Defexpo-2012

‘Defexpo India 2012’, the 7th international Exhibition on Land, Naval and Internal Security Systems, begins  on March 29, 2012. The four-day event will be inaugurated by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony. The largest ever Defence Exposition in Asia will showcase India’s emergence as an attractive destination for investment in the Defence Sector and provides a platform for alliances and joint ventures in the Defence Industry. 

A total of 567 companies from 32 countries will display weapon systems for the Army, Navy and Internal Security. Major participants are from Russia, France and Israel besides Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Poland, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Turkey, USA and UK. 

Organised by the Department of Defence Production, the exhibition is dedicated to global Land, Naval and Internal Security Systems business activity – from Suppliers to Manufacturers and Technology providers to Services. The Def Expo offers an opportunity to the international Defence Industry to promote and showcase their products and services. The exhibition generates attention globally and has carved a niche amongst major defence exhibitions around the world. 

The Def Expo was conceptualised in 1998 with an objective to promote defence exports from India and exhibit the capabilities of Indian Defence R&D and production. The first exhibition was held in 1999 and subsequently in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. While a modest 197 exhibitors participated in the first Def Expo, the biennial event features 567 exhibitors in its 7th edition this year. Israel is the biggest participating country in terms of indoor space occupied (1,293 sq meters) while Russia is represented with the maximum number of 37 companies. In the year 2010 there were 412 exhibitors from 35 countries. The exhibition area has increased from 27,309 sq meters in 2010 to 30,760 sq meters this year. 

More than 60 Official Delegations including 14 headed by Defence Ministers are expected to attend the four-day exhibition. Many products are expected to be launched by Indian and Foreign companies during the exhibition. Several business-to-business meetings are planned to be held on the sidelines. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is the event manager of the Defexpo India 2012. 

India's first common bird monitoring system launched

India's first bird monitoring system for common birds was  launched by Mumbai-based Nature Forever Society (NFS), an organisation working for the protection of common sparrows and other common fauna.

The system is based on a website, allowing users from across the country to participate in what NFS founder Mohammed Dilawar terms as a "Citizen-science venture".

"After creating a user ID on the system, the user will be able to provide data such as number and types of birds in his or her locality and from the individual contributions of users across the country, the system will be able to map our geographical distribution of birds," claimed Dilawar.

Claiming the launch of the online programme as an "ornithological landmark," Dilawar told IANS that "a lot of answers are going to come out from this system".

The programme has been designed by a technical team from Jaypee group. Currently the programme maps 18 common birds such as House Sparrow, Common Hoopoe, White-throated Kingfisher, Green Bee-eaters, Black Kite, House Crow and Rose-ringed Parakeet.

UP's first solar power plant starts functioning

Amid growing emphasis on adopting alternative and environmental-friendly means to meet energy demands, the first solar power unit of Uttar Pradesh has started functioning on the outskirts of the city.

Situated at Naini, about 25 kms from Allahabad, the 5 MW solar power plant developed by Kolkata-based company, EMC Limited, as part of the Union ministry of new and renewable energy's Jawharlal Nehru National Solar Mission became operational on March 4.

"It took us nearly seven years to complete the project which involved a budget of Rs 80 crore. The cost-effectiveness of this project can also be gauged from the fact that its maintenance would involve an yearly expenditure of not more than 70 lakh".

Electricity is being generated with the help of "21,300 solar modules which keep functioning efficiently even when the weather is overcast and involve virtually no environmental hazards which have been a major cause of concern with regard to power plants".

"The EMC had been entrusted with this project by the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, with which the company has signed a power purchase agreement ensuring a sale for the next 25 years".

"The EMC has been in the business of power generation and transmission for over four decades. Keeping up with the demands of our times, we seek to make use of our expertise in providing green and clean energy. Solar power has been a huge success in Rajasthan and Gujarat where a large number of such plants are functioning.

Saakshar Bharat Yatra Culminates

Saakshar Bharat Yatra’ a nationwide mobilization campaign organized by the National Literacy Mission Authority, Ministry of Human Resource Development culminated in Dehi today, in the presence of Minister of State for HRD, Shri E. Ahamed, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ms. Anshu Vaish, Shri K.K. Krishnakumar, Chairperson, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti(BGVS), and senior officials from the HRD Ministry, other representatives of the BGVS, foreign dignitaries and ‘jatha’ representatives.

On the occasion, a literacy musical video, ‘Shiksha ka Suraj’ was also released by Shri Ahamed. This video, written by Shri Javed Akhtar has been sung by Shri Sonu Nigam and Ms. Alka Yagnik. A number of well known film personalities like Shri Shahrukh Khan, Ms. Kareena Kapur, Shri Anil Kapur, Ms. Priyanka Chopra, Shri Farhan Akhtar and Ms. Shabana Azmi have participated in the video in public interest. This is proposed to be aired on Television shortly.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ahamed underlined the strides the country has made in the last 20 year in increasing literacy, adding that the impetus has to be kept up till the country achieves full literacy. He pointed out that Education is the most important component for social transformation.

‘Saakshar Bharat Yatra’ was organized by National Literacy Mission Authority, through the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, a well known NGO. It was a part of ‘Environment Building’ activity to stimulate demand for literacy through Saakshar Bharat Programme. The Yatra was organized through kala jathas which included audio-visual programmes, road-shows, public meetings, Pad Yatras, Conventions, preparing People’s Wall and People’s Book, etc. It was flagged off from Delhi on 18th February, 2012 by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Yatra covered 22 States, 187 Districts, 1000 Blocks and over 16000 Gram Panchayats throughout India, culminating at Delhi.

The Jathas covered several States, implementing Saakshar Bharat Programme and went through some of the backward and left wing affected districts like Gaya, Jamui, Rohtas in Bihar; Hazaribagh, Giridi, Dhanbad, Koderma in Jharkhand, Balaghat, Mandia in Madhya Pradesh; Sundergarh, Bolangir in Orissa, Kewardha, Janjgir Champa in Chhattisgarh. The Jatha also covered some of the disturbed areas like Senapati in Manipur; Anantnag in Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland and Assam also.

There was overwhelming response for the Jatha across the country. People from all walks of life actively participated and supported the cause of literacy. Over 4-5 lakh people took part in the Jatha and more than 30 lakh in other programmes with a lot of enthusiasm and vigor to make Saakshar Bharat Yatra a grand success.

Ministers of Central and State Governments, Parliamentarians, Legislators, local community leaders, eminent writers, theatre personalities, social activists, scientists and leaders of women organizations, officials of State and Central Governments, Non-Government Organisations and other dignitaries took keen interest in the Yatra and participated in the functions held in different locations of states and districts. Many of them also extended support through their message.

Malwa Gramin Bank Officers Exam., 2012

General Knowledge

(Exam Held on 8-1-2012)

1. Which of the following is one of the major functions of the RBI ?
(A) Maintain India Investment Fund created by the Govt. of India
(B) Act as custodian of the foreign exchange reserves of the country
(C) Appoint (CEOs) of the foreign banks in India
(D) Appoint Finance Secretary to the Govt. of India
(E) Decide exchange rates of currencies like Yen, Yuan and Dollars
Ans : (B)

2. Who among the following is a regulator of financial/banking institutes / organizations in India ?
(A) Indian Bureau of Standards
(B) Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
(C) Central Bureau of Investigation
(D) Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
(E) Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Ans : (E)

3. Who among the following is the Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles at present in India ?
(A) Sri Anand Sharma
(B) Dr. Farooq Abdullah
(C) Sri Ghulam Nabi Azad
(D) Sri Kapil Sibbal
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

4. Which of the following terms is used in the field of Banking / Finance ?
(A) Reflex Action
(B) RH Factor
(C) Active Asset
(D) Amendment
(E) Statement of Fact
Ans : (C)

5. Which of the following is the period of the 12th Five Year Plan of India ?
(A) 2011–16
(B) 2010–15
(C) 2012–17
(D) 2013–18
(E) 2009–14
Ans : (C)


6. Which of the following books is written by Arundhati Roy ?
(A) India Wins Freedom
(B) The God of Small Things
(C) A Himalayan Love Story
(D) A Bend in the River
(E) Adversary in the House
Ans : (B)

7. What does the letter ‘R’ denote in the term ‘RTGS’ as used in the field of banking ?
(A) Real
(B) Reasonable
(C) Rotation
(D) Rate
(E) Repo
Ans : (A)

8. Bertrand Tavernier who was honoured by Life Time Achievement Award in 42nd International Film Festival of India in November 2011 is a citizen of—
(A) India
(B) U.S.A.
(C) Germany
(D) France
(E) Britain
Ans : (D)

9. Which of the following terms is used in the game of Cricket ?
(A) Love
(B) Knock-out
(C) Deuce
(D) Silly Point
(E) Dribble
Ans : (D)

10. Which of the following is the sensitive index of National Stock Exchange ?
(A) Nifty
(B) Sensex
(C) MCX
(D) CNX
(E) ETF
Ans : (B)

11. Who among the following is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan at present ?
(A) Sri Mukul Vasnik
(B) Sri Kamal Nath
(C) Sri Ashok Gehlot
(D) Sri Ashok Chandra Meena
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

12. Novelist Julian Barnes who won Man Booker Prize for his book recently is a citizen of—
(A) France
(B) Australia
(C) U. S. A.
(D) Britain
(E) Germany
Ans : (D)

13. Muammar Gaddafi who died recently was a political leader of—
(A) Egypt
(B) Syria
(C) Kenya
(D) Turkey
(E) Libya
Ans : (E)

14. Steve Jobs was associated with which of the following fields ?
(A) Computers
(B) Sports
(C) Films
(D) Politics
(E) Literature
Ans : (A)

15. Nobel Prizes, which were announced recently, are not given in the field of—
(A) Physics
(B) Chemistry
(C) Medicine
(D) Economics
(E) Civil Administration
Ans : (E)

16. The 51st National Open Athletics Championship was held in September 2011 in—
(A) Hyderabad
(B) Mumbai
(C) Delhi
(D) Kolkata
(E) Ranchi
Ans : (D)

17. Which of the following is grown in Maharashtra in abundance ?
(A) Black Pepper
(B) Tea
(C) Jute
(D) Cotton
(E) Rubber
Ans : (D)

18. Govt. of India has made a special agreement with U.S.A. to develop which of the following modes of power generation in India ?
(A) Hydro power
(B) Thermal power
(C) Wind power
(D) Nuclear power
(E) All of these
Ans : (D)

19. Which of the following is a programme to develop Health Services in Rural India ?
(A) NHDP
(B) JNNORM
(C) ASHA
(D) MGNREGA
(E) RAY
Ans : (C)

20. Head Office of which of the following banks is in Delhi ?
(A) Punjab National Bank
(B) Bank of India
(C) UCO Bank
(D) Corporation Bank
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

21. The Cattle Mela takes place in which of the following cities in Rajasthan ?
(A) Jodhpur
(B) Bharatpur
(C) Bikaner
(D) Jaipur
(E) Pushkar
Ans : (B)

22. Which of the following is the biggest stock exchange of India where maximum number of transactions take place every day ?
(A) Delhi
(B) Ahmedabad
(C) Mumbai
(D) Bengaluru
(E) Kolkata
Ans : (C)

23. The Atomic Power Station is located in which of the following places in Karnataka ?
(A) Kaiga
(B) Trombay
(C) Mangalore
(D) Hassan
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

24. Which of the following is the abbreviated name of the organization working for the welfare of the children ?
(A) CII
(B) BAFTA
(C) CRY
(D) NATO
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

25. The World Environment Day is observed on which of the following days ?
(A) July 25
(B) June 5
(C) April 5
(D) December 15
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

26. Saina Nehwal who was in news recently is associated with the game of—
(A) Football
(B) Badminton
(C) Basket Ball
(D) Hockey
(E) Chess
Ans : (B)

27. Who amongst the following is a member of SAARC ?
(A) Indonesia
(B) Pakistan
(C) Kuwait
(D) Iraq
(E) Fiji
Ans : (B)

28. Who amongst the following is the author of the book Diamond Dust and Other Stories ?
(A) Amrita Pritam
(B) Mulkraj Anand
(C) Anita Desai
(D) Chetan Bhagat
(E) Khushwant Singh
Ans : (C)

29. ‘Subrato Cup’ is associated with the game of—
(A) Cricket
(B) Badminton
(C) Hockey
(D) Football
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

30. Which of the following instruments is normally used by the medical professionals ?
(A) Stroboscope
(B) Stethoscope
(C) Photometer
(D) Thermoscope
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

31. Polio is caused by a—
(A) Fungus
(B) Bacteria
(C) Virus
(D) Either (A) or (B)
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

32. Pulitzer Prize is given for contribution in the field of—
(A) Literature
(B) Sports
(C) Politics
(D) Cinema
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

33. ‘Taka’ is the monetary unit of—
(A) Saudi Arabia
(B) Iraq
(C) Kuwait
(D) Afghanistan
(E) Bangladesh
Ans : (E)

34. Who among the following is the Vice President of India at present ?
(A) Ms. Meira Kumar
(B) Smt. Sonia Gandhi
(C) Mr. M. Hamid Ansari
(D) Sri Rajiv Shukla
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

35. Which is the name of a country ?
(A) Lira
(B) Euro
(C) Peso
(D) Botswana
(E) Londo
Ans : (D)

36. Which of the following terms is used in the field of Physics ?
(A) Quarrying
(B) Herbal
(C) Halite
(D) Radiation
(E) Fern
Ans : (D)

37. Which of the following is the Capital of Vietnam ?
(A) Jakarta
(B) Manila
(C) Hanoi
(D) Prague
(E) Suva
Ans : (C)

38. Economy of which of the following countries is passing through a crisis and the Govt. is seeking help of European Union countries to stabilize the same ?
(A) Greece
(B) Russia
(C) China
(D) Japan
(E) Canada
Ans : (A)

39. Which of the following is not a metal ?
(A) Gold
(B) Silver
(C) Zinc
(D) Copper
(E) Sulphur
Ans : (E)

40. Who among the following is the President of Italy at present ?
(A) Michael D. Higgins
(B) Giorgio Napolitano
(C) Mario Monti
(D) Joe Biden
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

41. ‘Manhattan’ is a town/city in—
(A) United Kingdom
(B) Canada
(C) Australia
(D) Japan
(E) U.S.A.
Ans : (E)

42. Term ‘Insider Trading’ is associated with—
(A) Stock markets
(B) Defence services
(C) Parliamentary procedures
(D) Book publishing business
(E) Sports
Ans : (A)

43. Which of the following agencies/bodies controls Football matches at international levels ?
(A) FIFA
(B) BCCI
(C) ATP
(D) MCC
(E) FEDAI
Ans : (A)

44. Which of the following Awards is given to a Sportsperson for his/her excellent performance ?
(A) Kalidas Sanman
(B) Arjuna Award
(C) Dadasaheb Phalke Award
(D) Saraswati Puraskar
(E) Dronacharya Award
Ans : (B)

45. Who amongst the following was the captain of the Indian team which won ICC Cricket World Cup ?
(A) Virender Sehwag
(B) Yuvraj Singh
(C) Sachin Tendulkar
(D) Yusuf Pathan
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

46. Which of the following films is directed by Karan Johar for which he got Filmfare Award for Best Director 2011 ?
(A) Rockstar
(B) Ra-One
(C) Dhobi Ghat
(D) Chalo Dilli
(E) My Name is Khan
Ans : (E)

47. Who amongst the following is a famous Lawn Tennis player and has represented India in many Sports events ?
(A) Anjali Bhagwat
(B) Sunita Rani
(C) Mayookha Johny
(D) Anju Bobby George
(E) Sania Mirza
Ans : (E)

48. Which of the following is not an anti poverty scheme launched by the Govt. of India ?
(A) Bharat Nirman
(B) MG National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(C) Annapurna Yojana
(D) Antyodaya Yojana
(E) Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana
Ans : (C)

49. Who amongst the following is a famous Author ?
(A) Roger Federer
(B) Kiran Desai
(C) Ms. Meira Kumar
(D) Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
(E) Neha Dhupia
Ans : (B)

50. What is the full form of ‘IMF’ ?
(A) Indian Money Fund
(B) International Monetary Fund
(C) International Money Forum
(D) Institute of Money and Finance
(E) Indian Monetary Fund
Ans : (B)

Baroda Rajasthan Gramin Bank Officers Exam., 2011

General Knowledge

(Held on 13-3-2011)  

1. First share market in India was established in which of the following cities ?
(A) Delhi
(B) Chennai
(C) Mumbai
(D) Ahmedabad
(E) Kolkata
Ans : (C)

2. Which of the following is not decided by the Finance Minister while presenting Union Budget every year ?
(A) Rate of Income Tax
(B) Expenditure on Defence Services
(C) Relief packages to various sections of the society
(D) Repo and Reverse Repo
(E) Revenue Expected from various sources
Ans : (D)

3. Which country is at the top in production of silk in the world ?
(A) India
(B) Brazil
(C) Japan
(D) South Korea
(E) China
Ans : (E)

4. Who amongst the following is the President of France at present ?
(A) Hu Jintao
(B) Elena Vesnina
(C) Jakaya Kikwete
(D) Dilma Rousseff
(E) Nicolas Sarkozy
Ans : (E)

5. Which of the following is grown as oil seed ?
(A) Mustard
(B) Garlic
(C) Safed Musli
(D) Urad
(E) Clove
Ans : (A)



6. Which of the following is not an agricultural commodity ?
(A) Mango
(B) Clove
(C) Alum
(D) Onion
(E) Potato
Ans : (C)

7. Which organization is being given the status of Micro Finance Regulating Authority as per the bill introduced in the parliament ?
(A) SIDBI
(B) IDBI
(C) NABARD
(D) RBI
(E) SBI
Ans : (D)

8. GNP stands for—
(A) Group Net Product
(B) Gross National Product
(C) Grand Nuclear Process
(D) Group Networking Process
(E) Grand National Product
Ans : (B)

9. Some rural people still prefer to go to which of the following non institutional source for their credit needs ?
(A) Micro Finance Institutions
(B) Commercial Banks
(C) Urban Cooperative Banks
(D) Money Lenders
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

10. Nano car is launched by which of the following industrial groups ?
(A) Bajaj Group
(B) Maruti Suzuki Group
(C) Mahindra & Mahindra Group
(D) Reliance Group
(E) Tata Group
Ans : (E)

11. Term 'Balance of Payment' is used in relation to which of the following ?
(A) Diplomatic Relations
(B) Exports and Imports
(C) Annual production in a factory
(D) Deficit in Union Budget
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

12. Which of the following rates/ratios is not covered under the RBI Monetory and credit policy ?
(A) Bank rate
(B) Exchange rate of foreign currencies
(C) Repo Rate
(D) Reverse repo rate
(E) Cash reserve ratio
Ans : (B)

13. Which of the following has given, Aadhaar' as its new brand name ?
(A) UIDAI
(B) Sports Ministry, GOI
(C) Ministry of Tourism, GOI
(D) NHAI
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

14. Contribution to Prime Minister's Relief Fund enjoys Income Tax benefit Under various sections of the act upto the limit of—
(A) 50%
(B) 75%
(C) 100%
(D) 30%
(E) No exemption is available
Ans : (C)

15. Which of the following is not a food crop ?
(A) Paddy
(B) Wheat
(C) Bajra
(D) Jowar
(E) Jatropha
Ans : (E)

16. Which of the following is not an employment generating programme of Govt. of India ?
(A) NREGA
(B) PMGSY
(C) SGSRY
(D) TRYSEM
(E) OPAP
Ans : (E)

17. When the loan is granted by a bank for purchase of white goods it is called—
(A) Consumption loan
(B) White goods loan
(C) Consumer durable loan
(D) All the above
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

18. The term 'Power of Attorney' refers to……………
(A) Power entrusted to a person of authority
(B) A mandate to withdraw money from someone's Bank account
(C) An instrument by which a person is empowered to act for another person
(D) All of the above
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

19. Which of the following gamest sports was not included in Commonwealth Games 2010 ?
(A) Table Tennis
(B) Hockey
(C) Weight lifting
(D) Golf
(E) Boxing
Ans : (D)

20. Which of the following is/are true about the 'Gram Nyayalayas' ?
1. These courts will be mobile courts and will function at Panchayat level.
2. The Magistrate of these courts will go to the villages in their area of coverage and will dispose off cases of the villages there itself.
3. Only civil suits related to the property of Rs. 5,00,000 and above will be disposed off in this way.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Only 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)

21. The Reverse Mortgage Scheme was launched by some organizations a few years back. This was done to help which of the following sections of society ?
(A) Beneficiaries of the NREGA
(B) People living Below Poverty Line
(C) Youngsters
(D) Senior Citizens
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

22. Which of the following metals is used for generation of nuclear Energy by most of the Nuclear Power Plants ?
(A) Zinc
(B) Platinum
(C) Uranium
(D) Nickel
(E) Barium
Ans : (C)

23. Which of the following is/are considered a Renewable Source of Energy ?
1. Wind Energy
2. Solar Energy
3. Nuclear Energy
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (D)

24. Which of the following is/are true about the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ?
(A) The Act is now know as Indira Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(B) The Act is now applicable to all the districts of the country
(C) Minimum wage fixed under this Act is now Rs. 250 per day
(D) Employment is given now for 200 days in a year
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

25. Which of the following is the full form of the abbreviation IFRS as used in corporate/financial sector ?
(A) Indian Financial Reconciliation Standards
(B) Interpretation and Formal Reporting System
(C) International Financial Reporting Standards
(D) International Financial Reporting System
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

26. 'Heavy Water' is used in which of the following fields ?
(A) Thermal Power
(B) Cement industry
(C) Iron and Steel Industry
(D) Nuclear Power
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

27. At present who is the Governor of Reserve Bank of India?
(A) Dr. Y. V. Reddy
(B) Dr. C. Rangarajan
(C) Shri C. Chidambaram
(D) Dr. Subir Gokarn
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

28. One of the major emphasis of Basel II is that banks should have—
(A) Adequate Capital adequacy ratio
(B) Only few branches in Metro centres
(C) More and more branches in Rural areas should be opened
(D) Core banking mode of operations
(E) All the above
Ans : (A)

29. Amendments in 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)

30. As per the reports in various newspapers many private companies are trying to obtain the licences to launch a banking company in India. Which of the following organizations/agencies issue the licence for the same ?
(A) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
(B) Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF)
(C) Indian Bank Association
(D) Registrar of Companies
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

31. When is Income tax required to be deducted by the banks at source on interest accrued and paid by them on the fixed deposits? When the……………
(A) amount of interest accrued/payable is more than Rs. 5000 p. a.
(B) amount of interest accrued/payable is more than Rs. 10000 p. a.
(C) Interest is more than Rs. 20,000 p. a.
(D) customer is not valuable to the bank
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


32. Which of the following methods is being adopted by Banks for calculating and applying interest on Savings Bank accounts ?
(A) On monthly products based on minimum balance between 10th and last working day
(B) Daily balance is counted and interest is paid accordingly
(C) On average Quarterly balance
(D) On average half yearly balance
(E) None of the above
Ans : (A)

33. Which one of the following is the objective of the flagship scheme 'Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana' (RSBY) ?
(A) To provide life insurance cover to rural households
(B) To provide health insurance cover to rural households
(C) To provide both life and health insurance cover to rural households
(D) To provide life and health insurance covers only to people living below poverty line
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

34. Structure of Basel II is based on how many pillars ?
(A) Two
(B) Four
(C) Three
(D) Eight
(E) Six
Ans : (C)

35. 'Pulitzer Prize' is given in the field of…………….
(A) Literature
(B) Social service
(C) Films
(D) Science
(E) Sports
Ans : (A)

36. Which of the following terms/trophies is related with the game of cricket ?
(A) Love
(B) Trump
(C) Grand slam
(D) Tee
(E) Ashes
Ans : (E)

37. Who amongst the following is the President of Pakistan ?
(A) Yusuf Raza Gillani
(B) Nawaz Sharif
(C) Shah Mehmood Qureshi
(D) Asif Ali Zardari
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

38. Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize 2006, is the exponent of which of the following concepts in the field of banking ?
(A) Core Banking
(B) Micro Credit
(C) Retail Banking
(D) Real Time Gross Settlement
(E) Internet Banking
Ans : (B)

39. Which of the following phenomenon is considered responsible for 'Global Warming' ?
(A) Greenhouse Gas Effect
(B) Fox Fire
(C) Dry Farming
(D) Radioactivity
(E) All of these
Ans : (A)

40. OPEC is a group of countries which are—
(A) Exporting oil
(B) Producing cotton
(C) Rich and developed
(D) Developing and poor
(E) Nuclear powers
Ans : (A)

41. TRAI regulates the functioning of which of the following ?
(A) Insurance
(B) Banking
(C) Stock Market
(D) Transport
(E) Telecom
Ans : (E)

42. Which of the following books is written by Chetan Bhagat ?
(A) A Bend in the River
(B) A China Passage
(C) A Suitable Boy
(D) Five Point Someone
(E) A House for Mr. Biswas
Ans : (D)

43. VAT stands for-
(A) Value And Tax
(B) Value Added Tax
(C) Virtual Action Tasks
(D) Virtual Assessment Technique
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

44. 'Handshaking' in Networking parlance means—
(A) Connecting computers to a hub
(B) Distributed Networks
(C) Having same operating system on different computers
(D) Sending e-mail
(E) Receiving e-mails
Ans : (A)

45. 'Richter Scale' is used to measure which of the following ?
(A) Intensity of Tsunami Waves
(B) Intensity of Earthquake
(C) Density of salt in Sea water
(D) Flow of electric current
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

46. Wimbledon Trophy is associated with—
(A) Football
(B) Cricket
(C) Hockey
(D) Basketball
(E) Lawn Tennis
Ans : (E)

47. Which of the following books is written by Arun Shourie ?
(A) A Bend in the River
(B) A Brush with Life
(C) A Secular Agenda
(D) A suitable Boy
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

48. Which of the following aptly defines the term Financial–literacy ?
1. How to use credit responsibly
2. How to manage money
3. How to minimize financial risks
4. How to derive long term benefits from savings
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2 and 3
(C) Both 3 and 4
(D) All 1, 2, 3 and 4
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

49. Which of the following awards is given for excellence in the field of cinema ?
(A) Dada Saheb Phalke
(B) Arjuna
(C) Booker Prize
(D) Kalidas Samman
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

50. What is the maximum number of free transactions that can be undertaken by a customer by using ATM of other bank in a month ?
(A) 2 per month
(B) 5 per month
(C) 10 per month
(D) 15 per month
(E) No such restriction
Ans : (B)

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

Poverty dips to 29.8% in 2009-10: Plan panel

Poverty declined to 29.8 per cent in 2009-10 from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05, according to the Planning Commission. It estimated the total number of poor in the country at 34.47 crore in 2009-10, against 40.72 crore in 2004-05.

Poverty declined at a faster pace in rural India between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the Plan panel said in its estimates released on Monday. However, overall poverty is still more pronounced in rural India.

“The all-India head count ratio (HCR) has declined by 7.3 percentage points… with rural poverty declining by 8 percentage points from 41.8 per cent to 33.8 per cent and urban poverty declining by 4.8 percentage points from 25.7 per cent to 20.9 per cent,” according to an official statement.

THE MOST MARGINALISED

Among social groups in rural areas, 47.4 per cent Scheduled Tribes are the poorest, followed by Scheduled Castes at 42.3 per cent, Other Backward Castes at 31.9 per cent, against 33.8 per cent for all classes.

In urban India, SCs are the poorest at 34.1 per cent, followed by STs at 30.4 per cent and OBC at 24.3 per cent against 20.9 per cent for all classes.

Among religious groups, Muslims are the poorest in urban areas at 33.9 per cent. In rural areas, the HCR for Muslims is very high in Assam (53.6 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (44.4 per cent), West Bengal (34.4 per cent) and Gujarat (31.4 per cent).

FARM/CASUAL LABOUR POOREST

In the work segment, nearly 50 per cent of agricultural labourers are poor and 40 per cent of other labourers are below the poverty line in rural areas.

Even in the agriculturally prosperous States of Haryana, 55.9 per cent of agricultural labourers are poor, whereas in Punjab it is as high as 35.6 per cent.

In urban areas, casual labourers were the worst off with 47.1 per cent poor. The HCR of casual labour was the highest in Bihar (86 per cent), Assam (89 per cent), Orissa (58.8 per cent), Punjab (56.3 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (67.6 per cent) and West Bengal (53.7 per cent).

The Planning Commission's estimates of poverty are based on the methodology recommended by the Tendulkar Committee, which includes spending on health and education, besides calorie intake.

Planning Commission lowers the poverty line

The Planning Commission released the latest poverty estimates for the country showing a decline in the incidence of poverty by 7.3 per cent over the past five years and stating that anyone with a daily consumption expenditure of Rs. 28.35 and Rs. 22.42 in urban and rural areas respectively is above the poverty line.

The new poverty estimates for 2011-12 will only add to the furore triggered by the Commission's affidavit in the Supreme Court in October in which the BPL cap was pegged at an expenditure of Rs. 32 and Rs. 26 by an individual in the urban and rural areas respectively at the going rate of inflation in 2010-11.

Eventually, Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh and Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia jointly set aside the cap suggested by the Tendulkar Committee and set up a new committee to work out a new methodology for identifying the BPL households. As per the Household Consumer Expenditure Survey for 2009-10, 29.9 per cent of the population alone were under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) from 37.2 per cent in 2004-05. 

Rural poverty

Rural poverty has declined by eight percentage points, from 41.8 per cent to 33.8 per cent, and urban poverty by 4.8 per cent, from 25.7 per cent to 20.9 per cent.

At the national level, anyone earning Rs. 672.8 monthly that is earning Rs. 22.42 per day in the rural area and Rs. 859.6 monthly or Rs. 28.35 per day in the urban area is above the poverty line. Population as on March 1, 2010 has been used for estimating the number of persons below the poverty line.

The total number of people below the poverty line in the country is 35.46 crore as against 40.72 crore in 2004-05. In rural areas, the number has come down from 32.58 crore five years ago to 27.82 crore and the urban BPL number stands at 7.64 crore as against 8.14 crore five years ago.

One of the most astonishing revelations is that poverty has actually gone up in the north-eastern States of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.

Even big States such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh registered only a marginal decline in poverty ratio, particularly in the rural areas, whereas States such as Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarakhand saw about 10 per cent decline in poverty over the past years.

States with high incidence of poverty are Bihar at (53.5 per cent), Chhattisgarh (48.7 per cent), Manipur (47.1 per cent), Jharkhand (39.1), Assam (37.9 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (37.7 per cent).

However, it is in poverty-ridden Odisha that monthly per head expenditure of just Rs. 567.1 and Rs. 736 in rural and urban areas respectively puts one above the poverty line, while in Nagaland, where the incidence of poverty has gone up, the per capita consumption expenditure of Rs. 1016.8 and Rs. 1147.6 in rural and urban areas puts one above the poverty level.

Among social groups in the rural areas, Scheduled Tribes (47.4 per cent) suffer the highest level of poverty, followed by Scheduled Castes (42.3 per cent), Other Backward Castes (31.9 per cent) as against. 33.8 per cent for all classes.

In rural Bihar and Chhattisgarh, nearly two-third of the SCs and the STs are poor where as in States like Manipur, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh it is more than 50 per cent.

In urban areas, 34.1 per cent of SCs, 30.4 of STs and 24.3 per cent OBCs fall under this category against 20.9 per cent for all classes.

Poverty Estimates for 2009-10

The Tendulkar Committee for the first time recommended use of implicit prices derived from quantity and value data collected in household consumer expenditure surveys for computing and updating the poverty lines. Tendulkar Committee developed a methodology using implicit prices for estimating state wise poverty lines for the year 2004-05. Using these poverty lines and distribution of monthly per capita consumption expenditure based on mixed reference period (MRP), the Tendulkar Committee estimated poverty ratios for the year 2004-05.In its Report, Tendulkar Committee recommended a methodology for updating 2004-05 poverty lines derived by it.

         Accordingly, implicit price indices (Fisher Price Index) have been computed from the 66^th Round NSS (2009-10) data on Household Consumer Expenditure Survey. As per Tendulkar Committee recommendations, the state wise urban poverty lines of 2004-05 are updated for 2009-10 based on price rise during this period using Fisher price indices. The state wise rural-urban price differential in 2009-10 has been applied on state specific urban poverty lines to get state specific rural poverty lines.

      The head count ratio (HCR) is obtained using urban and rural poverty lines which are applied on the MPCE distribution of the states. The aggregated BPL population of the states is used to obtain the final all-India HCR and poverty lines in rural and urban areas. Some of the key results are:

      The all-India HCR has declined by 7.3 percentage points from 37.2% in 2004-05 to 29.8% in 2009-10, with rural poverty declining by 8.0 percentage points from 41.8% to 33.8% and urban poverty declining by 4.8 percentage points from 25.7% to 20.9%.

       Poverty ratio in Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarakhand has declined by about 10 percentage points and more.

       In Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, poverty in 2009-10 has increased.

      Some of the bigger states such as Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh have shown only marginal decline in poverty ratio, particularly in rural areas.

         Poverty ratio for Social Groups:

       In rural areas, Scheduled Tribes exhibit the highest level of poverty (47.4%), followed by Scheduled Castes (SCs), (42.3%), and Other Backward Castes (OBC), (31.9%), against 33.8% for all classes.

       In urban areas, SCs have HCR of 34.1% followed by STs (30.4%) and OBC (24.3%) against 20.9% for all classes.

       In rural Bihar and Chhattisgarh, nearly two-third of SCs and STs are poor, whereas in states such as Manipur, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh the poverty ratio for these groups is more than half.

         Among religious groups:

       Sikhs have lowest HCR in rural areas (11.9%) whereas in urban areas, Christians have the lowest proportion (12.9%) of poor.

       In rural areas, the HCR for Muslims is very high in states such as Assam (53.6%), Uttar Pradesh (44.4%), West Bengal (34.4%) and Gujarat (31.4%).

       In urban areas poverty ratio at all India level is highest for Muslims (33.9%). Similarly, for urban areas the poverty ratio is high for Muslims in states such as Rajasthan (29.5%), Uttar Pradesh (49.5%), Gujarat (42.4%), Bihar (56.5%) and West Bengal (34.9%).

         For occupational categories: 

       Nearly 50% of agricultural labourers and 40% of other labourers are below the poverty line in rural areas, whereas in urban areas, the poverty ratio for casual labourers is 47.1%.

       As expected, those in regular wage/ salaried employment have the lowest proportion of poor. In the agriculturally prosperous state of Haryana, 55.9% agricultural labourers are poor, whereas in Punjab it is 35.6%.

       The HCR of casual laborers in urban areas is very high in Bihar (86%), Assam (89%), Orissa (58.8%), Punjab (56.3%), Uttar Pradesh (67.6%) and West Bengal (53.7%).

         Based on the Education level of head of the household:

       In rural areas, as expected, households with ‘primary level and lower’ education have the highest poverty ratio, whereas the reverse is true for households with ‘secondary and higher’ education. Nearly two third households with ‘primary level & lower’ education in rural areas of Bihar and Chhattisgarh are poor, whereas it is 46.8% for UP and 47.5% for Orissa.

       The trend is similar in urban areas.

         For categories by age and sex of head of the household:

       In rural areas, it is seen that households headed by minors have poverty ratio of 16.7% and households headed by female and senior citizen have poverty ratio of 29.4% and 30.3% respectively.

       In urban areas, households headed by minors have poverty ratio of 15.7% and households headed by female and senior citizen have poverty ratio of 22.1% and 20.0% respectively against overall poverty ratio of 20.9%.

                  State wise details of poverty lines for 2009-10, poverty ratios for 2009-10 and poverty ratios for 2004-05 are given in Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3 respectively.

Click here to see Tables

National Tribal Awards, 2011-12

Smt. M.C. Mary Kom from Manipur will be conferred the National Tribal Awards, 2011-12 as the Best Janjatiya Achiever for outstanding achievement in the field of sports and Shri Guru Rewben Mashangva from Manipur for outstanding contribution in the field of tribal art and culture in category-A. Smt. Binny Yanaga (Maya) would be awarded for Exemplary Community Service rendered to the Scheduled Tribes in category-B.

The National Selection Committee (NSC) headed by Minister, Tribal Affairs & Panchayati Raj, Shri V. Kishore Chandra Deo in the meeting held this month selected the awardees. In Category ‘A’ - Best Janjatiya Achiever carries cash prize of Rs. 2.00 lakhs, a citation and a trophy and Category ‘B’ award carries cash prize of Rs. 5.00 lakhs, a citation and a trophy.

The Awards will be conferred to the recipients during the National Tribal Festival – Prakriti to be inaugurated on 20th March, 2012 at 7 pm in Siri Fort Auditorium.

New Schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the 12th Five Year Plan

Based on the recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) the Ministry of Minority Affairs has proposed to implement the following new schemes in the 12th Five Year Plan towards inclusive development to empower the minorities:

(i) Interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies scheme for the students belonging to minority communities with the objective of providing financial assistance by way of extending interest subsidy on education loans to students of  minority communities for pursuing higher studies abroad;

(ii) Free bicycle for Girl Students of Class IX with the objective of retention of minority girl students from Class IX onwards;

(iii) Support for students clearing Prelims Conducted by UPSC/SSC, State Public Service Commission (PSC) etc. with the objective to support candidates from the minority   communities who qualify at the preliminary Examinations conducted by Union  Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), State             Public Service Commissions (PSCs) etc. to improve their representation in    government services;

(iv) Scheme for promotion of education in 100 minority concentration towns/cities  having substantial minority population, for empowering the minorities. This would be in the form of providing infrastructure for various levels of schools, including teaching aids and also for up-gradation and construction of infrastructure for   skill and vocational education along with hostel facility;

(v) Village development programme for villages not covered by minority concentration blocks (MCBs)/ minority concentration  districts(MCDs) to address the development needs for 1000 villages inhabited by minority communities but falling outside the  selected minority concentration districts. The main objective of the scheme is to provide infrastructure for socio-economic development and basic amenities;

(vi) Support to Districts Level institution in MCDs to give financial support for setting up and running district level institutions for minority welfare in Minority Concentration Districts; and

(vii) Skill Development Initiatives to enhance employment and livelihood skills of  minorities by providing skills and skills up-gradation to the minority communities.

Earlier, the National Advisory Council had submitted its  report titled “Towards Inclusive Development to Empower Minorities” with the following major recommendations:

(i)   For implementation of the Multi sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) and Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme, rural and urban areas with a high concentration of minorities  should be the Unit of Planning with focus on access to basic services such as ICDS services, clean drinking water, individual sanitation, sewerage and drainage;

(ii) Formal engagement of non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in all the Minority Concentration Districts for monitoring and mandatory social audits;

(iii)  Substantially enhancing allocation for MsDP in 12th Plan;

(iv)  Revision of MsDP guidelines to ensure that need based proposals have synergy with the 15- Point Programme rather than duplication;

(v)  Establishment of a credible data bank on an urgent basis for operationalisation of the Assessment and Monitoring Agency;

(vi) Expansion of the 15 Point Programme to include schemes such as small and medium industries, youth affairs, agriculture;

(vii) Scholarships  Schemes: a) Make  the Pre-Matric scholarships a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme ; b) Make the Pre- matric and Post- matric scholarship Schemes   demand – driven and universal schemes; c) Increase the scholarship amount for Post- Matric scholarships with rationalized and differing scholarship structure for different categories (10+2, Basic Degree Courses, Professional Degree Courses); d) Increase amount and number of Merit-cum- means and Maulana Azad National Fellowships; e) Ensure a radical simplification of procedures at all levels to make schemes accessible to those who need them most; and

(viii) Establish residential social welfare hostels for minority children from class VI to XII and residential schools in minorities blocks and towns/cities.

DEPB Scheme

Government has withdrawn DEPB Scheme with effect from 1.10.2011. It was decided that revised duty drawback rates are extended to items which were in the DEPB Scheme. The Duty Drawback Scheme, which was announced for the year 2011-12 on 20.9.2011 (effective from 1.10.2011) has 1096 new items. The Scheme was earlier extended for a further period of 3 months from 30.6.2011, i.e., upto 30.9.2011 so as to facilitate a smooth transition once the DEPB Scheme is phased out. Government has received requests from various industries for extension of DEPB Scheme. The decision to phase out DEPB has not been reconsidered.

Jordan requests for Election Commission of India’s assistance in Election Management and Electoral Reforms

Jordan has requested Election Commission of India for assistance in election management and electoral reforms. The request was made by Jordanian Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Awn Khasawneh to the visiting Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr. S.Y. Quraishi at their meeting in Amman. Dr. Quraishi who is heading a four-member delegation to Jordan on the invitation of the country’s Prime Minister, assured the Jordanian side of Election Commission of India’s support in the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to develop election laws and election management structure. The Jordanian Prime Minister informed the Chief Election Commissioner about the steps undertaken to create an independent Election Commission in his country and sought Election Commission of India’s help in building capacity of Jordanian officials in conduct of elections. He complimented the Indian Commission for its remarkable work and said that Jordan would like to benefit from the experience. Dr. Quraishi made an offer to H.E. Mr. Awn Khasawneh that the top officials of the proposed Election Commission of Jordan can receive training at the Election Commission of India. He offered the Jordanian side Election Commission of India’s training facilities at the newly created India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), while suggesting that the training can take place either in India or Jordan or at both places. He briefed the Jordanian Prime Minister about various aspects of conduct of elections in India including new interventions like voters’ education and expenditure control. Dr. Quraishi lauded various measures being taken up by Kingdom of Jordan under the leadership of King Abdullah II for ensuring a fair and transparent polling process. He suggested to the Jordanian Government a set of various statutes and legal provisions relating to management of Indian elections.

The Jordanian Prime Minister was joined in the meeting by his cabinet colleagues and other officials. Chief Election Commissioner was accompanied by India’s Ambassador to Jordan, Mr. R.R. Dash and other members of the delegation. Dr. Quraishi will have meetings with several Jordanian Ministers and dignitaries including Ministers of Justice, Legal Affairs and Political Development and Parliamentary Affairs for preparing a roadmap of collaboration between the two sides. He is accompanied by Shri Akshay Rout, Director General, Election Commission of India; Shri Umesh Sinha, Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh and Shri S.K. Mendiratta, Legal Advisor, Election Commission of India.

Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards, 2010

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has announced the annual awards and commendation certificates for the seventeenth prestigious Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards for the year 2010.

The Best of All Awards has been won by Vikram Cement Works (A unit of Ultratech Cement Limited), Khor, Madhya Pradesh. The other category award winners include Ashok Leyland Limited, Bhandara, Maharashtra (Large Scale Manufacturing Industry); Kudale Instruments Private Limited, Pune, Maharashtra (Small Scale Manufacturing Industry); and Chaitanya Hospital, Chandigarh, Punjab (Small Scale Service Industry).

In addition to these awards, ten organizations have been selected for commendation certificates under various categories.

The award winners and recipients of commendation certificates were selected from a total of 64 applicants from various sectors following vigorous evaluation by a group of qualified and trained professionals from different spheres of intellectual activity. Awards would be presented by Prof. K.V. Thomas, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in a ceremony scheduled to be held later on.

The awards, given annually, were instituted by the Bureau of Indian Standards in the year 1991 with a view to encouraging Indian manufacturing and service organizations to strive for excellence and giving special recognition to those, who are considered to be the leaders of quality movement in India.

Setting Up of NCLT and NCLAT

The Government proposes to set up National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Provisions have been incorporated in the Companies Bill, 2011 which has been introduced in the Lok Sabha on 14.12.2011.

The establishment of NCLT and NCLAT as specialized Quasi Judicial Bodies with professional approach will have the following beneficial effects:

(i) reduce pendency of winding up cases and shorten the period of winding-up process;

(ii) avoid multiplicity and levels of litigation before High Courts and quasi-judicia Authorities like Company Law Board (CLB), Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) and Appellate Authority for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (AAIFR) as all such matters will then be heard and decided by NCLT;

(iii) the appellate procedure will be streamlined with an appeal against order of the NCLT lying before NCLAT and with further appeal against the order of NCLAT lying with the Supreme Court only on points of law, thereby reducing the delay in appeals; and

(iv) the burden on High Courts will be reduced and BIFR and AAIFR will be dissolved.

These Tribunals can become operational only after the enactment of the said Bill.

This information was given by the the Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs Shri R.P.N. Singh in Rajya Sabha today in reply to a written question whether Government proposes to set up National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT); the details in this regard; the reasons for setting up of NCLT and NCLAT; and by when these Tribunals would start their operation in the country

Skill Development Mission

Government  launched a National Skill  Development Mission in the Eleventh Five Year Plan with a following three tier structure:

(i)Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister, for policy direction and review of skill development efforts in the country.

                                                                                                                                                                 

(ii) National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission to enumerate strategies to implement the decisions of PM’s council.

         (iii) National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a not- for-profit company under   the Companies Act, 1956. The corporation is being funded by the trust “National Skill Development Fund” to which the Government has contributed a sum of Rs.1495.10 crore. So far, four meetings of the PM’s Council  have been held to review the skill development efforts under the mission Seven meetings of the NSDCB have been held  in which reports of following  5 working Groups set up by the Planning Commission on various aspects of skill development have been discussed and various other decisions taken:

·            Remodeling India’s apprenticeship scheme,

·            Vision for Vocational Education and Vocational Training,

·            Improvement in Accreditation and Certification Systems,

·            Reorienting Curriculum on continuous basis, and

·            Establishing institutional mechanism for providing access to information of skill inventory and skill map on real time basis

              Till 29^th February, 2012 NSDC has approved 52 proposals involving a total financial commitment of about Rs. 1214 crore. Out of this, Rs. 179.36 crore have been disbursed. Number of persons actually trained so far is 104712.

                The composition of the  PM’s National Skill Development Council is given at Annex and functions  are as under :

                                      

               i.      Lay down overall broad Policy objectives, strategies, financing       and governance models to promote skill development ;

             ii.      Review  progress of activities relating to skill development periodically and provide  mid-course corrections, including changes in part or whole of current schemes under implementation;

           iii.      Orchestrate Public Sector/Private Sector initiatives in a framework of a collaborative action

     Following major decisions have been taken by the council for developing skills among    India’s youth and for labourers in various parts of the country:

i)             Formulation of vision, strategy and core operating principles to guide the action for creating 500 million skilled persons by year 2022.  

                                                                 

ii) Clearance of the National Policy on Skill Development which provides a road map for Skill development efforts in the country.

                All the major schemes of Skill Development are implemented through active participation of

respective  Departments of State Governments.     Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are also

being involved to run skill development programmes of Government Departments / Ministries.

                                 State–wise status of skill requirement and availability in major sectors is not available. However,National Policy on Skill Development has indicated requirement of 81-83 million skilled workforce by 2015 in sectors namely Auto, Construction, Retail, Healthcare, Banking & Financial services, Creative Industry and Logistics. Policy has also indicated incremental human resource requirement till 2022 as 300 million in sectors, namely, Mines and Minerals, construction, Engineering, Banking and Finance, Drugs and Pharma, Biotech, Healthcare, Textiles, IT and ITIs, Tourism, Agro and Food Processing, Paper and Chemical & Fertilizers.

               

                This information was given by Minister of Labour and Employment Shri   Mallikarjun Kharge  in reply in reply to a written question regarding the details and status of the Skill Development Mission undertaken by the Government during the Eleventh Plan alongwith the amount spent on this Mission so far; whether the Government has formed a National Skill Development Council to form core strategies for developing skills among India’s youth and for labourers in various parts of the country; if so, the details of the council thereof alongwith the different strategies of the council with regard to train such people; the involvement of State Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in such programme; and the present State–wise status of skill requirement and availability in major sectors.

MGNREGS under RSBY

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), providing for smart card based cashless health insurance cover of Rs. 30000/- per annum per family ( a unit of five) to BPL families in the unorganized sector, has been extended to such Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) beneficiaries who have worked more than 15 days during the preceding financial year.

The premium is shared between Central and State Government in the ratio of 75:25 and in case of States in North Eastern Region and Jammu & Kashmir, the ratio of sharing of premium is 90:10. The beneficiaries are required to pay registration/ renewal fee of Rs. 30 per annum only.

The numbers of beneficiaries under RSBY, Health insurance scheme for handloom weavers, Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthaya Bima Yojana (RGSSBY) for handicraft artisans, Universal Health Insurance Scheme (UHIS) are at Annexure- I to IV respectively.

The RSBY has also been extended to building and other construction workers registered under the Building and other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996 and street vendors, beedi workers and domestic workers. It is the endeavour of the Government to extend RSBY to other occupational groups in the unorganized sector in a phased manner.

This information was given by Minister of Labour and Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge in reply in reply to a written question a)whether the Government is planning to bring Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY); if so, the details thereof; the premium, required to be paid by the workers under the revised scheme; the number of workers from unorganised sectors benefited from various health insurance schemes so far during the last three years, State-wise including Uttarakhand; and whether there is any proposal to provide health insurance to all citizens for basic health under the scheme; and the steps taken by the Government to cover more such workers under the RSBY