International bodies and their Headquarters

JULY 30, 2014

1. United Nations Organization ——— New York

2. Economic Commission of Europe ———- -Geneva

3. Economic & Social Commission of Asia ——- Bangkok

4. Economic Commission of Latin America ———Santiago, Chile

5. Economic Commission for Africa ——–Addis Ababa ,Ethopia

6. Economic Commission for Western Asia——Baghdad, Iraq

7. UNESCO ——-Paris

8. Universal Postal Union (UPU) ——–Berne, Switzerland

9. WHO ————Geneva ( It is nt in Delhi )

10. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ——Geneva

11. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ——Geneva

12. World Trade Organization (WTO)—— Geneva,Switzerland

13. International Telecommunication Union (ITU)——Geneva

14. International Labour Organization (ILO)——- Geneva

15. United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) —–Vienna

16. Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) —–Rome

17. International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Rome

18. International Maritime Organization (IMO) London

19. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) —-Vienna

20. IBRD (International Bank of Reconstruction & Development) or World Bank ——-Washington

21. International Development Association —–Washington

22. International Finance Corporation (IFC) —–Washington

23. International Monetary Fund (IMF) ——Washington

24. International Telecommunication Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) —Washington

25. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). —–Montreal, Canada

26. UNICEF—– New York

27. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—- Geneva

28. United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) —-Geneva

29. United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) —-Geneva

30. United Nations Relief & Work for Palestine Refugees in the Near East —- Gaza City & Amman ,Jordan

31. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) —-New York

32. United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA)— New York

33. United Nations Development Programme —-(UNDP) New York

34. United Nations Environment Programme —–(UNEP) Nairobi

35. International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) —-New York

36. Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons —-The Hague,Holland

37. United Nations Drugs Control Program (UNDCP)—– Vienna

38. United Nations Interregional Crime & Justice Research Institute —-Turin, Italy

39. United Nations Fund for International Parterships —- New York

40. UN-HABITAT ( United Nations Human Settlement Programme ) —-Nairobi

41. United Nations International School (UNIS) —-New York

42. World Food Programme (WFP) —–Rome

43. World Tourism Organization (WTO) —–Madrid, Spain

44.United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change( UNFCC )—- Rome

45. United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) —-Geneva

46. United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)—- Geneva

47. United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) —-Vienna, Austria

48. United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS – (UNAIDS) —Geneva, Switzerland

First in world – Part 2

AUGUST 11, 2014

1. The first space astronaut to go into space seven times till date Jerry Ross (U.S.A.)

2 . The first South African to become the second space tourist Mark Shuttleworth

3. The first woman Prime Minister of South Korea Ms. Chang Sang

4. The first youngest grandmaster of the world in ches Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine)

5. The first adventurer flying successfully across the English Channel without aircraft Felix Baumgartner (July 2003)

6. China’s first man in space Yang Liwei

7. The first Muslim woman to receive Nobel Prize Shirin Ebadi (Nobel Peace Prize 2003)

8. The woman with the highest individual Test score making a new world record Kiran Baloch (Pakistani cricketer, scoring 242 runs playing women’s cricket test against West Indies in Karachi in March, 2004)

9. The first woman of the world to climb Mt. Everest four times Lakpa Sherpa (Nepali)

10. The first woman to cross seven important seas of the world by swimming Bula Chaudhury (India)

11. The first aircraft pilot to round the entire world non-stop by his 2 engine aircraft in 67 hours Steve Fossett (March 2005)

12. The first woman to be appointed as a Governor of a province in Afghanistan Habiba Sorabhi

13.The first woman of the world to swim across five continents Bula Chaudhury (India) (April 2005)

14. The first woman athlete to touch 5.0 meter mark in pole vault Ms. Yelena Isinbayeva (Russian, July 2005)

15. The first Hindu Chief Justice of Pakistani Supreme Court Justice Rana Bhagwan Das Took over on Sept. 2, 2005 as Acting Chief Justice

16. The first duly elected woman President of an African country Allen Johnson Sirleaf(elected President of Liberia in Nov. 2005)

17. The first woman Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan Shanshad Akhtar (Appointed in Dec. 2005)

18. The first woman Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel (Took over in Nov. 2005)

19. The first woman President of Chile Dr. Michelle Bachelet

20. The first woman Prime Minister of Jamaica Portia Simpson Miller (Feb. 2006)

21. The first woman foreign Secretary of England Margaret Backett (May 2006)

22. The first double amputee to scale Mt. Everest Mark Inglis (May 15, 2006)

First in World – Part I

AUGUST 7, 2014

1. Chairman of Peoples Republic of China -Mao-Tse-Tung

2. President of the Chinese Republic -Dr. Sun Yat Sen

3. President of U.S.A- George Washington

4. Chinese Traveller to India- Fahein

5. Foreign Invader to India -Alexander the Great

6. Person to reach South Pole- Amundsen

7. Person to reach North Pole -Robert Pearey

8. Person in Space -Yuri Gagarin

9. Person on Moon -Neil Armstrong

10. Lady to climb Mount Everest- Junko Taibei

11. European to visit China- Marco Polo

12. Place where atom bomb was dropped -Hiroshima

13. Man to walk in Space -Alexei Leonov

14. Woman cosmonaut in Space- Valentina Tereshkova

15. Woman Prime Minister of a country- Mrs. Srimavo Bhandarnaike

16. Woman President of a country -Maria Estela Peron

17. Woman to Command a Space Mission -Colonel Eileen Collins (U.S.A.)

18. The first residents of International Space station- Bill Shepherd (USA), Yuri Gidzanko and Sergei Krikalev (Russia)

19. The first blind man to scale Mt. Everest -Erik Weihenmayer (USA, May 25, 2001)

20. The first Muslim woman to become the Secretary General of Amnesty International- lrine Zubeida Khan

Writs in Indian Constitution

As per the Right to Constitutional Remedies-Articles 32-35, A citizen has right to move to the courts for securing the fundamental rights. Citizens can go to the Supreme Court or the high Courts for getting their fundamental rights enforced. It empowers the Courts to issue directions or orders or writs for this purpose.

Types of Writs:

1. Writ of Habeas Corpus :

(a) Habeas Corpus means ‘you may have the body’.

(b) This ensures that a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention—that is, detention lacking sufficient cause or evidence.

(c) This right originated in the English legal system, and is now available in many nations.

2. Writ of Quo Warranto :

(a) The meaning of the term Quo Warranto is ‘by what authority’.

(b) The writ shall be issued only when the public office is held by a particular person in an illegal manner.

(c) If a person has usurped a public office, the Court may direct him not to carry out any activities in the office or may announce the office to be vacant.

3. Writ of Mandamus :

(a) A writ of mandamus is an order issued by a superior court to a lower court or other entity commanding the lower court, corporation or public authority to perform or not perform specific acts.

(b) It cannot be issued to compel an authority to do something against statutory provision.

(c) For example, it cannot be used to force a lower court to reject or authorize applications that have been made, but if the court refuses to rule one way or

the other then a mandamus can be used to order the court to rule on the applications

4. Writ of Certiorari :

(a) It is a writ (order) of a higher court to a lower court to send all the documents in a case to it so the higher court can review the lower court’s decision.

(b) It is a writ seeking judicial review.

(c) The granting of this writ does not necessarily mean that the Supreme Court disagrees with the decision of the lower court. Granting a writ of certiorari means merely that at least four of the justices have determined that the circumstances described in the petition are sufficient to warrant review by the Court.

5. Writ of Prohibition :

(a) A writ of prohibition is issued primarily to prevent an inferior court from exceeding its jurisdiction, or acting contrary to the rule of natural justice, for example, to restrain a Judge from hearing a case in which he is personally interested.

(b) These Writs are issued as “alternative” or “peremptory.” An alternative Writ directs the recipient to immediately act, or desist, and “Show Cause” why the directive should not be made permanent. A peremptory Writ directs the recipient to immediately act, or desist, and “return” the Writ, with certification of its compliance, within a certain time.

(c) The writ can be issued only when the proceedings are pending in a court if the proceeding has matured into decision, writ will not lie.

States and their taglines

JULY 25, 2014

1. Kerela- Gods owns c0untry.

2. Goa- Go Goa.

3. Punjab- India begins here.

4. Meghalaya – half way to heaven.

5. Orissa- the s0ul of India.

6. Karnataka- one state, many worlds.

7. Gujarat-vibrant gujarat.

8. Himachal Pradesh – unforgettable himachal.

9. Chattishgarh- full of surprises .

10. Rajasthan- Incredible state of INDIA.

11. Uttar Pradesh- amazing heritage grand experience.

12. Madhya Pradesh- The heart of incredible India.

13. Andhra Pradesh- The essence of incredible India.

14. Arunachal pradesh- The land of dawn-lit m0untains.

15. Bihar- blissful bihar.

16. D & N haveli- d land of natural beauty.

17. Haryana- a pi0neer in highway tourism.

18. J&k- Chalo kashmir.

19. Jharkhand- a new experience.

20. Manipur- jewel of India.

21. Nagaland-land of festivals.

22. Sikkim- small but beautiful.

23. TM-enchanting tamilnadu.

24. Tripura-visit agartala.

25. Uttarakhand-exploring uttara.

26. WB-beautiful bengal.

27. Lakshadweep-99%fun in 1%land.

28. Pondicherry- give time a break.

29. New delhi- dildaar delhi

COMMONWEALTH GAMES GLASGOW 2014

JULY 23, 2014

The Commonwealth Games 2014 or the XX Commonwealth Games as it is officially known will be taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom from July 23 to August 3, 2014. India has been one of the participating nations at the Games were last editions host nation. Commonwealth Games have been an integral and widely popular sporting event around the world that sees the participation of Commonwealth of Nations. Lets take a quick look at few things to know about the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games:1. 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, beginning from 23rd July is a 12-day event till August 3. It will see a participation of 4, 100 athletes from the Commonwealth Nations. In the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, India had a total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth Nations.2. The motto of Commonwealth Games 2014 is People, Place, Passion. Scotland hosts its largest multi-event sport in the country. The decision over the final decision on the host city for hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on November 9, 2007 at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly.

3. There are a total of 17 sports and 261 medal events that will be contested at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. They are:AquaticsDiving (10)Swimming (44)Athletics (50)Badminton (6)Boxing (13)

Cycling – Mountain biking (2), Road (4), Track (17)Gymnastics – Artistic gymnastics (14), Rhythmic gymnastics (6)Hockey (2)Judo (14)Lawn Bowls (10)Netball (1)Rugby sevens (1)Shooting (19)Squash (5)Table tennis (7)Triathlon (3)Weightlifting (19)Wrestling – Freestyle (14)

4. The opening ceremony for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be held at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday 23rd July 2014. India’s Olympic silver medallist pistol shooter, Vijay Kumar will be the flag-bearer for India. The National stadium of football in Scotland with the capacity of 52, 025, Hampden Park will held the closing ceremony. The Park has been specially adapted to host the track and field events.

5.The Athlete’s Village of the Commonwealth Games 2014 is situated within 20 minutes drive from majority of venues in Dalmarnock. The Athlete’s Village has been designed by the Paul Stallan Studio @ RMJM. It can accommodate around 8000 individuals and created 1500 jobs opportunities.

6. The logo of Commonwealth Games 2014 was unveiled during the 19th Edition in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Keeping three factors time, data and measurement in mind, Marque Creative designed the official logo. The rings in the logo are proportioned to represent the 20th Commonwealth Games, across 17 sports, over 11 days in 1 city.

7. Clyde, a cheeky wee thistle is the mascot of Commonwealth Games 2014. Inspired by story from past of a real ship called the SS Cameronia built on the

River Clyde. The mascot has been designed by 12-year-old Beth Gilmour who won a competition. The mascot has been named after the river as during the event Clyde will move around the host city just like the river flowed.

Age and Time Limits Defined in Indian Constitution

JULY 10, 2014

Important Age Limits in Indian Constitution

1. Minimum age for election to the post of President/Vice-President/Governor – 35 years

2. Minimum age for election as MP (Lok Sabha)/MLA – 25 years

3. Minimum age for election as MP (Rajya Sabha)/MLC – 30 years

4. Upper age limit for appointment as a judge of Supreme Court, Attorney General, Comptroller General, member of Public ServiceCommission – 65 years

5. Upper age limit for appointment as a judge of High court/ Advocate General/member of State Commission – 62 years

6. Minimum age limit for employment in a factory – 14 years

7. Age between which education has been made a fundamental right – 6 to 14 years

8. Minimum marriageable age for a male – 21 years

9. Minimum marriageable age for a female – 18 years.

Important Time Limits in Indian Constitution

1. Maximum interval between two sessions of Parliament/State Assembly – Six months

2. Maximum life of Presidential Ordinance Six months

3. Maximum period within which an election is to be held to fill a vacancy created by the death, resignation or removal, or otherwise ofa President – Six months

4. Maximum duration for which President’s rule can be imposed in a state – Six months extendable upto a maximum of three years

5. Time after which money bill passed by Lok Sabha is deemed to have been passed by Rajya Sabha when no action is taken by it 14 days

6. Maximum duration for which a President/Vice-President/Governor may hold his office from the date on which he enters his office 5 years

7. Maximum duration for which a Lok Sabha/State Legislature may function from the date appointed for its first meeting 5 years

8. Maximum period for which the term of a Lok Sabha/State Legislature may be extended while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation 1 year at a time

9. Maximum duration for which a Union Minister/State Minister may hold his office without being a member of either of the houses of the Parliament/State Legislature Six months

10. Maximum duration for which a member of either House of Parliament may be absent without permission, before his seat is declared is vacant 60 days

11. Maximum period within which a person who is arrested and detained in custody shall be produced before the nearest magistrate 24 hours

12. Maximum duration for which a Panchayat/Municipality shall function from the date appointed for its first meeting 5 years

13. Maximum duration for which a member of a Public Service Commission may hold his office subject to his not attaining the age of sixty-five years 6 years

14. Maximum duration for which a member of a State Commission may hold his office subject to his not attaining the age of sixty-two years 6 years

Quick Revision on INDIAN Constitution

JULY 7, 2014

Father Of Indian Constitution – Dr B.R Ambedkar

Fundamental Rights1. Right to Equality2. Right to Freedom3. Right against Exploitation4. Right to Freedom of Religion5. Cultural and Educational Rights6. Right to Constitutional Remedies

Goals mentioned in the PreambleDemocracySocialismSecularismSocial Economic and Political justice

Directive Principles and its Objective:Directive Principles lay down certain guidelines for our Government to achieve our National goals.These guidelines aim at establishing a welfare state. The directive principles are:1. High standard of living to the people2. Ways and means to improve a comfortable living3. Serving the interests of the poor

4. Preventing the accumulation of wealth in a single individual or place5. Ensuring the proper use of the country’s wealth for the benefit of all.

Features of Indian Constitution.1. Written and Detailed Constitution.2. Democratic governance3. Federal System: Distribution of powers between Centre and States.4. Independent Judiciary5. Secular State6. Universal Adult Franchise7. Fundamental rights

Indian Constitution was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949

Indian Constitution was adopted by the country on January 26, 1950

The president of the Constituent Assembly – Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

Chairman of Drafting Committee of Indian Constitution – Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Features of Constitution were framed from various Sources

1. UKParliamentary form of governmentRule of lawLegislative procedureWritsCabinet system etc.

Single citizenship

2. GOI Act 1935Federal schemePublic service commissionsEmergency provisions

JudiciaryOffice of Governor etc.

3. USAFundamental rightsImpeachment of PresidentRemoval of judgesJudicial reviewIndependent judiciaryOffice of vice president

4. IrelandDirective Principles of State Policy(DPSP)Method of election of PresidentNomination of members to RajyaSabha

5. CanadaFederation with strong centreVesting residuary powers with centreAppointment of Governor by the centreAdvisory jurisdiction of Supreme Court

6. Australia

Concurrent list

Joint sitting of two houses of Parliament

7. USSR(Now Russia)FundamentalDuties(addedwith42nd amendment in 1976)Ideal of Justice (Social, Political and Economic) in the preamble

8. Weimer Constitution(Germany)

Suspension of fundamental rights during emergency9. French constitutionRepublic Idea of liberty,equality and fraternity in preamble

10. South AfricaProcedure of amendment to the constitutionElection of members of RajyaSabha

11. JapanProcedure established by law