CENSUS - 2011 IMPORTANT FACTS

Census 2011 is the 15th Census of India since 1872. The slogan of Census 2011 is "Our Census, Our Future". The present Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India is Dr. C. Chandramouli. Census 2011 covered 35 States/Union Territories, 640 districts, 5,924 Sub-districts, 7,933 Towns and 6, 40,930 Villages.  Total Population The total population of India at 0.00 hours of 1st March 2011 is 1210.6 million. India’s population accounts for 17.5 per cent of world population. The country’s population is almost equal to the populations of the U.S., Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together. Out of the total increase of 182 million added in the last decade, the contribution of rural and urban areas is equal (91.0 million each). The absolute addition is slightly lower than the population of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world. This makes 2001-2011 as the first decade with the exception of 1911-1921 which has actually added lesser population compared to the previous decade. The rural population is 833.5 million and the urban population 377.1 million. The rural population constitutes 68.8% and urban population 31.2% of the total population. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous State with 199 million people followed by Maharashtra at 112 million people and Lakshadweep is the least populated at 64,429 persons. Uttar Pradesh has the largest rural population of 155.3 million (18.6% of the country's rural population). Maharashtra has the highest urban population of 50.8 million (13.5% of country's urban population) in the country. Himachal Pradesh (90.0%) has the largest proportion of rural population. Delhi (97.5%) has the highest proportion of urban population. Thane of Maharashtra is the most populated District in India. Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, is the least populated District in India. Growth Rate The growth rate of population in India in the last decade is 17.7% (Rural - 12.3%; Urban - 31.8%). Meghalaya (27.2%) has recorded the highest decadal growth rate in rural population. Daman & Diu (218.8 %) recorded the highest decadal growth rate in urban population during 2001-2011. Population Density Population density in Census 2011 works out to be 382 showing an increase of 57 points from 2001. Delhi (11,320) turns out to be the most densely inhabited followed by Chandigarh (9,258) among all States/UTs, both in 2001 and 2011 Census. Among the major States, Bihar occupies the first position with a density of 1106, surpassing West Bengal which occupied the first position during 2001. The minimum population density works out in Arunachal Pradesh (17) for both Censuses. Among districts in India, highest density district is North East Delhi (37,346 per Sq KM) and lowest density district is Dibang of Arunachal Pradesh (1 per Sq KM). Sex Ratio  The Sex Ratio in the country which was 933 in 2001 has increased by 7 points to 940 in 2011. In rural areas, the sex ratio has increased from 946 to 949. The corresponding increase in urban areas has been by 29 points from 900 to 929. Kerala has recorded the highest sex ratio (1084) in respect of total population. Daman and Diu recorded the lowest sex ratio (618) among States and UTs. The lowest sex ratio in rural areas has been recorded in Chandigarh (690). The corresponding value in urban areas has been returned in Daman & Diu (551). Child Population  The child population in the age group of 0-6 years stands at 164.5 million. Compared to Census 2001, the Child population has increased by 0.7 million in the country. The growth rate of child population works out to 0.4% in the last decade. However, there has been a decline of 4.1% in rural areas and an increase of 15.6% in urban areas. Census 2011 marks a considerable fall in child sex ratio (0-6 years) from 927 to 919 (-8 points) during 2001-2011. This is the lowest sex ratio since 1961. Scheduled Caste Population The total Scheduled Caste population returned in Census 2011 is 201.4 million. The Scheduled Caste population constitutes 16.6 % of the total population. The highest proportion of Scheduled Castes has been recorded in Punjab (31.9 %) and the lowest in Mizoram (0.1%). The highest number of Scheduled Castes has been recorded in Uttar Pradesh (41.4 million) and the lowest in Mizoram (1,218). Scheduled Tribe Population  The total Scheduled Tribe population returned in Census 2011 is 104.3 million. The Scheduled Tribe population constitutes 8.6 % of the total population. The highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes has been recorded in Lakshadweep (94.8 %) and the lowest in Uttar Pradesh (0.6%). The highest number of Scheduled Tribes has been recorded in Madhya Pradesh (15.3 million) and the lowest in Daman & Diu (15,363). Literacy Rate The number of literates in India is 763.5 million in Census 2011. Literacy rate has gone up from 64.83 per cent in 2001 to 74.04 per cent, showing an increase of 9.21 percentage points. The literacy rate for males and females works out to 82.14 per cent and 65.46 per cent respectively. The increase in literacy rate in males and females during 2001-2011 is in the order of 6.88 and 11.79 percentage points respectively. The highest number of rural literates has been recorded in Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of literates in urban areas. In percentage terms male literates were 56.9% of the total literates and the female literates were 43.1 % of the total literates. Kerala has the highest literacy rate (93.91) followed by Lakshadweep (92.28). Bihar has the least literacy rate (63.82) and least goes to Arunachal Pradesh (66.95)

Merger of National Lake Conservation Plan and National Wetlands Conservation Programme into a new scheme

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs  approved the proposal for the merger of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) into a new scheme called the `National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems` (NPCA). 

The merged scheme shall be operational during the XII Plan Period at an estimated cost of Rs.900 crore on 70:30 cost sharing between the Central Government and respective State Governments (90:10 for North-East States). 

For conservation of lakes and wetlands, the Ministry of Environment and Forests is presently, implementing two separate Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), namely the NWCP and the NLCP. To avoid overlap, promote better synergies and to ensure conservation and management works, an integrated scheme, NPCA is proposed, with the objective of conserving aquatic ecosystems (lakes and wetlands), through implementation of sustainable conservation plans and governed with application of uniform policy and guidelines. 

The principal objectives of the new scheme will be holistic conservation and restoration of lakes and wetlands for achieving desired water quality enhancement, besides improvement in biodiversity and the ecosystem, through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach with a common regulatory framework, The scheme would contribute to reduction of pollution loads and improvement in goods and services provided by these water bodies to stakeholders.

The new scheme will have conservation and management of lakes and wetlands in the country within its scope, to include inventory and information system on lakes and wetlands national level directive on criteria for lakes and wetlands, regulatory framework, capacity building at state government and local body levels, evaluation etc.

NERAMAC – A Vibrant Agri-Marketing Organization of North East

North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) Ltd, is a Government Enterprise under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). The Company with an authorized capital of Rs 10.00 Cr and a paid up capital of only Rs 7.62 Cr has registered a sales turnover of Rs. 96 Cr during the just concluded fiscal year 2011-12 with a net profit of Rs 1 Cr.

NERAMAC is playing a significant role by intervening in the sourcing, procuring and marketing of cash crops like ginger, fresh pineapple, cashew nut, Kiwi fruits etc. from the farmers and growers of the North Eastern Region. Its role as a dynamic and vibrant marketing organization essentially to support farmers of North East has started showing visibility through its operations to sustain farmers’ interest in production by application of post harvest technology thereby arresting decline in prices arising from larger output of the farm produces and marketing.

It has also procured and marketed various other items such as turmeric, large cardamom, maize etc, input supplies like fertilizer, assorted seeds, planting materials, floriculture items etc. under the Horticulture Mission for North East & Hill States (HMNEHS) & National Horticulture Mission. It has tied up with reputed companies in the field of setting up of various Horticultural Projects like High-tech green house, tissue culture laboratory, supply of planting materials etc. besides its initiative in supporting tiny and small scale processors in marketing their end products. NERAMAC helped farmers in getting better price of their produce besides procurement of the same. The Corporation has initiated building linkages by tying up through MoU with different farmer’s Societies as well processed products manufacturers having FPO licenses. It has helped building confidence among farmers and producers for a better network of procurement through NERAMAC.

It has taken initiative in involving various stakeholder particularly private sector in the field of processing thereby playing a greater role to tap the market potential for Kiwi and Passion fruit. Linkage were initiated with Passion Fruit Growers Association of Manipur and for procurement of passion fruit from them to make end product with the help of private and women entrepreneurs and marketing them through NERAMAC. Similiarly, Kiwi fruit was introduced  by sourcing them from Arunachal Pradesh by involving private entrepreneur group.

In order to support the large cardamom growers of Sikkim, NERAMAC has set up a Large Cardamom Auction Centre at Rongpo,Sikkim during the last fiscal. Large cardamom growers are getting immense benefit as it has given them edge in getting value for their produce.Traders from all over the country are coming and participating in this auction program which has given a fillip to the cardamom producers.

NERAMAC has also taken a lead in setting up a outlet at Siliguri Regulated market to make way for produces like oranges and other fresh produces. This has given a facelift to the farmers. Oranges from Wakro and Tezu of Arunachal Pradesh are coming to Assam.

The Company has hosted a series of programs in the North-East to scale up awareness among the budding agri-preneurs, inviting investment on food processing involving national institutes and organizations of repute and large business houses in agro- horticulture processing with the financial support of Ministry of Food Processing Industries & North Eastern Council.

It has organized North East Food Processing Expo, an exhibition for the fruit processors of North East followed with conference and buyers sellers meet at Guwahati during January 2012 where processors from all the North Eastern states participated. This initiative was organised for the first time with the financial support of the Ministry of DoNER.

NERAMAC in association with IIP, Mumbai, organised for the first time in the region,  INDPACK 2012 at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, Guwahati to support the first generation entrepreneurs of the North East in food processing and value addition. Two food processing entrepreneurs from each state of North East was taken to INDPACK 2011 at Hyderabad to give them the knowledge and expertise in packaging with the support of North Eastern Council.

100 Orange farmers were taken to National Research Centre for Citrus at Nagpur, Maharastra for giving them exposure to better orange production technique & demonstration.

North East Connect program was organised to show case potential of north east at Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai & Bengaluru seeking investment opportunities as well as create business opportunity for the naturally grown organic produces of North East.

For the first time, an initiative has been taken to set up kiosks at six Malls in the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi to sell North East produces to the consumers of NCR Delhi. Outlets in the name N E Fresh are located at Shipra mall, EDM mall, Mahugana mall, Sab mall, StarCity mall & TDI mall at NCR Delhi. This was followed with weeklong Mall festivals in the beginning.

SOCIO ECONOMIC AWARENESS QUESTIONS

 

1. As per advance estimates of CSO for the year 2011-12, the GDP growth rate has been estimated at—

(A) 7.6%
(B) 6.9%
(C) 6.4%      
(D) 6.1%

2. The primary sector growth in advance estimate for 2011-12 was2.5% which was......in 2010-11 (Quick Estimates).

(A) 5.4%
(B) 6.4%
(C) 7.0%       
(D) 7.3%

3. 'Sensitive Sector' as defined by RBI includes—

(A) Capital Market
(B) Real Estate
(C) Commodities
(D) All of the above

4. PMEAC has revised its GDP growth estimates for 2011-12 to 7-1% and projected GDP growth for 2012-13 at—

(A) 7-0%-7-4%
(B) 7-5%-8-0%
(C) 8-l%-8-3%
(D) 8-5%

5. The newly launched CPI-based inflation for January 2012 on point to point basis is 7-65%. This inflation has the base year—

(A) 2004
(B) 2006
(C) 2008       
(D) 2010

6. The new Chairman of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) who took charge in January 2012 is—

(A) Harsh Mariwala
(B) R.V.Kanoria
(C) Naina Lai Kidwai
(D) Siddharth Birla

7. As per advance estimates of CSO, the estimated growth rate in tertiary (service) sector for 2011-12 is—

(A) 8-6%
(B) 9-0%
(C) 9-4%      
(D) 9-8%

8. Which of the following sector show the negative growth in the advance estimates of CSO for the year 2011-12 ?

(A) Mining and Quarrying
(B) Agriculture and Fisheries
(C) Manufacturing
(D) Electricity, Gas and Water supply

9. Which organisation is meant to ensure exports from India ?

(A) EXIMBank
(B) ECGC
(C) Ministry of Commerce
(D) None of the above

10. Which of the following is considered lending for promotion of exports ?

(A) Packing Credit
(B) Overdraft
(C) Cash Credit Account
(D) Bill Discounting

11. Which of the major port in India celebrated its Golden Jubilee in January 2012 ?

(A) Kolkata/Haldia Port
(B) ParadeepPort
(C) Vishakhapatnam Port
(D) KandlaPort

12. As per India State of Forest Report 2011, the State having the maximum forest area is—

(A) Arunachal Pradesh
(B) Rajasthan
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Uttar Pradesh

13. India State of Forest Report 2011 puts forest area in the country at—

(A) Below 25%
(B) Between 25% and 27%
(C) Between 27% to 30%
(D) Above 30%

14. At the end-December 2011, the teledensity in the country stood at—

(A) 72.38%
(B) 76.86%
(C) 79.03%
(D) 80.76%

15. As per the changed import duty structure on gold and silver, the import duty on gold and silver will be charged at.................respectively of the value of the imported metal.

(A) 1.5% and 5%
(B) 2.0% and 6%
(C) 1.5% and 6%
(D) 2.5% and 6%

16. As per the status of end-December 2011, which of the following company holds the maximum share in telephone services ?

(A) Vodafone
(B) BhartiAirtel
(C) Reliance
(D) BSNL

17. Which type of bank account can be opened by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) in India ?

(A) Current Account
(B) Fixed Deposit Account
(C) Savings Account
(D) Locker Account

18. 'HUNGAMA' report of Nandi Foundation is related to—

(A) Hunger and Malnutrition
(B) 2-G Spectrum Scam
(C) Tax-evasion
(D) Black Money deposited in foreign banks

19. 'Trust Card' has been launched by an organisation to make consumer's payment more easier. The organisation is—

(A) Delhi Metro
(B) ICERT
(C) BSNL
(D) BhartiAirtel

20. The Sixth Economic Census of commercial units was/will be done in the year—

(A) 2011
(B) 2012
(C) 2013       
(D) 2014

21. As per the HUNGAMA report, the percentage of underweight (malnourished) children younger than five years in India is—

(A) 65%
(B) 54%
(C) 42%
(D) 31%

22. As per the second advance foodgrains estimates for 2011-12, foodgrains production during 2011-12 is estimated at—

(A) 246-46 MT
(B) 250-42 MT
(C) 254-68 MT
(D) 262-32 MT

23. As per final estimates, wheat and rice production in 2010-11 stood at—

(A) 86-87 MT and 95-98 MT respectively
(B) 95-98 MT and 86-87 MT respectively
(C) 88-31 MT and 102-75 MT respectively
(D) 86-87 MT and 102-75 MT respectively

24. The Fourth Rail Coach Manufacturing Factory (The first in India to be built on PPP model) is being made in—

(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Kerala
(C) Karnataka
(D) Tamil Nadu

25. In which of the following currencies, India has decided to make payment to buy crude oil from Iran ?

(A) US Dollar
(B) Indian Rupee
(C) Pound Sterling
(D) Euro

Answers

1.  (B) 2.  (C) 3.  (D) 4.  (B) 5.  (D)
6.  (B) 7.  (C) 8.  (A) 9.  (B) 10. (A)
11. (B) 12. (C) 13. (A) 14. (B) 15. (C)
16. (B) 17. (B) 18. (A) 19. (C) 20. (B)
21. (C) 22. (B) 23. (A) 24. (B) 25. (B)

Population Living in Slums

The Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Kumari Selja has said that Housing and Slum development being State subjects, it is for the States to provide housing and basic facilities like drinking water, electricity and sanitation etc depending upon their priorities and availability of financial resources etc. However, Government launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in December 2005 to assist States/ Union Territories for undertaking programmes for provision of housing and basic services to urban poor/slum dwellers under Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) in 65 select cities including Mumbai and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) - in other cities/towns. The duration of JNNURM was 7 years beginning from 2005-06. The Government has approved the extension of JNNURM by 2 years upto the end of financial year 2013-14 for completion of projects sanctioned upto March, 2012 and implementation of 3 pro-poor reforms. State-wise estimated population who live in slums in the country as per “Committee on Slum Statistics/Census” constituted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation is annexed.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today Kumari Selja said, a total of 1615 projects, 529 under BSUP and 1086 under IHSDP, have been approved so far for construction of 1602387 houses, 10,31,856 under BSUP and 570531 under IHSDP, and other related civic amenities like water supply, sewerage, community toilets, street lighting etc across the country.

She said, a new scheme ‘Rajiv Awas Yojana’ (RAY) has been launched in June 2011. The Scheme provides financial assistance to States that are willing to assign property rights to slum dwellers for provision of decent shelter and basic civic and social services for slum redevelopment, and for creation of affordable housing stock.

Slums being a State subject, it is upto the Government of Maharashtra to take steps to address the issues of slums, including Dharavi, availing allocation under JNNURM and RAY and mobilising State and Local Body funds, the Minister added.

Click here to see Annexure  (Population living in Slums)

Supreme Court upheld the Constitutional Validity of the RTE Act, 2009

The Supreme Court of India on 12 April 2012 upheld the constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act, 2009, which mandates 25 per cent free seats to the poor in government and private unaided schools uniformly across the country. The apex court clarified that its judgment will come into force from 12 April 2012. However, the act will apply uniformly to government and unaided private schools except unaided private minority schools.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice S H Kapadia and justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swantanter Kumar gave the ruling.

The   bench had reserved its verdict on 3August 2012 on a batch of petitions by private unaided institutions which had contended that the  section 12 (1)(c) of RTE Act violates the rights of private educational institutions under Article 19(1) (g) which provided autonomy to private managements to run their institutions without governmental interference.
 Right to Education Act (RTE) was passed by the Indian parliament on 4 August 2009.The act came into force on 1 April 2010. It  has the provision of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child.
Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE act says that every recognized school imparting elementary education is obliged to admit underprivileged children even if it is not aiaded by the government to meet its expenses.

Union Cabinet approved Extension of Funding for Swavalamban Scheme

The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 approved the extension of funding support for implementing the Swavalamban Scheme under the New Pension System (NPS) from three years to five years for all subscribers enrolled during 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

The exit norms of the scheme were also relaxed to enable subscribers under Swavalamban to exit at age 50 instead of 60, or a minimum tenure of 20 years, whichever is later.

The Cabinet decided to provide an additional funding support of Rs 2065 crore to the scheme till 2016-17. The cabinet’s decision will benefit 70 lakh workers in the unorganised sector.

Cabinet approved Public Procurement Bill & Ad-valorem Regime for Calculating Royalty for Coal

The Union Cabinet on 12 April 2012 approved Public Procurement Bill, 2012 which aims at regulating public procurement of above Rs 50 lakh and provides fair treatment to bidders. The move is aimed at bringing transparency in State purchases.

Public Procurement Bill, 2012 aims at regulating public procurement by all ministries and departments of the Union government, Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), autonomous and statutory bodies controlled by the Centre and other procuring entities. The Bill also proposes absence of price negotiations, except in circumstances that are prescribed, and for which reasons are to be recorded.

Ad-valorem Royalty on Coal

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 12 April 2012 also approved an ad-valorem regime for calculating royalty for coal and lignite. Following the approval the coffers of coal-bearing states will get richer by over Rs 1000 crore. Currently the hybrid formula is in place for charging royalty on coal and lignite at the rate of 14 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

Royalty rates on coal and lignite have not been revised since 2007. The ad-valorem regime will enable major coal producing states to earn revenue of about Rs 6980 crore in place of Rs 5950 crore being earned at present at existing rates. The new regime is to increase the combined earning by more than Rs 1050 crore.

The CCEA also approved the proposed joint venture between state-run Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd for setting up a 1980 MW thermal power plant at Ghatampur in Kanpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The proposed power project, which could entail investments of over Rs 10000 crore, by the JV company is to cater to the demand of Uttar Pradesh and northern region.

SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. A customer can approach banking ombudsman if he does not get satisfactory response to his grievance from the bank within how many days?

A) 5

B) 20
C) 30
D) 40
E) None

2. National Civil Services Day in India is observed on-
A) April 23
B) April 24
C) April 18
D) April 21
E) None

3. CAG was in the news recently due to 2G spectrum scam. It stands for
A) Commissioner and Auditor General
B) Comptroller and Auditor General
C) Chief Auditor General
D) Chairman and Auditor General
E) None of these

4. FPO stands for?
A) Follow-on public offer
B) First public offer
C) Free public offer
D) Frequent public offer
E) None of these

5. The structure of Basel II is based on how many pillars?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
E) None of these

6. The Monetary and Credit Policy is reviewed by RBI after a gap of
A) One month
B) Three months
C) Six months
D) One year
E) None of these


7. Hosni Mubarak is associated with which country?
A) Tunisia
B) Sudan
C) Libya
D) Syria
E) Egypt

8. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBl)?
A) NK Sinha
B) Sushma Seth
C) Darshan Mehta
D) UK Sinha
E) None of these

9. Who has been appointed as the head of the reconstituted National Security Advisory Board (NSAB)?
A) Shyam Saran
B) Anil Kakodkar
C) C Rajamohan
D) Naresh Chandra
E) None of these

10. What is India's position current FIFA rankings?
A) 120th
B) 132nd
C) 144th
D) 150th
E) None of these

11. What percentage of its total crude oil is imported by India?
A) 40%
B) 50%
C) 60%
D) 80%
E) None of these

12. In Global Gender Gap Report, India has been ranked at?
A) 97th
B) 107th
C) 112th
D) 122nd
E) None of these

13. At present, what is RBI's share in NABARD equity?
A) 100%
B) 74%
C) 51%
D) 1%
E) None of these

14. Who has been appointed as the first chief of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?
A) Dhanendra Kumar
B) Lokeshwar Singh
C) SushmaNath
D) Sam Pitroda
E) None of these

15. India has finally woken up to the needs of the country's elderly. With the number of people in the 60-plus age group in India expected to increase to 100 million in 2013 and to 198 million in 2030, the health minister is all set to roll out the?
A) National Programme for Health care for the Elderly
B) National Programme for Senior Citizens
C) National Programme for Old Aged
D) Rashtriya Vriddha Swasthya Yojana
E) None of these

16. In accordance with the Centre's policy to open more banks in rural areas, a target has been set to open at least one bank branch in each of the 72,000 villages in the country by?
A) 2012
B) 2013
C) 2014
D) 2015
E) None of these

17. The number of Padma Vibhushan Awardees this year is?
A) 13
B) 15
C) 16
D) 17
E) None

18. The Indian music director who was nominated for Oscar Award this year is?
A) AR Rehman
B) Bappi Lahiri
C) Gulzar
D) Chakri
E) None of these

19. An IPO is?
A) Initial price offered by a private limited company to its shareholders
B) An offer by an unlisted company for sale of its shares for the first time to the public
C) Used to increase the share capital of an unlisted company
D) A book building process
E) None of these

20. Private equity investors, invest in a company based mainly on?
A) The age of the company
B) The location of the company
C) The activity undertaken by the company
D) The creditability and the valuation of the company
E) The existing profitability of the company

21. Deuce is a term used in?
a) Polo
b) Lawn tennis
c) Badminton
d) Boxing
e) Volley ball
A) a, b, c
B) b, c, d
C) c, d, a
D) a, b, e
E) b, c, e

22. ISI is the intelligence agency of?
A) United Kingdom
B) USA
C) Israel
D) Pakistan
E) India

23. In broad gauge, the distance between the rails is?
A) 1·00 metre
B) 3 metre
C) 1·67 metre
D) 2·67 metre
E) 0·76 metre


24. CNBC and TV18 TV Channels essentially broadcast?
A) English News
B) Classic English Movies
C) Political Events and News
D) Business and Economic News
E) All important national and international news in English

25. According to a recent newspaper survey, which one of the following is the most preferred language for leisure reading among the Indian Youth ?
A) Hindi
B) Marathi
C) Bengali
D) Telugu
E) English

26. The RBI reviews its credit and monetary policy at regular inte-rvals and also in between. What is the purpose of the same?
1) To ensure that inflation does not cross the limit
2) To ensure that banks have enough liquidity
3) To ensure that cost of the fund does not reach a very high level
A) Only 1
B) only 2
C) All, 1, 2 & 3
D) Only 2 and 3
E) None of these

27. The name of the white revolution is associated with?
A) J. V. Narlikar
B) J. C. Bose
C) Kurien Verghese
D) M. S. Swaminathan
E) C. Rangarajan

28. The cabinet committee recently approved the 'IGMSY' a scheme for the welfare of the people of India. Who amongst the following will get the benefit of the scheme?
A) Pregnant, lactating women and infants
B) Children upto 12 years of age
C) Youth
D) Old and Senior Citizens
E) All the above

29. The Govt. of India provides direct financial support to which of the following schemes?
A) Jeevan Bharati Scheme
B) ULIP
C) Sampoorna Grameen RozgarYojana
D) Packing Credit Guarantee Scheme
E) All of the above

30. Who amongst the following is the author of the Book 'A Bend in the River' ?
A) V S. Naipaul
B) Arun Shourie
C) Octavia paz
D) Daniel Defoe
E) Walter Scott

31. Government recently set up a Ta-sk Force to plug fund wastage? The task force is headed by?
A) Justice Sri Krishna
B) Nandan Nilekani
C) C. Rangrajan
D) Dr. Bimal Jalan
E) None of these

32. Which of the following countries recently decided to continue £ 28 million annual aid to India ?
A) U.S.A.
B) U.K.
C) The Netherlands
D) France
E) None of these

33. India in February 2011 signed Free Trade Agreement with?
A) Japan
B) Indonesia
C) South Korea
D) Australia
E) None of these

34. India has signed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with?
A) Indonesia
B) Vietnam
C) Malaysia
D) Saudi Arabia
E) None of these

35. Energy Giant BP PIC is a companyof?
A) UK
B) USA
C) UAE
D) Sudan
E) None of these

36. Jhalanath Khanal has been sworn in as the Prime Minister of?
A) Bhutan
B) Sri Lanka
C) Nepal
D) India
E) None of these

37. Who among the following has been honoured with the Fakhru-ddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration 2008 ?
A) M. J. Akbar
B)Swami Agnivesh
C) Javed Akhtar
D) Digvijay Singh
E) None

Answers

1) C 2) D 3) B 4) A 5) C 6) B 7) E 8) D 9) D 10) C 11) D 12) C
13) D 14) B 15) A 16) A 17) A 18) A 19) B 20) E
21) E 22) D 23) C 24) D 25) E 26) C 27) C 28) A 29) C 30) A
31) B 32) B 33) A 34) C 35) A 36 ) C 37) B

Corporation Bank Probationary Officers Exam., 2009

General Awareness on Socio-Economic Developments
(Exam Held on 22-11-2009)

1. Which of the following is/are the highlights of the Union Budget 2009-10 ? The Finance Minister promised
1. To bring fiscal deficit under control, institutional reforms will be initiated during the year.
2. Banks and insurance companies will remain in public sector and government will provide full support to these institutions to remain competitive by capital infusion, wherever necessary.
3. Banks will be allowed to set up offsite ATMs without prior approval from the RBI.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

2. As per the reports published in various newspapers/magazines and journals, the year 2008 was an important milestone in the evaluation of human settlements. For the first time in the human history, the population living in urban areas exceeded that in rural areas. What is India’s position in this regard ?
1. India is a relatively less urbanized country with only 30% of its total population living in cities.
2. The size of its urban population is the second largest in the world.
3. India has more than 100 biggest cities in the world.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 2
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

3. According to Dr. Mohammad Yunus, the Nobel prize winner Economist, a particular type of financing undertaken by the banks, has created a miraculous situation where every year about 5 per cent clients of the Grameen Banks come out of their poverty and join the main stream of the socio economic development in poor/developing countries. This financing activity of the banks in known as—
(A) Trade Finance
(B) Micro Credit
(C) Export finance
(D) All of these
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

4. As per the reports published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the developing economies across the world are holding a massive stockpile of foreign exchange reserves. Which of the following is/are the resultant consequences of this type of stockpilings by various nations ?
1. A trade imbalance (vast difference in value of imports/exports) is generated between the developing and emerging economies and the rich countries. It is not a healthy sign.
2. Many economists are of the opinion that these imbalances created the underpinning of the current global economic crisis.
3. This stockpiling is responsible not only for problems in trade balances but has also created a problem of money laundering.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

5. Which of the following is/are true about the Railway Budget 2009-10 ?
1. Railway tickets to be made available through post offices and mobile vans.
2. Long distance trains will have on-board doctor and infotainment services.
3. Tatkal scheme of booking is modified. Instead of booking tickets under the scheme five days in advance, it can now be done only two days in advance.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

6. The Govt. of India has set up a special group to devise a long term pricing formula, so that it can cope up with the prevailing global volatility in the prices of which of the following commodities ?
(A) Sugar
(B) Paddy
(C) Crude oil and Petroleum
(D) Gold
(E) Pulses
Ans : (C)

7. Which of the following is not included in the core sectors of Indian economy ?
(A) Transport
(B) Coal
(C) Steel
(D) Cement
(E) Electricity
Ans : (A)

8. As we all know India has a threetier structure of tax administration. There are taxes levied by Central Govt., State Govts. and Local Govts. Which of the following taxes is levied by the Local Government Bodies ?
(A) Value Added Tax
(B) Stamp Duty
(C) Service Tax
(D) Land Revenue
(E) Tax on water supply and drainage etc.
Ans : (E)

9. What was the amount sanctioned by the Govt. of India during 2008-09 for providing drinking water to rural parts of India ?
(A) Rs. 30,000 crore
(B) Rs. 40,000 crore
(C) Rs. 53,000 crore
(D) Rs. 60,000 crore
(E) Rs. 73,000 crore
Ans : (E)

10. The Reserve Bank of India has reconstituted the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on monetary policy with effect from 1st July 2009. Who is the Chairperson of the same ?
(A) D. Subbarao
(B) K. C. Chakrabarty
(C) Shyamala Gopinath
(D) Usha Thorat
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

11. Which of the following statements about the ‘State of Indian Economy, during 2008-09 is/are true ?
1. The growth of real GDP during 2008-09 was recorded at 6•7%, compared to 9% during 2007-08.
2. The fiscal deficit was the greatest cause of concern as it exceeded the budget estimates and stood at 13%.
3. Forex reserves were at a very comfortable position as India got a lot of FDIs and FIIs during the year. However, 60% of the reserves were deployed to manage oil and petroleum imports and subsidies on all such products.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

12. Many times we see a term ‘PPP in financial newspapers. One full form of it is ‘Private Public Partnership’. What is another version of the same also used in the financial world ?
(A) Perfect, Preferred and Protected
(B) Point to Point Protocol
(C) Power Point Presentation
(D) Purchasing Power Parity
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

13. As per the announcement made recently, the Govt. of India is going to launch a National Mission for which of the following in near future ?
(A) National Mission for Female Literacy
(B) National Mission for Abolishing Child Labour
(C) National Mission for Computer Literacy
(D) National Mission for protecting the Rights of Physically Challenged
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

14. Which of the following is one of the most successful programmes under Bharat Nirman ?
(A) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(B) Watershed Development Scheme
(C) Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
(D) Indira Awas Yojana
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

15. As we all know ‘Mobile Banking’ is comparatively a new mode of banking all over the world, what is its status in India ?
1. The willingness to conduct banking through mobile devices is higher in India.
2. About 4% of total m -commerce transactions have taken place in the first few months of the current fiscal year in India.
3. Since RBI’s permission is needed for offering mobile banking, only two private banks are providing this service at present.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

16. Which of the following is/are true about the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) to be launched soon ?
1. The scheme will be launched in one village of each district in U.P., Bihar and Rajasthan as a pilot project.
2. The scheme is only for villages where the 50 per cent population is of Scheduled Castes.
3. An amount of Rs. 1,00,000 crore is provided for the scheme out of which 50% will come as grant-in-aid from the UNO.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

17. As per the recent announcement made by the Govt. of India, a special One Time Grant of Rs. 100 crore is given to which of the following organizations ?
(A) Administrative Staff College of India (Hyderabad)
(B) Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai)
(C) International Institute for Population Sciences (Mumbai)
(D) Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi)
(E) Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (Dehradun)
Ans : (E)

18. Many times we hear about the ‘Banking Ombudsman’. What is/are the major roles of same ?
1. Banking Ombudsman is a quasi judicial authority having powers to summon, the banks and the customers both in case of dispute.
2. The Banking Ombudsman are appointed by the President of India and are retired judges of the High or Supreme Courts.
3. The decisions/judgements given by the Banking Ombudsman cannot be taken to any court of justice as their decisions are last in case of bank related problems/disputes.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

19. Who amongst the following is the Union Home Minister at present ?
(A) Kapil Sibbal
(B) Sharad Pawar
(C) P. Chidambaram
(D) Murli Deora
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

20. Which of the following is NOT prescribed/recommended by the Economic Survey 2008-09 presented to the Lok Sabha recently ?
(A) Allow 49% FDI in defence and insurance sectors
(B) Decontrol diesel and petroleum prices
(C) Increase exemption limit on personal income tax upto Rs. 5,00,000
(D) List all unlisted PSUs and sell a minimum 10% equity to public
(E) Decontrol sugar and fertilizer
Ans : (C)

21. The Reliance Power (R-Power) is working on four Hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh which are ‘Run-of-River’ (R-O-R) type of projects. What is the main characteristic of ROR projects ?
(A) These projects are developed only in hilly areas. They can’t be developed on plains
(B) In these projects there is no need of storing the water in dams which is very costly
(C) In ROR projects the only requirement is to make a big reservoir and turn the flow of river in the direction in which we need it
(D) ROR projects are three to four times costlier as compared to old patterned dam type of projects
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

22. Which of the following countries is planning to launch its first Mars probe in near future ?
(A) China
(B) Japan
(C) India
(D) Russia
(E) USA
Ans : (A)

23. India recently inducted Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) platforms in its Airforce. These sophisticated machines are supplied by which of the following countries ?
(A) Australia
(B) Germany
(C) Israel
(D) France
(E) Russia
Ans : (E)

24. Dr. Manmohan Singh is the member of the Parliament from which of the following constituencies ?
(A) New Delhi (South)
(B) Amritsar
(C) Lucknow
(D) Medak
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

25. Which of the following pairs of countries are the signatories of a Gas pipeline Deal christened as Peace Pipeline ?
(A) Iran – Iraq
(B) Iraq – UAE
(C) Kuwait – Iran
(D) Pakistan – Iran
(E) Pakistan – India
Ans : (D)

26. Which of the following countries is at the top of the ‘World Green Index’ compiled by the America’s ‘National Geographic Society’ and also through an international polling from ‘Global Scan’ ?
(A) South Africa
(B) USA
(C) China
(D) India
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

27. As we all know G-20 has set up a working group to find out the reasons of the recent economic crisis and global slowdown.
What according to the reports of the working group was/were the main reasons of the crisis and slowdown ?
1. Allowing cheap iquidity and sub-prime lending
2. Poor credit appraisals and securitisation
3. Excessive dependence on credit ratings
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

28. Which of the oil rich gulf countries elected its first women parliamentarians when four women were declared elected in its recently held elections ?
(A) Iran
(B) UAE
(C) Kuwait
(D) Iraq
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

29. ‘Mardeka Cup’ is associated with game of—
(A) Hockey
(B) Golf
(C) Football
(D) Badminton
(E) Lawn Tennis
Ans : (C)

30. Which of the following state govts. decided to have a ‘Mahila Court’ in every district of the state ?
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) Karnataka
(D) Delhi
(E) Uttar Pradesh
Ans : (B)

31. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘Faith and Compassion’ ?
(A) Arun Gandhi
(B) Kuldeep Nayyar
(C) Amit Chaudhury
(D) Navin Chawla
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

32. Which of the following countries has developed ‘sajjil-2’ missiles, which were test fired recently ?
(A) Pakistan
(B) Iran
(C) North Korea
(D) India
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

33. The first Republic Day of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was celebrated on which of the following days ?
(A) 16th August 2009
(B) 29th June 2009
(C) 16th July 2009
(D) 29th May 2009
(E) 20th May 2009
Ans : (E)

34. Pankaj Advani has become the world’s professional champion player of—
(A) Badminton
(B) Tennis
(C) Golf
(D) Chess
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

35. We hear a term ‘Carbon Foot Print’ these days very frequently. What does it indicate ?
1. The amount of carbondioxide released in the atmosphere ever day by an electronic gadget/organization or even by an individual.
2. The quantity of CO2 released when one ton of air recycled by an Air conditioner, during every hour of its functioning.
3. The quantity of all green house gases put together required to maintain the temperature of the environment at a fixed level of 30C at nodal points in a country.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

36. The letter ‘D’ stands for which of the following in the abbreviated name OECD ?
Organisation of Economic Cooperation and……
(A) Defence
(B) Direction
(C) Dominance
(D) Development
(E) Devaluation
Ans : (D)

37. The ‘8th Annual Asian Security Summit’ was organized in which of the following places in May 2009 ?
(A) Seoul
(B) Yangon
(C) Singapore
(D) Kathmandu
(E) New Delhi
Ans : (C)

38. Which of the following countries is the host of FIFA World Cup 2010 ?
(A) Italy
(B) France
(C) Brazil
(D) Germany
(E) South Africa
Ans : (E)

39. Late Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy was from which of the following political parties ?
(A) Telugu Desham
(B) Bharatiya Janta Party
(C) DMK
(D) Samajwadi Party
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

40. Who amongst the following won Women’s singles Title of ‘Spanish Open Badminton-2009’ the final for which was played at Madrid in May 2009 ?
(A) Sayali Gokhale
(B) Lianne Tan
(C) Nathalie Descamps
(D) Jill Pittard
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

41. Which of the following is the Bank Rate at present ?
(A) 3%
(B) 5%
(C) 6%
(D) 7%
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

42. P. Mangesh Chandran whose name was in news recently is a famous —
(A) Chess player
(B) Playback singer
(C) Cine actor
(D) Author
(E) Journalist
Ans : (A)

43. Which of the following teams won the Champions League Football 2009, the final of which was played in Rome in May 2009 ?
(A) Manchester United
(B) Barcelona
(C) Everton
(D) Chelsea
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

44. Which of the following states is holding a unique summit on Tigers at global level ?
(A) West Bengal
(B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Rajasthan
(E) Chhattisgarh
Ans : (D)

45. Which of the following books is NOT written by Daris Lessing ?
(A) The Golden Note book
(B) Memoirs of a survivor
(C) The city of joy
(D) The summer before the Dark
(E) The fifth child
Ans : (C)

46. Which of the following is Statutory Liquidity Ratio at present in India ?
(A) 16%
(B) 11%
(C) 6%
(D) 33%
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

47. Mr. Deep Joshi’s name was in news as he has been awarded—
(A) Pulitzer Prize
(B) Raman Magsaysay Award
(C) Man Booker Prize
(D) Jamunalal Bajaj Award
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

48. Bihar Sugarcane Amendment Bill (Regulation of Supply and purchase) 2007 will enable State Govt. to—
(A) Purchase sugarcane from the farmers and supply it to sugar factories directly at a predetermined price. This will save farmers from exploitation by the factories who do not pay them adequately and in time.
(B) Produce ethanol directly from sugarcane
(C) Force farmers to sell their entire production of sugarcane to sugar mills in cooperative sector only and not to private mills who are paying exorbitantly high price to the farmers. Cooperative mills are not getting enough supply to keep them alive
(D) Compel farmers to produce sugarcane in at last 30% of their land as Bihar is losing its major share in sugarcane production due to unwillingness of farmers to grow sugarcane. They wish to switch over to other high cost crops which give them good returns
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

49. Ms. Nirupama Rao has taken over as the new—
(A) Home Secretary of India
(B) Foreign Secretary of India
(C) Cabinet Secretary of India
(D) Attorney General of India
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

50. Who amongst the following is adjudged as the CEO of the year 2009 by the ‘Global Supply Chain Leaders’ ?
(A) Mr. Lalit Modi
(B) Mr. Yash Birla
(C) Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla
(D) Ms. Indra Nooyi
(E) Mr. Ratan Tata
Ans : (D)

Bank of Baroda Agriculture Officers Exam., 2008

General Socio-Economic and Banking Awareness
(Held on 14-12-2008)

1. As per the news published in various newspapers/magazines the UN Secretary General has asked nations to take special steps to reduce global food crisis. What suggestions he has given to overcome the problem of food crisis ?
1. Increase productivity limit of small holdings.
2. Invest more in agricultural development research and technology transfer.
3. Increase private sector investment and public funding in the field.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

2. As per the news published in various financial newspapers/magazines the Govt. of India is planning to release inflation figures based on revised Wholesale Price Index (WPI). The base year for the same will be—
(A) 2000-01
(B) 2002-03
(C) 2004-05
(D) 2005-06
(E) None of these

3. J. P. Morgan has taken over the major stake of the banking operations business of which of the following US based banks recently ?
(A) Bank of America
(B) Washington Mutual Inc.
(C) Lehman Brothers
(D) Wachovia Corporation
(E) None of these

4. “India to depend on edible oil imports for 3-4 years”–was the news in a leading financial newspaper recently. What at present is the total demand of edible oil through import in India per annum approximately ?
(A) 4 mts.
(B) 8 mts.
(C) 10 mts.
(D) 13 mts.
(E) 20 mts.

5. The Govt. of India has decided to hike the support price of Agri. Crops particularly food crops.
Why has Govt. taken this decision ?
1. To help farmers in getting good value of their products.
2. To encourage cultivation of food crops in place of sugarcane etc. which needs more water input.
3. Govt. wishes that farmers should not export their products as it will create a shortage in local markets.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2 only
(E) None of these

6. As per the news published in various newspapers the Govt. of India has asked various banks to give their support to the implementation of the “National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)”. How can banks give their support for the same ?
1. By opening hassle-free savings bank account of the beneficiaries.
2. By providing job opportunities to the residents of rural areas who are willing to work in banks.
3. By providing financial support to various schemes/projects taken up under the NREGA.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

7. As per the news published in all major financial newspapers/magazines the US Govt. had proposed a bailout package, which they thought, was able to stabilize the faltering US financial system. What was the volume of the bailout package ?
(A) $ 100 billion
(B) $ 250 billion
(C) $ 500 billion
(D) $ 700 billion
(E) None of these

8. Govt. of India is paying much attention on sustainable growth these days. Which of the following projects/schemes can be called as step(s) towards sustainable growth ?
1. e-choupal initiative designed to enhance farm productivity and provide market linkages to the farmers.
2. Social forestry which provide cumulative employment to various people across forestry based industries.
3. Renewable energy.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2 only
(E) Both 2 and 3 only

9. Which of the following is grown in the cold climate of Kashmir ?
(A) Coconut
(B) Palm
(C) Saffron
(D) Jute
(E) All of these

10. Which of the following was India’s rank in ‘Global Hunger Index for 2007’ ?
(A) 118th
(B) 101st
(C) 96th
(D) 90th
(E) 50th

11. Which of the following banks has taken over the Centurion Bank of Punjab recently ?
(A) IDBI Bank
(B) ICICI Bank
(C) HDFC Bank
(D) Axis Bank
(E) None of these

12. Which of the following organizations conduct programmes for educational vocational and occupational development of socio-economically backward and disadvantaged people in rural and urban areas in India ?
(A) Navodaya Vidyalayas
(B) Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
(C) Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas
(D) Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs)
(E) None of these

13. Very often we hear about Financial Inclusion these days. What is financial inclusion ?
[Pick up the correct statement(s)]
1. Providing access to financial services (banking/insurance) etc. to the weaker sections of the society.
2. Adequate and timely credit to vulnerable groups at an affordable cost.
3. To ensure that atleast 33% of the general budget of each department/ministry goes of the schemes/plans weaker sections of the society.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2 only
(E) All 1, 2 and 3 only

14. Which of the following is not a social sector programme ?
(A) Mid Day Meal Scheme
(B) Look East Policy
(C) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(D) Kutir Jyoti
(E) Development of Women and Children in Rural Area

15. India recently signed four agreements for economic cooperation, which will enhance the border trade between the two nations (which is almost nil at present).
The name of this country is—
(A) Myanmar
(B) China
(C) Sri Lanka
(D) Bangladesh
(E) Nepal

16. The 11th Five Year plan aims at a growth rate at which of the following levels ?
(A) 8%
(B) 9%
(C) 9•5%
(D) 10%
(E) 11%

17. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘A Golden Age’ which was in news recently ?
(A) Taslima Nasrin
(B) Anita Desai
(C) Salman Rushdie
(D) Kiran Desai
(E) Tahmina Anam

18. As reported in some of the newspapers/magazines the Minister talk in Geneva (WTO) held in July, 2008 was not successful. One of the reasons for the same was that India did not reach on an agreement on several issues with—
(A) China
(B) Brazil
(C) Pakistan
(D) USA
(E) Italy

19. Which of the following is not an employment generating programme of the Govt. of India ?
(A) NREGA
(B) SGRY
(C) SGSY
(D) TRYSEM
(E) DPAP

20. Which of the following groups represents the two types of Inflation ?
(A) Cost push Inflation-Demand pull Inflation
(B) Real Inflation-Artificial Inflation
(C) Total Inflation-Partial Inflation
(D) Wholesale price Inflation-Purchasing power parity Inflation
(E) None of these

21. Many surveys done in the last few years by various Govt. agencies have reported an increase in the Rural Unemployment. What are the major causes of increase in rural unemployment ?
1. Old methods of agriculture
2. Dependence on monsoon for agricultural activities
3. Sharp increase in rural population
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2 only
(D) Only 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3 only

22. Which of the following is not a plantation crop ?
(A) Coconut
(B) Potato
(C) Oil Palm
(D) Cashew
(E) Rubber

23. Which of the following terms is used in Rifle Shooting ?
(A) Bull’s eye
(B) Smash
(C) Stroke
(D) Trump
(E) Punch

24. In our rural areas people are engaged in many allied agricultural activities. Which of the following cannot be considered one such activity ?
(A) Fisheries
(B) Dairy farming
(C) Sheep Breeding
(D) Poultry farming
(E) Carpet Weaving

25. Ram Baran Yadav has taken over as the—
(A) President of Nepal
(B) Prime Minister of Nepal
(C) Governor of Assam
(D) Governor of Manipur
(E) Governor of Kerala

26. Which programme was launched to provide housing to rural people ?
(A) Indira Awas Yojana
(B) Slum Development Yojana
(C) Adarsh Basti Programme
(D) Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana
(E) None of these

27. Which of the following is not a part of Bulk Imports in our country ?
(A) Fertilizers
(B) Iron & steel
(C) Handicrafts
(D) Edible Oil
(E) Non-ferrous metals

28. Which of the following will be considered as an advance to Priority Sector by the banks ?
(A) Credit to farmers for agricultural purposes
(B) Loan to a group of doctors to establish a hospital in city
(C) Loan to a sick mill owner
(D) Loans given to purchase houses in posh colonies
(E) None of these

29. Which of the following is not a part of the 20 Point Programme adopted by the Govt. of India in 2006 ?
(A) Garibi Hatao
(B) Sabke Liye Apna Ghar/Apni car
(C) Janshakti
(D) Jan-Jan Ka Swasthya
(E) None of these

30. India recently decided to hike the ‘Development Assistance’ to which of the following war torn countries by US $ 450 million ?
(A) Nepal
(B) Myanmar
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Pakistan
(E) None of these

31. The 15th SAARC Summit was organized in August, 2008 in—
(A) India
(B) Pakistan
(C) Nepal
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) Bangladesh

32. Which of the following schemes is NOT launched to provide any type of employment to beneficiaries ?
(A) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(B) Mid Day Meal Scheme
(C) National Food for Work Programme
(D) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(E) All are employment generating schemes

33. The theme of which of the following Summit was Meeting Global Challenges Through Innovative Cooperation” ?
(A) G-8 Summit
(B) SAARC
(C) NATO
(D) European Union
(E) Summit of Eight Islamic Developing Countries

34. The beneficiaries of which of the folllowing schemes are now covered under ‘Janshree Bima Yojana’ ?
(A) NREGA
(B) Old Age Pension Scheme
(C) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(D) Swarna Jayanti Gram Rozgar Yojana
(E) All of the above

35. Service Sector in India is about what percentage of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ?
(A) 30%
(B) 40%
(C) 54%
(D) 48%
(E) 64%

36. Who amongst the following won the “India Open Grand Prix Badminton Championship” held in April, 2008 ?
(A) Thailand
(B) India
(C) England
(D) China
(E) None of these

37. Who was given “Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award” for 2007 recently ?
(A) Abhinav Bindra
(B) Sania Mirza
(C) Sachin Tendulkar
(D) M. S. Dhoni
(E) Vishwanathan Anand

38. Right to Education Bill envisages to provide free education to the children of the age group of—
(A) Upto 2½ years
(B) Upto 3 years
(C) Upto 5 years
(D) Upto 6 years
(E) Upto 6-14 years

39. The 34th National Game (in 2009) will be organized in—
(A) Goa
(B) Maharashtra
(C) West Bengal
(D) Punjab
(E) Jharkhand

40. The “Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008” report was prepared by World Health Organization recently. Which of the following countries, as given in the report, has maximum number of smokers in the world ?
(A) India
(B) China
(C) United Kingdom
(D) USA
(E) None of these

41. Silvio Berlusconi whose name was in news recently is the—
(A) President of Italy
(B) Prime Minister of Italy
(C) President of Germany
(D) Prime Minister of France
(E) None of these

42. Who amongst the following crossed 5000 runs milestone in test cricket recently ?
(A) Irfaan Pathan
(B) Harbhajan Singh
(C) Anil Kumble
(D) M. S. Dhoni
(E) Virendra Sehwag

43. National Judicial Council is headed by whom amongst the following ?
(A) Chief Justice of India
(B) President of India
(C) Vice President of India
(D) Speaker of the Lok Sabha
(E) Union Law Minister

44. Who amongst the following won the ‘Best Booker Prize’ given away recently ?
(A) Anita Desai
(B) Shobha De
(C) Kiran Desai
(D) Vikram Seth
(E) Salman Rushdie

45. The Association of China, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa is knows as—
(A) G-8
(B) G-15
(C) G-4
(D) O-5
(E) BRIC

46. Who amongst the following has taken over as the Chairman of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) ?
(A) Anupam Kher
(B) Om Puri
(C) Amir Khan
(D) Javed Akhtar
(E) None of these

47. The US Open Mixed Doubles 2008 was won by the pair of—
(A) Roger Federer-Serena Williams
(B) Leander Paes-Serena Williams
(C) Sania Mirza-Leander Paes
(D) Cara Black-Leander Paes
(E) Cara Black-Mahesh Bhupati

48. Dayana Mendoza who was adjudged Miss Universe 2008 is a citizen of—
(A) Britain
(B) China
(C) Russia
(D) Venezuela
(E) India

49. Who amongst the following was honoured by “Best Parliamentarian of the Year Award” ?
(A) Sushma Swaraj
(B) Rahul Gandhi
(C) Priyaranjan Dasmunsi
(D) Kamal Nath
(E) None of these

50. Who amongst the following was given Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace 2008 ?
(A) Amartya Sen
(B) Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda
(C) Sonia Gandhi
(D) L. K. Advani
(E) Nelson Mandela

Answers :
1. (D) 2. (E) 3. (B) 4. (A) 5. (D) 6. (B) 7. (D) 8. (D) 9. (C) 10. (C)
11. (C) 12. (B) 13. (D) 14. (A) 15. (A) 16. (B) 17. (E) 18. (D) 19. (E) 20. (A)
21. (D) 22. (B) 23. (A) 24. (E) 25. (A) 26. (A) 27. (C) 28. (A) 29. (B) 30. (C)
31. (D) 32. (B) 33. (A) 34. (B) 35. (C) 36. (B) 37. (D) 38. (E) 39. (E) 40. (B)
41. (B) 42. (E) 43. (A) 44. (E) 45. (D) 46. (B) 47. (D) 48. (D) 49. (C) 50. (E)

GENERAL AWARENESS (SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS) MCQs

1. A customer can approach banking ombudsman if he does not get satisfactory response to his grievance from the bank within how many days?
A) 5
B) 20
C) 30
D) 40
E) None

2. National Civil Services Day in India is observed on-
A) April 23
B) April 24
C) April 18
D) April 21
E) None

3. CAG was in the news recently due to 2G spectrum scam. It stands for
A) Commissioner and Auditor General
B) Comptroller and Auditor General
C) Chief Auditor General
D) Chairman and Auditor General
E) None of these

4. FPO stands for?
A) Follow-on public offer
B) First public offer
C) Free public offer
D) Frequent public offer
E) None of these

5. The structure of Basel II is based on how many pillars?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
E) None of these

6. The Monetary and Credit Policy is reviewed by RBI after a gap of
A) One month
B) Three months
C) Six months
D) One year
E) None of these


7. Hosni Mubarak is associated with which country?
A) Tunisia
B) Sudan
C) Libya
D) Syria
E) Egypt

8. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBl)?
A) NK Sinha
B) Sushma Seth
C) Darshan Mehta
D) UK Sinha
E) None of these

9. Who has been appointed as the head of the reconstituted National Security Advisory Board (NSAB)?
A) Shyam Saran
B) Anil Kakodkar
C) C Rajamohan
D) Naresh Chandra
E) None of these

10. What is India's position current FIFA rankings?
A) 120th
B) 132nd
C) 144th
D) 150th
E) None of these

11. What percentage of its total crude oil is imported by India?
A) 40%
B) 50%
C) 60%
D) 80%
E) None of these

12. In Global Gender Gap Report, India has been ranked at?
A) 97th
B) 107th
C) 112th
D) 122nd
E) None of these

13. At present, what is RBI's share in NABARD equity?
A) 100%
B) 74%
C) 51%
D) 1%
E) None of these

14. Who has been appointed as the first chief of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?
A) Dhanendra Kumar
B) Lokeshwar Singh
C) SushmaNath
D) Sam Pitroda
E) None of these

15. India has finally woken up to the needs of the country's elderly. With the number of people in the 60-plus age group in India expected to increase to 100 million in 2013 and to 198 million in 2030, the health minister is all set to roll out the?
A) National Programme for Health care for the Elderly
B) National Programme for Senior Citizens
C) National Programme for Old Aged
D) Rashtriya Vriddha Swasthya Yojana
E) None of these

16. In accordance with the Centre's policy to open more banks in rural areas, a target has been set to open at least one bank branch in each of the 72,000 villages in the country by?
A) 2012
B) 2013
C) 2014
D) 2015
E) None of these

17. The number of Padma Vibhushan Awardees this year is?
A) 13
B) 15
C) 16
D) 17
E) None

18. The Indian music director who was nominated for Oscar Award this year is?
A) AR Rehman
B) Bappi Lahiri
C) Gulzar
D) Chakri
E) None of these

19. An IPO is?
A) Initial price offered by a private limited company to its shareholders
B) An offer by an unlisted company for sale of its shares for the first time to the public
C) Used to increase the share capital of an unlisted company
D) A book building process
E) None of these

20. Private equity investors, invest in a company based mainly on?
A) The age of the company
B) The location of the company
C) The activity undertaken by the company
D) The creditability and the valuation of the company
E) The existing profitability of the company

21. Deuce is a term used in?
a) Polo
b) Lawn tennis
c) Badminton
d) Boxing
e) Volley ball
A) a, b, c
B) b, c, d
C) c, d, a
D) a, b, e
E) b, c, e

22. ISI is the intelligence agency of?
A) United Kingdom
B) USA
C) Israel
D) Pakistan
E) India

23. In broad gauge, the distance between the rails is?
A) 1·00 metre
B) 3 metre
C) 1·67 metre
D) 2·67 metre
E) 0·76 metre


24. CNBC and TV18 TV Channels essentially broadcast?
A) English News
B) Classic English Movies
C) Political Events and News
D) Business and Economic News
E) All important national and international news in English

25. According to a recent newspaper survey, which one of the following is the most preferred language for leisure reading among the Indian Youth ?
A) Hindi
B) Marathi
C) Bengali
D) Telugu
E) English

26. The RBI reviews its credit and monetary policy at regular inte-rvals and also in between. What is the purpose of the same?
1) To ensure that inflation does not cross the limit
2) To ensure that banks have enough liquidity
3) To ensure that cost of the fund does not reach a very high level
A) Only 1
B) only 2
C) All, 1, 2 & 3
D) Only 2 and 3
E) None of these

27. The name of the white revolution is associated with?
A) J. V. Narlikar
B) J. C. Bose
C) Kurien Verghese
D) M. S. Swaminathan
E) C. Rangarajan

28. The cabinet committee recently approved the 'IGMSY' a scheme for the welfare of the people of India. Who amongst the following will get the benefit of the scheme?
A) Pregnant, lactating women and infants
B) Children upto 12 years of age
C) Youth
D) Old and Senior Citizens
E) All the above

29. The Govt. of India provides direct financial support to which of the following schemes?
A) Jeevan Bharati Scheme
B) ULIP
C) Sampoorna Grameen RozgarYojana
D) Packing Credit Guarantee Scheme
E) All of the above

30. Who amongst the following is the author of the Book 'A Bend in the River' ?
A) V S. Naipaul
B) Arun Shourie
C) Octavia paz
D) Daniel Defoe
E) Walter Scott

31. Government recently set up a Ta-sk Force to plug fund wastage? The task force is headed by?
A) Justice Sri Krishna
B) Nandan Nilekani
C) C. Rangrajan
D) Dr. Bimal Jalan
E) None of these

32. Which of the following countries recently decided to continue £ 28 million annual aid to India ?
A) U.S.A.
B) U.K.
C) The Netherlands
D) France
E) None of these

33. India in February 2011 signed Free Trade Agreement with?
A) Japan
B) Indonesia
C) South Korea
D) Australia
E) None of these

34. India has signed Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with?
A) Indonesia
B) Vietnam
C) Malaysia
D) Saudi Arabia
E) None of these

35. Energy Giant BP PIC is a companyof?
A) UK
B) USA
C) UAE
D) Sudan
E) None of these

36. Jhalanath Khanal has been sworn in as the Prime Minister of?
A) Bhutan
B) Sri Lanka
C) Nepal
D) India
E) None of these

37. Who among the following has been honoured with the Fakhru-ddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration 2008 ?
A) M. J. Akbar
B)Swami Agnivesh
C) Javed Akhtar
D) Digvijay Singh
E) None

Answers

1) C 2) D 3) B 4) A 5) C 6) B 7) E 8) D 9) D 10) C 11) D 12) C
13) D 14) B 15) A 16) A 17) A 18) A 19) B 20) E
21) E 22) D 23) C 24) D 25) E 26) C 27) C 28) A 29) C 30) A
31) B 32) B 33) A 34) C 35) A 36 ) C 37) B

Corporation Bank Probationary Officers Exam

General Awareness on Socio-Economic Developments 

(Exam Held on 29-5-2011) 

1. Micro credit or micro finance is a novel approach to banking with the poor. In this approach bank credit is extended to the poor through—
(A) Self Help Groups
(B) Anganwadees
(C) Cooperative Credit Societies
(D) RBI
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

2. TRAI regulates the functioning of which of the following ser-vices ?
(A) Port
(B) Trade
(C) Telecom
(D) Transport
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

3. Many times we read about ‘Hawala’ transactions in newspapers. Hawala in India is prohibited under the provision of which of the following Acts ?
(A) Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act
(B) Banking Regulation Act
(C) Financial action Task Force Act
(D) Foreign Exchange Management Act
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)


4. Which of the following is the popular name of the norms by which bank satisfy itself about the customers identity and motivation ?
(A) Basel norms
(B) KYC norms
(C) Service norms
(D) Lending norms
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

5. Mutual funds are regulated by—
(A) Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI)
(B) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
(C) Reserve Bank of India
(D) IRDA
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

6. Bancassurance is—
(A) an insurance scheme to insure bank deposits
(B) an insurance scheme exclusively for the employees of banks
(C) a composite financial service offering both bank and insurance products
(D) a bank deposit scheme exclusively for employees of insurance companies
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

7. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is aimed at the education of which of the following ?
(A) Education of children between 6–14 years
(B) Education of girls up to graduation level
(C) College education
(D) Adult education
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

8. Jnanpith Award is given for excellence in the field of—
(A) Social service
(B) Sports
(C) Classical dance
(D) Music
(E) Literature
Ans : (E)

9. Which of the following bills presented in the Parliament will bring some changes in existing tax regime ?
(A) Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill
(B) Foreign Exchange Management Regulatory Bill
(C) Companies Act Bill
(D) Salaries and Perks for MPs Bill
(E) Finance Bill 2010-11
Ans : (A)

10. The full form of PIN in a ATM card is—
(A) Permanent Information Number
(B) Personal Identification Number
(C) Professional Identification Number
(D) Permanent Identification Number
(E) Personal Index Number
Ans : (B)

11. Which of the following is not the function of RBI ?
(A) Maintaining Forex
(B) Decides Bank rate, CRR and SLR from time to time
(C) Opening Savings Accounts for general public
(D) Prescribes the Capital Adequacy Ratio
(E) Currency Management
Ans : (C)

12. Obligation of a Banker to maintain secrecy is applicable to—
(A) only in case of existing deposit accounts
(B) only in respect existing loan accounts
(C) only in case of closed accounts
(D) all types of deposit/loan accounts (existing/closed)
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

13. Banks today in addition to normal banking services offer which of the following services ?
(A) Internet banking
(B) Depository services
(C) Financial counseling services
(D) Only (A) and (B) above
(E) All (A), (B) and (C) above
Ans : (E)

14. Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a resident of—
(A) India
(B) Pakistan
(C) Bangladesh
(D) U.S.A.
(E) U.K.
Ans : (C)

15. Which among the following cannot be called an anti inflationary measure ?
(A) Raising the bank rates
(B) Raising the reserve ratio requirements
(C) Purchase of securities in the open markets
(D) Rationing of the credit
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

16. Which among the following is the major marine food export item of India ?
(A) Frozen fish
(B) Frozen shrimp
(C) Frozen crabs
(D) Cephalopods
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

17. In context with the business and banking, what is CRAR ?
(A) Capital to risk asset ratio
(B) Credit to risk asset ratio
(C) Credit to risk assessment ratio
(D) Capital to risk assessment rate
(E) Credit rate assessment ratio
Ans : (A)

18. The monetary authority in India viz. reserve bank of India is bound to maintain a reserve against the note issue whatever may be the amount. This system is called as—
(A) Minimum reserve system
(B) Proportional reserve system
(C) Maximum fiduciary issue system
(D) Simple deposit system
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

19. Consider the following—
1. Bank rate policy
2. Open market operations
3. Devaluation of rupee.
Which among the above are called fiscal measures ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 2 both
(C) 1 and 3 both
(D) 3 only
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

20. Which among the following is the most abundant human resource in India ?
(A) High skilled labour in organized sector
(B) High skilled labour in unorganized sector
(C) Low skilled labour in organized sector
(D) Low skilled labour in unorganized sector
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

21. What is the maximum amount per withdrawal in a day that can be withdrawn by a customer by using ATM of other bank ?
(A) Rs. 1,000
(B) Rs. 3,000
(C) Rs. 5,000
(D) Rs. 10,000
(E) No such limit
Ans : (E)

22. Interest rates on which of the following deposit schemes is fixed by Reserve Bank of India ?
(A) Fixed deposit above 5 years maturity
(B) Recurring deposits
(C) Saving bank
(D) Flexi deposit scheme
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

23. Which of the following policies is known as annual policy statement ?
(A) Annual budget of Central Govt.
(B) Credit and monetary policy of RBI
(C) Foreign trade policy of DGFT
(D) Regulation issued by SEBI
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

24. Appropriate banking facilities are to be provided to habitations having population above 2000 people by—
(A) 2011
(B) 2012
(C) 2013
(D) 2014
(E) 2015
Ans : (B)

25. Govt. shareholding in public sector banks cannot be below—
(A) 33%
(B) 51%
(C) 74%
(D) 76%
(E) 100%
Ans : (B)

26. The Union Budget for 2011-12 proposed lowering of qualifying age for tax relief for senior citizens for 65 years to—
(A) 55 years
(B) 58 years
(C) 63 years
(D) 62 years
(E) 60 years
Ans : (E)

27. Government of India in March 2011 conferred the miniratna status on which of the following PSUs ?
(A) National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)
(B) Air India Charters Ltd.
(C) Cement Corporation of India
(D) HMT Machine Tools Ltd.
(E) Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
Ans : (A)

28. Noted social worker Anna Hazare started his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the reported delay in bringing in which of the following bills to effectively deal with corruption ?
(A) Central Vigilance Commission Bill
(B) The Competition (Amendment) Bill
(C) The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Bill
(D) The Appropriation (No. 3) Bill
(E) Lokpal Bill
Ans : (E)

29. As we all know Govt. of India collects tax revenue on various activities in the country. Which of the following is a part of the tax revenue of the Govt. ?
1. Tax on income
2. Tax on expenditure
3. Tax on property or capital asset
4. Tax on goods and services.
(A) Both 1 and 3 only
(B) Both 2 and 4 only
(C) All 1, 2, 3 and 4
(D) Only 2, 3 and 4
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

30. Sardar Sarovar dam is on which of the following rivers ?
(A) Ganga
(B) Jamuna
(C) Beas
(D) Narmada
(E) Ravi
Ans : (D)

31. As per the targets for 11th Five Year Plan, educated unemployment is to be reduced to which of the following levels ?
(A) 9%
(B) 6%
(C) 7%
(D) 8%
(E) 5%
Ans : (E)

32. Which of the following Acts was framed specially to deal more effectively with the problem of Non-performing assets in banking system ?
(A) Companies Act
(B) Banking Regulation Act
(C) Foreign Exchange Management Act
(D) Industrial Dispute Act
(E) SARFAESI Act
Ans : (E)

33. Very often we read in news-papers / magazines about ‘Sovereign Wealth Funds’. Which of the following is/are the correct description of the same ?
1. These are the funds or the reserves of a government of central bank of a country which are invested further to earn profitable returns
2. These are the funds, which were accumulated by some people over the years but were not put in active circulation as they retain them as Black Money for several years
3. The funds which are created to be used as relief funds or bailouts packages.
(A) Both 2 and 3 only
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

34. Credit rating—
(A) is used to rate the borrowers while giving advances
(B) is used to work out performance of the employees
(C) is used to calculate the number of excellent audit rated branches
(D) is not used in any bank
(E) is necessary before giving promotion to employees
Ans : (A)

35. Names of which of the following rates/ratios cannot be seen in financial newspapers ?
(A) Bank rate
(B) Repo rate
(C) Statutory liquidity ratio
(D) Cash reserve ratio
(E) Pulse rate
Ans : (E)

36. Invisible exports means export of—
(A) Perishable goods
(B) Prohibited goods
(C) Unrecorded goods
(D) Goods through smuggling
(E) Services
Ans : (E)

37. Ten rupee notes contain the signature of—
(A) Finance Secretary, GOI
(B) Chairman, State Bank of India
(C) Governor, Reserve Bank of India
(D) Finance Minister, GOI
(E) Prime Minister
Ans : (C)

38. In banking terminology NPA means—
(A) No promise account
(B) Non personal account
(C) Non performing asset
(D) Net performing asset
(E) New promising amblence
Ans : (C)

39. Who is the present RBI Governor ?
(A) Dr. Y. V. Reddy
(B) Dr. Ravi Mohan
(C) Dr. Smt. Usha Thorat
(D) Shri M. V. Nair
(E) Dr. D. Subbarao
Ans : (E)

40. The wheat based Nutrition programme is being implemented by which of the following Ministries/departments of the Govt. of India ?
(A) Ministry of Labour Welfare
(B) Department of Women and Child Development
(C) Department of Consumer Affairs
(D) Ministry of Agriculture
(E) Ministry of Planning
Ans : (B)

41. Which of the following is true about ‘Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana of the Govt. of India ?
1. Its objective is electrification of all unelectrified villages
2. It was launched to provide free electricity to the farmers during the harvesting season
3. Each family covered under the scheme is eligible to get one free connection for a period of five years.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (A)

42. ‘Mahila Samakhya Scheme’ is launched by the ministry of—
(A) Human Resource Development
(B) Social Welfare
(C) Rural Development
(D) Agriculture
(E) Youth Affairs & Sports
Ans : (A)

43. National Rural Health Mission was launched in the year—
(A) 1995
(B) 2000
(C) 2007
(D) 2010
(E) 2005
Ans : (E)

44. Which of the following schemes is launched for providing health services in rural areas ?
(A) Operation flood
(B) Look east
(C) SJSRY
(D) JNNURM
(E) ASHA
Ans : (E)

45. Which of the following schemes is launched for the school going children ?
(A) Lok Jumbish
(B) Mid Day Meal
(C) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(D) AYUSH
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

46. Eligibility age for pension under Indira Gandhi National old age pension scheme for Below Poverty Line beneficiaries is now reduced to—
(A) 65 years
(B) 60 years
(C) 58 years
(D) 62 years
(E) 55 years
Ans : (B)

47. Which of the following schemes is launched by the Govt. of India to provide/develop infrastructure in rural areas ?
(A) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(B) Financial Action Task Force
(C) Pradhan Mantri Shahari Rozgar Yojana
(D) Bharat Nirman
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

48. Govt. of India has launched special Green Revolution project for which of the following states/ group of states ?
(A) North-east states
(B) Bihar and Jharkhand
(C) West Bengal
(D) Tamil Nadu and Kerala
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

49. ‘Sugam’ is a scheme launched for—
(A) Small tax payers
(B) Pensioners getting old age pension
(C) Big Corporate House
(D) Getting all sorts of permission/clearances for small exporters
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

50. Govt. of India has created a special India Micro finance Equity Fund of Rs. 100 crores. The fund is maintained by—
(A) IDBI Bank
(B) RBI
(C) ECGC
(D) SIDBI
(E) NABARD
Ans : (D)