World Leaders: Key Figures for CMAT General Awareness

2026-06-27

Introduction

World leaders and heads of international organisations are a recurring theme in the General Awareness section of the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) in Nepal. Questions in this domain test your awareness of current global affairs, geopolitical shifts, and international relations.

To secure maximum marks, you must be familiar with the heads of state (Presidents/Monarchs) and heads of government (Prime Ministers/Chancellors) of major global superpowers, Nepal's immediate neighbours, and key international bodies.

Leaders of Neighbouring Countries (SAARC & Proximity)

Nepal's bilateral relations make the political leadership of neighbouring South Asian nations highly testable. Pay close attention to recent transitions:

• India: Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister (Head of Government) leading his third consecutive term. Droupadi Murmu is the President (Head of State, and the first tribal woman to hold the office).
• China: Xi Jinping serves as the President and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Li Qiang is the Premier (Head of Government).
• Bangladesh: Following recent political changes, Muhammad Yunus serves as the Chief Adviser of the interim government. Mohammed Shahabuddin is the President.
• Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif is the Prime Minister, and Asif Ali Zardari serves as the President.
• Sri Lanka: Anura Kumara Dissanayake is the President, and Harini Amarasuriya serves as the Prime Minister.
• Bhutan: Tshering Tobgay serves as the Prime Minister.
• Maldives: Mohamed Muizzu is the President.

Leaders of Global Superpowers

These figures command significant influence over global economics and politics, making them common subjects in competitive exams:

• United States of America (USA): Joe Biden serves as the $46^{th}$ President, with Kamala Harris as the Vice President. Donald Trump serves as the President-elect ($47^{th}$ President).
• United Kingdom (UK): Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister (leader of the Labour Party), succeeding Rishi Sunak.
• Russia: Vladimir Putin is the President, and Mikhail Mishustin is the Prime Minister.
• France: Emmanuel Macron is the President, and Michel Barnier is the Prime Minister.
• Germany: Olaf Scholz is the Chancellor (Head of Government), while Frank-Walter Steinmeier is the President (Head of State).

Heads of Major International Organisations

CMAT frequently pairs international institutions with their current chief executives:

• United Nations (UN): António Guterres of Portugal is the Secretary-General.
• World Bank Group: Ajay Banga (an Indian-American executive) is the President.
• International Monetary Fund (IMF): Kristalina Georgieva of Bulgaria is the Managing Director.
• World Health Organization (WHO): Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia is the Director-General.
• World Trade Organization (WTO): Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria is the Director-General (the first woman and first African to lead the WTO).

Key Leaders Reference Table

Common Exam Traps & Study Tips

• Head of State vs. Head of Government: Do not confuse the two roles. For example, in India and the UK, the Prime Minister holds the executive power, while the President/Monarch is the ceremonial head. In the USA, the President holds both roles.
• Recent Transitions: CMAT examiners love testing recent leadership changes. Keep a close eye on any elections or sudden resignations that occur in the $3$ to $6$ months leading up to your exam.
• Nationalities of UN Chiefs: Be sure to remember the home countries of major organisation heads (e.g., António Guterres is from Portugal; Tedros Adhanom is from Ethiopia).

Practise these as timed MCQs to lock the pattern in.