International Affairs Questions for SSC CGL

Major International Organisations — Quick Reference

SSC CGL loves testing headquarters and founding years of global bodies. The United Nations was founded in 1945 with 193 member states. Its six principal organs include the General Assembly, Security Council, Secretariat, ICJ, ECOSOC, and Trusteeship Council. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5) are USA, UK, France, Russia, and China — all have veto power. India is NOT a permanent member but has been pushing for permanent seat reform.

• UN HQ: New York | Founded: 1945 | Members: 193
• ICJ (International Court of Justice): The Hague, Netherlands — settles disputes between states
• WHO HQ: Geneva, Switzerland | IMF HQ: Washington D.C. | World Bank HQ: Washington D.C.
• WTO HQ: Geneva | Founded: 1995, replaced GATT (1947)
• UNESCO HQ: Paris | UNICEF HQ: New York | ILO HQ: Geneva
• NATO HQ: Brussels, Belgium — military alliance founded 1949

BRICS, G20, SCO — India's Key Multilateral Groups

These three groupings appear almost every year. BRICS originally had 5 members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). In 2024, six new members joined: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina (Argentina later declined). G20 is a forum of 20 major economies — India held the G20 Presidency in 2023 and hosted the New Delhi Summit. The African Union was admitted as a permanent member of G20 under India's presidency — a historic first. SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) HQ is in Beijing; India became a full member in 2017 along with Pakistan.

• BRICS 2023 Summit: Johannesburg, South Africa — expanded to 11 members (effective 2024)
• G20 India Presidency: Dec 2022 to Nov 2023 | Theme: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
• SCO HQ: Beijing | India Chair of SCO: 2023
• SCO Members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Central Asian nations
• QUAD members: India, USA, Japan, Australia — no permanent HQ, informal grouping
• ASEAN HQ: Jakarta, Indonesia | India is a Dialogue Partner, not member

United Nations — Key Bodies and Specialised Agencies

The UN system has specialised agencies linked by agreement, not direct UN organs. SSC CGL often asks which agency handles what. Think of the UN like a holding company — the Security Council is the board, General Assembly is the shareholders meeting, and specialised agencies are subsidiaries with their own HQ. Remember: safety-related bodies tend to be in Geneva (WHO, ILO, WTO, UNHCR), finance bodies in Washington D.C. (IMF, World Bank), culture in Paris (UNESCO).

• UNHCR (Refugees): Geneva | UNEP (Environment): Nairobi, Kenya
• FAO (Food and Agriculture): Rome, Italy | IFAD: Rome | WFP: Rome — Three Rome-based food bodies
• IAEA (Atomic Energy): Vienna, Austria — India is a member
• INTERPOL HQ: Lyon, France — international police cooperation
• International Maritime Organisation (IMO): London, UK
• UN Security Council has 15 members — 5 permanent (P5) + 10 non-permanent (elected for 2 years)

Important International Treaties and Agreements

Treaties test whether you know what was agreed, when, and who signed. Paris Agreement (2015) under UNFCCC targets keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (ideally 1.5 degrees). India ratified it in 2016. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — India has NOT signed it. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) — India has NOT signed it. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) — India has signed both.

• Paris Agreement: 2015, 196 parties — India ratified Oct 2016, net-zero target 2070
• NPT (1968): India is not a signatory — this is frequently asked
• CTBT: India has not signed — also frequently asked
• CWC: India is a signatory, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) HQ: The Hague
• Kyoto Protocol (1997): Predecessor to Paris Agreement on climate
• Montreal Protocol: Protects ozone layer — India is a signatory

India's Foreign Policy — Key Bilateral and Regional Facts

SSC CGL tests India's neighbourhood-first policy, key bilateral partnerships, and recent diplomatic events. India shares land borders with 7 countries: Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Afghanistan (no active border management now). SAARC has 8 members but has been inactive since 2016. BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative) has 7 members and is India's preferred regional grouping now. India's Look East (now Act East) Policy focuses on Southeast Asia and ASEAN.

• SAARC HQ: Kathmandu, Nepal | 8 members including India, Pakistan, China (observer)
• BIMSTEC HQ: Dhaka, Bangladesh | 7 members: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan
• India-US: 2+2 Dialogue (Defence + Foreign Ministers format)
• India-Russia: Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership
• Neighbourhood First Policy: Priority to SAARC + BIMSTEC nations
• India holds Observer status in Arctic Council and is a member of IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association)

Recent International Events (2023-2024 Focus)

Current affairs questions from the last 1-2 years are highly likely. The Russia-Ukraine conflict (started Feb 2022) continues to shape global politics and energy prices. Israel-Hamas conflict (October 2023 onwards) is another hot zone. India abstained in several UN votes related to these conflicts, maintaining strategic autonomy. The Global South narrative and India leading developing nations at G20 is a major theme in recent questions.

• G20 New Delhi Summit: Sep 2023, New Delhi Declaration adopted, African Union joined
• COP28: Dubai, UAE — Nov-Dec 2023, first global stocktake under Paris Agreement
• India became member of Nuclear Suppliers Group? No — China blocks it — frequently asked trap
• India-Canada diplomatic row (2023): Khalistan issue, expelled diplomats
• BRICS expanded in 2024 — first expansion since South Africa joined in 2010

• Confusing IMF HQ (Washington D.C.) with WTO HQ (Geneva) — both finance-adjacent but different cities
• Assuming India signed NPT and CTBT — India has signed NEITHER, this is a classic trap question
• Mixing up SAARC (Kathmandu HQ, 8 members) with BIMSTEC (Dhaka HQ, 7 members) — different groupings, different HQ cities
• Thinking the African Union was always a G20 member — it became permanent only in 2023 under India's presidency
• Confusing ICJ (settles disputes between states, The Hague) with ICC (International Criminal Court, also The Hague) — ICJ is a UN organ, ICC is separate

• GWR for Geneva-based bodies: Geneva = WHO, WTO, WEF, ILO, UNHCR, ICRC — think Geneva is the World's HR department
• Rome has THREE food agencies: FAO + IFAD + WFP — remember 'Rome feeds the world'
• BRICS expansion 2024: use EESIA — Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Argentina (declined), UAE
• India NOT signed: NPT and CTBT — remember 'Nuclear treaties India skipped' — N for NPT, C for CTBT, both Nuclear-related
• P5 VETO = USA, UK, France, Russia, China — mnemonic: 'Uncle Frank Really Counts' (USA, UK, France, Russia, China)

• SSC CGL typically asks 3-5 GK questions on international affairs per tier — expect 1-2 on organisations/HQ, 1 on recent summit/event, and 1 on treaties or India's foreign policy
• Headquarters questions are the most reliable free marks — spend 10 minutes just memorising the Geneva-Washington-Rome-Paris-Hague clusters
• Current affairs window for SSC CGL is usually 1 year before the notification — for 2024 exams, events from mid-2023 to mid-2024 are most relevant
• India's abstentions at UN votes (Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas) are test-worthy — the exam may ask India's voting stance on specific resolutions
• Watch for newly admitted members of organisations — BRICS expansion (2024) and African Union joining G20 (2023) are high-probability questions for the next 2-3 exam cycles