GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. On 16 June 2017, RBI released a notification amending the .....
1) Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2000
2) Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2001
3) Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2004
4) Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2010
5) Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006

2. Pecuniary jurisdiction of the Banking Ombudsman to pass an award has been doubled to ........
1) Rs.20 lakh 
2) Rs.10 lakh
3) Rs.2 lakh 
4) Rs.40 lakh 
5) Rs.30 lakh

3. As per the amended rules of Ombudsman scheme, the compensation not exceeding .......... can also be awarded by the Ombudsman to the complainant for loss of time, expenses incurred as also, harassment and mental anguish suffered by the complainant
1) Rs.1 lakh 
2) Rs.10 lakh 
3) Rs.5 lakh
4) Rs.2 lakh 
5) Rs.1.5 lakh

4. RBI on 16 June 2017, extended the scope of Ombudsman Scheme under which banks could be penalized for mis-selling third-party products like insurance and mutual funds via mobile or electronic banking. What is the aim of formulating Banking Ombudsman Scheme by RBI?
1) to promote the deposits in the unbanked areas as the part of Financial inclusion
2) to promote lending among the poor people, as they are depending on non-institutional sources
3) to redress the grievances or complaints arising out of the deficiency in the banking services
4) to universalize the discount of commercial bills issued by Commercial Banks
5) to incorporate the list of Scheduled banks in the RBI Act 1934

5. RBI introduced Banking Ombudsman Scheme as per Section 35 A of .....
1) Negotiable Instruments Act 1881
2) SARFAESI Act 2002
3) Banking Regulation Act 1949
4) FEMA, 1999 
5) RBI ACT, 1934

6. Ombudsman scheme first introduced in.......
1) USA 
2) India
3) Australia 
4) France 
5) UK

7. Which bank covered under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme?
1) Scheduled Public Sector Banks
2) Scheduled Private Sector Banks
3) Regional Rural Banks
4) Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks
5) All of above

8. Banking Ombudsman is a senior official appointed by...........
1) Finance Minister 
2) RBI 
3) SEBI
4) FSDC 
5) None

9. As per the present rules, any person can file a complaint before the Banking Ombudsman, if the satisfied reply is not received from the bank within a period of..........
1) One month 
2) Three months
3) Two months 
4) Six months
5) Twelve months

10. The Ombudsman rejects the compliant of the customer if...
1) the customer does not approach the bank first
2) one has not made the complaint within one year from the date one has received the reply of the bank or if no reply is received if it is more than one year and one month from the date of representation to the bank
3) subject matter of the complaint is pending for disposal / has already been dealt with at any other forum like court of law, consumer court
4) complaint is Frivolous or vexatious
5) In all above cases, the Ombudsman will not accept the compliant from customer

11. The fee collected by Ombudsman to take compliant from the customer?
1) Rs.5 
2) Rs.100
3) Rs.10 
4) fix by the bank
5) No fee collects by the Ombudsman

12. The Ombudsman take the compliant and can take action if ......
1) non-payment or delay in payment of inward remittances
2) non-credit of proceeds to parties accounts, non-payment of deposit or nonobservance of the Reserve Bank directives
3) not accepting the legal tender and or for charging of commission in respect thereof
4) inordinate delay in the payment or collection of cheques, drafts, bills
5) In the all above cases the Ombudsman take action against bank

13. When the Ombudsman take action against the bank?
1) collecting charges without adequate prior notice to the customer
2) refusal to accept or delay in accepting payment towards taxes, as required by government
3) refusal to close or delay in closing the accounts
4) non-observance of Reserve Bank guidelines on engagement of recovery agents by banks
5) In the above all cases, Ombudsman take action against the bank

14. The RBI framed a rule that any customer not satisfied with Ombudsman decision, then the customer can put an appeal to.........
1) Governor, RBI
2) Governor of that State
3) Finance Minister of India
4) President of India
5) Deputy Governor of RBI

15. RBI amended Banking Ombudsman Scheme includes complaints relating to Internet Banking and Non-adherence to BCSBI Code on 5 February 2009. BCSBI stands for.........
1) Banking Core and Standards Board of India
2) Banking Codes and State Board of India
3) Banking Codes and Standards Board of India
4) Business Codes and Standards Board of India
5) Banking Codes and Standards Bureau of India

16. RBI constituted committee under the Chairmanship of ................. to review the Ombudsman Scheme on 7 January 2013?
1) C. Ranga Rajan 
2) Suma Chakravarti
3) Suma Verma 
4) Usha Thorat
5) S.S.Mundra

17. 'RTGS' can be defined as the continuous settlement of funds transfers individually on an order by order basis (without netting). In this context, RTGS stands for...........
1) Real Time Glad Settlement
2) Real Tick Gross Settlement
3) Real Time Gross Settlement
4) RBI Time Gross Settlement
5) Real Time Gross Statement

18. In Real Time Gross Settlement transfer, 'Real Time' means .....
1) Money actually transferred in the rupees only
2) Money sending by the individual account holder only as the companies not allowed to do online transactions
3) Account holder advancing money to the beneficiary, which can be transferred at the later time
4) The processing of instructions at the time they are received rather than at some later time
5) All above are wrong statements

19. In RTGS, 'Gross Settlement' means........
1) settlement of funds done occasionally (order disputed with the bank)
2) settlement is not final, though it can be send now (order is in suspense mode)
3) settlement of funds happened later (urgency is not there )
4) settlement of funds transfer instructions occurs individually (on an instruction by instruction basis)
5) None of these

20. In the RTGS, funds settlement takes place in the books of the RBI, the payments are.........
1) put in pending 
2) not final at all
3) final but revocable
4) final and irrevocable
5) None of the above statement is correct

21. Minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is .......
1) Rs.5 lakh 
2) Rs.1.5 lakh
3) Rs.2 lakh 
4) Rs.2.5 lakh
5) Rs.1.2 lakh

22. The Maximum amount can be send through RTGS is ..........
1) Rs.20 lakh 
2) Rs.12 lakh
3) Rs.2 lakh 
4) Rs.1 crore
5) There is no upper limit

23. In RTGS, under normal circumstances the beneficiary branches are expected to receive the funds in real time as soon as funds are transferred by the remitting bank. The beneficiary bank has to credit the beneficiary's account within .......... of receiving the funds transfer message
1) 5 minutes 
2) 10 minutes
3) 60 minutes 
4) 30 minutes
5) 90 minutes

24. Which of the following statement is wrong relating to RTGS?
1) remitting bank receives a message from the Reserve Bank that money has been credited to the receiving bank
2) remitting customer get back the money if it is not credited to the beneficiary's account
3) remitting customer does not get back the money if it is not credited to the beneficiary's account
4) All inward RTGS transactions free
5) IFSC Number of the receiving branch must be mentioned by transferor

25. IMPS is an innovative real time payment service that is available round the clock. In this context, IMPS stands for............
1) Indian Payment Service
2) Instant Payment Service
3) Immediate Portion Service
4) Immediate Payment Service
5) Immediate Patent Service

26. Which of the following one is not the advantage of IMPS?
1) instant transfer
2) Available 24 × 7 (functional even on holidays)
3) Channel Independent can be initiated from Mobile/ Internet / ATM channels
4) Safe and secure, easily accessible and cost effective
5) All of above are the advantages of IMPS

27. Both banked as well as un-banked customer can avail IMPS. However, unbanked customer can initiate IMPS transaction using the services of PPI. PPI in this context stands for...........
1) Principle Paid Payments instrument issuer
2) Pre Paid Payments instrument issuer
3) Pre Paid PAN instrument issuer
4) Post Paid Payments instrument issuer
5) Pre Poll Payments instrument issuer

28. MMID issued by the bank. Combination of Mobile number & MMID is uniquely linked with an Account number and helps in identifying the beneficiary details. MMID stands for............
1) Mode Money Identifier
2) Mobile Made Identifier
3) Mobile Money Identifier
4) Mobile Moment Identifier
5) Mobile Money Indication

29. QSAM (Query Service on Aadhaar Mapper) service helps user in knowing their Aadhaar Seeding status with their bank account. QSAM service can be available by dialing which number?
1) *99# 
2) *99*99# 
3) *100#
4) *99*9# 
5) *1234#

30. India has recently donated how much amount to UN Peace Building Fund (PBF)?

1) $4 Lakh

2) $5 Lakh
3) $6 Lakh
4) $8 Lakh

5) None of these

ANSWERS:
1-5, 2-1, 3-1, 4-3, 5-3, 6-5, 7-5, 8-2, 9-1, 10-5
11-5, 12-5, 13-5, 14-5, 15-3, 16-3, 17-3, 18-4, 19-4, 20-4
21-3, 22-5, 23-4, 24-3, 25-4, 26-5, 27-2, 28-3, 29-2, 30-2.

CURRENT GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. Which denomination note was the first paper currency issued by RBI in January 1938?
1) Rs.2
2) Rs.5
3) Rs.10
4) Rs.100
5) Rs.1000

2. The central govt recently kickstarted Regional Air Connectivity Scheme (RCS) by awarding 128 regional routes to five airlines. Which of the following is NOT among these five airlines?
1) Air Deccan
2) Spice Jet
3) Alliance Air
4) Turbo Megha
5) None of these

3. The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on...
1) 1 Apr
2) 3 Apr
3) 5 Apr
4) 7 Apr
5) 8 Apr

4. On which one of the following issues can SEBI penalize any company in India?
A. Violation of Banking Regulation Act
B. Violation of Foreign portfolio of investment guidelines
C. For violation of Negotiable Instrument Act.
1) Only A
2) Only B
3) Only C
4) Only A & B
5) Only B & C

5. MEITY has issued draft Information Technology (Security of Prepaid Payment Instruments) Rules 2017 for Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) company or e-wallet firms. What is the form of MEITY?
1) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
2) Ministry of Electronics and Information of Technology
3) Ministry and Electronics and Information Technology
4) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technique
5) None of these

6. The German Development Bank (KfW) and Uttar Pradesh based Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has signed a loan agreement for ......... million with a four year moratorium and a 12-year repayment period and where is the headquarter of 'The German Development Bank (KfW)'?
1) 200 million and Frankfurt
2) 100 million and Hamburg
3) 500 million and Berlin
4) 100 million and Frankfurt
5) 200 million and Berlin

7. How much amount of assistance would be provided to the National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) as per the Union Budget 2017-18?
1) Rs.65 lakhs
2) Rs.69 lakhs
3) Rs.75 lakhs
4) Rs.72 lakhs
5) Rs.80 lakhs

8. Under Pillar-2 of Basel III, the banks are to have a Board approved ICAAP and assess capital accordingly. ICAAP stands for
1) Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Procedure
2) Internal Capital Approval Assessment Process
3) Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process
4) Internal Capital Assessment Approved Process
5) None of these

9. Who among the following has been appointed as the new chairman of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) for 2017-18?
1) R. Chandrashekhar
2) Rishad Premji
3) Vishal Sikka
4) Raman Roy
5) Shiv Nadar

10. Which bank has planned to open up the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) platform for digital wallets firms as part of the government's digitization campaign?
1) SBI
2) RBI
3) ICICI Bank
4) Axis Bank
5) HDFC Bank

11. What percent of surcharge on income tax would be levied on individuals with income between Rs.50 lakhs and Rs.1 crore?
1) 5 percent
2) 7 percent
3) 8 percent
4) 9 percent
5) 10 percent

12. Gross domestic product is a measure of the total value of all
1) consumer income in an economy over a period of time
2) capital accumulation in an economy over a period of time
3) sales in an economy over a period of time
4) final goods and services produced in an economy over a period of time
5) final as well as intermediate goods and services produced in an economy over a period of time

13. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) recently confirmed Kalinga Stadium as the host of the Men's Hockey World League Final in Dec 2017. The stadium is situated in
1) Patna
2) Lucknow
3) Bhubaneswar
4) Bhopal
5) Chandigarh

14. Periyar National Park is also known as 'God's own country'. It is one of the most famous national parks of southern India and was established in 1950, covering an area of 925 square km. It is situated in
1) Odisha
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Kerala
5) None of these

15. According to the norms prescribed by RBI for setting up of white label ATMs, what is the minimum net worth the NBFCs should have?
1) Rs.50 crore
2) Rs.75 crore
3) Rs.100 crore
4) Rs.200 crore
5) Rs.150 crore

16. Which state government has launched 'Tirtha Darshan' scheme for senior citizens?
1) Kerala
2) Rajasthan
3) Haryana
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) None of these

17. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched a record 104 satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh through which launch vehicle?
1) PSLV C-36
2) PSLV C-37
3) PSLV C-38
4) PSLV C-39
5) None of these

18. 'Relationship beyond banking' is a Tagline of which bank?
1) Dena Bank
2) Bank of Baroda
3) Central Bank of India
4) Bank of India
5) SBI Bank

19. The minimum amount of and multiple of commercial paper should be:
1) Rs.1 lac, Rs.1 lac
2) Rs. 1 lac, Rs. 5 lac
3) Rs. 5 lac, Rs. 5 lac
4) Rs. 5 lac and no multiple
5) None of these

20. Who won the 2017 Brisbane International Women's Doubles title?
1) Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek
2) Serena Williams and Venus Williams
3) Bethanie Mattek and Chris Evert
4) Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
5) Sania Mirza and Serena Williams

21. The Bhavani Sagar Dam constructed across Bhavani River, is located in .....
1) Odisha
2) Karnataka
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Kerala
5) None of these

22. Leading global payments and technology firm, Mastercard is set to provide payments processing solution to which Payments Bank and who is the CEO of Mastercard?
1) Indian Post Payment Bank and Ajaypal Singh Banga
2) Airtel Payment Bank and Richard Haythornthwaite
3) Paytm Payment Bank and Richard Haythornthwaite
4) Airtel Payment Bank and Ajaypal Singh Banga
5) Paytm Payment Bank and Alfred F. Kelly

23. What is Net Interest Income (NII)?
1) Difference of interest earned on assets and non-interest income.
2) Difference of assets and liabilities.
3) Difference of interest earned on assets and Interest paid on liabilities.
4) Both (1) and (2)
5) None of the above

24. Where is the headquarter of Deutsche Bank?
1) Singapore
2) Russia
3) France
4) Germany
5) None of these

25. Who has been appointed as the managing director of Life Insurance Corporation of India and where is the headquarter of LIC?
1) Hemant Bhargava and Mumbai
2) Girish Chandra Murmu and New Delhi
3) Alice G. Vaidyan and Gujarat
4) Hemant Bhargava and New Delhi
5) Alice G. Vaidyan and Mumbai

26. India's ranking in the current Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (TTCI) of the World Economic Forum is
1) 65th
2) 40th
3) 52nd
4) 62nd
5) 33rd

27. Many times, we read in newspapers that a company is planning to bring a public
issue. What does it mean?
I. Shares of the company will be issued only through public sector organizations like banks/ central financial institutions etc.
II. Shares of the company will be issued to general public only through primary market.
III. This means some stakeholders/promoters are willing to leave the company.
Hence, they wish to sell their stock to the general public.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
1) Only I
2) Only II
3) Only III
4) All of the above
5) None of the above

28. Name the noted Gujarati poet and ghazal writer, has passed away in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
1) P V Modi
2) Surender Modi
3) Chinu Modi
4) Ved Prakash Modi
5) None of these

29. Which bank has received medals in the Collateral Awards Category at the 11th Global Communication Conclave held in Bengaluru?
1) ICICI Bank
2) Bank of Baroda
3) Canara Bank
4) South Indian Bank
5) Axis Bank

30. Treasury Bills means
1) salary bills drawn by Government officials on the treasury
2) bills drawee by the Government contractors and other suppliers on the treasury for the dues owed to them by the Government
3) obligation of the Government of India issued by the Reserve Bank of India and payable normally 91 days after issue
4) a mode of drawings by the Treasury Office on the Reserve Bank of India
5) None of the above

31. The International Day of Forests is observed every year on which date to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests for the benefit of current and future generations and what is the theme of 2017 The International Day of Forests?
1) March 20 and Forests and Animals
2) March 21 and Forests and Greenery
3) March 20 and Forests and Energy
4) March 18 and Forests and Greenery
5) March 21 and Forests and Energy

32. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to cap the upper limit for Pre-paid Payment Instruments at Rs. ........ lakh due to the growing usage of PPIs for purchase of goods and services as well as funds transfer.
1) Rs.5 lakh
2) Rs.1.5 lakh
3) Rs.1 lakh
4) Rs.2 lakh
5) Rs.3.5 lakh

33. Which life Insurance launched iSelect term plan to expand its online product suit and iSelect term plan provides enhanced protection cover for the family at an affordable premium?
1) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
2) Canara HSBC and Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance
3) ICICI Prudential Life Insurance
4) PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited
5) Reliance General Insurance

34. Who among the following won the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix F1 championship?
1) Kimi Raikkonen
2) Daniel Ricciardo
3) Lewis Hamilton
4) Max Verstappen
5) Sebastian Vettel

35. Which institution is known as 'soft loan window' of the World Bank?
1) IFC
2) IDA
3) IMF
4) Indian Development Forum
5) None of these

36. The Digital Payments 2020 report said that digital payment industry in India is expected to reach USD 500 billion by 2020. The report was published by which of the following institutions?
1) Google and World Bank
2) World Bank and UNESCO
3) Google and Boston Consulting Group
4) UNESCO and Boston Consulting Group
5) All of these

37. Name the India's most successful Badminton player, who has been appointed as a new member of the governing body of Sports Authority of India (SAI).
1) Jwala Gutta
2) Saina Nehwal
3) PV Sindhu
4) Ashwini Ponnappa
5) None of these

38. Who was appointed as deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for three years?
1) Viral Acharya
2) Surekha Marandi
3) N. S. Vishwanathan
4) B.P. Kanungo
5) None of these

39. How much amount has been proposed by the government in the Union Budget 2017 for each pregnant woman under maternity Benefit Scheme who undergoes institutional delivery and vaccinates their children?
1) Rs.4,500
2) Rs.5,000
3) Rs.7,000
4) Rs.6,000
5) Rs.10,000

40. Many economists, bankers and researchers in India often advocate that banks should equip themselves for new challenges. These challenges are in which of the following shapes/ forms?
I. As India economy is getting increasingly integrated with the rest of the world the demand of the Corporate banking is likely to change in terms of size, composition of services and also the quality.
II. The growing foreign trade in India will have to be financed by the local banks.
III. Foreigners are habitual of the comforts provided by the technology. India has to do a lot in this Reference.
1) Only I is correct
2) Only II is correct
3) Only III is correct
4) All of the above
5) None of the above

41. Which of the following films won the Best Picture Oscar at the 89th Academy Awards?
1) Moonlight
2) Manchester by the Sea
3) La La Land
4) Fences
5) The Salesman

42. Rohan Bopanna recently lifted the men's doubles crown of the 2017 Monte Carlo Masters Tennis tournament with his partner ....
1) Marcin Matkowski
2) Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan
3) Marc Lopez
4) Feliciano Lopez
5) Pablo Cuevas

43. Togrog is the currency of which of the following countries?
1) Malaysia
2) Mongolia
3) Venezuela
4) Cambodia
5) Zambia

44. The IRDAI has reduced premium rates of motor third party insurance for some categories of vehicles for 2017-18. The present Chairman of IRDAI is
1) Yogesh Aggarwal
2) TS Vijayan
3) VK Sharma
4) Ajay Tyagi
5) UK Sinha

45. India is pegged to be the fastest growing economy in the world in 2017-18 as International Monetary Fund (IMF) retains India's growth forecast for FY18 at
1) 6.9%
2) 7.2%
3) 7.4%
4) 7.6%
5) 7.8 %

46. Which of the following tech giants introduced 'Solve for India' campaign aimed at empowering developers from Tier II cities?
1) Microsoft
2) Facebook
3) Google
4) Twitter
5) Yahoo

47. The World Red Cross Day is observed every year on
1) 1 May
2) 8 May
3) 18 May
4) 28 May
5) 31 May

48. The world's tallest tower, Jeddah Tower, which is to rise more than a kilometre (almost 3,300 feet), is coming up in which country?
1) Iran
2) Saudi Arabia
3) Kuwait
4) Bahrain
5) UAE

49. Private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank is planning to raise about Rs.5,662 cr through sale of 62 mn shares through QIP. Expand the term QIP.
1) Qualitative Institutional Placement
2) Quantitative Institutional Placement
3) Qualified Institutional Placement
4) Quick Institutional Placement
5) None of these

50. Ritu Phogat, who won a bronze medal at the Asian Championship, is associated with
1) Weightlifting
2) Boxing
3) Wrestling
4) Shot Put
5) Javelin Throw

ANSWERS:

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

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

GST is a unified taxation system which would end multiple taxation across the states and create a level playing field for businesses throughout the country, much like the developed nations. It is a multi-stage destination-based tax which will be collected at every stage, starting from procuring the raw material to selling the final product. The credit of taxes paid at the previous stage(s) will be available for set-off at the next stage of supply. Being destination or a consumption based, the GST will also end multiple taxes levied by Centre and the State Governments like Central Excise, Service Tax, VAT, Central Sales Tax, Octroi, Entry Tax, Luxury Tax and Entertainment Tax etc.  This will lower the overall tax burden on the consumer and will benefit the industry through better cash flows and working capital management. Currently, 17 State and Central levies are being applied on goods as they move from one State to the other.

BENEFITS

Different estimates peg the net advantage to the Gross Domestic Product, up to two percentage points.  The GST regime is also expected to result in better tax compliance, thereby increasing its revenue and narrowing the Budget deficit. All the imported goods will be charged Integrated Goods & Services Tax (IGST) which is equivalent to the Central GST + State GST. This will bring equality with taxation on local products.

Mainly, there will be three types of taxes under the GST regime: Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), State (or Union Territory) Goods and Services Tax (SGST) and Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST). Tax levied by the Centre on intra-State supply of goods or services would be called the CGST and that to be levied by the States and Union Territories(UTs) would be called the SGST respectively. The IGST would be levied and collected by the Centre on inter-State supply of goods and services. Four supplementary legislations approving these taxes, namely the Central GST Bill, the Integrated GST Bill, The GST (Compensation to States) Bill, and the Union Territory GST Bill were passed by the Lok Sabha in May this year, making the realisation of 1^st July, 2017 deadline a reality.

All the matters related to the GST are dealt upon by the GST Council headed by the Union Finance Minister while all the State Finance Ministers are its Members. The GST Council also has a provision to adjudicate disputes arising out of its recommendation or implementation thereof.

TAX RATES

The GST Council has fixed four broad tax slabs under the new GST system - 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. On top of the highest slab, there is a cess on luxury and demerit goods to compensate the States for revenue loss in the first five years of GST implementation. Most of the goods and services have been listed under the four slabs, but a few like gold and rough diamonds have exclusive tax rates. Also, some items have been exempted from taxation. The essential items have been kept in the lowest tax bracket, whereas luxury goods and tobacco products will invite higher tax.

17-YEAR-LONG WAIT

Many countries in the world switched to a unified taxation system very early. France was the first country to do so in 1954 and many others followed, some by implementing GST and others by using a different form of Value Added Tax (VAT). In India, the discussion on GST started in the year 2000, in the NDA Government led by the former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Finally, after 17 years of consensus building, 101^st Constitution Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament in 2016. The States had apprehension of reduction in their revenue and their desire to keep some lucrative goods out of the GST baskets like alcohol, petroleum and real estate among others.

IMPACT ON CONSUMERS

From agarbattis (incense sticks) to luxury cars - all these goods will be taxed under different slabs. Movie tickets costing less than Rs 100 have been kept in the 18% GST slab while those over Rs 100 will attract 28% tax under GST. Tobacco products have been kept under a higher tax bracket. Industries such as textiles and, gems and jewellery are subject to a GST rate of 5%

The Government has shown its strong determination and stuck to implementing the GST with effect from 1^st July, 2017. The road ahead would require a lot of resolve by the implementing agencies like the Goods and Services Network, states and the industry.    To sail through initial hiccups and successfully steer the ship of the economy, the Government needs to show the same determination and courage. A bold initiative like GST taken for the welfare of the country must lead to a grand success.

PM inaugurates India's longest bridge

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest bridge - the 9.15 km long Dhola - Sadiya Bridge, over the Lohit River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra in Assam.
PM Dedicated the 9.15 km-long bridge, named after Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and legendary lyricist-singer Bhupen Hazarika who hailed from Sadiya, to the nation.

NHRC fiat on Maoists drafting children

Terming the recent alleged recruitment of children by Maoists a 'gross violation of human rights', the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to top government and police officials of Jharkhand asking for a report within two weeks.
✪ National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India, a statutory body established in 1993, under the provisions of The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (TPHRA).
✪ The NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) consists of:
★ A Chairperson, should be retired Chief Justice of India
★ One Member who is, or has been, a Judge of the Supreme Court of India
★ One Member who is, or has been, the Chief Justice of a High Court
★ Two Members to be appointed from among persons having knowledge of, or practical experience in, matters relating to human rights
★ In addition, the Chairpersons of four National Commissions of SC, ST & Women, serve as ex officio members.
★ The current chairman of the NHRC is Justice H.L. Dattu.

Micro Mission of National Police Mission

The Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), organises the 1st National Conference of Micro Missions of National Police Mission (NPM) on May 23- 24, 2017.

 NPM is working to transform the Police Forces in the country into effective instrument for maintenance of Internal Security and meeting challenges of the next century, by equipping them with the necessary material, intellectual and organisational resources and to create a 'New Vision' for the police.

GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. What is India’s rank in the Global Innovation Index 2017 out of 130 countries?
1) 67
2) 66
3) 69
4) 60
5) 65

2. Who won the prestigious 2017 Man Booker International Prize for his novel ‘A Horse Walks into a Bar’?
1) Mathias Enard
2) David Grossman
3) Roy Jacobsen
4) Don Shaw
5) Amos Oz

3. Where was the second edition of the International Spice Conference held in February 2017?
1) Mysuru
2) Kolkata
3) Thiruvananthapuram
4) Chennai
5) Panaji

4. Which Hindi writer was selected for the 2016 Vyas Samman in February 2017?
1) Hari Ram Meena
2) Satya Narayan
3) Vishwanath Tripathi
4) Surendra Verma
5) None of these

5. India’s first floating elementary school was inaugurated in February 2017 in Loktak Lake in:
1) Assam
2) Manipur
3) West Bengal
4) Jammu & Kashmir
5) Himachal Pradesh

6. Which of the following banks announced its plan to convert ration shops into banking outlets
by recruiting Public Distribution System (PDS) agents as business correspondents in February 2017?
1) ICICI Bank
2) HDFC Bank
3) IDFC Bank
4) Axis Bank
5) IDBI bank

7. Which State is implementing ‘Tejaswini’, a socio-economic empowerment of adolescent girls and young women project?
1) Odisha
2) Jharkhand
3) Bihar
4) Chhattisgarh
5) Haryana

8. Which of the following companies will acquire Telenor India?
1) Vodafone
2) Reliance Jio
3) Idea Cellular
4) Bharti Airtel
5) BSNL

9. India’s iconic car brand Ambassador has been sold by Hindustan Motors to Peugeot, a car manufacturer based in:
1) Italy
2) Germany
3) France
4) USA
5) Sweden

10. Which former football legend has been appointed as an ambassador by FIFA, Football’s world
governing body?
1) Marco Van Basten
2) Diego Maradona
3) Pele
4) Michel Platini
5) Lev Yashin

11. National Deworming Day is observed every year on which of the following day?
1) January 10
2) February 10
3) March 10
4) April 10
5) May 10

12. Who is the author of the book “Fearless in Opposition - Power and Accountability”?
1) Sitaram Yechury
2) Kapil Sibal
3) P. Chidambaram
4) Manish Tewary
5) Nitish Kumar

13. Indian-origin British actor Dev Patel won BAFTA Award in February 2017 for the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film:
1) Moonlight
2) Arrival
3) Lion
4) Nocturnal Animals
5) Hidden Figures

14. Jean-Pierre Lacroix was appointed as Under-Secretary General for United Nations Peacekeeping
Operations on February 14, 2017. He belongs to:
1) Germany
2) Bulgaria
3) Macedonia
4) France
5) Latvia

15. Which city will host the 30th World LPG Forum in October 2017?
1) Singapore
2) Florence
3) Marrakech
4) Nice
5) Gold Coast

16. Who is the Chairman of the Committee set up by Union Water Resources Ministry to help Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) in preparing the working manual for sharing
water between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?
1) A.K. Bajaj
2) R.P. Pandey
3) P.K. Shukla
4) N.N. Rai
5) D.K. Mehta

17. Which one of the following pair is correctly matched?
COUNTRY  - PRESIDENT
1) Italy - Paolo Gentiloni
2) France - Francois Hollande
3) Germany -  Frank Walter Steinmeier
4) Brazil - Dilma Rousseff
5) Russia - Dmitry Medvedev

18. Which American businesswoman became the United States Secretary of Education on February 7, 2017?
1) Martha Stewart
2) Ginni Rometty
3) Meg Whitman
4) Betsy De Vos
5) Ruth Porat

19. Eman Ahmed, the world’s heaviest woman, came to India recently for medical treatment. She
belongs to which of the following country?
1) Saudi Arabia
2) UAE
3) Egypt
4) Iran
5) Iraq

20. “The Salesman” won the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards in February 2017. It belongs to:
1) Hungary
2) Iran
3) Romania
4) Poland
5) Egypt

21. Altamas Kabir passed away on February 19, 2017. He was former:
1) Chief Justice of India
2) CBI Director
3) Attorney General
4) Union Minister
5) None of these

22. In which State the tribal bodies opposed 33% reservation for women in urban, local bodies leading to the resignation of the Chief Minister in February 2017?
1) Manipur
2) Nagaland
3) Assam
4) Meghalaya
5) Tripura

23. Which country has committed to completely phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2045?
1) USA
2) UK
3) Sweden
4) Russia
5) Switzerland

24. Which country is planning to send thousands of Rohingya refugees to Thengar Char Island?
1) Myanmar
2) Thailand
3) India
4) Bangladesh
5) Bhutan

25. Which city hosted the South Asian Speakers’ Summit on Achieving the Sustainable Development
Goals in February 2017?
1) Jaipur
2) New Delhi
3) Vijayawada
4) Indore
5) Vidisha

26. India’s first heliport was inaugurated on February 28, 2017 at Rohini locality in:
1) Mumbai
2) Pune
3) New Delhi
4) Chennai
5) Hyderabad

27. Which is the first State in India to establish cashless system in its Public Distribution System (PDS) of food grains?
1) Gujarat
2) Telangana
3) Andhra Pradesh
4) Kerala
5) Goa

28. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was established in 1889. It is headquartered in:
1) London
2) New York
3) Paris
4) Geneva
5) Dhaka

29. Where was the World LPG Association (WLPGA) Asia Summit held in February 2017?
1) Udaipur
2) Jaipur
3) New Delhi
4) Chandigarh
5) Kolkata

30. Which of the following schemes is related to clean cooking gas?
1) PAHAL
2) Ujjwala
3) Give it up
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3

31. Who took charge as the President of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) recently?
1) Dushyant Chautala
2) Dhanraj Choudhury
3) Mahinder Pal Singh
4) B.K. Bawa
5) None of these

32. With reference to Laureus World Sports Awards - 2017 identify the mismatched pair.
1) Sportsman of the Year – Usain Bolt
2) Sportswoman of the Year – Simone Biles
3) Comeback of the Year – Michael Phelps
4) Breakthrough of the Year – Mo Farah
5) Team of the Year – Chicago Cubs

33. Mission XI Million was launched on February 10, 2017. A first of its kind, the program will
encourage children to play the game of:
1) Hockey
2) Cricket
3) Football
4) Chess
5) Kabaddi

34. Which Indian city will host the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup basketball tournament in July 2017?
1) Hyderabad
2) Chennai
3) Mumbai
4) Bangalore
5) Kolkata

35. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is the world governing body for basketball. It is located in Mies in:
1) France
2) Germany
3) Switzerland
4) Spain
5) Portugal

36. John-John Dohmen was crowned the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Male Player of the
Year for 2016. He belongs to:
1) Germany
2) France
3) Belgium
4) Spain
5) Netherlands

37. Who won the 2017 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, a premier tennis tournament?
1) Kristina Mladenovic
2) Jelena Ostapenko
3) Simona Halep
4) Roberta Vinci
5) Kiki Bertens

38. Which of the following teams won the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Inter - Zonal cricket tournament in February 2017?
1) Central Zone
2) West Zone
3) North Zone
4) East Zone
5) South Zone

39. Whose Test match batting average of 61.87 is second only to Donald Bradman’s incredible
99.94 among batsmen who have played at least 20 Tests?
1) Chris Rogers
2) Brad Haddin
3) Adam Voges
4) Michael Clarke
5) Steve Smith

40. The inaugural Nitro Athletics Meet was held in February 2017 in Lakeside Stadium in?
1) Tokyo
2) London
3) Kingston
4) Melbourne
5) Wellington

ANSWERS:
1) 4 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 2 6) 3 7) 2 8) 4 9) 3 10) 2
11) 2 12) 3 13) 3 14) 4 15) 3 16) 1 17) 3 18) 4 19) 3 20) 2
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 4 25) 4 26) 3 27) 1 28) 4 29) 3 30) 5
31) 1 32) 4 33) 3 34) 4 35) 3 36) 3 37) 1 38) 4 39) 3 40) 4

BANKING AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. As per the Code of Bank's Commitment to Customers a bank must close/transfer an account maximum within a period of ____ days from the date of receipt of application.
a) 3 Days
b) 5 days
c) 7 days
d) At the earliest possible
e) No such restriction

2. Which risk is eliminated in case of the RTGS transaction?
a) Credit risk
b) Operational risk
c) Settlement risk
d) Systematic risk
e) c and d

3. What is the maximum period of deposit that can be opened under FCNR?
a) 1 year
b) 3 years
c) 5 years
d) 10 years
e) All the above

4. As per Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) Scheme, if the customer has taken a cover under multiple bank accounts then the amount of premium under this will be ______.
a) Forfeited
b) Renewed
c) Double
d) Same

5. The Jan Dhan Yojana aims directly in promoting:
a) Social Justice
b) Financial Inclusion
c) Rural Development
d) Digital Empowerment
e) Urban Development

6. The premium of 10 paisa for every Rs.100 payable on behalf of the depositor under Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation(DICGC) will be borne by:
a) Bank
b) Life Insurance Corporation of India
c) General Insurance Corporation of India
d) Customer
e) Bank and Customer equally

7. Who was the first woman Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India?
a) Shyamala Gopinath
b) Usha Thorat
c) Arundhati Bhattacharya
d) K.J.Udeshi
e) Usha Ananta Subramanian

8. Which bank has received $100 million (about Rs.645 crore) as the first tranche of ADB's multimillion dollar funding for installation of rooftop solar systems in India?
a) United Bank of India
b) Punjab National Bank
c) Bank of Baroda
d) Canara Bank
e) Corporation Bank

9. The maximum amount that can be deposited in a 'Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme' account in a
financial year is:
a) Rs. 1,00,000
b) Rs.1,50,000
c) Rs. 1,35,000
d) Rs.1,75,000
e) Rs. 1,25,000

10. Under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (PMJJBY) scheme, an individual is eligible to join the
scheme at the age between 18 years to____.
a) 30 years
b) 40 years
c) 50 years
d) 60 years

11. Which of the following is/are correct regarding Introduction of Additional Settlement Batches
for National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)?
a) The NEFT settlement cycle will be reduced from hourly batches to half hourly batches
b) 11 additional settlement batches will be introduced
c) The total number of half hourly settlement batches during the day will be increased to 23
d) The starting batch at 8.00 am and closing batch at 7.00 pm shall remain the same.
e) All the above

12. In the case of deposit held by joint Individuals, the nomination can be made in favour of:
a) A single individual
b) More than one person in case deposit is payable jointly
c) More than one person in case deposit is payable to either or survivor(s)
d) Separate persons by each depositor
e) None of these

13. What is CDD as per KYC?
a) Customer Duly Diligence
b) Customer Due Delivery
c) Current Deposit delivery
d) Customer due Diligence
e) None of the above

14. STR in the context of Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 stands for?
a) Select Transaction Report
b) Suspicious Transaction Report
c) Suspected Transfer Report
d) Suspected Transaction Record
e) None of the above

15. What is the risk classification for "Salaried employees"?
a) Low risk account
b) Medium risk account
c) High risk account
d) All the above
e) None of the above

16. "Clean note policy" of RBI reiterates the Banks to follow which of the following measures?
a) To sort notes into issuable & non-issuable
b) Not to staples notes & to loose pack notes
c) Not to issue soiled & cut notes to general public
d) Not to scribble on the currency notes
e) All the above

17. As per Basel norms Capital is linked to_____:
a) Size of Deposits
b) Risk Weightage of Assets
c) Profitability of the bank
d) Macro economic conditions
e) None of the above

18. Atal Pension Yojana (APY) offers fixed amount of pension ranging between Rs.1,000 to ____
depending upon the contribution which will be based on the age of joining the APY:
a) Rs.2000
b) Rs.3000
c) Rs.4000
d) Rs.5000
e) Rs.10,000

19. As per recent announcement made by Prime Minister on 31st December, 2016,______Kisan credit cards will be converted into RuPay cards in coming 3 months. Government will bear _____ interest on select farm loans.
a) Rs.2 crores; 30 days
b) Rs.2.5 crores; 45 days
c) Rs.3 crores; 60 days
d) Rs.3 crores; 90 days
e) None of the above

20. ______will be the third and final financing stage for MUDRA Bank and maximum loan up to_______can be provided under this stage.
a) Tarun, Rs.8 lakh
b) Tarun, Rs.10 lakh
c) Vyaska, Rs.12 lakh
d) Kishore, Rs.15 lakh
e) Sishu, Rs.4 lakh

21. Which of the following schemes have been launched under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana?
a) AMRUT
b) Smart Cities Mission
c) Housing for All
d) All of these
e) Only a & b

22. When the award of the banking ombudsman is not acceptable to customer, he can appeal the matter to the appellate authority. The fee payable to Appellate Authority is:
a) Rs.5,000
b) Rs.6,000
c) 25% of the amount in dispute
d) 50% of the amount in dispute
e) Nil

23. In cheque Truncation system clearing the Image Replace Document (IRD) means:
a) Cheque itself
b) Image of the image
c) An authenticated copy of the cheque
d) Truncated cheque
e) None of the above

24. Nominee has predeceased the A/c holder. Payment shall be made to:
a) Against joint discharge to Legal heirs of the depositor and the legal heirs of nominee.
b) Legal heirs of the nominee
c) Legal heirs of the depositor
d) Payment through Court order or Succession Certificate
e) None of the above

25. Under Sukanya Samridhi Account (SSA) the maximum period upto which the deposits can be made is for___ years from the date of opening of the account?
a) 12 years
b) 14 years
c) 16 years
d) 18 years
e) 21 years

26. The maximum punishment by way of imprisonment for the offence committed under Money Laundering Act is:
a) 7 years
b) 9 years
c) 10 years
d) 12 years
e) None of the above

27. Branches should adopt a system of periodical updation of customer identification data (including
photograph/s) after the account is opened. The periodicity of such updation for High Risk, Medium
Risk and Low Risk category customers are:
a) Two/eight/ten years
b) Two/five/ten years
c) Two/two/five years
d) Ten/eight/two years
e) No such updation is required

28. What are the three pillars of Basel-II?
a) Minimum Capital Requirement, Supervisory Review & Market Discipline
b) Minimum Capital Fund, Asset quality & Financial Supervision
c) Minimum capital adequacy, Asset quality & Risk Management
d) Prudential accounting, greater transparency & Accountability
e) Moderate Capital Adequacy, Risk Management and Market Supervision

29. Establishment of Lok Adalat is governed by which of the following Acts?
a) SARFAESI act 2002
b) Legal services authority act 1987
c) Lok Adalat Act 1985
d) Recovery of debt due to Banks and financial Institutions
e) Indian Contract Act

30. Which bank is planning to raise Rs.9,000 crore through various instruments including Follow-on Public Officer (FPO) of Rs.6,000 crore?
a) Bank of Baroda
b) Bank of India
c) State Bank of India
d) Syndicate Bank
e) Union Bank of India

31. Which of the following documents are required for registration of a Jeevan Pramaan?
a) Aadhar number
b) PPO number
c) Bank Account number
d) All of the above
e) Only a & b

32. The electronic mechanism used by banks for transmitting financial messages across the borders:
a) Telex
b) DOTNET
c) RTGS
d) SWIFT
e) INFINET

33. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) was approved with an outlay of_____.
a) Rs.500 crore
b) 1000 crore
c) Rs.12,000 crore
d) Rs.1,500 crore
e) Rs.2000 crore

34. Bank is required to issue TDS certificate on form______within _____month in which deduction is made:
a) 15-G; one;
b) 15-H; one;
c) 16- A; two;
d) 16- A; one;
e) Form 60; one;

ANSWERS:
1) a 2) c 3) c 4) a 5) b 6) a 7) d 8) b 9) b 10) c
11) e 12) a 13) d 14) b 15) a 16) e 17) b 18) d 19) c 20) b
21) d 22) e 23) c 24) c 25) b 26) a 27) a 28) a 29) b 30) a
31) d 32) d 33) c 34) d

BANKING AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. As per the latest Monetary Policy Review it has been decided by The Reserve Bank of India to reduce the Staturory Liquidity Ratio w.e.f 24th June 2017 from 20.5% to ______:
a) 20.00%
b) 20.25%
c) 20.75%
d) 21.00%
e) None of the above

2. Which bank is launching Rs. 15,000 Crore share sale to Institutions to increase capital base as a part of meeting Basel III requirements by March 2019?
a) Indian Bank
b Union Bank of India
c) State Bank of India
d) United Bank of India
e) IDBI

3. Which of the following are the facts about Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS)?
a) It is a quick and easy way of transferring personal remittances from abroad to beneficiaries in India.
b) Only inward personal remittances into India such as remittances towards family maintenance
c) Remittances favouring foreign tourists visiting India are permissible
d) No outward remittance from India is permissible under MTSS
e) All the above

4. In Electronic Clearing Service there are two types of viz., ECS debit and ECS Credit. What does ECS debit represents?
a) Number of debits and one credit
b) Number of credits and one debit
c) Multiple number of debits and credits
d) Few Debits and Few Credits
e) None of the above

5. The Public Information Officer is required to reply to the query raised under Right to Information
Act within in maximum period of ___ days. In case of delay, the penalty is Rs. ____ per day.
a) 10 days; 100
b) 15 days ; 100
c) 20 days ; 250
d) 30 days ; 250
e) 7 days : 350

6. Fiscal policy is concerned with which of the following?
a) Public revenue and expenditure
b) Issue of currency
c) Education for all
d) Population control
e) Export and Import

7. When credit facilities to one party are sanctioned by more than one bank under a common arrangement, such facility given to a customer is called _____:
a) Consortium
b) Syndication
c) Multiple Banking
d) Participation
e) None of the given options is true

8. FATCA stands for ?
a) Forex Account Tax Compliance Act
b) Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
c) Forex Account Total Compliance Act
d) Foreign Account Total Compliance Act
e) None of the given options is true

9. In case of decision given by LokAdalat, the appeal against judgement by aggrieved customer can be made within _____:
a) 1 month from the date of judgment
b) 45 days from the date of judgment
c) 2 months from the date of judgment
d) 3 months from the date of judgment
e) No appeal allowed

10. The unclaimed deposits for 10 years and above will be transferred to Depositor Education Awareness Fund (DEAF). This DEAF was introduced in the year__:
a) 2012
b) 2013
c) 2014
d) 2015
e) 2016

11. "Buy Now - Pay Now" is commonly used for ____:
a) Debit Cards
b) Vault Cards
c) Credit Cards
d) E-purse
e) None of the above

12. A settlement system in which the processing and final payment of funds transfer instructions takes place continuously, is called ___.
a) Debit clearing system
b) Credit clearing system
c) National clearing system
d) Real time gross settlement
e) Speed Clearing system

13. Acollaborative network that uses Internet Technology to link business with their suppliers is ____.
a) Internet
b) Intranet
c) Extranet
d) WAN
e) LAN

14. Banknet was set up by ___:
a) IBA
b) RBI
c) Central Govt
d) IT department of Concerned Bank
e) None of the above

15. A There are credit rating Agencies like Standard and Poor, Moody's. According to these Agencies
Corporate Bond which carry a rating of AAA is considered to be _____:
a) Exceptional degree of credit worthiness and top credit rating
b) High probability of default
c) Low risk
d) Medium Risk
e) 3/4th risk

16. Which of the following are part of Public Sector Banks ?
(i) Bank of India
(ii) Central Bank of India
(iii) Regional Rural Bank, sponsored by a nationalized bank
a) Only (i) and (ii)
b) Only (i) and (iii)
c) Only (ii) and (iii)
d) (i), (ii) and (iii)
e) None of the above

17. RBI introduced Commercial Paper in the year_____:
a) 1970
b)1980
c) 1985
d) 1990
e) 2000

18. When the Award of the Banking Ombudsman is not acceptable to the parties, they can approach
Appellate Authority. At this stage the appellate authority may:
a) Dismiss the appeal
b) Send the matter to the Banking Ombudsman for fresh disposal in accordance with such directions as the appellate authority may consider necessary or proper
c) Modify the award and pass such directions as may be necessary to give effect to the modified award
d) Pass any other order as it may deem fit
e) All the above

19. Credit cards are of standard size and thickness and are embossed with which of the the following details?
(i) Name of card holder
(ii) Card number
(iii) Validity date
a) Only (i) and (ii)
b) Only (i) and (iii)
c) Only (ii) and (iii)
d) (i), (ii) and (iii)
e) Only (i)

20. Which of the following are correct regarding Indo - Nepal Remittance Scheme?
a) A remitter can transfer funds up to Rs. 50,000
b) A remitter can transfer funds only upto Rs. 25,000
c) It is not necessary that the remitter should maintain an account with a bank in India.
d) a remitter can transfer funds upto Rs 1,00,000
e) Only a & c

ANSWERS:
1) a 2) c 3) e 4) a 5) d 6) a 7) a 8) b 9) e 10) c
11) a 12) d 13) c 14) b 15) a 16) d 17) d 18) e 19) d 20) e

EC launches toll-free no. for queries

The Election Commission (EC) launched a toll-free number (1800111950) for citizens to reach out with queries, give suggestions or lodge complaints pertaining to polls, electoral rolls and other related issues. Currently, the service has been made available in English and Hindi. The EC's executives
would also make outbound calls for educating voters.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

WIPO is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world". WIPO currently has 189 member states.  It's headquartering in Geneva, Switzerland.  The current Director-General of WIPO is Francis Gurry, who took office on October 1, 2008.

India unanimously elected to head UNHabitat, the United Nations' Human Settlements Programme

India has been unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat, an organ of the United Nations' Organisation (UNO) that promotes socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements across the world, after 10 years.
❁ Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu chaired the four day meeting of the 26th Governing Council of UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya.
❁ Shri Naidu will preside over the deliberations of the Governing Council of UN-Habitat for the next two years.
❁ Since the UN-Habitat came into being in 1978, It is only the third time that India has been elected to lead this important organization after 2007 and 1988.

SAMPADA

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
given its approval for re-structuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries
(MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme - SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) for the period 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle.

Chenab to get tallest rail bridge

Around two years from now, the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir will be spanned by the world's highest railway bridge that is expected to be 35 metres taller than Paris' Eiffel Tower.
★ The massive arch-shaped structure, being constructed at a cost of around Rs.1,100 crore, will use over 24,000 tonnes of steel and will rise 359 m above the river bed. Designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour, the 1.315-km- long ''engineering marvel'' will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).
★ The bridge forms a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is part of the Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.

Indore emerges as the Cleanest City of India

Indore, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam, Surat, Mysuru, Tiruchirapally, NDMC, Navi Mumbai,Vadodara, Chandigarh make the Top 10. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand,Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana are the Movers and Shakers, says M.Venkaiah Naidu.
★ 12 Gujarat cities, 11 from MP, 8 from AP among the top 50 Clean Cities. Varanasi ranked 32 this year as against 418 in 2014.
★ Mysuru slipped to fifth rank this year but no decline in sanitation standards, says Minister.
★ Swachh Survekshan-2017 aimed at capturing the outcomes on ground of the ongoing efforts to make urban areas Open Defecation Free and to improve door-todoor collection, processing and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste.
★ Of the total score of 2,000, 900 marks were assigned for performance in respect of ODF and solid waste management, 600 marks for Citizen Feedbak and 500 marks for Independent Observation.

New Controller General of Accounts (CGA)

Mr. Anthony Lianzuala took over as the New Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
★ The Government of India had appointed Mr. Anthony Lianzuala, a 1982-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) Officer, as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance with effect from May 1, 2017.
★ He is the First person from the North- Eastern Region to hold this position.
★ Controller General of Accounts (CGA), in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, is the Principal Accounting Adviser to Government of India and is responsible for establishing and maintaining a technically sound Management Accounting System.
Note: Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) both are different institutions. Where CGA is a statutary post, CAG is a constitutional post under the Article - 148 of the Constitution.

CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. Every year National Maritime Day is observed in India on:
a) 5th February
b) 5th March
c) 5th April
d) 5th October

2. Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved closure of which of the following?
a) Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY)
b) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
c) National Literacy Mission Programme
d) National Social Assistance Scheme

3. Recently the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park has proposed to introduce ecotourism in the mangrove forest area of the park. The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park was established in which year?
a) 1995
b) 1980
c) 1990
d) 1985

4. As per a doping violation report published by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for 2015, India ranks:
a) First
b) Second
c) Third
d) Fifth

5. Babri Masjid demolition case recently has been in the news, in which of the following years Babri Mosque was demolished?
a) 1992
b) 1993
c) 1999
d) 1996

6. The Union Government cleared the decks for setting up an independent rail regulator that will be responsible for recommending which of the following?
a) Passenger fares
b) Setting performance standards for rail operations
c) Creating level playing policy for private sector participation
d) All of the above

7. Who is the current Secretary General of Amnesty International?
a) Salil Shetty
b) Irene Zubaida Khan
c) Jackie Kay
d) Aruna Shetty

8. 'Khan Shaykhun' town is in the news for chemical attack on it. This town is located in which of the following countries?
a) Libya
b) Nigeria
c) Syria
d) Pakistan

9. With which of the following countries, India has announced a joint fund namely a Green Growth Equity Fund in April 2017?
 a) United Kingdom
b) USA
c) Russia
d) Japan

10. Which of the following companies rolled out the beta version of its new 'YouTube Go' application for India?
a) Microsoft
b) Apple
c) Google
d) Dell

11. Who has been named as Wisden's "Leading Cricketer in the World" for 2016?
a) SPD Smith
b) M.S.Dhoni
c) Virat Kohli
d) Joe Root

12. India has taken over full operational control of Unit 1 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). This Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is located in which of the following states of India?
a) Tamil Nadu
b) Karnataka
c) Andhra Pradesh
d) Gujarat

13. Recently, Twitter rolled out a "data friendly" version of the platform called ...... in India.
a) Twitter Lite
b) Twitter Saga
c) Twitter Devak
d) Twitter on Demand

14. Which leading company has announced $8.4 million (Rs.54.42 crore) in grants over the next two years to four Indian NGOs: Learning Equality, Million Sparks Foundation, Pratham Books - Story Weaver and Pratham Education Foundation?
a) Microsoft
b) Google.org
c) Twitter.org
d) Facebook.com

15. Recently the Park Street of New Delhi renamed with which of the following countries founder?
a) Nepal
b) Bhutan
c) Bangladesh
d) USA

16. Who among the following has been appointed as the Chairman of the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)?
a) Gagan Madhesiya
b) Samar Singh Bist
c) Shiva Kirti Singh
d) Ram Avtaar Gill

17. Which of the following countries military is developing a division of "super SEALs" using brain-stimulation technology to create warriors of the future who would be faster, smarter and more deadly?
a) Russia
b) USA
c) North Korea
d) China

18. What is the present rank of India in Global Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017, prepared by World Economic Forum?
a) 12th
b) 19th
c) 28th
d) 40th

19. Teesta water sharing pact is between which of the following two countries?
a) India and Pakistan
b) India and China
c) India and Bangladesh
d) India and Nepal

20. Who was the winner of the Best Actor National Film Award 2017?
a) Akshay Kumar
b) Salman Khan
c) Amir Khan
d) Shah Rukh Khan

21. Astronomers have, for the first time, detected an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet known as:
a) GJ 1132b
b) SJ 1132a
c) EL 1132b
d) AE 1132b

22. Recently, the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017 in:
a) Vadodara
b) Udaipur
c) New Delhi
d) Kolkata

23. Recently, the Government of India and ....... signed a $175 million loan agreement to support construction of high voltage transmission systems to evacuate power generated from new mega solar parks to the interstate grid, and improve reliability of the national grid system.
a) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
b) Asian Development Bank (ADB)
c) World Bank
d) IMF

24. Which movies have been awarded as Best Feature Film and as Best Popular Film providing Wholesome Entertainment in 64th National Film Awards respectively?
a) Rustom and Sathamanam Bhavathi
b) Kasaav and Sathamanam Bhavathi
c) Dangal and Rustom
d) Sathamanam Bhavathi and Neerja

ANSWERS:
1) c 2) a 3) b 4) c 5) a 6) d 7) a 8) c 9) a 10) c
11) c 12) a 13) a 14) b 15) c 16) c 17) b 18) d 19) c 20) a
21) a 22) c 23) b 24) b 

GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. Who won the India Open women's singles badminton title at the Siri Fort Stadium in New Delhi on April 2, 2017?
1) Carolina Marin
2) Saina Nehwal
3) Sung Ji Hyun
4) P.V. Sindhu
5) Minatsu Mitani

2. Najib Razak visited India in April 2017. He is the Prime Minister of?
1) Indonesia
2) Malaysia
3) Oman
4) Iran
5) Iraq

3. Who won the prestigious 2017 Abel Prize?
1) John Nash
2) Louis Nirenberg
3) Yves Meyer
4) Andrew Wiles
5) None of these

4. Who assumed office as the President of Bulgaria on January 22, 2017?
1) Iliana Iotova
2) Boyko Borisov
3) Tsetska Tsacheva
4) Rumen Radev
5) Rosen Plevneliev

5. Kristalina Georgieva assumed office as the Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank on January 2, 2017. She belongs to?
1) Georgia
2) Czech Republic
3) Slovakia
4) Slovenia
5) Bulgaria

6. In which of the following countries a married couple has occupied the two highest seats of power,
the President and the Vice President?
1) Costa Rica
2) Brazil
3) Nicaragua
4) Panama
5) Honduras

7. The COP 22 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in November 2016 in?
1) Paris, France
2) Lima, Peru
3) Doha, Qatar
4) Marrakech, Morocco
5) Sydney, Australia

8. Which of the following countries has withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2016?
1) USA
2) Canada
3) Spain
4) Russia
5) China

9. Which of the following is the largest-ever warship to be built in India?
1) INS Kolkata
2) INS Kochi
3) INS Chennai
4) INS Viraat
5) INS Vikramaditya

10. At which of the following rates do the banks borrow funds from the Reserve Bank of India?
1) Base rate
2) Repo rate
3) Exchange rate
4) Reverse repo rate
5) None of these

11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) on November 3, 2016 in?
1) New Delhi
2) Panaji
3) Hyderabad
4) Mumbai
5) Chennai

12. Narinder Batra is the first Indian to be elected the President of?
1) IOC
2) FIH
3) FIDE
4) FIFA
5) IAAF

13. Who became the first person from China to be elected as the President of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in November 2016?
1) Jin Liqun
2) Li Keqiang
3) Meng Hongwei
4) Lin Dan
5) None of these

14. Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016 was conferred on which of the following authors?
1) Chetan Bhagat
2) Kiran Desai
3) Anitha Desai
4) Amitav Ghosh
5) None of these

15. Who was appointed a brand ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission of Indian Railways in November 2016?
1) Bindeshwar Pathak
2) Amitabh Bachchan
3) Sachin Tendulkar
4) Kunwar Bai
5) Vidya Balan

16. The Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award is given every two years by?
1) Canada
2) Norway
3) Denmark
4) Germany
5) France

17. Which of the following organizations gives Sakharov Prize for Human Rights annually?
1) World Bank
2) European Parliament
3) Asian Development Bank
4) World Economic Forum
5) None of these

18. Leonard Cohen passed away on November 7, 2016. He was a singer, songwriter, poet, novelist and painter from?
1) USA
2) France
3) Mexico
4) Canada
5) None of these

19. Mangat Ram Sharma passed away in November 2016. He was the former Deputy Chief Minister of?
1) Uttarakhand
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) Jammu & Kashmir
4) Odisha
5) Himachal Pradesh

20. Shashikala Kakodkar passed away on October 28, 2016. She was the first woman Chief Minister of?
1) Maharashtra
2) Goa
3) Gujarat
4) Rajasthan
5) Odisha

21. Who was elected the President of Lebanon on October 31, 2016?
1) Tamman Salam
2) Michel Aoun
3) Amine Gemayel
4) Elias Hrawi
5) Selim Hoss

22. Igor Dodon became the President of which of the following countries on December 23, 2016?
1) Ukraine
2) Moldova
3) Romania
4) Latvia
5) Lithuania

23. Which former cricketer was named the "Stroke Ambassador for India"?
1) Kapil Dev
2) Dilip Vengsarkar
3) Sunil Gavaskar
4) Mohinder Amarnath
5) K. Srikanth

24. The 10th World Stroke Congress (WSC) was held in October 2016 in?
1) Bangalore
 2) Mumbai
3) New Delhi
4) Hyderabad
5) Kolkata

25. Who was elected the new President of the World Squash Federation (WSF) in November 2016?
1) Jacques Fontaine
2) Pablo Serna
3) Gar Holohan
4) Sarah Fitz-Gerald
5) None of these

26. World Squash Federation (WSF) has its headquarters in?
1) Hastings, England
2) Glasgow, Scotland
3) Zurich, Switzerland
4) Frankfurt, Germany
5) Incheon, South Korea

27. Identify the mismatched pair. BOOK AUTHOR
1) Democrats Ramachandra Guha and Dissenters
2) Second-Hand Svetlana Alexievich Time
3) Selection Day Amitav Ghosh
4) One Indian Girl Chetan Bhagat
5) Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie

28. The joint military exercise between India and Nepal is called?
1) Konkan
2) Varuna
3) Garuda
4) Surya Kiran
5) Indradhanush

29. SIMBEX is a maritime bilateral exercise conducted by India and?
1) South Africa
2) South Korea
3) Singapore
4) Sudan
5) Slovakia

30. Which country won the Fed Cup women's tennis tournament in November 2016?
1) Czech Republic
2) France
3) USA
4) Croatia
5) Germany

31. Who won the WTA Elite Singles Trophy in Zhuhai, China in November 2016?
1) Petra Kvitova
2) Elina Svitolina
3) Venus Williams
4) Serena Williams
5) Dominika Cibulkova

32. Federico Delbonis is a professional tennis player from?
1) Spain
2) Argentina
3) Chile
4) Portugal
5) Germany

33. India defeated which of the following countries to win the women's Asian Champions Trophy
hockey tournament in Singapore in November 2016?
1) Pakistan
2) South Korea
3) China
4) Japan
5) Indonesia

34. Who won the China Open badminton super series tournament on November 20, 2016?
1) Sun Yu
2) Saina Nehwal
3) Tai Tzu Ying
4) P.V. Sindhu
5) None of these

35. Who was elected New Zealand Cricket's first female President in November 2016?
1) Ingrid Cronin-Knight
2) Karen Plummer
3) Suzie Bates
4) Sarah Illingworth
5) Debbie Hockley

36. Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is released by the?
1) FICCI
2) CII
3) CSO
4) ASSOCHAM
5) RBI

37. What does the letter 'M' denote in the banking term MCLR?
1) Multiple
2) Marginal
3) Medium
4) Minimum
5) Maximum

38. The 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in November 2016 in?
1) Telangana
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Maharashtra
4) Goa
5) Karnataka

39. Im Kwon-Taek was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 47th IFFI. He is a filmmaker from?
1) Vietnam
2) Philippines
3) South Korea
4) Japan
5) China

40. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement between ASEAN members and other?
1) Three countries
2) Four countries
3) Five countries
4) Six countries
5) None of these

ANSWERS:
1) 4 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 5 6) 3 7) 4 8) 4 9) 3 10) 2
11) 1 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 1 16) 3 17) 2 18) 4 19) 3 20) 2
21) 2 22) 2 23) 3 24) 4 25) 1 26) 1 27) 3 28) 4 29) 3 30) 1
31) 1 32) 2 33) 3 34) 4 35) 5 36) 3 37) 2 38) 4 39) 3 40) 4

INVESTOR PROTECTION FUND(IPF)

ISE has set up an Investor Protection Fund (IPF) to meet the claims of investors against defaulter Members, in accordance with the Guidelines issued by the Ministry of finance, Government of India.
ISE has established an Inter-connected Stock Exchange Investor Protection Fund Trust (ISE-IPF Trust) with the objective of compensating investors in the event of defaulters' assets not being sufficient to meet the admitted claims of investors, promoting investor education, awareness and research. The Investor Protection Fund (IPF) is administered by way of registered Trust created for the purpose. The Inter-connected Stock Exchange Investor Protection Fund Trust is managed by Trustees.
The Inter-connected Stock Exchange Investor Protection Fund Trust, based on the recommendations of the Defaulters' Committee, compensates the investors to the extent of funds found insufficient in Defaulters' account to meet the admitted value of claim, subject to a maximum limit as per decided by Trust per investor per defaulter/expelled member.

CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ALL BANK EXAMS

1. Cobra Gold military exercises, Asia's largest multinational drill started on February 14, 2017 at Sattahip, Thailand. Cobra Gold 2017 is the ........ iteration of the military exercise.
a) 30th
b) 32nd
c) 36th
d) 39th

2. 'Indian Panorama Film Festival', the five-day organized at ....
a) Port Blair
b) Majuli
c) Bhimpore
d) Panjim

3. In Kerala, Thanal, a city-based group has launched a helpline for providing technical support in treating organic waste and managing non-biodegradable solid wastes. It is launched at
a) Kochi
b) Kozhikode
c) Thiruvananthapuram
d) Kollam

4. 'Momentum Jharkhand', Global Investor Summit held at
a) Jamshedpur
b) Deoghar
c) Medininagar
d) Ranchi

5. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) of Delhi has won the first prize for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government's Kayakalp awards. The Kayakalp awards were instituted the year...
a) 2014
b) 2015
c) 2016
d) 2017

6. Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has announced to make Khadi Gaon in each Indian state. Who is the Chairman of KVIC?
a) J. P. Toma
b) N. C. Borkataky
c) G. Chandramouli
d) V.K. Saxena

7. Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS II) flagged off on 17th Feb, 2017 from Safdarjung Railway station in Delhi to embark upon its journey across the country. The SECAS II will run till 8th September 2017 and culminate its journey at
a) Ahemdabad
b) Gandhinagar
c) Surat
d) Bhavnagar

8. Name the Bollywood actor named to host the Hindi version of popular international show TED Talks.
a) Shah Rukh Khan
b) Salman Khan
c) Amir Khan
d) Ranbir Kapoor

9. What is India's rank in an annual index of Economic Freedom?
a) 140th
b) 143rd
c) 145th
d) 147th

10. Who has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Desh Bhagat University, a private educational institution in Amloh, Fatehgarh Sahib District of Punjab?
a) Manpreet Singh
b) Akashdeep Singh
c) Sandeep Singh
d) Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh

11. In which city the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced to host the second round of the Asia/Oceania Group 1 tie between India and Uzbekistan?
a) Bengaluru
b) New Delhi
c) Kochi
d) Lucknow

12. Who has been appointed as India's new High Commissioner to Canada?
a) Avani Kumar Varma
b) Brij Kishore Singh
c) Vikas Swarup
d) Vinay Luthra

13. Which State government has announced to constitute State Tourism Board for expansion of facilities at tourist spots and draw investment in the sector?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Goa
c) Telangana
d) Andhra Pradesh

14. Name the Canadian radio broadcaster, best known as the host of the CBC Radio program 'The Vinyl Cafe', passed away in February 2017.
a) Byron MacGregor
b) David Charles Wish
c) Bob Dawson
d) Andrew Stuart McLean

15. What is the maximum limit up to which the RBI has announced to lend gold to RRBs?
a) Rs.1.50 Lakhs
b) Rs.2.00 Lakhs
c) Rs.2.50 Lakhs
d) Rs.2.75 Lakhs

16. Which bank has launched instant chat services for customers logged in to Citibank Online (CBOL) in India?
a) IndusInd Bank
b) Kotak Mahindra Bank
c) Yes Bank
d) Citi Bank

17. Recently how many new judges were sworn in to the Supreme Court, taking their strength to a high of 28?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Five
d) Seven

18. Which two countries have decided to bring Agreement on Social Security (SSA) for workers' benefit into force in May 2017?
a) India and Norway
b) India and Turkey
c) India and Portugal
d) India and Japan

19. Which state assembly has undergone the motion of a trust vote for the first time in 29 years?
a) Telangana
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Tamil Nadu
d) Maharashtra

20. For the past three years, Neralu has to be largest citizen-driven tree festival of:
a) Bengaluru
b) Hyderabad
c) Mysuru
d) Lucknow

21. Recently which state government has brought in an additional three lakh acre of agricultural land under its irrigation programme with the objective of helping farmers?
a) Bihar
b) West Bengal
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Maharashtra

22. Who is to be the new chief of capital market regulator SEBI?
a) Prashant Thorbade
b) Anil Kushwaha
c) Ajay Tyagi
d) Rajan Vipul

23. Which bank has provided its customers access to the government's digital locker (DigiLocker) from within its net-banking application?
a) HDFC Bank
b) ICICI Bank
c) Kotak Mahindra Bank
d) SBI

24. Recently which company has become an integrated power company?
a) NTPC
b) BHEL
c) HPCL
d) OIL

25. Which agency is to create first-ever space technology research institutes?
a) ISRO
b) DRDO
c) BARC
d) NASA

26. Indian scientists have designed an insulin-like oral substance, nicknamed:
a) Rani
b) Tripti
c) Dimpi
d) Rajrani

27. Indian Navy inducts first all-women global circumnavigation vessel. Name the vessel.
a) Tarini
b) Shivalik
c) Kumbhir
d) Ashtradharani

28. India has won the silver medal at the women's Asian Rugby Sevens Trophy 2017 held at
a) Manila
b) Ipoh
c) Incheon
d) Vientiane

29. Who is the Chief of Naval Staff?
a) RK Dhowan
b) Surinder Pal Singh Cheema
c) Sunil Lamba
d) Arup Raha

30. Which bank has been awarded with ISO 27001: 2013 certification for its Information Security Management System (ISMS)?
a) South Indian Bank
b) Tamilnadu Mercantile Bank
c) Nainital Bank
d) Catholic Syrian Bank

31. Ecuador has been in news recently. The capital of Ecuador is....
a) Loja
b) Ibarra
c) Quito
d) Macas

32. Who is the 26th and current United States Secretary of Defense?
a) Jefferson Sessions
b) James Mattis
c) Steven Mnuchin
d) Michael T. Flynn

33. Recently the Assam Government has inaugurated Cancer Hospital in the state. The hospital is attached to which of the medical colleges?
a) Guwahati Medical College
b) Assam Medical College
c) Jorhat Medical College
d) Tezpur Medical College

ANSWERS:
1-c, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d, 5-b, 6-d, 7-b, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c
11-a, 12-c, 13-a, 14-d, 15-b, 16-d, 17-c, 18-c, 19-c, 20-a
21-b, 22-c, 23-c, 24-a, 25-d, 26-c, 27-a, 28-d, 29-c, 30-a, 31-c, 32-b, 33-a

Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) aims for integrated development of selected villages having more than 50% Scheduled Caste (SC) population through implementation of existing scheme of Central and State Governments in a convergent manner and by utilization of gap filling funds provided as Central Assistance. The scheme was launched in 2009-10 on a pilot basis, for the integrated development of 1000 villages in 5 States viz. Himachal Pradesh (Northern Region), Bihar (Eastern Region), Rajasthan (Western Region), Tamil Nadu (Southern Region) and Assam (North-Eastern Region) and further extended in 2015 to another 1500 villages in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana. Works and programmes taken up under PMAGY in the identified States include inter alia, construction of village roads, community halls/meeting places, community toilets, drainage works, installation of hand pumps, solar powered street lights, drinking water scheme etc.

As per scheme, details for a village to be declared as Adarsh village a minimum of three of the targets listed below have to be achieved by the end of the third year of implementation of PMAGY:-

·           As far as possible, elimination of poverty, but reduction in its incidence by at least 50% within three years.

·           Universal adult literacy

·           100% enrolment and retention of children at the elementary stage (I-VIII).

·           Reduction of infant mortality rate (per thousand live births) to 30 and maternal mortality rate (per lakh) to 100, by 2012. 

·           Village should fulfill the Nirmal Gram Puraskar norms of the Deptt. Of Drinking Water Supply, M/o Rural Development, ie, these villages should be 100 % open defecation free

·           Access to safe drinking water facility to all villagers on a sustainable basis.

·           100% institutional deliveries for pregnant women

·           Full immunisation of children

·           Achieving all weather road connectivity to the village

·           100% registration of deaths and births in the village

·           No child marriages, and child labour

·           No public consumption of liquor and other intoxicating substances

·           100% allotment of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMGAY) houses to all eligible families

Health Services in India

There are multiple factors including lifestyles that influence the burden of disease. The burden of communicable diseases has been declining. The focus of the Government is to provide accessible, affordable and accountable quality healthcare facilities to all sections of society especially the marginalized sections in the country.

While there are   multiple challenges, the availability of Primary Health Centres, human resources, number of medical colleges and medical seats, have been improving.

Public health and hospitals being a State subject, the primary responsibility to address healthcare challenges is that of State Governments. However, under National Health Mission (NHM), financial and technical support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including support for strengthening health infrastructure, deployment of medical personnel, ASHAs, creating awareness about health issues and lifestyles, and support movement towards Universal Health Coverage. 

The Central Government has enacted the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 and also notified Clinical Establishments Rules 2012 to provide a legislative framework for the registration and regulation of clinical establishments in the country and also seeks to improve the quality health services by prescribing minimum standards of facilities and services which may be provided.

The Government has also taken steps for strengthening and upgrading district hospitals and making available tertiary health care services in the public sector through strengthening of hospitals, establishment of AIIMS institutions in the States and up-gradation of existing Government medical colleges across the country.

With regard to increasing awareness about the health issues, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regularly releases print advertisement and TV and radio spots in National/regional media for generating awareness among population about various Health and Family Welfare issues and programmes of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These include Mission Indradhanush, World Health Day, World No Tobacco Day, Yoga Day, Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight, World Population Day, Breastfeeding, Tuberculosis, etc.

The Government has formulated the National Health Policy 2017 which has laid emphasis on the role of the Government in regulation, governance, and quality assurance, healthcare infrastructure and in leveraging information technology. The policy also envisages raising public health expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP in a time bound manner.