Institutions, Headquarters and Organisations

What to remember

• UN family: The United Nations is at New York. Its agencies are spread out: WHO, ILO, WTO and ITU at Geneva; UNESCO at Paris; FAO at Rome; UNEP at Nairobi; IAEA at Vienna.
• Finance bodies: IMF and the World Bank are both at Washington, D.C. The WTO is at Geneva. The Reserve Bank of India is at Mumbai.
• Indian science bodies: ISRO at Bengaluru, ICMR, CSIR and DRDO at New Delhi, BARC at Mumbai. Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh host several national institutes.

The United Nations and its agencies

The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945 after the Second World War. This day is celebrated as UN Day. The headquarters is in New York. The six principal organs are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice and the Secretariat. The Security Council has five permanent members with veto power: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. The International Court of Justice is at The Hague in the Netherlands and is the only principal organ not in New York. India was one of the original members of the UN.

International financial and trade bodies

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were planned at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944. Both have headquarters at Washington, D.C. The IMF helps countries with balance of payments difficulties and watches the global monetary system. The World Bank gives loans for development. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) began in 1995 and replaced GATT. It is at Geneva. The Bank for International Settlements is at Basel. The Asian Development Bank is at Manila. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is at Beijing. The New Development Bank, set up by BRICS countries, is at Shanghai. OPEC, which groups oil producers, is at Vienna.

Regional and other bodies

Indian space, defence and science institutions

India launched Chandrayaan missions to the Moon and the Mangalyaan mission to Mars from Sriharikota. The first Indian satellite was Aryabhata.

Institutions in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh

Several of these institutions came under Telangana at the state's formation in 2014. Hyderabad now belongs to Telangana, while Andhra Pradesh has its own set of national institutions set up under the reorganisation law.

Financial and constitutional bodies in India

Who does what: how to remember the roles

The IMF lends short-term to countries with payment problems and gives policy advice. The World Bank gives long-term loans for projects such as roads, schools and dams. The WTO makes the rules of trade and settles trade disputes. The UN Security Council can pass binding resolutions and can send peacekeeping forces. The General Assembly has all member countries, and each has one vote. The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the UN. The International Court of Justice decides disputes between countries; it does not try individuals. The International Criminal Court, also at The Hague, tries individuals for the gravest crimes.

The WHO fights disease and sets health standards. UNICEF works for children. UNHCR protects refugees. The FAO works to end hunger. The ILO sets rules for work and workers. UNESCO looks after education, science, culture and World Heritage Sites. The IAEA watches nuclear activities for peaceful use.

More Indian institutions and where they are

ICMR was started in 1911 as the Indian Research Fund Association and got its present name in 1949. It supports medical research through its own institutes and through grants to universities. CSIR runs a network of laboratories across India. Both are autonomous bodies funded by the Government.

Space programme: simple timeline of ideas

India's space work grew from the vision of Vikram Sarabhai. The Indian National Committee for Space Research was formed first, and ISRO took its present name in 1969. The Department of Space was created later and ISRO works under it. The first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched with foreign help. Later, India built its own launch vehicles, such as the Satellite Launch Vehicle, the PSLV and the GSLV. The PSLV is known as the workhorse of ISRO because it has launched many satellites. The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system provides telecommunication and weather services. The Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites help in mapping crops, water and forests. Commercial launches are handled by NewSpace India Limited, a public sector company under the Department of Space.

How to learn headquarters quickly

Group the headquarters by city. Geneva hosts WHO, ILO, WTO, ITU, WMO, WIPO and UNHCR. New York hosts the UN, UNICEF and UNDP. Washington hosts the IMF and the World Bank. Paris hosts UNESCO. Rome hosts FAO and IFAD. Vienna hosts IAEA and OPEC. Nairobi hosts UNEP. Brussels hosts NATO and the EU. Then do the same for India: New Delhi hosts most research councils, Mumbai hosts financial regulators, Bengaluru hosts ISRO and IISc, and Hyderabad hosts many national laboratories.

Exam traps

• IMF versus WTO: IMF is at Washington; WTO is at Geneva.
• UN versus ICJ: UN is at New York; ICJ is at The Hague.
• ISRO versus SHAR: ISRO's headquarters is Bengaluru; the launch centre is at Sriharikota.
• BARC versus ISRO: BARC is atomic research at Mumbai; ISRO is space research at Bengaluru.
• UNESCO versus UNICEF: UNESCO is at Paris; UNICEF is at New York.
• WHO versus FAO: WHO is at Geneva; FAO is at Rome.
• ICMR versus CSIR: ICMR is for medical research; CSIR is for scientific and industrial research. Both are at New Delhi.
• SAARC versus ASEAN: SAARC is at Kathmandu; ASEAN is at Jakarta.

One-liners

• 1. The United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945.
• 2. The UN headquarters is in New York.
• 3. The IMF and the World Bank are both at Washington, D.C.
• 4. The WTO is at Geneva and began in 1995.
• 5. UNESCO is at Paris and FAO is at Rome.
• 6. WHO is at Geneva.
• 7. ISRO is headquartered at Bengaluru.
• 8. Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh is India's main launch site.
• 9. BARC is at Trombay, Mumbai.
• 10. ICMR and CSIR are headquartered at New Delhi.
• 11. The Reserve Bank of India is at Mumbai.
• 12. SAARC is at Kathmandu.

Practice questions

1. Where is the headquarters of the United Nations?

   1. Paris
   2. New York
   3. The Hague
   4. Geneva
   Answer

   B. New York

   The UN headquarters is in New York.

2. UN Day is celebrated every year on

   1. 10 December
   2. 26 January
   3. 1 May
   4. 24 October
   Answer

   D. 24 October

   The UN was founded on 24 October 1945.

3. The International Monetary Fund has its headquarters at

   1. Geneva
   2. Washington, D.C.
   3. New York
   4. London
   Answer

   B. Washington, D.C.

   The IMF is at Washington, D.C.

4. The World Bank is headquartered in

   1. Vienna
   2. Paris
   3. Washington, D.C.
   4. Rome
   Answer

   C. Washington, D.C.

   The World Bank is at Washington, D.C.

5. The World Trade Organisation is headquartered at

   1. Washington, D.C.
   2. New York
   3. Brussels
   4. Geneva
   Answer

   D. Geneva

   The WTO is at Geneva.

6. Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization?

   1. Rome
   2. Geneva
   3. New York
   4. Paris
   Answer

   B. Geneva

   WHO is at Geneva.

7. UNESCO is headquartered at

   1. Paris
   2. Nairobi
   3. Geneva
   4. Rome
   Answer

   A. Paris

   UNESCO is at Paris.

8. The Food and Agriculture Organization is headquartered at

   1. Geneva
   2. Vienna
   3. Rome
   4. Paris
   Answer

   C. Rome

   FAO is at Rome.

9. UNICEF is headquartered at

   1. Nairobi
   2. Rome
   3. Geneva
   4. New York
   Answer

   D. New York

   UNICEF is at New York.

10. The United Nations Environment Programme has its headquarters at

    1. Vienna
    2. Geneva
    3. Bern
    4. Nairobi
    Answer

    D. Nairobi

    UNEP is at Nairobi.

11. The International Atomic Energy Agency is at

    1. Brussels
    2. Vienna
    3. Geneva
    4. New York
    Answer

    B. Vienna

    IAEA is at Vienna.

12. The International Court of Justice is located at

    1. The Hague
    2. Brussels
    3. New York
    4. Geneva
    Answer

    A. The Hague

    ICJ is at The Hague.

13. NATO has its headquarters at

    1. London
    2. Paris
    3. Brussels
    4. Washington, D.C.
    Answer

    C. Brussels

    NATO is at Brussels.

14. The headquarters of SAARC is at

    1. New Delhi
    2. Kathmandu
    3. Dhaka
    4. Colombo
    Answer

    B. Kathmandu

    SAARC is at Kathmandu.

15. The headquarters of ASEAN is at

    1. Bangkok
    2. Singapore
    3. Jakarta
    4. Manila
    Answer

    C. Jakarta

    ASEAN is at Jakarta.

16. The headquarters of ISRO is at

    1. Sriharikota
    2. Hyderabad
    3. Thiruvananthapuram
    4. Bengaluru
    Answer

    D. Bengaluru

    ISRO is headquartered at Bengaluru.

17. India's main satellite launch centre is at

    1. Sriharikota
    2. Thumba
    3. Mumbai
    4. Bengaluru
    Answer

    A. Sriharikota

    The Satish Dhawan Space Centre is at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

18. The headquarters of DRDO is at

    1. Pune
    2. Bengaluru
    3. New Delhi
    4. Hyderabad
    Answer

    C. New Delhi

    DRDO is at New Delhi.

19. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is at

    1. Hyderabad
    2. Bengaluru
    3. Kolkata
    4. Mumbai
    Answer

    D. Mumbai

    BARC is at Trombay, Mumbai.

20. The headquarters of CSIR is at

    1. New Delhi
    2. Mumbai
    3. Bengaluru
    4. Hyderabad
    Answer

    A. New Delhi

    CSIR is at New Delhi.

21. The Indian Council of Medical Research works in the field of

    1. agricultural research
    2. biomedical research
    3. defence research
    4. space research
    Answer

    B. biomedical research

    ICMR is the apex body for medical research.

22. The Reserve Bank of India has its central office at

    1. Chennai
    2. Kolkata
    3. New Delhi
    4. Mumbai
    Answer

    D. Mumbai

    RBI is headquartered at Mumbai.

23. The Indian Institute of Science is located at

    1. Hyderabad
    2. Bengaluru
    3. Chennai
    4. Pune
    Answer

    B. Bengaluru

    IISc is at Bengaluru.

24. The National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO is at

    1. Hyderabad
    2. Bengaluru
    3. Sriharikota
    4. Dehradun
    Answer

    A. Hyderabad

    NRSC is at Hyderabad.

25. ICRISAT, the international crop research institute, is near

    1. Chennai
    2. Visakhapatnam
    3. Hyderabad
    4. Bengaluru
    Answer

    C. Hyderabad

    ICRISAT is at Patancheru near Hyderabad.

26. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy is at

    1. Mussoorie
    2. Dehradun
    3. Hyderabad
    4. Bengaluru
    Answer

    C. Hyderabad

    The academy trains IPS officers at Hyderabad.

27. The AIIMS in Andhra Pradesh is at

    1. Visakhapatnam
    2. Mangalagiri
    3. Tirupati
    4. Kurnool
    Answer

    B. Mangalagiri

    AIIMS Mangalagiri is in Andhra Pradesh.

28. The WTO replaced which earlier trade arrangement?

    1. GATT
    2. ASEAN
    3. OPEC
    4. NATO
    Answer

    A. GATT

    WTO began in 1995 and replaced GATT.

29. The IMF and the World Bank were planned at the conference held at

    1. Potsdam
    2. Bandung
    3. Yalta
    4. Bretton Woods
    Answer

    D. Bretton Woods

    Both came from the Bretton Woods conference.

30. The first satellite launched by India was

    1. INSAT-1A
    2. Rohini
    3. Bhaskara
    4. Aryabhata
    Answer

    D. Aryabhata

    Aryabhata was India's first satellite.

31. ISRO was formed with this name in

    1. 1958
    2. 1969
    3. 1975
    4. 1947
    Answer

    B. 1969

    ISRO took its present name in 1969.

32. Consider these statements. 1. The IMF is at Washington, D.C. 2. The WTO is at Washington, D.C. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The WTO is at Geneva.

33. Consider these statements. 1. UNESCO is at Paris. 2. FAO is at Rome. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

34. Consider these statements. 1. ISRO is headquartered at Bengaluru. 2. BARC is headquartered at Bengaluru. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    BARC is at Mumbai.

35. Consider these statements. 1. The UN was founded in 1945. 2. The UN headquarters is in New York. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

36. Consider these statements. 1. The International Court of Justice is at New York. 2. The Security Council has five permanent members. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    The ICJ is at The Hague.

37. Consider these statements. 1. SAARC is headquartered at Kathmandu. 2. ASEAN is headquartered at Kathmandu. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    ASEAN is at Jakarta.

38. Consider these statements. 1. WHO is headquartered at Rome. 2. FAO is headquartered at Rome. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    WHO is at Geneva.

39. Consider these statements. 1. Sriharikota is in Kerala. 2. Sriharikota is India's main satellite launch centre. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Sriharikota is in Andhra Pradesh.

40. Consider these statements. 1. UNEP is headquartered at Geneva. 2. IAEA is headquartered at Rome. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    UNEP is at Nairobi; IAEA is at Vienna.

41. Consider these statements. 1. The IMF and World Bank were planned at the Bretton Woods conference. 2. The WTO replaced GATT. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

42. Consider these statements. 1. ICMR is a body for agricultural research. 2. ICAR is a body for medical research. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    ICMR is medical; ICAR is agricultural.

43. Consider these statements. 1. UNHCR works for refugees. 2. FAO works to end hunger and improve agriculture. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

44. Which pair is correctly matched?

    1. National Chemical Laboratory : Pune
    2. Central Drug Research Institute : Pune
    3. Indian Statistical Institute : Mumbai
    4. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research : Kolkata
    Answer

    A. National Chemical Laboratory : Pune

    NCL is at Pune; CDRI is at Lucknow.

45. ISRO works under the

    1. Department of Atomic Energy
    2. Ministry of Defence
    3. Ministry of Science and Education
    4. Department of Space
    Answer

    D. Department of Space

    ISRO functions under the Department of Space.