Hydel project to the Hague based
Permanent Court of Arbitration.
(2) Indus Water Treaty
a) IWT administers how river Indus and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilized
b) According to the treaty, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej are to be governed by India, while, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum
are to be taken care by Pakistan.
c) However, since Indus flows from India, the country is allowed to use 20% of its water for irrigation, power
generation and transport purposes.
d) It was signed on September 19, 1960 by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's President Ayub Khan.
e) It was brokered by the World Bank.
f) A Permanent Indus Commission was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the
Treaty.The Commission solves disputes arising over water sharing.
g) The Treaty also provides arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably
(3) Balochistan
a) The landscape of Balochistan is comprised of an area over half a million square kilometers in the
southeastern part of the Iran plateau, south of the central deserts and the Helmand river.
b) Balochistan is the largest province, located on the southwest side of Pakistan, majority of inhabitants are
from Baloch ethnic group while other communities being Pashtuns and Brahuis.
c) Balochistan area is dominated by Sunni Muslims.
(4) Gilgit Baltistan
a) Gilgit-Baltistan is a chunk of high-altitude territory at the northwestern corner of Jammu and Kashmir.
b) The region was a part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but has been under Pakistan’s
control since November 1947.
c) The region was renamed ‘The Northern Areas of Pakistan’, and put under the direct control of Islamabad.
d) The Northern Areas were distinct from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
e) After the Pakistani government enacted the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order in
August 2009, the ‘Northern Areas’ came to be known as Gilgit-Baltistan.
f) Presently, it has an elected Assembly and a Council headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
g) Gilgit-Baltistan or Northern Areas do not find any mention in the Pakistani constitution: it is neither
independent, nor does it have provincial status.
h) This helps Pakistan maintain ambiguity about the region, in the way it does with PoK

4. Geopolitical organizations
26. ASEAN
(1) The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(2) It is a political and economic organisation of ten Southeast Asian countries

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(3) It was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand
(4) Later the membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos,Myanmar and Vietnam
(5) "ASEAN Plus Three" includes China, Japan, and South Korea
(6) Delhi Dialogue is an annual forum of ASEAN and India
(7) ADMM Plus ( Asian Defence Ministers Meet Plus), comprises 10 ASEAN states along with Australia, China,
India, Japan, Newzealand, Russia, South Korea and USA
27. EAS
(1) East Asian Summit with 18 members
(2) India is a member of the forum
(3) The membership of EAS consists of ten ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand,
Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the USA
(4) EAS is an initiative of ASEAN
28. ARF - ASEAN Regional Forum
(1) It is a dialogue platform between the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and its full dialogue partners
(2) The objective is to provide diplomatic solutions to regional problems
(3) India is a member

29. APEC
(1) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(2) It is a forum for facilitating growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region
(3) APEC is comprising of 21 member countries. They are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada,
China,Chile,Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico,New Zealand,Papua New Guinea,Peru Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, South Korea,Thailand,Taiwan,Vietnam and United States
(4) Bogor goals: members are committed to achieve free and open trade and investment
(5) India is observer of APEC since 2011 and has applied for membership

30. IOR- ARC

(1) The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)or Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation
(IOR-ARC), is an international organisation consisting of coastal states bordering the Indian Ocean
(2) It was established in Mauritius in March 1997 with the aim of promoting economic and technical cooperation.
(3) IOR-ARC is the only pan-Indian ocean grouping and the Association comprises 20 member states
(4) India is a member
(5) IORA Leaders’ Summit was recently held in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia in March 2017. The theme of the
summit was ‘Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Indian Ocean’.

31. BRICS
(1) BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies
(2) Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
(3) The grouping was originally known as “BRIC” before the inclusion of South Africa in 2010
(4) All five are G-20 members
(5) The term "BRIC" was coined in 2001 by then-chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jim O'Neill
(6) Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met annually at formal summits
(7) In 2016 the 8th summit (2016) was held at Panaji, Goa, India
(8) The theme was “ Building Responsive inclusive abs collective solutions”
(9) China will host the 9th BRICS summit in Xiamen on September 2017
(10) The New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states. The
HQ of the bank is in Shanghai. Forteleza declaration,(6th summit) deals with formation of NDB

32. MERCOSUR
(1) Mercosur is an economic and political bloc
(2) Its members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
(3) Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people, and currency
(4) Recently Venezuela has been suspended from the Mercosur trade group

33. IOM - International Organization for Migration

(1) It is an Intergovernmental organisation working in the field of migration

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(2) It has no legal protection mandate
(3) India is a member

34. UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(1) It is an official UN refugee agency
(2) UN refugee convention 1951 is the key legal document that forms the basis of UNHCR
(3) India is not a signatory to 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol
35. EU
(1) Economic and political union between 28 European countries
(2) Treaty of Maastricht - The Treaty on European Union, signed at Maastricht in 1991, formally established the
European Union
(3) The key institutions which work together to run the EU - the European Commission, the European Parliament,
the Council of the European Union and the Court of Justice
(4) Last year Britain voted to leave EU - Brexit
(5) Bratislava Declaration - The meeting held at Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, regarding critical situation
created after Britain’s exit from the EU
36. OPEC
(1) Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an intergovernmental organization of 13 nations
(2) It is founded in 1960 in Baghdad and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna.
(3) The 13 countries account for 40 % of global oil production and 73% of the world's "proven" oil reserves, giving
OPEC a major influence on global oil prices
(4) As of June 2016, OPEC's members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia (the de facto leader), United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
(5) Two-thirds of OPEC's oil production and reserves are in its six Middle Eastern countries that surround the
oil-rich Persian Gulf.

37. PCA
(1) Permanent Court of Arbitration. It is located at the Hague
(2) The PCA was the first permanent intergovernmental organization to provide a forum for the resolution of
international disputes through arbitration and other peaceful means.
(3) Established at the First Hague Peace Conference in 1899
(4) Unlike the ICJ, the PCA has no sitting judges: the parties themselves select the arbitrators.
(5) Another difference is that sessions of the PCA are held in private and are confidential
(6) The Court provides arbitration in disputes between international organisations and between states and
international organisations.
38. ICJ
(1) International Court of Justice
(2) The ICJ, established in 1945, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
(3) The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).
(4) Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York (USA).
39. International Criminal Court (ICC)
(1) The ICC is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal located in the Hague, Netherlands.
(2) It is the court of last resort for prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
(3) The Rome Statute is the founding treaty which entered into force on July 1, 2002.
(4) While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations.
(5) When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the
situation to the ICC granting it Jurisdiction
40. UNCLOS
(1) The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or
the Law of the Sea treaty
(2) The Law of the Sea Convention defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of
the world's oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of
marine natural resources
(3) US has not yet ratified UNCLOS
41. ISA
(1) International Seabed Authority (ISA) is based in Kingston, Jamaica

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(2) The ISA is under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),
(3) It governs non-living resources of the seabed of international waters
42. AARDO
(1) African Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO)
(2) It is an autonomous, intergovernmental organization established in 1962, headquarter in New Delhi.
(3) AARDO currently has 31 countries of the African - Asian Region under its fold
(4) India is one of the founder members of the organization and is the largest contributor among the members

43. AFRICAN UNION

(1) AU is a continental union consisting of all 55 countries on the African continent.
(2) It was established on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
(3) It replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
(4) Moracco returned to the African Union (AU) recently
(5) The AU's secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa

44. COMMONWEALTH
(1) It an international association established in 1949 consisting of the UK together with states that were
previously part of the British Empire, and dependencies
(2) The current membership--52 counties.
(3) Membership is based on free and equal voluntary co-operation
(4) The last two countries to join The Commonwealth are Rwanda and Mozambique
(5) Recently Maldives quit commonwealth

45. BIMSTEC
(1) Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international
organisation having Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand as its member states.
(2) BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand - Economic Cooperation) was formed at a meeting in Jun 1997
in Bangkok. Myanmar was admitted in Dec 1997 and the organization was renamed as BIMST-EC.
(3) BIMSTEC Chairmanship rotates among member countries. Currently Nepal has the chairmanship of BIMSTEC
(4) The BIMSTEC Permanent Secretariat is established in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
46. ASEM
(1) The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an informal process of dialogue and cooperation bringing together the
European Union member states with 21 Asian countries and the ASEAN Secretariat.
(2) India is a partner
(3) Recent summit held at Ulaanbaatar, Mangolia
47. GCC
(1) Gulf Cooperation Council
(2) Members are Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait
(3) All current member states are monarchies
(4) UAE : Established in December 1971, the country is a federation of seven emirates. The constituent emirates
are Abu Dhabi (capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain
48. UNCITRAL
(1) It is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law.
(2) Its aims the modernization and harmonization of rules on international business.
(3) India is a founding member of UNCITRAL.
(4) India is only one of eight countries that has been a member of UNCITRAL from its inception, and has recently
been re-elected for a term of six years

49. OECD
(1) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
(2) It is a unique forum where the governments of 34 democracies with market economies work with each other,
as well as with more than 70 non-member economies to promote economic growth, prosperity, and sustainable
development
(3) It provides a forum to governments across the world to work together and stimulate economic progress and
global trade, mainly comprises developed nations

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(4) India, China, Russia are not members
(5) International Energy Agency was established under the framework of OECD
50. Non Aligned Movement (NAM)
(1) It was founded in September 1961. At present NAM have 120 member countries and 17 observer countries.
(2) NAM aims to protect the right of nations to independent judgment and to counter imperialism. The movement
is also committed to restructure world economic order.
(3) The first non-alignment summit was held in Belgrade in 1961.

51. SAARC
(1) SAARC is a regional body founded in 1985 in South Asia,
(2) Its members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
(3) The current chair of the SAARC is Nepal
(4) Nepal had decided to postpone the SAARC Summit until further notice after four nations Afghanistan, Bhutan,
Bangladesh and India decided to boycott the summit in Islamabad scheduled for November, 2016

52. SCO
(1) It is an intergovernmental mutual-security organisation
(2) SCO comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
(3) At the Ufa summit 2015, India and Pakistan were accepted as full members
(4) India, and Pakistan are “acceding members” since both will have to complete the process of membership
(5) SCO was founded in 2001 and evolved from a grouping born out of the end of the Cold War
(6) It is a successor to Shanghai Five, founded in 1996
(7) After the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organisation to SCO
(8) Afghanistan, Belarus Iran and Mongolia are having observer states
(9) Nepal, Srilanka are dialogue partners
53. SLD
(1) Shangri la Dialogue was earlier called as Asian Security Summit
(2) It is an intergovernmental security forum which organises annula meetings of defence ministers and policy
makers of 28 Asia Pacific states
(3) India is a participant

5. International Nongovernmental organizations

54. Oxfam
(1) It is an international confederation of charitable organizations focused on the alleviation of global poverty
55. Actionaid
(1) It is an international non-governmental organization whose primary aim is to work against poverty and
injustice worldwide
56. CARE International
(1) It is a large humanitarian INGO that is committed to fighting poverty. They take a special interest in
empowering poor women because “women have the power to help whole families and entire communities
escape poverty”
57. Transparency international
(1) It is an INGO whose purpose is to take action to combat corruption and prevent criminal activities arising
from corruption
58. Friends of Peoples Close to Nature
(1) It is a non-governmental human rights organization that works in the field of indigenous rights
59. Medicine Sans Frontiers (MSF)
(1) Its also known as Doctors without Borders is an international humanitarian NGO best known for its projects
in war torn regions and developing countries affected by endemic diseases
60. Mercy corps
(1)Mercy Corps is a global humanitarian aid agency engaged in transitional environments that have experienced
some sort of shock: natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict
61. Amnesty International
(1) Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty and AI) is a non-governmental organisation focused on
human rights
(2) The organisation was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize

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62. Human Rights Watch
(1) Human Rights Watch is a nongovernmental human rights organization

6. Rebel groups
63. FARC rebels
(1) It is the oldest and largest left wing guerrilla rebel group of Columbia
64. ISIS
(1) ISIS, (also known as Daesh, ISIL or simply Islamic State) is a Jihadist militant group in Iraq and Syria
influenced by the wahabism
(2) It aims to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state in Sunni majority regions of Iraq and Syria
65. Lone wolf terrorist
(1) A Lone wolf terrorist is someone who prepares and commits violent acts alone, outside of any command
structure and without material assistance from any group
66. Sleeper cells
(1) Sleeper cells are underground groups of terrorists who wait to stage attacks in locations around the world.
(2) Members of sleeper cells are trained and ready to act at their leaders' command, but their coordination with
central command units often varies.
67. Boko haram
(1) Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram
(2) West African affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) militant group

7. The International Issues

68. Maldives quit commonwealth
(1) The Maldives quit Commonwealth after mounting pressure from the group over corruption and deteriorating
human rights in the Indian Ocean state.
(2) The country becomes the latest to leave the Commonwealth after Gambia which quit in October 2013.
69. Russia quits ICC
(1) Russia recently withdrawn from ICC
(2) The other 3 countries which quit ICC recently are South Africa, Burundi and Gambia
70. Marshal islands case
(1) International Court of Justice rejected a case filed by the Marshall Islands against India,Pakistan and the UK to
force them to disarm nuclear weapons
(2) In April 2014, the Republic of Marshall Islands had sued all the P-5 countries (U.S , China , France ,Russia, U.K.),
as well as India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea for failing to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion,
negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament
71. Refugee Crisis
(1) Terms
i. A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave his/her country in order to escape war, fear of
persecution or violence or natural disaster
ii. Immigrant - People who leave their country by choice
iii. Migrant - Migrants also leave their country by choice usually for economic reasons
iv. Illegal immigrant - A person who arrives in a country by violating the immigration laws
v. Asylum seeker -An asylum seeker is a person who has fled from his or her country and seeks legal and
physical protection (asylum) as a refuge in another country
vi. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) - People who have fled from their homes but remain in their own
country
vii. A stateless person - A stateless person is someone who is not a citizen of any country
(1) A rising number of refugees and migrants are trying to enter the EU to seek asylum
(2) “Boat people”are the refugees fleeing by boat
(3) EU Launched 'Operation Sophia' to Intercept, Seize Traffickers' Boats
(4) The Dublin regulation put the responsibility to protect a refugee on the the first member state that an asylum
seeker entered
(5) Valletta summit- European and African countries meet regarding migration crisis
(6) The countries with coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea are Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt,France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya,Malta, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro

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Palestine, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, and Tunisia
(7) Migrants irregularly entered the EU, mainly following the Central Mediterranean, Eastern mediterranean
and Western Balkan routes
(8) The countries lying on the Balkan Peninsula are often called the Balkan States. These include Albania, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia (Serbia and
Montenegro)
(9) Adis ababa action agenda includes various means to implement the migration related SDG

72. Schengan Agreement

(1) The Schengen Agreement abolished many of the EU's internal borders, enabling passport-free movement
across most of the bloc
(2) 26 European countries (22 of the 28 EU) are part of the agreement
(3) The 4 European Free Trade Association states viz Iceland,Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland are also
joined But 6 EU States, Bulgaria, Croatia,Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK are not part of the agreement
73. Brexit
(1) A shorthand for Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union
(2) Britain voted to leave EU in a referendum
(3) A referendum - a vote in which everyone (or nearly everyone) of voting age can take part
(4) For the UK to leave the EU it has to invoke an agreement called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty which gives the
two sides two years to agree the terms of the split
74. Syrian crisis
(1) Capital - Damascus
(2) Largest city in Syria is Aleppo - Battle of Aleppo has ended with the recovery of the city from the rebals forces
(3) Aleppo is UNESCO world heritage site
(4) Pro-democracy protests erupted in March 2011 in the southern city of Deraa
(5) Major players - Assad (Govt), Rebels, kurds, ISIS
(6) The conflict turned into a brutal proxy war that has drawn in regional and world powers
(7) Chemical weapons Sarin were fired at several areas
(8) IS has also been accused of using homemade chemical weapons, including sulphur mustard
75. M5S or“Five star movement” of Italy
(1) It is a political party in Italy
(2) The movement first focused on uncovering corruption in government and at corporations, thereafter
branching out into mainstream politics.
(3) It is anti-establishment, Eurosceptic, anti-immigration anti-globalist and environmentalist
(4) The five stars in the movement’s name represent the five issues the movement focuses on: public water,
sustainable transport, sustainable development, the right to internet access, and environmentalism
76. Drug menace in Asia
(1) Drug trafficking and abuse is a trans-border issue
(2) India is geographically sandwiched between the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle
(3) These two are the major illicit opium and heroin producing regions of the world
(4) India is affected from illicit opiate trafficking as a transit country
(5) Golden Crescent (overlaps Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan)
(6) Golden Triangle (overlaps Myanmar, Laos and Thailand)
77. Kafala
(1) Under the system,migrant workers’ visas are tied to the employers so that they cannot change jobs without
the consent of their employers.
(2) The system is prevalent in few gulf countries
78. Nitaqat Laws
(1) The Nitaqat Program is the Saudization initiative for the private sector which categories companies
depending on current percentages of Saudi employees.
(2) Nitaqat requires private companies in most industries to ensure that at least 30% of employees are Saudi
nationals.
79. OBOR
(1) One Belt One Road Initiative
(2) The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a
significant development strategy launched by the Chinese government with the intention of promoting economic

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cooperation among countries along the proposed Belt and Road routes.
(3) The Initiative has been designed to enhance the orderly free-flow of economic factors and the efficient
allocation of resources.
80. Pananma canal
(1) The panama canal is a 50 mile man made canal cutting through the isthmus of panama
(2) It connects the Pacific and Atlantic canals
(3) It was constructed by US
(4) The Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty allowed the US to build canal
81. One-China policy
(1) The One-China policy refers to the policy or view that there is only one state called "China", despite the
existence of two governments that claim to be "China".
(2) As a policy, this means that countries seeking diplomatic relations with People's Republic of China (PRC,
Mainland China) must break official relations with the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) and vice versa.
(3) The One China policy is different from the "One China principle", which is the principle that insists both
Taiwan and mainland China are inalienable parts of a single China

8. Troubled Regions
82. Iraq
(1) Fallujah is a province in northern Iraq
(2) In 2016 Iraqi forces liberated the city from the ISIS control. The Fallujah offensive (2016) was code-named
Operation Breaking Terrorism
(3) Mosul is the Iraq’s second largest city
(4) Recently the city was also recaptured from the control of ISIS. Through a joint offensive by Iraqi government
forces with allied militias, Iraqi Kurdistan, and international forces. The offensive is dubbed Operation "We Are
Coming, Nineveh"
83. City of Palmyra - Syria
(1) Syrian troops have recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS
(2) Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of
the ancient world
(3) Palmyra is a UNESCO designated World Heritage site
84. Torkham Issue
(1) Torkham is one of the major international border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
(2) The unregulated border allows refugees, smugglers and militants to cross over into Pak without detection.
(3) Pakistan wants to secure its borders and regulate the flow of people and goods
85. Abyei region
(1) It is located along the ill-defined border between Sudan and South Sudan.
(2) Abyei is an energy-rich region
(3) Abyei is claimed by both countries and has been a source of conflict in the Sudans for over 50 years
86. SWAT Valley of Pakistan
(1) It is a river valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan.
(2) It is the upper valley of the Swat River
(3) Swat used to be a tourist destination but it became a land of the terrorists
87. The FERGANA Valley of Central Asia
(1) It is a valley in Central Asia spread across eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan
(2) The valley is ethnically diverse and was the scene of ethnic conflict

9. Multilateral Agreements/conventions
88. MECR
(1) A Multilateral Export Control Regime (MECR) is an international body that states use to organize their
national export control systems
(2) There are currently four such regimes:
(1) The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and
Technologies
(2) The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), for the control of nuclear related technology
(3) The Australia Group (AG) for control of chemical and biological technology that could be weaponized
(4) The Missile Technology Control Regime for the control of rockets and other aerial vehicles capable of

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delivering weapons of mass destruction
89. WASSENAAR ARRANGEMENT
(1) To promote transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods
and technologies, thus preventing destabilizing accumulations
90. AUSTRALIA GROUP(AG)
(1) To help member countries to identify those exports which need to be controlled so as not to contribute to the
spread of chemical and biological weapons.
91. NSG
(1) Nuclear Suppliers Group
(2) The NSG was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in May 1974
(3) It is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export
of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons
(4) The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, renders guidance to all parties to
NPT regarding nuclear exports
92. MTCR
(1) The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
(2) The objective is to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of
carrying a 500 kg payload for at least 300 km
(3) The MTCR has been successful in helping to slow or stop several ballistic missile programs
(4) Recently India joined MTCR as the 35th member
(5) MTCR membership will enable India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhance its joint ventures
with Russia
93. HAGUE CODE OF CONDUCT
(1) India has joined The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC)
(2) It is a voluntary legally non-binding multilateral body aimed at preventing the spread of ballistic missiles that
can deliver weapons of mass destruction
94. Pelindaba treaty
(1) The Pelindaba Treaty signed in 1996, also known as the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, aims at
preventing nuclear proliferation and preventing strategic minerals of Africa from being exported freely.
95. NPT
(1) Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
(2) Its objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology
(3) To promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy
(4) To further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament
(5) The treaty recognizes five states as nuclear-weapon states: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom,
France, and China
(6) India, Israel,Pakistan and South Sudan never joined the NPT
(7) North Korea, which acceded to the NPT in 1985 but never came into compliance, announced its withdrawal in
2003
96. Heart of Asia conference
(1) It is also known as Istanbul Process
(2) It provides a new agenda for regional cooperation in the ‘Heart of Asia’ by placing Afghanistan at its centre
and engaging the ‘Heart of Asia’ countries in sincere and result‐oriented cooperation for a peaceful and stable
Afghanistan, as well as a secure and prosperous region as a whole.
(3) India is a member
(4) In 2016 HOA was held at Amritsar India, and Amritsar Declaration was adopted
97. AIIB
(1) The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank
(2) HQ -Beijing
(3) The AIIB was envisaged "to promote interconnectivity and economic integration in the region" and "cooperate
with existing multilateral development banks”.
(4) Board of Governors will be the highest decision making body
(5) China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders of AIIB
98. FATF
(1) Financial Action Task Force (on Money Laundering) (FATF)
(2) It is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7

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(3) The objective ito develop policies to combat money laundering.
(4) In 2001 the purpose expanded to act on terrorism financing.
(5) It monitors countries' progress in implementing the FATF Recommendations by ‘peer reviews’ (‘mutual
evaluations’) of member countries.
(6) The FATF Secretariat is housed at the headquarters of the OECD in Paris
(7) India, China, Russia are members
99. Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)
(1) It is an arms control treaty which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their
precursors.
(2) The convention was opened for signature on January 13, 1993, and entered into force on April 29, 1997.
(3) The CWC currently has 192 states-parties. Israel has signed but has yet to ratify the convention
(4) Three other states Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan have neither signed nor acceded to the treaty
(5) The CWC is implemented by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Hague.
(6) The OPCW is an intergovernmental organisation which receives States-parties’ declarations detailing
chemical weapons-related activities or materials and relevant industrial activities.
(7) OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize
100. Kimberely Process
(1) India has been elected as the vice chair for 2018 and chair for 2019 of Kimberely Process (KP) Certificate
Scheme
(2) The KP is a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds –
rough diamonds used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.
101. Comprehensive Convention for International Terrorism (CCIT)
(1) The CCIT was proposed by India in 1996
(2) The major objectives
i. To have a universal definition of terrorism that all 193-members of the UNGA will adopt into their own
criminal law
ii. To ban all terror groups and shut down terror camps
iii. To prosecute all terrorists under special laws.
iv. To make cross-border terrorism an extraditable offence worldwide.

10. Mapping
102. Locations
(1) Malacca Strait
(2) Bering strait
(3) Palk bay
(4) Baltic sea
(5) Strait of Hormuz
(6) Kra Isthumus
(7) Elephant pass
(8) Sinai Peninsula
(9) Rafa Crossing
(10) Cann Ranh bay
(11) Nagorny Karabakh region
(12) Red sea
(13) Iraq
(14) Jordan river
(15) Black sea
(16) Gaza, west bank, golan heights
(17) Crimea
(18) Turkey
(19) Korean peninsula
(20) Persian gulf

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