International Organizations, Defence, Books & Authors, World History

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When a country faces serious medium-term balance of payments problems, International Monetary Fund assist the country with the adjustment process under its Extended Fund Facility.

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The Southern Air Command (SAC) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. It is on the southwestern side of India. This is one among the seven commands of IAF. This command was started on 19 July 1984 and is relatively new among the other commands.

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The North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) was signed by 12 countries on April 4, 1949 at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, D.C.. The countries that signed the treaty were:  Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, The United Kingdom, The United States.  The treaty established the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a mutual defense treaty between the 12 nations. The purpose of NATO was to deter the Soviet Union from invading Western Europe. The treaty committed each member to share the risks, responsibilities, and benefits of collective defense.  NATO is now an alliance of 31 nations from Europe and North America. The main purpose of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members by political and military means.

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The United Nations General Assembly established October 2nd as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007 to honor Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. Gandhi is renowned for his philosophy of non-violent resistance, which influenced civil rights movements worldwide. The day promotes the principles of non-violence through education and public awareness.

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Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) was a series of treaties between the United States and the Soviet Union (and later Russia). The treaties aimed to reduce the number of nuclear warheads and missiles and bombers capable of delivering such weapons. The treaties were signed after the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT). The treaties were: START I, START II, START III, New START. The treaties were the first significant reduction in the number of strategic nuclear weapons in both the U.S. and the Soviet stockpiles. The treaties were signed in 1991 and entered into force in 1994. The treaties are the last remaining nuclear arms control pact between Russia and the U.S. The term “strategic arms” refers to nuclear weapons with strategic range. These weapons are mated to delivery systems that can reach targets across intercontinental distances.

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Squadron 25, also known as the Himalayan Eagles, was formed after the Chinese aggression in 1962 to strengthen supply lines to the army in the Northern Sector. The Sino-Indian War took place from October 20 to November 21, 1962. The Chinese won the war.

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Exercise Ekuverin is a joint military exercise held between armies of India and Maldives since 2008.

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Harishankar parsai was a Hindi writer. He was a noted satirist and humorist of modern Hindi literature and is known for his simple and direct style.

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Humayun-nama is a historical account of the life of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The book was written by Gulbadan Begum, who was Humayun’s half-sister. It is considered significant as it provides an in-depth reflection of life during the Mughal era, offering extensive details about the Emperor’s life and the sociopolitical atmosphere of the time.

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Saint Surdas, revered for his intense devotion to Lord Krishna, is the author of Sahitya Ratna. Blind from birth, he belonged to the Saguna School of the Bhakti Kal. Apart from Sahitya Ratna, Surdas has also composed Sur Sagar (Ocean of Melody), and Sur Saravali. His works, primarily centered around his spiritual affection for Lord Krishna, are celebrated for their melodious and devotional undertone.