GK · Chapter 15

International Organization / Institution

United Nations · Financial Bodies · Regional Blocs · Treaties · Indian Research Institutes

United Nations — Overview

Established: 24 October 1945
Founding Member Countries: 51 (Poland was the 51st)
Predecessor Organisation: League of Nations
Headquarters: New York (Manhattan Island)
Official Languages: English, French, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Russian; General Assembly/Security Council: all six are official and working languages
Logo: World map between two olive branches on light blue background
Member Countries: 193 (South Sudan — 193rd, 2011)

Six Organs of the United Nations

Organ	Key Details
General Assembly	All member states; equal voting rights; "Mini Parliament of the World"; session held once a year in September
Secretariat	Administrative organ; Head: Secretary-General (5-year term); Current: António Guterres; First: Trygve Lie (Norway)
Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC)	54 members; studies economic, social, educational, health issues
Trusteeship Council	Administered non-self-governing territories post-WWII; not operational now
Security Council	15 members total: 5 Permanent (Veto power: USA, Britain, France, Russia, China) + 10 Non-Permanent (elected by General Assembly for 2 years)
International Court of Justice (ICJ)	HQ: The Hague, Netherlands; 15 judges (quorum 9); 9-year term; 5 judges retire every 3 years

Indian Judges at ICJ: Sir Benegal Rau, Nagendra Singh, Raghunandan Swarup Pathak, Dalveer Bhandari

⚠ EXAM TRAP The Trusteeship Council still technically exists as an organ of the UN but has been INACTIVE since 1994 — don't say it was "abolished," just non-operational.

United Nations Agencies & Specialised Bodies

Organisation	Established	HQ	Key Facts
UNEP	1972	Nairobi	Global leader in environmental initiatives
UNESCO	1945; effective 1946	Paris, France	Educational, Scientific and Cultural
ITU	1865	Geneva, Switzerland	194 members; 194th — Republic of Palau
IMO	1948	London, UK	176 members; navigation safety regulations
ILO	1919	Geneva, Switzerland	Improves worker conditions; Nobel Peace Prize 1969; publishes WSPR
IFAD	1977	Rome, Italy	—
UNICEF	1946	New York, USA	works in more than 190 countries and territories
ICAO	1944	Montreal, Canada	193 members; civil aviation standards
WMO	1950	Geneva, Switzerland	193 Members: 187 States and 6 Territories
UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO)	1975	Madrid, Spain	Promotes economic growth via tourism
WHO	1948	Geneva, Switzerland	World Health Organization

⚡ QUICK RECALL Most UN agencies are headquartered in GENEVA (ITU, ILO, WMO, WHO, WIPO) — a common grouping fact useful for elimination-based MCQs.

Financial & Economic Organisations

Organisation	Established	HQ	Key Facts
IMF	27 Dec 1945	Washington DC	191 members; Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
World Bank	Created at Bretton Woods in 1944	Washington DC	IBRD: 189 members; President: Ajay Banga
WTO	1 Jan 1995	Geneva, Switzerland	166 members; Timor-Leste 166th; sets trade rules, resolves disputes
ADB	1966	Manila, Philippines	69 members; 2025 Annual Meeting: Milan, Italy
UNIDO	1966	Vienna, Austria	Prepares industrial base for prosperity
WIPO	1967	Geneva, Switzerland	194 member states

⚠ EXAM TRAP World Bank: created at Bretton Woods in 1944. IMF: Articles entered into force in December 1945. Both have headquarters in Washington DC; their functions differ.

Regional & Political Organisations

Organisation	Established	HQ	Key Facts
BRICS	Cooperation 2006; first leaders' summit 2009	—	11 full members (dated snapshot)
European Union (EU)	EEC Treaty signed 1957, effective 1958; EU 1993	Brussels	27 member countries; 2025 Summit: London
SCO	2001	Beijing, China	10 members; latest: Belarus; 2025 Summit: China
Commonwealth of Nations	1926	London	56 members
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)	1961	—	Founders: Nehru, Sukarno, Tito, Nasser, Nkrumah; 121 members
NATO	1949	Brussels, Belgium	32 members; 32nd: Sweden
BIMSTEC	1997	Dhaka, Bangladesh	7 members; 2025 Summit: Bangkok, Thailand
ASEAN	1967	Jakarta, Indonesia	11 members; Timor-Leste joined October 2025
SAARC	1985	Kathmandu, Nepal	8 members
G20	1999	—	19 countries + EU + African Union
G7	1975	—	7 members: US, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, France

⚡ QUICK RECALL NAM founding fathers: Nehru (India), Sukarno (Indonesia), Tito (Yugoslavia), Nasser (Egypt), Nkrumah (Ghana) — a classic "5 leaders" recall question.

Nuclear & Arms Control

Body/Treaty	Details
Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)	Established 1974–75; 48 members; controls export of nuclear weapons, materials, technology
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)	Treaty 1996; prohibits all nuclear test explosions; India is NOT a signatory

Environment & Climate Agreements

Agreement	Year	Details
Earth Summit	1992	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Montreal Protocol	1987	Montreal, Canada; protects ozone layer
Kyoto Protocol	1997	Kyoto, Japan; reduces greenhouse gas emissions
Vienna Convention	1985	Protects ozone layer
Paris Agreement	2015	Limit global warming below 2°C; pursue 1.5°C target
International Solar Alliance (ISA)	2015	Jointly launched by India and France at COP21; HQ Gurugram

⚠ EXAM TRAP Vienna Convention (1985) and Montreal Protocol (1987) BOTH protect the ozone layer — Vienna Convention is the framework, Montreal Protocol is the specific action plan under it. Don't treat them as unrelated.

Major Agricultural Research Institutions

Institution	Location
Central Rice Research Institute	Cuttack, Odisha
Indian Agricultural Research Institute	Pusa, New Delhi
Central Potato Research Institute	Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Central Tobacco Research Institute	Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh
Central Coconut Research Institute	Kasaragod, Kerala
Indian Institute of Pulses Research	Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
National Coffee Research Institute	Chikmagalur, Karnataka
National Dairy Research Institute	Karnal, Haryana
Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
National Sugarcane Breeding Institute	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Food / Nutrition Related Institutions

Institution	Location
Food Corporation of India (FCI)	New Delhi
National Institute of Nutrition and Research	Hyderabad, Telangana
Central Drug Research Institute	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Central Food Technological Research Institute	Mysore, Karnataka

Mining, Energy & Industrial Institutions

Institution	Location
Central Leather Research Institute	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
National Metallurgical Laboratory	Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
Textile Industry Research Association	Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Central Mining & Fuel Research Institute	Dhanbad, Jharkhand
Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute	Bhavnagar, Gujarat
Indian Institute of Petroleum Research	Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Environment / Wildlife Related Institutions

Institution	Location
Indian Institute of Forest Management	Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy	Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Centre for Ecological Sciences	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Wildlife Institute of India	Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Central Forest Research Institute	Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)	Pune, Maharashtra
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute	Nagpur, Maharashtra
Central Avian Research Institute	Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
Zoological Survey of India	Kolkata, West Bengal

⚡ QUICK RECALL Dehradun hosts FOUR environment/forest institutions — Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Wildlife Institute of India, Central Forest Research Institute, and Indian Institute of Petroleum Research. Remember Dehradun as a forestry/petroleum research hub.

Defence Production Institutions

Institution	Location
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML)	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)	Hyderabad, Telangana
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited	Kolkata, West Bengal

Other Major Organisations/Institutions

Institution	Location
National Institute of Oceanography	Goa
Indian Institute of Astrophysics	Bengaluru, Karnataka
National Institute of Ocean Technology	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering	Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)	New Delhi

Quick Reference Summary

United Nations (UN)New York; est. 1945; 193 members; 6 organs

UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres (Current); Trygve Lie (First)

Security Council15 members; 5 permanent (P5)

ICJThe Hague; 15 judges; 9-year term

UNESCOParis; est. 1945/46; Educational, Scientific & Cultural

WHOGeneva; est. 1948

IMFWashington DC; est. 1945; 191 members; Georgieva (Managing Director)

World BankCreated 1944; Washington DC; IBRD 189 members; President Ajay Banga

WTOGeneva; est. 1995; 166 members

ADBManila; est. 1966; 69 members

BRICSCooperation began 2006; first leaders' summit 2009; 11 full members

EUBrussels; 27 member countries

SCOBeijing; est. 2001; 10 members; latest: Belarus

NATOBrussels; est. 1949; 32 members; latest: Sweden

SAARCKathmandu; est. 1985; 8 members

ASEANJakarta; est. 1967; 11 members; Timor-Leste joined 2025

G20Est. 1999; 19 countries + EU + African Union

NSGEst. 1974–75; 48 members; nuclear export control

ISAConceived at COP21 in 2015 by India and France; HQ Gurugram

CTBT1996; bans all nuclear tests; India not a signatory

Paris Agreement2015; limit warming below 2°C / 1.5°C

Montreal Protocol1987; protects ozone layer