Background
The World Bank Group has five institutions: IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA and ICSID.
IBRD, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, provides financial products and policy advice to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries; it was created in 1944 to help Europe rebuild after World War II.
IDA, the International Development Association, offers grants and low-interest loans to low-income countries; IBRD joins with IDA to form the World Bank.
IFC, the International Finance Corporation, encourages the growth of the private sector in developing countries.
MIGA, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, provides political risk insurance (guarantees) for projects in developing member countries.
ICSID, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, is devoted to international investment dispute settlement.
Institutions in the Group:
5
IBRD created:
1944
Institutions that form the World Bank:
IBRD and IDA
Political risk insurance:
MIGA
Why it matters for exams: Examiners ask which World Bank Group institution does what, and which two together form the World Bank.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — The World Bank Group lender to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries.
IDA International Development Association — Offers grants and low-interest loans to low-income countries.
MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency — Provides political risk insurance for projects in developing member countries.
ICSID International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes — Devoted to international investment dispute settlement.
Background
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a global agreement to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it, covering both production and consumption.
It was signed in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.
The parties meet once a year; the Protocol has been adjusted or amended six times since its creation.
The most recent amendment, the Kigali Amendment, called for the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in 2016.
HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer but are powerful greenhouse gases; they were used as replacements for ozone-depleting substances eliminated by the original Protocol.
It was preceded by the Vienna Convention of 1985, a framework convention that does not require countries to take control actions; it took effect in 1988 and reached universal ratification in 2009.
Montreal Protocol signed:
1987
Entered into force:
1989
Kigali Amendment:
2016, phase-down of HFCs
Vienna Convention created:
1985
Why it matters for exams: Treaty years, the Kigali Amendment and the Vienna Convention versus Montreal Protocol distinction are standard environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
HFC Hydrofluorocarbons — Replacements for ozone-depleting substances that do not deplete ozone but are powerful greenhouse gases.
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme — The UN body whose Ozone Secretariat serves the ozone treaties.
Background
The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is known as the Outer Space Treaty.
It was adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 1966 through resolution 2222 (XXI), following the 1963 Declaration of Legal Principles.
It was opened for signature at London, Moscow and Washington on 27 January 1967 and entered into force on 10 October 1967; three Governments (USSR, United Kingdom and United States) assumed the depositary duties.
Outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by any means.
States shall not place in orbit objects carrying nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.
States bear international responsibility for national space activities, whether carried on by governmental agencies or by non-governmental entities.
Adopted by General Assembly:
19 December 1966, resolution 2222 (XXI)
Opened for signature:
27 January 1967
Entered into force:
10 October 1967
Depositary Governments:
3
Why it matters for exams: The treaty's no-national-appropriation and no-weapons-of-mass-destruction principles and its year of entry into force are favourite space-law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Depositary Governments Governments with which a treaty's instruments are deposited — For this treaty they are the USSR, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Background
Tides are very long-period waves that move through the oceans in response to the forces exerted by the moon and sun.
The difference in height between the high tide and the low tide is called the tidal range.
The incoming tide along the coast is called a flood current and the outgoing tide an ebb current; the weakest currents, between the two, are called slack water.
Most coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides every day, because the Earth rotates through two tidal bulges in one lunar day, and a lunar day is 24 hours and 50 minutes.
High tides occur 12 hours and 25 minutes apart, and it takes six hours and 12.5 minutes for the water at the shore to go from high to low.
When the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment, at the time of the new or full moon, the solar tide adds to the lunar tide and the result is commonly called spring tides.
One week later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partly cancels the lunar tide and produces moderate tides known as neap tides.
During each lunar month two sets of spring tides and two sets of neap tides occur.
Length of a lunar day:
24 hours and 50 minutes
Interval between high tides:
12 hours and 25 minutes
Tides at new or full moon:
spring tides
Tides when sun and moon are at right angles:
neap tides
Height difference between high and low tide:
tidal range
Why it matters for exams: The lunar day, the twice-daily tide and the spring-neap pair are among the most frequently set physical geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Lunar day — The time a place on Earth takes to rotate from a point under the moon back to the same point under the moon.
Tidal range — The height difference between a high tide and the following low tide.
Slack water — The period between flood and ebb currents, when tidal currents are weakest.
Background
Gaia is a global space astrometry mission of the European Space Agency.
It built the largest, most precise three-dimensional map of our Galaxy by surveying nearly two billion objects.
Gaia monitored each of its target stars about 14 times per year, charting their positions, distances, movements, and changes in brightness.
It measured the positions of objects down to magnitude 20, and for objects brighter than magnitude 15 it reached an accuracy of 24 microarcseconds.
Gaia also studied more than 1 million distant quasars and provided stringent new tests of the General Theory of Relativity of Albert Einstein.
The spacecraft carried two optical telescopes working with three science instruments, and the status of the mission is now given as Post-operations.
Agency:
European Space Agency
Objects surveyed:
nearly two billion objects
Visits to each target star in a year:
about 14 times per year
Best position accuracy:
24 microarcseconds
Why it matters for exams: Astrometry missions are a standing science and technology topic, and Gaia is the standard example of a star-mapping spacecraft.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Astrometry — The branch of astronomy that measures the positions and motions of stars and other bodies.
Magnitude — A scale of brightness in which a larger number means a fainter object.
Microarcsecond — A millionth of an arcsecond, the unit in which very small angles on the sky are measured.
Quasar — An extremely bright and very distant object powered by matter falling into a massive black hole.
Background
The Sentinel missions are developed specifically for the operational needs of the Copernicus programme.
Each Sentinel mission is based on a constellation of satellites to fulfil revisit and coverage requirements, providing robust datasets for Copernicus services.
Sentinel-1 is a polar-orbiting, all-weather, day-and-night radar imaging mission for land, ocean and emergency services.
Sentinel-2 is a polar-orbiting, multispectral high-resolution imaging mission for land monitoring, with imagery of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways and coastal areas.
Sentinel-3 is a multi-instrument mission to measure sea-surface topography, sea- and land-surface temperature, ocean colour and land colour.
Sentinel-5 Precursor provides timely data on trace gases and aerosols affecting air quality and climate; Sentinel-4 delivers data from geostationary orbit and Sentinel-5 from polar orbit.
Sentinel-6 carries a radar altimeter to measure global sea-surface height, primarily for operational oceanography and for climate studies.
Programme served:
Copernicus
Sentinel-1:
radar imaging mission
Sentinel-2:
multispectral high-resolution imaging mission
Sentinel-6:
radar altimeter
Why it matters for exams: Earth observation programmes are asked by instrument type, and the Sentinel numbers map neatly onto radar, optical, ocean and atmosphere tasks.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Copernicus — The European Earth observation programme whose services the Sentinel satellites are built to supply.
Constellation — A group of satellites flown together so that a place on Earth is revisited more often.
Multispectral imaging — Imaging in several separate bands of wavelength at the same time.
Radar altimeter — An instrument that measures height by timing a radar pulse reflected from the surface.
Background
The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) is the World Health Organization standard for recording diseases and causes of death.
Originating in the 19th century, the ICD has for more than a century been the basis for comparable statistics on causes of mortality and morbidity between places and over time.
Clinical terms coded with ICD are the main basis for health recording and statistics on disease in primary, secondary and tertiary care, as well as on cause of death certificates.
These data and statistics support payment systems, service planning, administration of quality and safety, and health services research.
The latest version, ICD-11, was adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019 and came into effect on 1st January 2022.
ICD-11 allows the systematic recording, analysis, interpretation and comparison of mortality and morbidity data collected in different countries or regions and at different times.
Responsible body:
World Health Organization
Current revision:
ICD-11
Adopted by:
the 72nd World Health Assembly
Came into effect:
1st January 2022
Why it matters for exams: The ICD is the standard answer to any question about how countries make deaths and diseases comparable, and the revision in force is frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICD International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems — The WHO's standard list of codes for diseases and causes of death.
Morbidity — The occurrence of illness in a population, as distinct from deaths.
World Health Assembly — The forum of WHO member states that takes the organization's highest decisions.
Background
Created in 1959, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the oldest regional development bank and the largest source of multilateral development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The IDB provides support to the public sector and is part of the IDB Group.
The Group also includes IDB Invest, responsible for private sector operations, and IDB Lab, a trust fund that serves as the Group's innovation laboratory.
IDB Lab was created in 1993.
The IDB and IDB Invest consist of 48 member states, compared to 40 for IDB Lab.
A total of 26 member countries from the Latin America and Caribbean region are engaged in all three entities.
The overarching objectives of the IDB Group are to reduce poverty and inequality and to promote sustainable economic growth in the region.
Created:
1959
Members of the IDB and IDB Invest:
48 member states
Regional members engaged in all three entities:
26 member countries
Private sector arm:
IDB Invest
Innovation laboratory created:
1993
Why it matters for exams: Regional development banks are asked by age, region and headquarters, and the IDB is the one that comes before all the others.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Multilateral development financing — Development lending by an institution owned by many member states rather than by one country.
Trust fund — Money contributed by members and held for a stated purpose, administered separately from ordinary capital.
Background
The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.
It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices weighted by the average export shares of each of the groups over 2014-2016.
The five groups are cereals, vegetable oils, dairy, meat and sugar, and the FAO Cereal Price Index, the FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index, the FAO Dairy Price Index, the FAO Meat Price Index and the FAO Sugar Price Index are published alongside the headline index.
The index is published monthly, and FAO gives the monthly release dates for the whole year in advance.
Nominal and real indices are published from 1990 onwards, monthly and annual, with annual series available from 1961 onwards.
FAO separately runs a Food Price Monitoring and Analysis tool for export quotations and national retail and wholesale prices of foods.
Number of commodity group indices averaged:
five commodity group price indices
Basis of the weights:
average export shares
Base period of the weights:
2014-2016
Frequency:
monthly
Why it matters for exams: Index questions turn on construction rather than the latest reading, and this one has a clear formula, a weighting rule and a fixed set of groups.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FFPI FAO Food Price Index — FAO's monthly measure of international food commodity prices.
Export share — A group's share of total food exports, used here to decide how much weight it carries in the index.
Nominal and real index — A nominal index uses prices as they are; a real index adjusts them for broader price changes.
Background
If the Earth did not rotate and remained stationary, the atmosphere would circulate between the poles and the equator in a simple back-and-forth pattern.
Because the Earth rotates, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere, resulting in curved paths.
This deflection is called the Coriolis effect.
It is named after the French mathematician Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis, who studied the transfer of energy in rotating systems like waterwheels.
Coastal currents are affected by local winds. Surface ocean currents, which occur on the open ocean, are driven by a complex global wind system.
To understand the effects of winds on ocean currents, one needs the Coriolis force and the Ekman spiral together.
Deflection in the Northern Hemisphere:
toward the right
Deflection in the Southern Hemisphere:
toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere
Name of the deflection:
the Coriolis effect
Companion concept for wind-driven currents:
Ekman spiral
Why it matters for exams: The direction of deflection in each hemisphere is a one-mark fact that decides answers on winds, cyclones and ocean currents alike.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Coriolis effect — The deflection of moving air and water caused by the rotation of the Earth.
Ekman spiral — The turning of wind-driven water with depth, used with the Coriolis force to explain surface currents.
Background
Article 27 of the UN Charter gives each Security Council member one vote.
Decisions on procedural matters need an affirmative vote of nine members.
Decisions on all other matters need nine members including the concurring votes of the permanent members.
The permanent members are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.
A permanent member that does not fully agree but does not wish to veto may abstain, and the resolution is adopted if it has nine favourable votes.
Charter article:
Article 27
Votes needed:
nine
Permanent members:
five
Why it matters for exams: Article 27 and the veto are staple questions on how the Security Council works.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Veto A permanent member's negative vote — A negative vote by a permanent member blocks a non-procedural decision.
Background
Alfred Nobel's will names who awards each prize.
The physics and chemistry prizes go to the Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The prize for physiological or medical achievements goes to the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and literature to the Academy in Stockholm.
Champions of peace are rewarded by a committee of five persons to be selected by the Norwegian Storting.
The will asks that no consideration be given to nationality.
Peace Prize body:
committee of five persons
Selected by:
Norwegian Storting
Medicine prize:
Karolinska Institute
Why it matters for exams: Which body awards which Nobel Prize is a recurring awards-and-institutions question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Storting Norwegian Parliament — The Storting selects the five persons of the Peace Prize committee.