Graduate Level intermediate World GK International Organisations UN Capitals
Essential world general knowledge for Kerala PSC — UN bodies, international organisations, country-capital-currency, world records, and important headquarters. 3-5 questions per paper.
Published: 13 Apr 2026 Relevant for: Graduate Level Prelims, Graduate Level Main, Secretariat Assistant
World GK questions appear in every Kerala PSC paper — typically 3-5 questions. They test factual knowledge about international organisations, countries, and world records. Pure memorisation.
United Nations (UN)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|
| Founded | 24 October 1945 (UN Day) |
| Headquarters | New York, USA |
| Founding members | 51 countries |
| Current members | 193 countries |
| Secretary-General | António Guterres (Portugal, since 2017) |
| Official languages | 6 (English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Arabic) |
| Charter signed at | San Francisco (26 June 1945) |
| India’s membership | Founding member (original 51) |
Six Principal Organs of the UN
| Organ | Function | Key fact |
|---|
| General Assembly | Main deliberative body; all 193 members | ”Parliament of the world”; meets annually |
| Security Council | Maintains peace and security | 5 permanent (P5) + 10 non-permanent members |
| Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) | Economic and social issues | 54 members |
| International Court of Justice (ICJ) | Principal judicial organ | The Hague, Netherlands; 15 judges |
| Secretariat | Administrative arm | Headed by Secretary-General |
| Trusteeship Council | Supervised trust territories | Suspended in 1994 (all trusts gained independence) |
UN Security Council — Permanent Members (P5)
| Country | Veto power |
|---|
| USA | Yes |
| Russia | Yes |
| China | Yes |
| France | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Yes |
PSC staple: Security Council has 5 permanent members with veto power and 10 non-permanent members elected for 2-year terms. India has been a non-permanent member multiple times but is NOT a permanent member.
Important UN Agencies
| Agency | Full form | Headquarters | Key function |
|---|
| WHO | World Health Organisation | Geneva, Switzerland | Global health |
| UNESCO | UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Org. | Paris, France | Education, culture, heritage |
| UNICEF | UN Children’s Fund | New York, USA | Children’s welfare |
| UNHCR | UN High Commissioner for Refugees | Geneva | Refugee protection |
| ILO | International Labour Organisation | Geneva | Labour standards |
| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organisation | Rome, Italy | Food security |
| IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency | Vienna, Austria | Nuclear energy/safety |
| WMO | World Meteorological Organisation | Geneva | Weather and climate |
| WIPO | World Intellectual Property Org. | Geneva | Patents, trademarks |
| ITU | International Telecommunication Union | Geneva | Telecom standards |
Other Important International Organisations
| Organisation | HQ | Founded | Purpose |
|---|
| World Bank | Washington DC, USA | 1944 | Development lending |
| IMF | Washington DC, USA | 1944 | International monetary cooperation |
| WTO | Geneva, Switzerland | 1995 | International trade rules |
| NATO | Brussels, Belgium | 1949 | Military alliance |
| ASEAN | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1967 | Southeast Asian cooperation |
| SAARC | Kathmandu, Nepal | 1985 | South Asian cooperation |
| BRICS | No permanent HQ | 2009 | Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa |
| G7 | Rotating presidency | 1975 | 7 largest advanced economies |
| G20 | Rotating presidency | 1999 | 20 largest economies |
| Interpol | Lyon, France | 1923 | International police cooperation |
| Red Cross | Geneva, Switzerland | 1863 | Humanitarian aid |
| Amnesty International | London, UK | 1961 | Human rights |
| FIFA | Zurich, Switzerland | 1904 | World football |
| IOC | Lausanne, Switzerland | 1894 | Olympic Games |
| Commonwealth | London, UK | 1931 | Former British Empire nations |
| OPEC | Vienna, Austria | 1960 | Oil producing countries |
| EU | Brussels, Belgium | 1993 (Maastricht Treaty) | European integration |
Headquarters trick — Geneva houses: WHO, ILO, UNHCR, WMO, WIPO, ITU, WTO, Red Cross. If the question is about a Geneva-based org, it’s likely one of these.
Washington DC houses: World Bank, IMF
Vienna houses: IAEA, OPEC, UN Office
Important Days (UN/International)
| Date | Day |
|---|
| 8 March | International Women’s Day |
| 22 March | World Water Day |
| 7 April | World Health Day |
| 22 April | Earth Day |
| 1 May | International Workers’ Day (May Day) |
| 5 June | World Environment Day |
| 21 June | International Day of Yoga |
| 11 July | World Population Day |
| 12 August | International Youth Day |
| 5 September | Teachers’ Day (India) — Radhakrishnan’s birthday |
| 16 September | International Ozone Day |
| 2 October | International Day of Non-Violence (Gandhi Jayanti) |
| 24 October | UN Day |
| 14 November | Children’s Day (India) — Nehru’s birthday |
| 1 December | World AIDS Day |
| 10 December | Human Rights Day |
Country — Capital — Currency
Asian Countries
| Country | Capital | Currency |
|---|
| India | New Delhi | Indian Rupee (INR) |
| China | Beijing | Yuan / Renminbi |
| Japan | Tokyo | Yen |
| South Korea | Seoul | Won |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | Pakistani Rupee |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | Taka |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative); Colombo (commercial) | Sri Lankan Rupee |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | Nepalese Rupee |
| Bhutan | Thimphu | Ngultrum |
| Myanmar | Naypyidaw | Kyat |
| Thailand | Bangkok | Baht |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | Rupiah |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Ringgit |
| Singapore | Singapore | Singapore Dollar |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | Riyal |
| UAE | Abu Dhabi | Dirham |
| Iran | Tehran | Rial |
| Iraq | Baghdad | Dinar |
| Israel | Jerusalem | Shekel |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | Afghani |
European Countries
| Country | Capital | Currency |
|---|
| UK | London | Pound Sterling |
| France | Paris | Euro |
| Germany | Berlin | Euro |
| Italy | Rome | Euro |
| Spain | Madrid | Euro |
| Russia | Moscow | Ruble |
| Switzerland | Bern | Swiss Franc |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | Euro |
| Belgium | Brussels | Euro |
| Sweden | Stockholm | Krona |
| Norway | Oslo | Krone |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | Krone |
| Greece | Athens | Euro |
| Turkey | Ankara | Lira |
| Austria | Vienna | Euro |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Euro |
Americas, Africa, Oceania
| Country | Capital | Currency |
|---|
| USA | Washington DC | US Dollar |
| Canada | Ottawa | Canadian Dollar |
| Brazil | Brasília | Real |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | Peso |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Peso |
| Cuba | Havana | Peso |
| Egypt | Cairo | Egyptian Pound |
| South Africa | Pretoria (executive); Cape Town (legislative); Bloemfontein (judicial) | Rand |
| Nigeria | Abuja | Naira |
| Kenya | Nairobi | Shilling |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | Birr |
| Australia | Canberra | Australian Dollar |
| New Zealand | Wellington | NZ Dollar |
PSC traps on capitals:
- Sri Lanka’s capital = Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (not Colombo)
- Myanmar’s capital = Naypyidaw (not Yangon/Rangoon)
- Turkey’s capital = Ankara (not Istanbul)
- Brazil’s capital = Brasília (not São Paulo or Rio)
- Australia’s capital = Canberra (not Sydney)
- South Africa has 3 capitals (executive, legislative, judicial)
World Records and Firsts
| Record | Answer |
|---|
| Largest country by area | Russia |
| Smallest country | Vatican City |
| Most populous country | India (surpassed China in 2023) |
| Longest river | Nile (6,650 km) — disputed with Amazon |
| Largest ocean | Pacific Ocean |
| Deepest ocean point | Mariana Trench (Challenger Deep, ~11,034 m) |
| Highest mountain | Mount Everest (8,849 m) |
| Largest desert (hot) | Sahara (Africa) |
| Largest desert (overall) | Antarctic (polar desert) |
| Largest lake | Caspian Sea |
| Deepest lake | Lake Baikal (Russia) |
| Largest island | Greenland |
| Longest wall | Great Wall of China |
| Largest democracy | India |
| Longest river in Asia | Yangtze (China) |
| Highest waterfall | Angel Falls (Venezuela) |
| First person on moon | Neil Armstrong (1969, Apollo 11) |
| First woman in space | Valentina Tereshkova (1963, USSR) |
| First man in space | Yuri Gagarin (1961, USSR) |
| First country to reach Mars | USA (Mariner 4, 1965) |
| Hottest continent | Africa |
| Coldest continent | Antarctica |
Nobel Prize
| Category | Awarded at |
|---|
| Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Economics | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Peace | Oslo, Norway (only one given outside Sweden) |
Indian Nobel Laureates:
| Year | Laureate | Category |
|---|
| 1913 | Rabindranath Tagore | Literature |
| 1930 | C.V. Raman | Physics |
| 1968 | Har Gobind Khorana | Medicine (US citizen) |
| 1979 | Mother Teresa | Peace |
| 1983 | Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar | Physics (US citizen) |
| 1998 | Amartya Sen | Economics |
| 2014 | Kailash Satyarthi | Peace |
PSC favourites:
- First Indian Nobel winner: Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913)
- Nobel Peace Prize awarded at: Oslo, Norway (not Stockholm)
- C.V. Raman won for: Raman Effect (scattering of light)
- Mother Teresa’s Nobel: 1979 (Peace)
Quick Revision — 25 World GK Facts
- UN founded: 24 October 1945
- UN members: 193
- UN HQ: New York
- ICJ location: The Hague
- WHO HQ: Geneva
- UNESCO HQ: Paris
- World Bank HQ: Washington DC
- Security Council permanent members: 5 (USA, Russia, China, France, UK)
- Largest country: Russia
- Smallest country: Vatican City
- Most populous: India
- Longest river: Nile
- Highest mountain: Everest
- Deepest point: Mariana Trench
- Largest ocean: Pacific
- First man in space: Yuri Gagarin (1961)
- First on moon: Neil Armstrong (1969)
- First woman in space: Valentina Tereshkova (1963)
- WWW inventor: Tim Berners-Lee
- Red Cross founder: Henry Dunant
- Nobel Peace Prize: Oslo, Norway
- First Indian Nobel: Tagore (1913)
- SAARC HQ: Kathmandu
- WTO replaced: GATT (1995)
- FIFA HQ: Zurich
Notes compiled from Kerala PSC previous year papers (2015-2024). Updated April 2026.