AAFI Amateur Athletic Federation of India
ABC Atomic, Biological and Chemical (warfare);
American Broad-casting Company; Australian
Broadcasting Company.
ABM Anti Ballistic Missiles
ABVP Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
ACC Auxiliary Cadet Corps; Air Coordinating
Committee
ADB Asian Development Bank
ADC Aide-de-Camp
AEC Atomic Energy Commission
AICTE All India Council for Technical Education
AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome
AIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences
AITUC All India Trade Union Congress
ALCMS Air Launched Nuclear Armed Cruise Missiles
AMC Army Medical Corps
ANCA Alternative Nuclear Command Authority
ANN Asian News Network
APPEAL Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for ALL
APPLE Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment
ASAT Anti-Satellite Weapon
ASEAN Association of South-East Asian Nations
ASLV Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
ASPAC Asian and Pacific Council
ASROCK Anti-Submarine Rocket Launchers
ASSOCHAM Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry
ATS Anti-Tetanus Serum (injection)
AWACS Airborne Warning and Control System
B
BARC Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
BCG Bacillus Calmette Guerin - Anti- Tuberculosis
Vaccine
BHEL Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
BIMSTEC Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Economic Co-operation
BLT Bado Liberation Tiger
BMR Basal Metabolic Rate
BP Blood Pressure
BRO Border Road Organisation
BSF Border Security Force
C
CA Chartered Accountant
CAG Comptroller & Auditor General
CARE Co-operation for American Relief Everywhere
CAT Centre for Advanced Technology
CBI Central Bureau of Investigation
CCI Cricket Club of India
CDAC Centre for Development of Advanced
Computing
CDP Community Development Programme
CHOGM Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting
CIA Central Intelligence Agency (of U.S.A)
CIS Commonwealth of Independent States
CISF Central Industrial Security Force
CMC Computer Maintenance Corporation
CMIE Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy
CNS Chief of the Naval Staff
COD Central Ordinance Depot
COFEPOSA Conservation of Foreign Exchange and
Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act
CPCSEA Committee for the Purpose of Control and
Supervision of Experiments on Animals
CRPF Central Reserve Police Force
CRR Cash Reserve Ratio
CSCAP Council For Security Co-operation for Asia
Pacific
CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation
CSO Central Statistical Organisation
CTBT Comprehensing Test Ban Treaty
CWC Central Warehouse Corporation
D
DAVP Directorate of Advertising and Visual
Publicity
DDT Dichloro-Diphenyl Trichloro-ethane
(disinfectant)
DNA Deoxy ribo-Nuchie-Acid
DOD Department of Ocean Development
DRDO Defence Research & Development
Organisation
DRES Department of Renewable Energy Sources
E
ECG Electro Cardiogram
ECGC Export Credit and Guarantee Corporation of
India
ECIL Electronic Corporation of India Limited
ECT Electro-convulsat Therapy (electric shock
treatment)
ECU European Currency Unit
EEC European Economic Community (Common
Market)
EEG Electro-encephalography
e.g. exampli gratia; for example
EIL Engineers India Limited
E-MAIL Electronic Mailing
E & OE Errors and Omissions Excepted
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ERDA Energy Research and Development
Administration
ESA European Space Agency
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific
ESI Employee State Insurance
ESMA Essential Services Maintenance Act
EST Eastern Standard Time
etc. ett cetera (and other things)
EU European Union
EVM Electronic Voting Machine
EWS Economically Weaker Section
F
FACT Fertilizers & Chemicals Travancore Ltd.
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation (of the U.S.A.)
FCI Food Corporation of India
FDR Flight Data Recorder
FERA Foreign Exchange Regulation Act
FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry
FTII Film & Television Institute of India
G
GAIL Gas Authority of India Limited
GATE Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
GATT General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade
GDR German Democratic Republic
GIC General Insurance Corporation
GIST Graphics & Intelligence based Script
Technology
GMDSS Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
GM Grand Master (Chess)
GMT Greenwich Mean Time
GNP Gross National Product
GOC General Officer Commanding
GOP Grand Old Party
GSI Geological Survey of India
GSLV Geo Synchronous Launch Vehicle
GTB Global Trust Bank Ltd.,
H
HAL Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
HBV Hepatitis - B - Virus
HFDC Housing Finance Development Corporation
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HUDCO Housing and Urban Development Corporation
I
IAAI International Airport Authority of India
IAC Indian Airlines Corporation
IADF International Agricultural Development Fund
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IAMC Indian Army Medical Corps
IATA International Air Transport Association
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research
ICBL International Campaign to Ban Landmines
ICC International Cricket Conference
ICF International Court of Justice
ICCR Indian Council of Cultural Relations
ICCW Indian Council for Child Welfare
ICHR Indian Council for Historical Research
ICJ International Court of Justice
ICICI Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation
of India
ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research
ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross
IDA International Development Association
IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India
IDPL Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.,
i.e. id est; that is
IEA International Energy Agency
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural
Development
IFCI Industrial Finance Corporation of India Ltd.
IFFCO Indian Formers Fertilizers Co-operatives
IFTU International Federations of Trade Unions
IGMOP Integrated guided Missile Development
Programme
IGNCA Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts
IGNOU Indira Gandhi National Open University
IIT Indian Institute of Technology
ILO International Labour Organisation
ILY International Literacy Year
IMA Indian Military Academy
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMO International Maritime Organisation
INCOSPAR Indian National Committee on Space
Research
INMARSAT International Maritime Satellite
Organisation
INMAS Institute of Nuclear Medicines & Allied
Science
INS Indian Naval Ship; Indian Newspaper Society
INSA Indian National Science Academy
INSAT Indian National Satellite
INTELEX International Teleprinter Exchange
INTERPOL International Police Organisation
IOC International Olympic Committee
IORARC Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional
Co-operation
IRBM Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
ISE Inter-connected Stock Exchange
ISO International Standards Organisation
ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation
ISP Internet Service Provider
ISS International Space Stations
ISSP Indian Scientific Satellite Project
ITDC Indian Tourism Development Corporation
ITO International Trade Organisation; Income-Tax
Officer
J
JCO Junior Commissioned Officer
JNU Jawaharlal Nehru University
JP Janata Party; Justice of Peace
K
KG Kindergarten
Kg Kilogramme
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KPMF Kothari Pioneer Mutual Fund
KRC Konkan Railway Corporation
Kw Kilowatt
L
LASER Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation
LCA Light Combat Aircraft
LED Light-Emitting Diode
LIC Life Insurance Corporations (of India)
LPG Liquid Petroleum Gas
LTC Leave Travel Concession
LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
M
MAPP Madras Atomic Power Project
MISA Maintenance of InternalSecurity Act
MASER Micro-wave Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation
MAT Minimum Alternate Tax
MODVAT Modified Value Added Tax
MRTPC Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices
Commission
N
NAA National Airport Authority
NABARD National Bank for Agriculture & Rural
Development
NAEP National Adult Education Programme
NAG National Air Guard
NAM Non-aligned Movement
NASA National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (of the U.S.A.)
NASSCOM National Association of Software and
Service Companies
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NCC National Cadet Corps
NCEP National Committee on Environment Planning
NCERT National Council of Education Research and
Training
NCM National Commission of Minorities
NCRPB National Capital Region Planning Board
NCSC & ST National Commission for Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes
NDA National Defence Academy
NDC National Development Council
NDPS Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances
NEP National Education Policy
NEPA National Environment Protection Authority
NFC Nuclear Fuel Complex
NFDC National Film Development Corporation
NIB National Internet Backbone
NIC National Integration Council
NICSAT National Informatics Centre Satellite
NIFT National Institute of Fashion Technology
NIO National Institute of Oceanography
NIS National Institute of Sports
NLM National Literacy Mission
NLMA National Literacy Mission Authority
NMDC National Mineral Development Corporation
NNPT Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty
NPC National Productivity Council
NPP National Population Policy
NPTC National Power Transmission Corporation
NREP National Rural Employment Programme
NRI Non-resident Indian
NRSA National Remote Sensing Agency
NSA National Securities Act
NSC National Statistical Commission
NSC National Security Council
NSS National Savings Scheme
N.S.C. National Service Corps, National Security
Council
NSG National Security Guards
NSO National Sports Organisation
NTC National Textile Corporation
NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation
O
OAU Organisation of African Unity
OCS Overseas Communication Service
OECD Organisation Economic Co-operation and
Development
OGL Open General Licence
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 Co-operation in
Europe
OTS Officers Training Academy
P
PAC Political Affairs Committee; Public Accounts
Committee
PDA Preventive Detention Act
PERC Political & Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.,
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
PIB Press Information Bureau
PIL Public Interest Litigation
PIN Code Postal Index Number Code
PIO Persons of Indian Origin
PLO Palestine Liberations Organisation
PROM Programmable Read Only Memory
PSLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
PTA Preferential Trade Area
PTI Press Trust of India
PVC Param Vir Chakra
PVSM Param Vishisht Sewa Medal
Q
QMC Quarter Master General
R
RADAR Radio Detecting and Ranging
RAM Random Access Memory
RAW Research and Analysis Wing
RBI Reserve Bank of India
RCI Rehabilitation Council of India
REC Rural Electrification Corporation
RLO Returned Letter Office
RPF Railway Protection Force
RPM Revolution Per Minute
RRB Railway Recruitment Board
RSS Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh
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S
SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SAI Sports Authority of India
SAIDC South African Industrial Development
Corporation
SAIL Steel Authority of India Limited
SALT Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (or Treaty)
SAPTA South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement
SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
SARSAT Search and Rescue Satellite - Aided Tracking
System
SAVE SAARC Audio Visual Exchange
SEATO South East Asia Treaty Organisation
SEBI Securities and Exchange Board of India
SENSEX Sensitivity Index of Share Price
SEMIBOMBLA Scheme of the Economists for
Monetary Immobilisation through Bond
Medallions and Blocked Accounts
SFC Strotegic Forces Command
SHCIL Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd
SIDBI Small Industries Development Bank of India
SIEMA Southern India Engineering Manufacturers’
Association
SINP Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
SIT Special Investigation Team
SOS Save Our Souls - distress signal
SPCA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals
SPG Special Protection Group
SPIC Southern Petro-Chemical Industrial
Corporation
SROSS Stretched Rohini Satellite Series
SSI Small Scale Industry
STARS Satellite Trecking and Ranging Station
START Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
STC State Trading Corporation
STD Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Subcriber’s
Trunk Dialling
SWAPO South-West African People’s Organisation
T
TAAI Travel Agents Association of India
TADA Terrorist and Disruptive Activities
(Prevention) Act
TANSI Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation
TAPS Tarapur Atomic Power Station
TCAS Tactical Collision Avoidance System
TDA Trade Development Authority
TELEX Teleprinter Exchange
TIFAC Technology Information, Forecasting and
Assessment Council
TISCO Tata Iron and Steel Company
TNAU Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
TNCSC Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation
TNT Tri-nitro-toluene (high explosive)
TNV Tripura National Volunteers
TRYSEM Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment
U
UGC University Grants Commission
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development
UNDCP United Nations International Drug Control
Programme
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEF United Nations Emergency Force
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation
UNFPA UN Fund for Population Activities
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees
UNI United News of India
UNIC United Nations Information Centre
UNICEF United Nations International Children’s
(Emergency) Fund
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation
UNMOGIP United Nations Observer Group in India
and Pakistan
UNSCOM United National Special Commission
USAID United States Agency for International
Development
USIS United States Information Service
UTI Unit Trust of India
V
VAT Value Added Tax
VCR Video Cassette Recorder
VHD Vishwa Hindu Parishad
VHRR Very High Resolution Radiometer
VOA Voice of America
VPP Value Payable Post
VRDE Vehicle Research & Development
Establishment
W
WAY World Assembly of Youth
WBF World Book Fair
WCD World Commission of Dams
WEF World Economic Forum
WFP World Food Programme
WFTU World Federation of Trade Unions
WHO World Health Organisation (of the U.N.)
WMO World Meteorological Organisation
WPI Wholesale Price Index
WTO World Tourism Organisation
WWF World Wildlife Fund
X
X-mas Christmas
Y
YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association
YWCA Young Women’s Christian Association
Z
ZETA Zero Energy Thermo-nuclear Assembly or
Apparatus
ZOPFAN Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality
ZS Zoological Society
