Bio-diesel plants with an aggregate capacity of 3470 tonnes per day have been set up by private companies. One demonstration plant for production of three tonnes bio-diesel per day had been set up by the Chattisgarh Bio-fuel Development Board in the year 2005.
Four plants with an aggregate capacity of 1750 tonnes per day have been set up during the last three years by private companies in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
No funds have been allocated or spent by the Central Government for setting up of biodiesel plants. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has informed that no bio-diesel has been procured by oil marketing companies for blending with diesel during last three years.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Solar Technology Policies
The Government is aware that US Companies are bidding for Solar Power Projects in India. The subject of domestic content was raised by US in the fifth trade policy review of India which took place at WTO Geneva in Sep, 2011.
US has viewed the condition of domestic content stipulated in the guidelines for selection of Solar Power Projects under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to be inconsistent with the WTO obligations. The US Government has expressed its views on the condition of domestic content requirement.
The reaction of the Government has been that domestic content requirement is applicable to Grid Solar Power Projects of Phase-I of JNNSM which is essentially procurement of solar power by Government through designated entity NVVN. Hence there is no violation of WTO obligations.
The Government has targeted to achieve generation of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. Government has also put in place policies for Phase-I (upto 2012-13) of the Mission to support sourcing from domestic firms.
Sourcing key supplies from domestic firms has been encouraged. For this, a condition of domestic content has been stipulated in the Guidelines for Selection of Grid Connected Solar Projects which states that in case of PV projects, based on crystalline silicon technology, being selected in Phase-I, Batch-I -- use of solar modules, Batch-II -- use of solar cells and modules of Indian origin is mandatory. Import of thin film modules and CPV modules is permitted. Also, 30% domestic content is mandatory for all new solar thermal power projects sanctioned under Phase-I of the Mission.
US has viewed the condition of domestic content stipulated in the guidelines for selection of Solar Power Projects under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to be inconsistent with the WTO obligations. The US Government has expressed its views on the condition of domestic content requirement.
The reaction of the Government has been that domestic content requirement is applicable to Grid Solar Power Projects of Phase-I of JNNSM which is essentially procurement of solar power by Government through designated entity NVVN. Hence there is no violation of WTO obligations.
The Government has targeted to achieve generation of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. Government has also put in place policies for Phase-I (upto 2012-13) of the Mission to support sourcing from domestic firms.
Sourcing key supplies from domestic firms has been encouraged. For this, a condition of domestic content has been stipulated in the Guidelines for Selection of Grid Connected Solar Projects which states that in case of PV projects, based on crystalline silicon technology, being selected in Phase-I, Batch-I -- use of solar modules, Batch-II -- use of solar cells and modules of Indian origin is mandatory. Import of thin film modules and CPV modules is permitted. Also, 30% domestic content is mandatory for all new solar thermal power projects sanctioned under Phase-I of the Mission.
Climate Deal
The Minister of State (I/C) for Environment and Forests Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan informed Lok Sabha today that at the seventeenth session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which concluded in Durban, on Dec 10, 2011, the Parties adopted a set of decisions. She further stated that the key decisions include a decision to establish the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, operationalising the Green Climate Fund and the Technology Mechanism and adoption of the guidelines for transparency arrangements. It was also decided at Durban to launch a process under the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, to develop a protocol, another legal instrument, or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all Parties for the post-2020 period. The process under the Durban Platform is to be completed as early as possible but no later than 2015 for the new arrangement to come into effect and be implemented from 2020.
The Minister further stated that at Durban, India ensured that the importance of some of the unresolved issues relating to Bali Action Plan adopted at the Thirteenth Conference of Parties (COP-13) at Bali viz. Equity, Unilateral Trade Measures and Technology- related Intellectual Property Rights is recognized. India remains committed to implementation of decisions taken in Durban in accordance with the principles of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) of the Convention.
The Minister further stated that at Durban, India ensured that the importance of some of the unresolved issues relating to Bali Action Plan adopted at the Thirteenth Conference of Parties (COP-13) at Bali viz. Equity, Unilateral Trade Measures and Technology- related Intellectual Property Rights is recognized. India remains committed to implementation of decisions taken in Durban in accordance with the principles of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) of the Convention.
AEZs in Rajasthan
A peer evaluation of the existing AEZs was carried out in 2005 to assess the performance of AEZs. Some of the important findings of the peer evaluation include i) Lack of ownership by Government Authority and their Agencies, ii) Lack of awareness about the scheme and its conceptual framework among stakeholders including State Government field establishments, iii) Lack of project orientation in the conceptual design of AEZ, iv) Lack of coordination/ monitoring system in AEZs, v) Non materialization of adequate public investment from Central and State Governments, vi) indiscreet proliferation of AEZs etc. On the basis of the recommendations of the Peer Group in 2005, it was decided not to consider notification of new AEZs unless there were strong compelling reasons.
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.
Sunday, March 25, 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.
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
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)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
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?
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
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
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
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.
Monday, March 19, 2012
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 66th 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 29th 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.
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