Comprehensive General Studies, Polity, History, and Current Affairs Review

High-yield vocabulary flashcards detailing core historical events, international treaties, constitutional articles, scientific facts, and multilateral organizations covered in the lecture notes.

The Black Hand

The Bosnian-Serb nationalist organization aiming to unify all Slavs into a single nation, whose member Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.

Zimmermann Telegram

A 1917 intercepted diplomatic communication from Germany to Mexico proposing a military alliance against the United States in exchange for recovering lost Mexican territories.

War Guilt Clause (Clause 231)

The provision within the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that legally compelled Germany to accept 100% blame for World War I and pay financial reparations.

Rowlatt Act (1919)

The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, known popularly by the slogan "No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal," which authorized detention without trial and triggered the Rowlatt Satyagraha.

Hunter Commission (Disorders Inquiry Committee)

The committee established to investigate the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, featuring three Indian members: Sir Chimanlal Setalvad, Sardar Ahmed Khan, and Pandit Jagat Narayan.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

A non-aggression agreement signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union containing a secret protocol to partition Eastern Europe, later broken by Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

Bardoli Resolution (1922)

The resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee that officially suspended the Non-Cooperation Movement following the violence during the Chauri Chaura incident.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

A joint declaration issued by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill affirming the right of all peoples to self-determination.

Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

A three-member British delegation comprising Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander that formulated the proposal for India's Constituent Assembly while rejecting the demand for Pakistan.

UN Resolution 2 and 3 (1946)

Early United Nations Security Council resolutions addressing the presence of Soviet forces in Iran, urging direct negotiations and demanding immediate troop withdrawal.

Project SHANTI

India's 6-point agenda for the Global South introduced at the United Nations, standing for Security Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust, and Security.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The principal judicial organ of the UN located at The Hague, composed of 15 judges serving 9-year terms, with past and present Indian judges including B.N. Rau, Nagendra Singh, R.S. Pathak, and Dalveer Bhandari.

Special Drawing Rights (SDR)

An international supplementary reserve asset defined by the IMF, based on a basket of five major currencies: the US Dollar, Euro, Chinese Renminbi, Japanese Yen, and British Pound Sterling.

Kigali Amendment (2016)

An amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol establishing targets for the global phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to limit climate warming.

102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018

An amendment that inserted Article 338B into the Constitution of India, according constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

18th BRICS Summit (2026)

The BRICS summit scheduled for September 12–13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, marking India's fourth BRICS chairship under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability."

New Development Bank (NDB)

A multilateral development institution established during the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) with USD $100\,\text{billion}$ in authorized capital, headquartered in Shanghai.

UN Resolution 181 (1947)

The United Nations Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine recommending the partition of the territory into independent Arab and Jewish states with an international regime for Jerusalem.

Operation Wrath of God

The covert intelligence operation authorized by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir to track down and assassinate perpetrators of the 1972 Munich massacre.

Camp David Accords (1978)

The peace framework brokered by US President Jimmy Carter between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, leading to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

A maritime maritime area under UNCLOS extending up to $200\,\text{nautical miles}$ from a coastal nation's baseline, providing sovereign rights to explore and exploit natural resources.

Sucheta Kripalani

The political leader who served as the first woman Chief Minister of an Indian state (Uttar Pradesh).

International Solar Alliance (ISA)

A treaty-based intergovernmental organization initiated jointly by India and France in 2015, headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana.

Reita Faria

The first Indian woman to win the Miss World beauty pageant, achieving the title in 1966.

El Salvador

The first sovereign nation in the world to adopt Bitcoin as official legal tender.

Manu Bhaker

The Indian sport shooter who achieved two bronze medals at the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris (2024).

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

A multi-country initiative launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 dedicated to the conservation of the world's seven major big cat species.

Nine-Dash Line

The demarcation line used by the government of China to demarcate and claim sovereign rights over waters and islands in the South China Sea.

Great Red Spot

A persistent high-pressure anticyclonic storm located in the atmosphere of Jupiter, which is also the fastest-rotating planet in the solar system.

Lysosomes

Membrane-bound cellular organelles containing digestive enzymes, commonly described as the "suicide bags" of the cell.

Kailasa Temple (Ellora)

The monolithic rock-cut Hindu temple in Maharashtra carved top-down from a single cliff face, dedicated to Lord Shiva under the Rashtrakuta Dynasty.

Lokpal

India's statutory anti-corruption ombudsman body consisting of a chairperson and 8 members, established with Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as its first appointed chairperson.

Sattriya

The classical dance tradition originating from Assam, recognized as one of India's major classical dance forms alongside Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi.

MANAV Framework

The five-pillar sovereign AI framework articulated at the AI Impact Summit, standing for Moral & Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible & Inclusive AI, and Valid & Legitimate Systems.

The Black Hand

The Serb nationalist secret society that orchestrated the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, aiming to unite all South Slavs into a single nation.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret 1917 diplomatic communication intercepted by British intelligence in which Germany proposed a military alliance with Mexico, promising assistance to regain lost territories if Mexico attacked the United States.

War Guilt Clause (Article 231)

A provision in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that legally forced Germany to accept complete blame for starting World War I and imposed massive financial reparations.

Treaty of Sèvres (1920)

A post-World War I pact that required the Ottoman Empire to renounce claims to all non-Turkish territories, leading to the nationalist revolution under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the abolition of the Caliphate system in 1924.

Rowlatt Act (1919)

Officially titled the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919; characterized by the popular slogan 'No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal,' allowing indefinite detention without trial and leading directly to the Rowlatt Satyagraha.

Hunter Commission (Disorders Inquiry Committee)

The official body appointed to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh massacre; its committee included three prominent Indian members: Sir Chimanlal Setalvad, Sardar Ahmed Khan, and Pandit Jagat Narayan.

Bardoli Resolution (1922)

The Congress resolution through which Mahatma Gandhi abruptly halted the Non-Cooperation Movement following the violent Chauri Chaura incident.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)

A non-aggression treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union featuring a secret protocol to partition Eastern Europe, later breached by Germany during Operation Barbarossa in 1941.

Purna Swaraj Declaration

The declaration of complete independence adopted at the 1929 Indian National Congress Lahore Session, celebrated nationally on 26 January 1930.

Atlantic Charter (1941)

A pivotal joint declaration issued by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill affirming the sovereign rights and self-determination of all nations.

Red Fort Trials (1945–1946)

The British military court-martial of Indian National Army (INA) officers Colonel Prem Kumar Sahgal, Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, and Major General Shah Nawaz Khan held at the Red Fort.

Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

A three-member delegation—Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A.V. Alexander—that outlined the formation of the Constituent Assembly of India and rejected the demand for Pakistan.

Iran Crisis of 1946

The first major Cold War political dispute addressed by the United Nations Security Council, triggered when Joseph Stalin's Soviet troops refused to withdraw from northern Iran post-World War II.

SHANTI Agenda

India's six-point policy framework presented to the Global South at the United Nations, standing for 'Security Holistic Advancement through norms, Trust & Security.'

United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Voting Threshold

The procedural requirement of at least $9$ affirmative votes out of $15$ members without a veto from any of the five permanent members (US, UK, France, China, Russia) to pass binding resolutions.

Trusteeship Council

A principal organ of the United Nations that suspended operation in 1994 following the independence of its last remaining trust territory, Palau.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The principal judicial organ of the UN located at The Hague, Netherlands, comprising $15$ judges serving $9$-year terms; historical Indian judges include B.N. Rau, Nagendra Singh, R.S. Pathak, and Dalveer Bhandari.

Special Drawing Rights (SDR)

An international reserve asset created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) whose value is determined by a basket of five major currencies: US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, Chinese Renminbi, and British Pound Sterling.

Kigali Amendment (2016)

An amendment to the Montreal Protocol that legally mandates the phasedown of the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases.

Mandal Commission

The second Backward Classes Commission in India that used the 1931 census to identify Other Backward Classes (OBCs), leading to reservations whose implementation was affirmed with the 'creamy layer' rule in the Indra Sawhney case.

102nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018

The constitutional amendment that inserted Article 338B, conferring constitutional status upon the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

18th BRICS Summit (2026)

The summit scheduled to be hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.'

New Development Bank (NDB)

The multilateral bank established by BRICS at the 2014 Fortaleza Summit with an initial authorized capital of $100\,\text{billion}\;\text{USD}$, headquartered in Shanghai, China, and operating a regional office at GIFT City, Gandhinagar.

UN Resolution 181

The 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which recommended the partition of Mandatory Palestine into independent Arab and Jewish States with an international regime for Jerusalem.

Operation Musketeer

The joint Anglo-French military plan executed during the 1956 Suez Crisis following Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal under President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Camp David Accords (1978)

A peace framework brokered by US President Jimmy Carter between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, leading to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

Operation Wrath of God

A covert assassination campaign authorized by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir to track down and eliminate individuals responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Under UNCLOS, an oceanic belt extending up to $200\,\text{nautical miles}$ ($1\,\text{NM} = 1.852\,\text{km}$) from a coastal state's baseline, granting sovereign rights over natural resources.

1881 Indian Census

The first complete, synchronous decennial census conducted across India, overseen by Census Commissioner W.C. Plowden under Viceroy Lord Ripon.

Global Gender Gap Index

An annual benchmark published by the World Economic Forum (WEF, headquartered in Cologny, Switzerland) assessing national gender disparities, traditionally ranked first by Iceland.

Sucheta Kripalani

The first woman to serve as Chief Minister of an Indian state, taking office in Uttar Pradesh in 1963.

Justice M. Fathima Beevi

The first female judge appointed to the Supreme Court of India (1989).

International Solar Alliance (ISA)

A treaty-based intergovernmental organization launched by India and France at COP21 in 2015, headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana.

El Salvador Bitcoin Law

The 2021 statutory measure that made El Salvador the first sovereign nation in the world to adopt Bitcoin as official legal tender.

Manu Bhaker

The first Indian athlete in independent India's history to win two Olympic medals at a single edition of the Games, securing two bronze medals in shooting at Paris 2024.

Panchsheel Agreement (1954)

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence signed between India and China governing mutual respect for territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference, equality, and peaceful coexistence.

Nine-Dash Line

A historical demarcation line used by China to assert maritime and territorial claims over the majority of the South China Sea.

Aditya-L1

India's first dedicated space observatory mission developed by ISRO, placed around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L1 to study the solar atmosphere.

Great Red Spot

A persistent high-pressure anticyclonic storm system located in the atmosphere of Jupiter, the fastest-rotating planet in the Solar System.

Lysosomes

Membrane-bound cellular organelles containing hydrolytic digestive enzymes, commonly referred to as the 'suicide bags' of the cell.

Kailasa Temple (Cave 16)

A monolithic rock-cut Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, carved out of a single piece of basalt cliff face under the Rashtrakuta dynasty.

Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law)

The constitutional schedule added via the 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1985 setting the disqualification criteria for legislators on the grounds of defection.

Article 108 of the Indian Constitution

The constitutional provision empowering the President of India to summon a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) to resolve a legislative deadlock.

Article 110 of the Indian Constitution

The constitutional clause defining a 'Money Bill,' for which the Speaker of the Lok Sabha holds final certification authority and the President cannot exercise a suspensive veto.

Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose

The former Supreme Court judge appointed as India's first anti-corruption ombudsman (Lokpal) in 2019.

Article 148 of the Indian Constitution

The provision that mandates the office, appointment, and conditions of service of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

Sattriya

A classical Indian dance form originating in Assam, rooted in the neo-Vaishnavite movement and monastery traditions founded by Mahapurusha Sankaradeva.

Bharat Vistarr

An indigenous sovereign artificial intelligence assistant designed to deliver $24 \times 7$ localized advisory support and information to Indian farmers.

MANAV AI Framework

An ethical framework for Indian artificial intelligence governance based on five core pillars: Moral & ethical systems, Accountable governance, National sovereignty, Accessible & inclusive AI, and Valid & legitimate systems.