‘Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)’, often in the news, is
- (a) a division of World Health Organization
- (b) a non-governmental international organization ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) an inter-governmental agency sponsored by European Union
- (d) a specialized agency of the United Nations
Why the answer is (b)
• Médecins Sans Frontières, founded in Paris in 1971 by doctors and journalists, is an independent international medical humanitarian NGO that delivers emergency care in conflicts, epidemics and disasters — option (b).
• It won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 and is funded mostly by private donations, which keeps it independent of governments.
• It is not part of WHO (a), the EU (c) or the UN (d).
• Hence option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) a division of World Health Organization
- MSF is independent of WHO.
- (c) an inter-governmental agency sponsored by European Union
- MSF is not an EU agency.
- (d) a specialized agency of the United Nations
- MSF is not a UN agency.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2016, held on 7 August 2016. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.