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🌍 International Relations & Organisations

Groupings, summits, treaties and headquarters. The facts that stay constant while the headlines change.

Useful for: SSC CGL, RRB NTPC, CUET, IBPS PO, RBI Grade B.

International news is easier to handle when you separate the permanent from the temporary. Which organisation exists, where it is headquartered, how many members it has and what its purpose is will not change next month. Who hosted the latest summit or which agreement was signed this week will.

Exams mix both, but the permanent facts anchor your answer. Build a clear picture of the major groupings (UN, BRICS, G20, SCO, ASEAN, QUAD) and international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank, WTO), then attach each new development to the right box.

Concepts to know

United Nations

Headquartered in New York, with principal organs including the General Assembly, Security Council and International Court of Justice (at The Hague).

BRICS

A grouping that began as Brazil, Russia, India and China, joined by South Africa in 2010 and expanded later.

G20

Forum of major economies. India held its presidency in 2022-23 and hosted the New Delhi summit in September 2023.

IMF and World Bank

Bretton Woods institutions headquartered in Washington, D.C. The IMF supports balance of payments; the World Bank funds development.

WTO

Headquartered in Geneva; sets and oversees rules of international trade.

Climate treaties

UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement form the climate framework; the Montreal Protocol deals with the ozone layer.

How questions are framed

Sample 1: Where is the headquarters of the WTO located?
  1. New York
  2. Geneva
  3. Paris
  4. Brussels

Answer: B. Geneva

The WTO is based in Geneva. The UN is in New York and the IMF and World Bank are in Washington, D.C.

Sample 2: Which country joined BRIC in 2010?
  1. Egypt
  2. South Africa
  3. Argentina
  4. Iran

Answer: B. South Africa

South Africa's entry in 2010 turned BRIC into BRICS.

Sample 3: The International Court of Justice sits at:
  1. Geneva
  2. Vienna
  3. The Hague
  4. New York

Answer: C. The Hague

The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the UN, is at The Hague in the Netherlands.

How to study this topic

  1. Create a card for each organisation: headquarters, year founded, purpose and India's role.
  2. For every summit in the news, note host country, theme and one India-related outcome.
  3. Revise the cards weekly and test yourself with the international questions in our daily quiz.

Practise in the daily quiz

Recent notes on this topic

Frequently asked questions

How do I remember so many organisations?
Group them by function (security, trade, finance, climate, regional) rather than alphabetically. Cards with headquarters and purpose are enough for most questions.

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