Background
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main bodies of the United Nations. All six were established under the UN Charter when the Organization was founded in 1945. ECOSOC has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. It is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues. It serves as the central mechanism for the activities of the UN system and its specialised agencies in those fields, and it supervises subsidiary and expert bodies. The United Nations describes it as its central platform for reflection, debate and innovative thinking on sustainable development.
Members:
54
Term:
Three years
Elected by:
UN General Assembly
Main bodies of the UN:
6
Why it matters for exams: The membership figure and term length of ECOSOC are standard objective questions on the UN's principal organs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council — The UN's principal organ for economic, social and environmental coordination.
Background
Kozhikode district was the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of the mighty Zamorins and was once a renowned commercial centre.
The city of Calicut, the Anglicized form of Kozhikode, is the headquarters of the district.
The district is 38.25% urban and is bordered by Kannur district to the north, Wayanad to the east and Malappuram to the south, with the Arabian Sea to the west.
It is situated between latitudes 11 degrees 08 minutes N and 11 degrees 50 minutes N and longitudes 75 degrees 30 minutes E and 76 degrees 8 minutes E.
The division of the district into 4 taluks came into effect in 2001: Kozhikode, Vadakara, Koyilandy and Thamarassery.
As per the census of 2011, 12 block panchayats make up the district.
They are Balusseri, Chelannur, Koduvally, Kozhikode, Kunnamangalam, Kunnummal, Melady, Panthalayani, Perambra, Thodannur, Thuneri and Vadakara.
The district administration describes the district as endowed with countrysides, beaches, historic sites, wildlife sanctuaries, rivers and hills.
Taluks:
4, in effect from 2001
Block panchayats:
12
Urban share:
38.25%
Headquarters:
The city of Calicut
Why it matters for exams: Taluk lists, block panchayat counts and the Zamorin connection of Kozhikode recur in Kerala administration and history questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Block panchayat Block panchayat — The middle tier of rural local government in Kerala, between the grama panchayat and the district panchayat.
Calicut Calicut — The Anglicized form of the name Kozhikode.
Background
Pathanamthitta is the thirteenth revenue district of the State of Kerala.
It nestles its head on the slopes of the Western Ghats and stretches to the low-lying rice fields bordering Alappuzha district.
The district was formed with effect from the 1st November, 1982, vide G.O. (M.S) No.1026/82/RD dated 29.10.1982, with headquarters at Pathanamthitta.
It is bounded on the north by the Changanassery and Kanjirappally taluks of Kottayam district and the Peerumade taluk of Idukki district.
It is bounded on the east by the State of Tamil Nadu.
On the south it is bounded by the Kunnathur, Pathanapuram and Kottarakkara taluks of Kollam district.
On the west it is bounded by the Chengannur, Mavelikkara and Kuttanad taluks of Alappuzha district.
The district administration describes it as abounding with undulating hills, forests, wildlife and valleys.
Position among Kerala's revenue districts:
thirteenth
Formed with effect from:
1st November, 1982
Government Order:
G.O. (M.S) No.1026/82/RD dated 29.10.1982
Headquarters:
Pathanamthitta
Why it matters for exams: The order of Kerala's district formations and district boundaries are standard questions in the State geography section.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
G.O. Government Order — A written executive order of a State government, cited by number and date.
Revenue district Revenue district — A district as constituted for revenue administration under a District Collector.
Background
Austria's standing in international affairs rests less on its size than on the bodies it hosts, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is one of them.
UNODC has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
It was started in 1997.
It supports governments, criminal justice institutions and law enforcement in three areas: policy, data and research, and training and support.
It runs a network of field offices across the globe covering some 150 countries, and most of its staff and projects are on the ground rather than at headquarters.
Headquarters:
Vienna, Austria
Started:
1997
Field office coverage:
some 150 countries
Why it matters for exams: Which city hosts which United Nations body is a standard objective question, and Vienna is asked about as often as Geneva and Nairobi.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime — The UN body that works on drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism, based in Vienna.
Field office Field office — An office an organisation keeps in the country where the work is done, rather than at its headquarters.
Background
The India-Austria Business Forum was held at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi, with Austrian Federal Chancellor Dr Christian Stocker, Austrian Federal Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer and Indian Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal taking part.
A bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism was established to give Austrian companies and investors in India, and Indian companies and investors in Austria, a dedicated platform to facilitate investments.
Bilateral trade was put at approximately 3 billion euros, and around 160 Austrian firms operate in India.
It was the first official visit to India by an Austrian Chancellor in over 40 years.
Sustainable development, advanced manufacturing, green technologies and labour-intensive sectors and micro, small and medium enterprises were identified as priority areas.
Both sides stressed the importance of the proposed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement for expanding commerce and reducing trade barriers.
Austrian firms operating in India:
around 160
Bilateral trade:
approximately 3 billion euros
Venue of the Business Forum:
Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
Mechanism established:
bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism
Why it matters for exams: The Fast-Track Mechanism, the number of Austrian firms in India and the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement are the askable points of this relationship.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FTM Fast-Track Mechanism — A dedicated bilateral channel to help investors of each country resolve problems in the other.
MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises — The smaller business segment named as a priority area in the two countries' cooperation.
FTA Free Trade Agreement — A treaty that lowers tariffs and other barriers between its parties.
2 October 2026
The eight single-teacher schools, known as Multi Grade Learning Centres or MGLCs, that were still working in Kerala have been upgraded into government Lower Primary schools.
The upgrade was carried out as part of the government's first hundred-day programme.
General Education Minister N. Shamsudheen performed the State-level inauguration at the Melmuri alternative school at Kizhisseri in Malappuram, and Public Works Minister P.K. Basheer presided over the function.
The Minister said the system of single-teacher schools will no longer exist in the State and that all of these will work as fully equipped Lower Primary schools with modern facilities and teachers.
Five of the eight alternative schools are in Malappuram district, including Arimangalam, Thanur Kalamthuruthi, Wandoor Arimanal and Mancheri Tharikulam; the others are Aloor in Kasaragod, Kurathikudi in Idukki and Kalanki in Kannur, all in backward, hill and tribal areas.
The Minister said classrooms, a headmaster's room and the required teaching posts will be ensured in all these schools.
He said work is progressing to bring smart classroom facilities to 6,000 Lower Primary and Upper Primary schools in the State through 'Digital Square' and to include artificial intelligence and robotics in the high school curriculum.
He said about ten thousand students were given the chance to continue their studies by sanctioning 120 additional Plus One batches in Malabar along with special orders, and that the norm for a physical education teacher's post has been reduced from 500 students to 300.
Schools upgraded:
8
In Malappuram district:
5
Smart classroom target:
6,000 LP and UP schools
Additional Plus One batches in Malabar:
120
Revised norm for physical education teacher post:
300 students
Why it matters for exams: The end of the MGLC system, the number of schools upgraded and the districts involved are exactly the kind of education-policy facts Kerala PSC asks.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MGLC Multi Grade Learning Centre — A single-teacher school in which children of several classes learn together.
LP school Lower Primary school — A school covering classes one to four in Kerala.
Hundred-day programme Hundred-day programme — A set of targets a government commits to completing in its first hundred days.
Background
Diplomatic relations between India and Austria were established on 10 November 1949.
Bilateral trade rose from USD 2.47 billion in 2021 to USD 2.84 billion in 2022, USD 2.93 billion in 2023, USD 3.07 billion in 2024 and USD 3.47 billion in 2025.
In 2025 Indian exports to Austria were USD 1.73 billion and imports from Austria USD 1.74 billion.
An estimated 13,510 Indians live in Austria and over 730 Indian students pursue higher education there.
A Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement and a memorandum of understanding on cultural cooperation were signed in 2023.
In April 2026 the two sides signed a Letter of Intent on Cooperation in Military Matters and a Letter of Intent on a Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism.
Also signed then were an audiovisual co-production agreement, a memorandum of understanding on food safety and a Fast Track Mechanism for companies of both countries.
Austria is a member of the European Union, so its trade with India is conducted within the Union's common commercial policy.
Diplomatic relations established:
10 November 1949
Bilateral trade, 2025:
USD 3.47 billion
Indian exports to Austria, 2025:
USD 1.73 billion
Indians in Austria:
over 13,510
Indian students in Austria:
over 730
Why it matters for exams: The year diplomatic relations began, the trade figure and the names of the recent agreements are the India-Austria facts most often asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Fast Track Mechanism Fast Track Mechanism — A dedicated channel for companies of the two countries to resolve investment problems.
Letter of Intent Letter of Intent — A signed statement of intended cooperation, short of a binding treaty.
Migration and Mobility Partnership Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement — An agreement easing legal movement of people while curbing irregular migration.
Background
Austria's capital is Vienna and its official European Union language is German.
It has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995, has used the euro since 1 January 1999 and has been in the Schengen area since 1 December 1997.
It is a federal parliamentary republic of nine states, with a president as head of state and a chancellor as head of government.
Its Federal Parliament has two chambers, the directly elected lower house or Nationalrat and the upper house or Bundesrat.
Austria holds 20 seats in the European Parliament and has 12 representatives each on the European Economic and Social Committee and on the European Committee of the Regions.
Its area is 83,882 square kilometres and its population 9,197,213.
It ranks fifth in the European Union for gross domestic product per capita, at 45,700 euros, and accounts for 2.8 per cent of the Union's total gross domestic product.
Austria has held the presidency of the Council of the European Union three times, from July to December 1998, from January to June 2006 and from July to December 2018.
Its member of the European Commission is Magnus Brunner, responsible for internal affairs and migration.
Capital:
Vienna
EU member since:
1 January 1995
Euro in use since:
1 January 1999
Seats in the European Parliament:
20
Area:
83,882 km²
Population:
9,197,213
Why it matters for exams: These are the Austria facts that recur in general knowledge papers, and they underpin every current item about the country's government and economy.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Schengen area Schengen area — The group of European states that have abolished checks at their common borders.
Bundesländer Federal states — The nine constituent states of the Austrian federation.
Council of the European Union Council of the European Union — The institution where member state ministers meet; its presidency rotates between member states.
2 October 2026
The Supreme Court of the United States agreed on Thursday 1 October 2026 to review the federal government's policy of mandatory immigration detention without a bond hearing. The question before the court is whether people held while their deportation proceedings are pending have a right to a bond hearing at which release can be sought. The policy at issue is guidance issued in July 2025 directing immigration authorities to hold people without authorisation to remain in the country for the duration of their deportation proceedings, departing from the earlier practice of allowing bond hearings for most non-citizens without criminal records who were arrested away from the border. The case taken up is that of Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha, a Brazilian national who entered the United States about two decades ago, sought asylum in 2016 and was arrested in Massachusetts in September 2025; he has never faced criminal charges. Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union say millions of non-citizens could be affected by the government's interpretation. Most federal appeals courts had held that people in this position cannot be detained without a bond hearing, while the Fifth and Eighth Circuits found mandatory detention permissible, and it is this split the Supreme Court will resolve. The court's new term opened on the following Monday.
Date the court took the case:
1 October 2026
Policy at issue:
July 2025 guidance on detention without a bond hearing
Circuits that allowed mandatory detention:
Fifth and Eighth
Named petitioner:
Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha
Why it matters for exams: Comparative constitutional law questions often turn on how other supreme courts treat personal liberty and detention without a hearing.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bond hearing Bond hearing — A hearing at which a detained person can ask to be released, usually on security or conditions.
Circuit United States Court of Appeals circuit — One of the regional federal appeals courts of the United States, below the Supreme Court.
ACLU American Civil Liberties Union — A United States civil rights organisation that litigates on constitutional liberties.
2 October 2026
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will operate special inter-State services from October 14 to November 14 to meet the additional travel demand during the Mahanavami, Vijayadashami and Deepavali festive season.
The additional services will connect Bengaluru, Mysuru and Chennai with destinations in Keralam, and services will also run from depots in Kerala to those cities.
Services from Bengaluru have been arranged to Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Nilambur, Ponnani, Ernakulam, Changanassery, Pala, Alappuzha, Kollam, Punalur, Kottarakkara, Cherthala, Haripad, Kottayam, Adoor, Kannur, Payyannur, Kanhangad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Services will operate from Mysuru to Kannur and Madurai, and from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.
The Chennai-Ernakulam services will be operated using multi-axle air-conditioned buses.
On some routes the buses will operate on alternate days, and more buses will be deployed if the passenger rush increases.
Online reservation has been opened, and tickets can be booked on the website keralartc.com, through the 'Ente KSRTC Neo OPRS' mobile application, through WhatsApp ticketing on 9447071021, and at all KSRTC reservation counters.
Period:
October 14 to November 14
Cities connected:
Bengaluru, Mysuru, Chennai
WhatsApp ticketing:
9447071021
Why it matters for exams: Special festival transport arrangements and the dates they run between are routine current affairs questions for Kerala PSC.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
KSRTC Kerala State Road Transport Corporation — The state-owned bus transport corporation of Kerala.
OPRS Online Passenger Reservation System — The KSRTC system through which seats are booked in advance.
2 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said in Kochi on Friday, October 2, 2026, that Keralam would set up model plants for plastic waste disposal and waste-to-energy conversion within two years.
He said two or three model plants were needed for plastic waste disposal and four or five for converting regular waste into power.
He was inaugurating the Local Self-Government Department's five-year campaign, 'Nirmalam - A New Era of Clean Keralam'.
The campaign aims to make Keralam completely waste-free by March 30, 2031, and is divided into three phases with specific targets and timelines.
Satheesan said large-scale waste management projects were being launched in Kozhikode and Kochi with the support of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and other agencies.
He said the Kochi Corporation had allotted another 12 acres for a new project.
He said the government would allocate the necessary funds to the Local Self-Government Department and cautioned local bodies against companies making exaggerated claims about foreign waste management technologies.
Local Self-Government Department Minister K.M. Shaji and Ernakulam Member of Parliament Hibi Eden also spoke at the function.
Campaign:
Nirmalam - A New Era of Clean Keralam
Waste-free target:
March 30, 2031
Plastic waste model plants:
two or three
Waste-to-power model plants:
four or five
Land allotted by Kochi Corporation:
12 acres
Why it matters for exams: The Nirmalam target date, the number of model plants and the departments involved are the specifics asked about state missions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LSGD Local Self-Government Department — The Kerala department that administers panchayats and municipalities.
Waste-to-energy Waste-to-energy — Converting non-recyclable waste into electricity or heat.
BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited — A central public sector oil company.
2 October 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, October 1, 2026, stayed further proceedings in the criminal trial in the 2019 rash driving case against IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, in which journalist K.M. Basheer died.
Justice G. Girish granted the interim stay on a petition filed by Basheer's widow Jaseela.
She had moved the court after her request to appoint Advocate Santhosh Kumar as Special Public Prosecutor to conduct the trial was rejected, and she sought to quash the government order rejecting the request.
She also sought a direction to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home department, to appoint the advocate.
The court called for the records that led to the government decision and directed the prosecutor to take instructions in the meanwhile.
The case has been posted to October 27 for further consideration.
The case is numbered WP(Crl.) 1485/2026 and is titled Jaseela C. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Judge:
Justice G. Girish
Case number:
WP(Crl.) 1485/2026
Next hearing:
October 27
Why it matters for exams: The role of a Special Public Prosecutor and the High Court's power to grant an interim stay are frequently tested in judiciary and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Special Public Prosecutor Special Public Prosecutor — A lawyer appointed by the government to conduct the prosecution in a particular case.
Interim stay Interim stay — A temporary court order halting proceedings until the matter is decided.
2 October 2026
The second session of the Sixteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly will be held from October 12 to 29, according to the calendar of sittings issued by the Kerala Legislature Secretariat.
The session will have sittings on October 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, followed by a break from October 19 to 23.
The Assembly will take up the Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Revised Budget for 2026-2027.
It will also take up the Statement of Demands for Excess Grants for five financial years: 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
The calendar of sittings was issued by the Kerala Legislature Secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram.
The calendar states that it is liable to be varied according to the order of the day.
Session:
Second session, Sixteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly
Dates:
October 12 to 29
Break:
October 19 to 23
Excess grants:
five financial years
Why it matters for exams: The number of the Assembly, the session dates and the difference between supplementary and excess grants are standard polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Supplementary Demands for Grants Supplementary Demands for Grants — A request to the legislature for money beyond what the budget already sanctioned for the year.
Demands for Excess Grants Demands for Excess Grants — A request to regularise money already spent above the amount the legislature had voted for a past year.
Appropriation Bill Appropriation Bill — The Bill that authorises money to be drawn from the Consolidated Fund of the State.
2 October 2026
Sachin Kumar Yadav assumed charge as the Managing Director of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network, known as KFON, on Friday, October 2, 2026.
He is also the Director of the Kerala State IT Mission and holds additional charge as the Chief Executive Officer of Technopark and as the Director of the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre.
KFON crossed the milestone of two lakh connections this month, with 2,00,073 connections as per the latest figures.
The connections include households, government offices, institutions and businesses, as well as free connections given to Below the Poverty Line families.
KFON's fibre network spans more than 34,505 km.
The network operates with the support of around 3,800 Local Network Providers.
KFON has extended services to both urban and rural areas, including remote and tribal regions.
Connections:
2,00,073
Fibre network:
more than 34,505 km
Local Network Providers:
around 3,800
Why it matters for exams: KFON's connection count, network length and the officer heading it are the kind of state-scheme facts Kerala PSC asks directly.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KFON Kerala Fibre Optic Network — The Kerala government's own optical fibre internet network.
LNP Local Network Provider — A local operator that delivers KFON connections to the end user.
KSRSEC Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre — A state agency that works on remote sensing and environmental studies.
2 October 2026
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal spoke on the concluding day of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting at Milwaukee in the United States.
He said India is the fastest-growing large economy in the world, serves the needs of 1.4 billion people, and does not have structural excess capacity in the sectors identified by the G20.
He said trade concerns should be addressed through WTO-consistent measures and on the basis of evidence.
He described Most-Favoured-Nation treatment as a key guarantee of a fair trading system and asked that special and differential treatment for developing countries be preserved.
On forced labour he said India's commitment is absolute and unconditional, and recalled that India has ratified ILO Conventions 29 and 105.
He held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, Saudi Arabia, France, the Republic of Korea and Canada.
India extended its support to the United Kingdom's G20 Presidency for 2027.
Meeting:
G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting
Venue:
Milwaukee, U.S.
ILO Conventions ratified by India:
29 and 105
G20 Presidency supported:
United Kingdom, 2027
Why it matters for exams: India's position at a G20 ministerial, and the WTO principles it invoked, are standard material for economy and international-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
MFN Most-Favoured-Nation treatment — A WTO rule requiring a member to give every other member the same trade terms it gives its best-treated partner.
WTO World Trade Organization — The Geneva-based body that administers the rules of global trade and settles trade disputes.
ILO International Labour Organization — The United Nations agency that frames international labour standards as conventions.
S&DT Special and Differential Treatment — WTO provisions that allow developing countries longer timelines and softer obligations.
2 October 2026
Speaking at the 24th CREDAI NATCON in Kolkata, West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said of the state's urban land ceiling law: "It is an impediment and a deterrent to development. It has to go." He also called for stronger regulation, more organised developer participation and the full implementation of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act in West Bengal. He said Kolkata's real estate sales in the first half of 2026 had reached about 70 per cent of the previous year's full-year level, and that sales growth of over 20 per cent compared with the previous year was expected. The Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1976 and was repealed by the Centre in 1999, with West Bengal the only major Indian state still enforcing it.
Event:
24th CREDAI NATCON, Kolkata
Act enacted:
1976
Repealed by the Centre:
1999
Kolkata sales, first half of 2026:
About 70% of the previous year's full-year level
Why it matters for exams: A central Act repealed in 1999 but still enforced by one state is exactly the kind of federal detail asked in polity and economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CREDAI Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India — The national body of private real estate developers in India.
RERA Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act — The 2016 central law that requires housing projects and agents to be registered with a state regulator.
Urban land ceiling Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act — A law that caps how much vacant urban land a person may hold and allows the state to take the surplus.
2 October 2026
The West Bengal government has enhanced the monthly remuneration of several categories of contractual employees in the school education system, with effect from 1 October 2026. The decision was taken with the concurrence of the Finance Department and the approval of the state Cabinet. The employees covered work under the Paschim Banga Samagra Shiksha Mission, the Paschim Banga Rajya Sishu Shakti Mission, the Directorate of School Education and the PM-POSHAN programme. The government described the step as strengthening financial support for contractual staff associated with the state's education system.
Effective from:
1 October 2026
Approved by:
State Cabinet, with Finance Department concurrence
Why it matters for exams: Scheme and mission names in a state's school education set-up, and the department whose concurrence a pay order needs, are both asked directly.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PM-POSHAN Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman — The centrally sponsored scheme that provides hot cooked meals to schoolchildren, formerly the Mid-Day Meal scheme.
PBSSM Paschim Banga Samagra Shiksha Mission — West Bengal's state mission that implements the centrally supported Samagra Shiksha programme for school education.
Concurrence Finance Department concurrence — The finance department's formal agreement, needed before a government order creates a new financial commitment.
Background
Enlargement happens when new countries join the European Union, and it has taken place several times in the Union's history.
Any European country can join the EU if it fulfils the membership criteria, also known as the Copenhagen criteria.
The criteria require stable institutions that can guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of minorities.
They require a functioning market economy and the ability to cope with the competitive pressure of the EU market.
They also require the ability to take on the obligations of EU membership, including the capacity to implement all EU law.
The accession process has three main steps: Candidacy, Membership negotiations and Accession.
A country wishing to join submits a membership application to the Council of the EU, which asks the European Commission to check whether the applicant can fulfil the criteria; all EU Member States must agree before candidate status is granted.
During membership negotiations the candidate prepares to implement EU laws and standards, known as the acquis, and the accession treaty must be approved by the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament before being signed and ratified by all EU Member States and the candidate country.
Membership criteria:
The Copenhagen criteria
Steps in the accession process:
Candidacy, Membership negotiations, Accession
Application goes to:
The Council of the EU
Body of EU laws and standards:
The acquis
Accession treaty approved by:
European Commission, European Council and European Parliament
Why it matters for exams: The Copenhagen criteria and the acquis are the two terms most often tested on EU enlargement.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Copenhagen criteria The EU's membership criteria — They cover political stability, a functioning market economy and the ability to take on EU obligations.
Acquis The body of EU laws and standards — A candidate country must prepare to implement it during negotiations.
Accession treaty The treaty setting the terms of a country's EU membership — It names the date on which the country officially joins.
Background
Several countries had proposed a permanent international body to promote maritime safety, but this was realized only after the establishment of the United Nations.
In 1948 an international conference in Geneva adopted a convention formally establishing the organization.
The original name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, or IMCO, and the name was changed to IMO in 1982.
The IMO Convention entered into force in 1958 and the new Organization met for the first time the following year.
Article 1(a) of the Convention sets out its purpose as providing machinery for cooperation among Governments in regulation and practices relating to technical matters affecting shipping engaged in international trade.
IMO's first task was to adopt a new version of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, known as SOLAS, which was achieved in 1960.
The Torrey Canyon disaster of 1967, in which 120,000 tonnes of oil was spilled, demonstrated the scale of marine pollution from ships.
Convention adopted:
1948, at an international conference in Geneva
Original name:
Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO)
Renamed IMO:
1982
Convention entered into force:
1958
New SOLAS adopted:
1960
Torrey Canyon oil spill:
120,000 tonnes, in 1967
Why it matters for exams: The IMCO-to-IMO renaming, the 1958 entry into force and SOLAS are standard maritime-governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IMO International Maritime Organization — The UN specialized agency for the safety, security and environmental performance of shipping.
SOLAS International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea — Described by IMO as the most important of all treaties on maritime safety.
IMCO Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization — The original name of the IMO.
Background
The International Labour Organization was created in 1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I.
It reflected the belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.
The ILO moved to Geneva in the summer of 1920, with France's Albert Thomas as its first Director.
A Committee of Experts was set up in 1926 to supervise the application of ILO standards, and it is composed of independent jurists.
Government delegates, employers and workers from 41 countries adopted the Declaration of Philadelphia as an annex to the ILO Constitution.
In 1946 the ILO became a specialized agency of the newly formed United Nations.
The ILO established the Geneva-based International Institute for Labour Studies in 1960 and the International Training Centre in Turin in 1965, and won the Nobel Peace Prize on its 50th anniversary in 1969.
Gilbert F. Houngbo of Togo was elected the Organization's 11th Director-General, becoming the first African to hold the position, and took up the role on 1 October 2022.
Created:
1919, as part of the Treaty of Versailles
Moved to Geneva:
Summer of 1920
First Director:
Albert Thomas of France
Declaration of Philadelphia adopted by:
Delegates from 41 countries
Nobel Peace Prize:
1969, on its 50th anniversary
11th Director-General:
Gilbert F. Houngbo (Togo), from 1 October 2022
Why it matters for exams: The ILO's Versailles origin, Geneva seat and Nobel Peace Prize year are repeatedly asked in international-organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ILO International Labour Organization — The UN agency that sets international labour standards.
Declaration of Philadelphia Charter of the aims and objectives of the ILO — Adopted as an annex to the ILO Constitution during the Second World War.
Treaty of Versailles The peace treaty that ended the First World War — The ILO was created as part of this treaty.