ABBREVIATIONS

A ABM: Anti Ballistic Missiles ABVP: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad AC: Alternating Current; Ashoka Chakra ACU: Asian Currency Union AD: anno Domini; in the year of Lord Christ ADB: Asian Development Bank ADC: Aide-de-Camp; Access Deficit Charge ADF: Asian Development Fund ADS: Air Defence Ship AJT: Advanced Jet Trainer AG: Accountant General; Adjutant General AI: Air India AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AIIMS: All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIR: All India Radio; Annual Information Report AITUC: All India Trade Union Congress AJT: Advanced Jet Trainer ALH: Advanced Light Helicopter AM: ante meridiem; before noon AMC: Army Medical Corps; Asset Management Companies AME: Associate Member of the Institute of Engineers APC: Agricultural Prices Commission APEC: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APPLE: Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment APPU: Asian Pacific Postal Union ARC: Asset Reconstruction Company ARDR: Agricultural and Rural Debt Relief ASAT: Anti-Satellite weapon ASC: Army Service Corps ASCI: Advanced Strategic Computing Initiative ASCII: American Standard Code for Information ASEAN: Association of South-East Asian Nations ASEM: Asia-Europe Meeting ASIMO: Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility ASLV: Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle ASMA: Antarctica Specially Managed Area ASSOCHAM: Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry ATA: Air Time Authority; Allen Telescope Array ATC: Air Traffic Controller ATM: Automatic Teller Machine ATR: Action Taken Report ATV: Automatic Transfer Vehicle AUM: Assets Under Management AVC: Army Veterinary Corps AVM: Additional Volatility Margin AWACS: Airborne Warning and Control System B BARC: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation BC: Before Christ; Board of Control; British Columbia; Battery Commander BCG: Bacillus Calmette Guerin—Anti-Tuberculosis Vaccine BICP: Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices BIFR: Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction BIOS: Basic Input Output System BKU: Bharatiya Kisan Union BMD: Ballistic Missile Defence System BOLT: BSE On-Line Trading (System) BOSS: Bharat Operating System Solutions BPO: Business Process Outsourcing BPR: Bottom Pressure Records BRO: Border Road Organisation BSE: Bombay Stock Exchange BSF: Border Security Force BSNL: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd C CA: Chartered Accountant CABE: Central Advisory Board of Education C & AG: Comptroller & Auditor General CAIR: Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics CAPART: Council for People’s Action and Advancement of Rural Technology CAPES: Computer-Aided Paperless Examination System CAS: Chief of Army Staff; Chief of Air Staff; Conditional Access System CB: Citizen Band (Radio) CBI: Central Bureau of Investigation CBFC: Central Board of Film Certification CCPA: Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs CD: Conference on Disarmament C-DAC: The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access CECA: Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement CERN: European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Pronounced CERN in French) CFC: Chlorofluro Carbon CFS: Container Freight Station CHOGM: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CIA: Central Intelligence Agency (of U.S.A.) CIBIL: Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd CIC: Chief Information Commissioner CID: Criminal Investigation Department C-in-C: Commander-in-Chief cif: cost, insurance and freight CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States CISF: Central Industrial Security Force CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITU: Centre of Indian Trade Unions CLASS: Computer Literacy and Studies in Schools CLAWS: Centre for Land Warfare Studies CM: Command Module; Chief Minister CMP: Common Minimum Programme CNG: Compressed Natural Gas CNN: Cable News Network CNS: Chief of the Naval Staff CO: Commanding Officer COD: Central Ordnance Depot; Cash on Delivery CPCB: Central Pollution Control Board CPI: Communist Party of India CPI(M): Communist Party of India (Marxists) CPU: Central Processing Unit CR: Central Railway CRAC: Cyber Regulation Advisory Council CRDi: Common Rail Direct injection CRISIL: Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited CRM: Customer Relationship Management CRR: Cash Reserve Ratio CRPF: Central Reserve Police Force CSIR: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CTBT: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty CTT: Commodities Transaction Tax CVRDE: Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment D DA: Dearness Allowance; Daily Allowance DAVP: Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity DC: Deputy Commissioner; Direct Current in Electricity DDT: Dichloro-Diphenyl Trichloro-ethane (disinfectant) DIN: Director Information Number DM: District Magistrate; Deputy Minister DMIC: Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor DMK: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (a regional political party of Tamil Nadu) DNA: de-oxyribonucleic acid DO: Demi-official (letter) DOD: Department of Ocean Development DPEP: District Primary Education Programme DPI: Director of Public Instruction DRAM: Dynamic Random Access Memory DRDO: Defence Research and Development Organisation DST: Daylight Saving Time DRES: Department of Renewable Energy Sources DTH: Direct to Home (broadcasting) E ECG: Electro Cardio-gram ECS: Electronic Clearing Service ECT: Electro-convulsant Therapy (electric shock treatment) EDUSAT: Education Satellite EEG: Electro-encephalography EET: Exempt Exempt Taxation EFA: Education for All EFF: Extended Fund Facility e.g.: exempli gratia; for example EHTP: Electronic Hardware Technology Parks ELISA: Enzyme Linked Immuno Solvent Assay (used for testing AIDS) EMI: Equated Monthly Instalment EMS: European Monetary System EMU: Electric-Multiple Unit; Extra-vehicular Mobility Unit; (European) Economic and Monetary Union E & OE: Errors and Omissions Excepted EPROM: Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory ER: Eastern Railway ERM: Exchange Rate Mechanism ERNET: Educational and Research Network ESA: European Space Agency ESCAP: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ESMA: Essential Services Maintenance Act ESOP: Employee Stock Option Programme etc.: et cetera (and other things) EU: European Union EVM: Electronic Voting Machine F FAO: Food and Agriculture Organisation FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation (of the U.S.A.) FCNR: Foreign Currency (non-resident) Accounts Scheme FDR: Flight Data Recorder; Fixed Deposit Receipt FEMA: Foreign Exchange Management Act FERA: Foreign Exchange Regulations Act FICCI: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry FII: Foreign Institutional Investors FIPB: Foreign Investment Promotion Board (of India) FLAG: Fibre Optic Link Around the Globe FM: Field Marshal; Frequency Modulated FPSB: Financial Planning Standards Boards (India) FRBM: Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management FSSA: Food Safety and Standards Authority (of India) FTA: Free Trade Area FTP: File Transfer Protocol G GAGAN: GPS-aided Geo-augmented Navigation GAIL: Gas Authority of India Limited GAIN: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition GATS: General Agreement on Trade in Services GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GCA: General Currency Area GCC: Gulf Cooperation Council GCM: Greatest Common Measure GEF: Global Environment Fund GHQ: General Headquarters GIC: General Insurance Corporation GIST: Graphics and Intelligence-based Script Technology GMPS: Global Mobile Personal Communications System GMRT: Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope GMT: Greenwich Mean Time GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System GNP: Gross National Product GOC: General Officer Commanding GPO: General Post Office GPRS: General Packet Radio System GPS: Global Positioning System GSLV: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSP: Generalised Special Preferences GST: Goods and Service Tax GSTP: Global System of Trade Preferences H HAWS: High Altitude Warfare School HCF: Highest Common Factor HDI: Human Development Index HDTV: High Definition Television HE: His (or Her) Excellency; His (or Her) Eminence; High Explosive; Horizontal Equivalent HITS: Headend In The Sky HMMWV: High Mobility Multipurpose-Wheeled Vehicle HMS: Hybrid Mail Service HP: Himachal Pradesh; Horizontal Plane; Horse Power HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language HTTP: Hypetext Transfer Protocol HUDCO: Housing and Urban Development Corporation HVDC: High Voltage Direct Current I IAAI: International Airport Authority of India IAAS: Indian Audit and Accounts Service IADF: International Agricultural Development Fund IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency IAF: Indian Air Force IAMC: Indian Army Medical Corps IAS: Indian Administrative Service IATA: International Air Transport Association IATT: Inland Air Travel Tax IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IBEX: Interstellar Boundary Explorer Mission ICANN: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAR: Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICCR: Indian Council of Cultural Relations ICCW: Indian Council for Child Welfare ICDS: Integrated Child Development Service ICJ: International Court of Justice (with Headquarters at the Hague) ICL: Indian Cricket League ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research ICPA: Indian Cricket Players’ Association ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross IDA: International Development Association IDBI: Industrial Development Bank of India IDSA: Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis i.e.: id est; that is IEA: International Energy Agency IES: Indian Economic Service IEX: Indian Energy Exchange IFRS: International Financial Reporting Standard IFS: Indian Foreign Service; Indian Forest Service IFTU: International Federation of Trade Unions IFWJ: Indian Federation of Working Journalists IGNOU: Indira Gandhi National Open University IIPA: Indian Institute of Public Administration IISS: International Institute of Strategic Studies IIT: Indian Institutes of Technology ILO: International Labour Organisation IMA: Indian Military Academy IMET: International Military Education Training Programme IMF: International Monetary Fund IMO: International Maritime Organisation IN: Indian Navy; Intelligent Network INA: Indian National Army INK: International Newspaper Kiosks INMARSAT: International Maritime Satellite Organisation INMAS: Institute of Nuclear Medicines and Allied Sciences INS: Indian Naval Ship; Indian Newspaper Society INSAS: Indian Small Arms System INSAT: Indian National Satellite INTERPOL: International Police Organisation INTUC: Indian National Trade Union Congress IOC: International Olympic Committee IP: Indian Police IPC: Indian Penal Code IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPEC: International Programme on Elimination of Child Labour IPR: Intellectual Property Right IPS: Indian Police Service; Indian Postal Service IPTV: Internet Protocol Television IPU: Inter-Parliamentary Union IQ: Intelligence Quotient IR: Infra-red IRA: Insurance Regulatory Authority IRBM: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile IREP: Integrated Rural Energy Planning IRS: Indian Remote Sensing Satellite; Indian Revenue Service ISAF: International Stabilization and Assistance Force (in Afghanistan) ISC: Inter-State Council ISCS: Integrated Smart Card System ISD: International Subscriber Dialled (telephone) ISH: Information Super Highway ISKCON: International Society for Krishna Consciousness ISO: International Standardisation Organisation ISP: Internet Service Provider ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation ISS: International Space Station IST: Indian Standard Time ISTRAC: ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network ITDC: Indian Tourism Development Corporation ITO: International Trade Organisation; Income-tax Officer ITU: International Tele-communication Union IUC: Interconnect User Charge

J, K, L JCO: Junior Commissioned Officer JNNURM: Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission JPC: Joint Parliamentary Committee JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group JWG: Joint Working Group KG: Kindergarten Kg: Kilogramme KPO: Knowledge Process Outsourcing LAC: Line of Actual Control LCA: Light Combat Aircraft LDC: Least Developed Countries LHC: Large Hadron Collider LIC: Life Insurance Corporation (of India) LLP: Limited Liability Partnership LOAC: Line of Actual Control LTA: Light Transport Aircraft LTTE: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam M MAT: Minimum Alternative Tax MER: Mars Exploration Rover MBBS: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery MCF: Master Control Facility MEP: Minimum Export Price MES: Military Engineering Service METSAT: Meteorological Satellite MFA: Multi-Fibre Agreement MFN: Most Favoured Nation MIP: Moon Impact Probe MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service MMTC: Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation of India MNC: Multi-national Corporation MNIC: Multi-purpose National Identity Card MODEM: Modulator-Demodulator MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRTPC: Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission MRTS: Mass Rapid Transit System MSA: Maritime Safety Agency MSCF: Maritime Security Cooperation Framework Mss: Manuscript MTCR: Missile Technology Control Regime MTO: Multilateral Trade Organisation MVC: Maha Vir Chakra MUNO: Maha Vir Chakra N NAA: National Airport Authority NABARD: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. (It helps rural development by providing re-finance facility). NACIL: National Aviation Company of India Ltd NADA: National Anti-Doping Agency NAEP: National Adult Education Programme NAFTA: North America Free Trade Agreement NAG: National Air Guard NAM: Non-aligned Movement NAMA: Non-Agriculture Market Access NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (of the U.S.A.) NASDAQ: National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation NATA: Natural Aptitude Test for Architecture NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NAV: Net Asset Value NB: Nota bene; note well, or take notice NCA: Nuclear Command Authority NCC: National Cadet Corps NCEP: National Committee on Environmental Planning NCERT: National Council of Education Research and Training NCR: National Capital Region NDA: National Defence Academy; National Democratic Alliance NDNC: National Do Not Call (Registry) NDPS: Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances NDRF: National Disaster Response Force NDTL: National Dope Testing Laboratory NeGP: National e-governance Plan NEDB: North-Eastern Development Bank NEP: National Education Policy NEPA: National Environment Protection Authority NFO: New Fund Offers NHDP: National Highways Development Project NHRC: National Human Rights Commission NIC: National Integration Council NIFT: National Institute of Fashion Technology NIO: National Institute of Oceanography NIS: National Institute of Sports NIT: National Institute of Technology NLMA: National Literacy Mission Authority NMD: Nuclear Missile Defence NMDC: National Mineral Development Corporation NPL: National Physical Laboratory NPR: National Population Register NPT: (Nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty NRBI: National Rural Bank of India NREGA: National Rural Employment Guarantee Act NREP: National Rural Employment Programme NRF: National Renewal Fund NRI: Non-Resident Indian NRR: National Reproduction Rate NRSA: National Remote Sensing Agency NSA: National Security Act NSC: National Service Corps; National Security Council NSDL: National Securities Depository Limited NSE: National Stock Exchange NSR: National Skills Registry NTPC: National Thermal Power Corporation NWDA: National Water Development Agency NWRC: National Water Resources Council O OAS: Organisation of American States OAU: Organisation of African Unity OBC: Other Backward Communities OBU: Offshore Banking Unit ODA: Official Development Assistance ODF: Open Document Format ODS: Ozone Depletion Substances OECD: Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development OGL: Open General Licence OIC: Organisation of Islamic Countries OIGS: On India Government Service OIL: Oil India Limited OM: Order of Merit ONGC: Oil and Natural Gas Commission OPEC: Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries OSCE: Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe OSD: Officer on Special Duty OXML: Open Extended Marking Language P PAC: Political Affairs Committee; Public Accounts Committee PACER: Programme for Acceleration of Commercial Energy Research PAN: Permanent Account Number (of Income-Tax) PATA: Pacific-Asia Travel Association PCS: Public Civil Service; Punjab Civil Service PIB: Press Information Bureau Pin Code: Postal Index Number Code PIO: Persons of Indian Origin PLF: Plant Load Factor PM: Post Meridiem; after-noon; also Postmaster; Prime Minister; post-mortem (after death) PMG: Postmaster General PN: Participatory Note PO: Post Office; Postal Order POPs: Persistent Organic Pollutants; Point of Purchase POTA: Prevention of Terrorism Act POW: Prisoner of War PP: Public Prosecutor; Particular Person PRO: Public Relations Officer PS: Post Scriptum; Post Script; written after PSC: Public Service Commission PSE: Public Sector Enterprises PSLV: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PTA: Preferential Trade Area PTI: Press Trust of India PTO: Please Turn Over; Privilege Ticket Order PUFA: Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids PVC: Param Vir Chakra PVSM: Param Vishisht Sewa Medal PWD: Public Works Department Q, R QMG: Quarter Master General QR: Quantitative Restriction RAF: Rapid Action Force RAM: Random Access Memory RBI: Reserve Bank of India RCC: Reinforced Concrete Cement RDF: Rapid Development Force RDS: Radio Data Servicing RDSS: Radio Determination Satellite Service REACH: Rehabilitate, Educate and Support Street Children RLO: Returned Letter Office RLV: Reusable Launch Vehicle RPM: Revolution Per Minute RPO: Recruitment Process Outsourcing; Regional Passport Officer RRB: Regional Rural Bank RRPI: Rural Retail Price Index RSS: Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh RSVP: Repondez s’il vous plait (Fr.) reply, if you please RTGS: Real Time Gross Settlement System S SAARC: South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation SAFTA: South Asian Free Trade Area SAIL: Steel Authority of India Limited SAPTA: SAARC Preferential Trading Agreement SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome SATNAV: Satellite Navigation (Initiative) SAVE: SAARC Audio Visual Exchange SC: Security Council; Supreme Court; Scheduled Caste SCI: Shipping Corporation of India SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCOPE: Standing Conference on Public Enterprises SDO: Sub-Divisional Officer SDR: Special Drawing Rights (created by the World Bank) SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India SFC: Strategic Forces Command SGPC: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee SIDBI: Small Industries Development Bank of India SIT: Special Investigation Team SITE: Satellite Instructional Television Experiment SLR: Statutory Liquidity Ratio SMS: Short Messaging Service; Subscriber Management System SOS: Save Our Souls—distress signal SPG: Special Protection Group SPIN: Software Process Improvement Networks SPV: Solar Photo Voltaic SQUID: Super-conducting Quantum Interference Device SRE: Space Capsule Recovery Experiment SRV: Submarine Rescue Vessel SSN: Social Security Number STARS: Satellite Tracking and Ranging Station START: Strategic Arms Reduction Talks STEP: Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park STT: Securities Transaction Tax SWAN: State-wide Area Network SWIFT: Society for Worldwide Financial Telecommunications T TA: Travelling Allowance; Territorial Army TAAI: Travel Agents Association of India TACDE: Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment TADA: Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TAPS: Tarapur Atomic Power Station TB: Tuberculosis TDC: Transport Development Council TDS: Tax Deduction at Source TDSAT: Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal TERLS: Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station TIFR: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research TIN: Tax Information Network TINXSYS: Tax Information Exchange System TISCO: Tata Iron and Steel Company TMC: Terrain Mapping Camera TMO: Telegraphic Money Order TNT: Tri-nitro-toluene (high explosive) TPP: 20-Point Programme TRAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRIMs: Trade Related Investment Measures TRIPS: Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights TRP: Television Rating Points; Tax Return Preparer TRYSEM: Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment TTE: Travelling Ticket Examiner TTF: Tourism Task Force U UAE: United Arab Emirates UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UF: United Front UFO: Unidentified Flying Object UGC: University Grants Commission ULFA: United Liberation Front of Assam UN: United Nations UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDP: United Nations Development Programme UNEF: United Nations Emergency Force UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNFPO: United Nations Fund for Population Activities UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHRC: United Nations Human Rights Commission UNI: United News of India UNICEF: United Nations International Children’s (Emergency) Fund UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organisation UNRRA: United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration UNTAC: United Nations Transitional Authority for Cambodia UPA: United Progressive Alliance UPSC: Union Public Service Commission UPTN: Universal Personal Telephone Number USA: United States of America USIS: United States Information Service V VAT: Value-added Tax VC: Vice-Chancellor; Vice Counsel; Victoria Cross; Vir Chakra VDIS: Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme VHRR: Very High Resolution Radiometer VIP: Very Important Person VLSI: Very Large Scale Integration VOIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol VPN: Virtual Private Network VPP: Value Payable Post VRS: Voluntary Retirement Scheme VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminals W WADA: World Anti-Doping Agency WAP: Wireless Application Protocol WAVE: Wireless Access for Virtual Enterprise WDF: Wasteland Development Force WEF: World Economic Forum WFP: World Food Programme WFTU: World Federation of Trade Unions WGIG: Working Group on Internet Governance WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organisation WLL: Wireless in Local Loop WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction WR: Western Railway WTO: World Trade Organisation (previously called GATT); also World Tourism Organisation X, Y, Z XML: eXtensible Markup Language YMCA: Young Men’s Christian Association YWCA: Young Women’s Christian Association