International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

Notes:
The Bretton Woods system is commonly refers to the international monetary regime that prevailed from the end of World War II until the early 1970s. Taking its name from the site of the 1944 conference that created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, the Bretton Woods system was history’s first example of a fully negotiated monetary order intended to govern currency relations among sovereign states.

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

Notes:
The general secretariat of Amnesty International is located in London, United Kingdom. The non-governmental organization was founded in July 1961 by Peter Benenson and Philip James. Amnesty International is a human rights organization that campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards. They use media attention, direct-appeal campaigns, research, and lobbying to protect human rights. Amnesty International has opened regional offices in cities across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Notes:
International Women’s Day is observed on March 8 each year. This date was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1977, although its roots trace back to the early 20th century, with the first official celebration occurring in 1911. The day highlights women’s achievements and advocates for gender equality globally.

Notes:
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) developed the Transnationality Index (TNI). The TNI is used to rank multinational corporations. It is calculated as the average of three ratios:

1. The ratio of foreign assets to total assets
2. The ratio of foreign sales to total sales
3. The ratio of foreign employment to total employment

The TNI has been used since 1990 to rank the world’s 100 largest non-financial TNCs. It can be used for comparative analysis with similar surveys conducted in other countries.

The TNI has shown that the average index value for developing economies’ TNCs has increased over time.

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Homi Sethna was an Indian nuclear scientist and administrator who served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India.

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Pinaka is a multi-barrel rocket launcher developed by the Indian Army’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed to be used for long-range artillery support and can fire a variety of rockets, including high-explosive, incendiary, and smoke-producing rounds.

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“A Suitable Boy” is an epic novel of over 1,500 pages, making it one of the longest novels published in a single volume in the English language. The author, Vikram Seth, is a celebrated Indian novelist and poet. Known for his masterful storytelling and keen understanding of human nature, he holds a distinguished place in contemporary English literature.

Notes:
The famous Sufi poet, Amir Khusro was the court poet of Alauddin Khilji and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, Delhi. He wrote in many verse forms viz. ghazal, masnavi, qata, rubai, do-baiti and tarkib-band. Excerpts of the works done by him are Tughluq Nama, Wast-ul-Hayat, Nuh Sipihr, Ashiqa, Khamsa, Baqia-Naqia, etc.

Notes:
Ganita Sara Sangraha (“Compendium of the Essence of Mathematics”) written by Mahavira ( or Mahaviracharya), a Jain  mathematician from Mysore. It was written during the reign of the Rashtrakuta dynasty ruler Amoghavarsha (800–878 AD). In  the 11th century, the book was translated into Telugu language by Pavuluri Mallana as Saar Sangraha Ganitam.