Uttaranchal Gramin Bank Office Assistant Exam., 2011

General Knowledge

(Exam Held on 10-4-2011)

1. Which one of the following acts was passed recently to undo the “historic injustice done to tribals and other forest dwellers in India”?
(A) Forest Rights Act
(B) Right to Education Act
(C) Human Rights Act
(D) Civil Rights Act
(E) Forestry Development Act
Ans: (A)

2. Who is Dr. Subir Gokarn ?
(A) Chairman, SEBI
(B) Chairman, SBI
(C) Dy. Governor, RBI
(D) Member, Planning Commission
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

3. With which one of the following companies, the Cairn India has signed a deal ?
(A) ONGC
(B) Devon Energy
(C) Imperial Oil
(D) Vedenta
(E) Hindustan Petroleum
Ans: (D)

4. Who is Dr. Narendra Jadhav ?
(A) Chief Statistician, GOI
(B) Chief Economist, GOI
(C) Member, Planning Commission of India
(D) Economic Advisor to Govt. of India
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

5. Which one of the following conducts economic census in India ?
(A) Planning Commission
(B) Central Statistical Organisation
(C) Ministry of Rural Development GOI
(D) Census Commission
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

6. According to RBI Governor, which one of the following is a major challenge to its monetary policy ?
(A) Policies of World Trade Organisation
(B) High cost of imports
(C) Fiscal deficit
(D) Inflation and supportive recovery of Economy
(E) None of these
Ans: (D)

7. Who is C. P. Joshi ?
(A) Rural Development Minister
(B) Public Distribution Minister
(C) Civil Aviation Minister
(D) Minister of State for Agriculture
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

8. Cricketer, Mitchell Johnson, belongs to which one of the following countries ?
(A) Zimbabwe
(B) Australia
(C) New Zealand
(D) South Africa
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

9. Who amongst the following in ICC Cricketer of the year ?
(A) Sachin Tendulkar
(B) Jimmy Kamande
(C) Kevin Pietersen
(D) Jocques Kallis
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

10. In which one of the following cities, 2012 Olympic games are proposed to be held ?
(A) Paries
(B) Munich
(C) Athens
(D) London
(E) None of these
Ans: (D)

11. With which one of the following sports is Nicolas Anelka associated ?
(A) Cricket
(B) Football
(C) Hockey
(D) Badminton
(E) Table Tennis
Ans: (B)

12. Rio de-Janeiro is in which of the following countries ?
(A) Mexico
(B) Argentina
(C) Chile
(D) Brazil
(E) Australia
Ans: (D)

13. With which one of the following games is Vishwanathan Anand associated ?
(A) Billiard
(B) Chess
(C) Tennis
(D) Table Tennis
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

14. Surjit Singh Barnala is the Governor of which one of the following States ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Karnataka
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

15. In which one of the following States, is Melghat Tiger Reserve located ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) M. P.
(C) Kerala
(D) Maharashtra
(E) Rajasthan
Ans: (D)

16. Who is Dr. C. Rangarajan ?
(A) PMAEC, Chairman
(B) Economic Advisor to Finance Minister
(C) Chief Economist, Planning Commission
(D) Chief Vigilance Officer, GOI
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

17. According to Economic Survey, which one of the following countries has shown highest Real GDP percentage growth during 2010 ?
(A) USA
(B) UK
(C) India
(D) Germany
(E) China
Ans: (E)

18. Expand the term EEFC A/c—
(A) Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Accounts
(B) Export Earners’ Foreign Currency Accounts
(C) Exchange Earners’ Forward Contract Accounts
(D) Export Earners’ Forward Contract Accounts
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

19. According to Economic Survey, which one of the following is the biggest global economic power in the world ?
(A) China
(B) USA
(C) Japan
(D) Britain
(E) India
Ans: (A)

20. According to current Economic Survey, which of the following is/are some of the areas of concern for India ?
1. Unrest in the middle east
2. Widening current account deficit
3. Volatile capital flow
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 2 and 3
Ans: (A)

21. Which one of the following banks has decided not to accept bulk deposits for a while ?
(A) SBI
(B) ICICI
(C) HDFC
(D) Yes Bank
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

22. The Government has decided to amend the Banking companies Act to give public sector banks, the Rights of Passage. What is a
Rights of Passage ?
(A) The banks can raise equity capital through rights issue
(B) The banks can seize the hypothecated goods
(C) The banks can rise tier I capital
(D) The banks can issue innovative Perpetual Bonds
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

23. Which one of the following recommendations has been made by the PMEAC ?
(A) To withdraw some of the stimulus packages
(B) To withdraw all the stimulus packages
(C) To raise the collection of direct taxes
(D) To raise the rate of indirect Taxes
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

24. Which one of the following organisations sets targets for various Ministries in India ?
(A) Department of Expenditure
(B) Department of Economic Affairs
(C) Department of Revenue
(D) The Planning Commission
(E) None of these
Ans: (D)

25. Sinotruk, Beiqui Foton Motors is planning to set up assembly units in India. This company belongs to which of the following countries
?
(A) Japan
(B) South Korea
(C) China
(D) Singapore
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

26. In the unique number issued by UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), how many digits are there ?
(A) 9
(B) 10
(C) 11
(D) 12
(E) None of these
Ans: (D)

27. Which one of the following denomination of plastic notes is proposed to be introduced by RBI ?
(A) 5
(B) 10
(C) 20
(D) 50
(E) 100
Ans: (B)

28. In which one of the following States, Indian Railways has proposed to set up a 700 MW gas power project ?
(A) West Bengal
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Gujarat
(D) Rajasthan
(E) Orissa
Ans: (B)

29. In which one of the following States, Jaitapur Nuclear Plant is being set up ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) West Bengal
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Orissa
(E) Maharashtra
Ans: (E)

30. Head Office of which of the following banks is in Mumbai ?
(A) Punjab National Bank
(B) Bank of India
(C) UCO Bank
(D) Corporation Bank
(E) Syndicate Bank
Ans: (B)

31. The Kumbha Mela takes place in which of the following cities in Maharashtra ?
(A) Solapur
(B) Shirdi
(C) Ratnagiri
(D) Pandharpur
(E) Nashik
Ans: (E)

32. Which of the following is the largest stock exchange of India ?
(A) Delhi
(B) Ahmedabad
(C) Mumbai
(D) Kolkata
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

33. Hillary Clinton, who visited India recently, is the……of U.S.A.
(A) Secretary of Defence
(B) Secretary of Finance
(C) Secretary of State
(D) Secretary of Political Affairs
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

34. Which of the following is the abbreviated form of an organization engaged in the service of child welfare ?
(A) CII
(B) CRY
(C) SEWA
(D) SHCIL
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

35. World Environmental day is celebrated on which of the following dates ?
(A) July 5
(B) June 5
(C) April 5
(D) May 5
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

36. Recently Saina Nehwal had been in news. She is associated with which of the following games ?
(A) Basket ball
(B) Tennis
(C) Cricket
(D) Chess
(E) Badminton
Ans: (E)

37. Which of the following nations is not a member of SAARC ?
(A) India
(B) Pakistan
(C) Nepal
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) South Africa
Ans: (E)

38. Who among the following is the author of the book entitled, ‘Five Point Someone’ ?
(A) Amrita Pritam
(B) Mulkaraj Anand
(C) Nirmal Verma
(D) Anita Desai
(E) Chetan Bhagat
Ans: (E)

39. Booker Prize is awarded for original contributions in which of the following fields ?
(A) Politics
(B) Sports
(C) Literature
(D) Cinema
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

40. Euro is the currency of—
(A) Iran
(B) Iraq
(C) China
(D) Italy
(E) Japan
Ans: (D)

41. Which of the following has magnetic properties ?
(A) Chromium
(B) Copper
(C) Iron
(D) Silver
(E) Lead
Ans: (C)

42. Which of the following is the function of RADAR ?
(A) To look for sound waves
(B) To identify the direction only
(C) To determine the direction and the distance
(D) To send photographs
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

43. Which of the following terms is not associated with banking ?
(A) Loan
(B) Microfinance
(C) Pulse rate
(D) Cheque transaction
(E) Basal criteria
Ans: (C)

44. Which of the following names is popular in the field of banking ?
(A) Y. V. Reddy
(B) Vinod Dua
(C) Indra Nui
(D) Vijaypat Singhania
(E) Ratan Tata
Ans: (A)

45. Chief of the RBI is designated as—
(A) Chairman
(B) Managing Director
(C) Director-General
(D) Chief Executive Officer
(E) Governor
Ans: (E)

46. RBI does not take a decision regarding which of the following ?
(A) SLR
(B) CRR
(C) Bank rate
(D) Repo rate
(E) Inflation
Ans: (E)

47. Who among the following is the chess player of international repute ?
(A) Rajnikant
(B) Sania Mirza
(C) Tiger Woods
(D) Koneru Humpy
(E) Yuvraj Singh
Ans: (D)

48. Nobel Prize is not awarded in which of the following fields ?
(A) Physics
(B) Chemistry
(C) Medical Sciences
(D) Economics
(E) Sports
Ans: (E)

49. Olympic Games and Sports are organized after every……years.
(A) Two years
(B) Three years
(C) Four years
(D) Five years
(E) Six years
Ans: (C)

50. For excellence in sports, which of the following awards is given ?
(A) Nargis Datta Award
(B) Kalidas Samman
(C) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
(D) Shramajivi Award
(E) Arjun Awrd
Ans: (E)

India Successfully test-fired Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-V

India on 19 April 2012 successfully test-fired its maiden nuclear-tipped inter-continental ballistic missile ( ICBM) Agni-V. The missile successfully struck its target ranging 5000 km away from its launching point. It was test-fired from a mobile launcher at the Wheeler Island off Orissa coast.

India by the successful launch of Agni-V has entered into an elite group of nations which owes such technology.

With Agni- V’s 5000 km-range India has acquired the capability to hit targets in China, including Beijing, Eastern Europe, east Africa and the Australian coast.


Indigenously built the Agni-V is 17.5m tall, solid-fuelled, three-stage missile with a launch weight of 50 tons, which includes a 1.5 tonne warhead.

The defence Scientists began to work over Agni-V three years ago. This was the first testing of the missile.

Web Portal of DGET for Effective Implementation of Skill Development Scheme (SDIS) Unveiled

Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge today unveiled and dedicated the Official Web portal Directorate General of Training & Employment (DGET), M/o Labour & Employment to the nation for the effective implementation of Skill Development Scheme (SDIS) to promote training of around 6 lakh people in the Country annually. The portal is is developed by the Helwatt Paackard, India.

Unveiling the Web Portal Shri Kharge termed the occasion as a new beginning and is making one step forward in fulfilling the main aim of our Government to bring good governance. He said any Govt. scheme is always supported by funding incurred from public exchequer which needs to have a proper in-built mechanism to check & monitor the physical progress and financial expenditures on regular basis. Such a scheme like Skill Development Initiative encompassing a huge number of people from all over the country is quite difficult to handle and hence, tracking must be based on setting up of an efficient “Management Information System(MIS)”. I am quite confident that this powerful Web-portal would not only facilitate DGET in all these aspects but also enable to keep a track over outcome of the Scheme, Shri Kharge added.

The Minister said the National Skill Policy has been articulated at the behest of Prime Minister’s National Council on Skills Development. He reiterated the mission statement of the National Policy on Skill Development that it will empower all individuals through improved skills, knowledge and nationally-internationally recognized qualifications to gain access to decent employment and ensure India’s competitiveness in the global market. The minister said we must remember that this national Skill Policy is an integral part of comprehensive economic, labour and social policies so as to establish a framework for better coordination among various Ministries, States, industry and other stakeholders.

He expressed the hope that this On-line access to the countrymen from enrollment & admission to training and Certification will certainly begin a new chapter with true inclusiveness in the skill building process of our country.

In his welcome address, Shri Sharda Prasad,Director General, DGET and Joint Secretary in the M/o Labour & Employment said with this webportal, timely access to information across stakeholders would be available, thereby enabling better citizen centric services in a transparent manner. The SDIS Web Portal will also help in State Governments in registering candidates, the Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) and empanelled Assessing Bodies (ABs). It also tracks the creation of training/assessment batches, publishing test results and dispersal of online certificates.

The SDIS is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme and is launched by the Directorate General of Training & Employment (DGET), M/o Labour & Employment for the early school leavers and existing workers especially in the informal sector. It was operationalised on 24th May, 2007 and initially the project target for training and testing of one million persons over a period of 5 years was fixed. Thereafter the the target of training of one million person per year has been taken up. The Modular Employable Skill (MES)- National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) certificate issued after the prescribed training is recognized nationally and internationally for gainful employment.

IBPS GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs

1. What role do Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play in a country’s economic and industrial development ?
(A) They have the capacity to absorb skilled and unskilled labour available in the country.
(B) Such institutions help in distribution of income in a wide spectrum and do not allow it to get concentrated in few hands or in few areas.
(C) They help in eradication of poverty by providing self-emplovment opportunities.
(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (C)
(4) Only (A) & (C)
(5) All (A), (B) & (C)
2. Which of the following statements about the Indian Economy is correct ?
(1) Indian economy is as developed as that of China
(2) About 70% Indians are involved in some type of self-employment and are the owners of some or the other micro or small enterprise
(3) In India single biggest employment is agriculture and allied activities
(4) About 48% Indian workforce is employed in foreign countries or in organisations assisted by foreign capital
(5) None of these
3. Which of the following is/are correct about the problems of Indian Agriculture ?
(A) Large agricultural subsidies are hampering productivity-enhancing investments.
(B) Irrigation infrastructure is in bad shape and needs immediate improvement.
(C) Frequent takeovers of fertile land by private companies and multinationals to launch big business complexes.
(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (A) & (B)
(3) Only (A) & (C)
(4) All (A), (B) & (C)
(5) None of these
4. As per news in various journals, many banks have failed to achieve agri-loan target fixed by the RBI for the year 2010-11. What was the target fixed for the year ?
(1) 10%
(2) 15%
(3) 18%
(4) 24%
(5) 30%
5. Which of the following statements about Agro and Allied activities is not correct ?
(1) Farmers do not get adequate credit for purchase of cattle
(2) There is a need to improve breed and genetic characteristics of the cattle folk
(3) India has huge forest cover and also degraded and marshy land which can be used for productive purposes
(4) India is the 10th largest producer of medicinal and aromatic plants, but the products are not of commercial-value
(5) Animal husbandry plays an important role in providing sustainability under Rain-fed conditions
6. Which of the following schemes launched by the Government of India aims at enhancing the livelihood security of the people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work ?
(1) TRYSEM
(2) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(3) Kutir Jyoti Scheme
(4) ASHA
(5) MGNREGA
7. In some parts of India, farmers face acute distress because of heavy burden of debt from non-institutional lenders. Who can be called a non-institutional lender ?
(1) Small Banks
(2) Grameen Banks
(3) Credit Cooperative Societies
(4) Micro Finance Institutions
(5) Moneylenders

8. The South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was introduced with a view of levying how much custom duty for trading any product within the SAARC zone ?
(1) 5%
(2) 4%
(3) 2%
(4) 1%
(5) No customs duty
9. Which of the following organisations prepares rural credit plans on annual basis for all districts in India, which in turn form the base for annual credit plans of all rural financial institutions ?
(1) SIDBI
(2) NABARD
(3) RBI
(4) Indian Banks Association
(5) CII
10. Which of the following is TRUE about the current population trend (s) in India ?
(A) Every year India adds more people to the world’s population than any other country.
(B) Currently India has a young population which will grow somewhat older largely as a result of decline in fertility.
(C) The National Family Planning Programme did not contribute much in controlling fertility rate.
(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (C)
(4) Only (A) & (B)
(5) All (A), (B) & (C)
11. In economic terms, which of the following factors determine the ‘Individual’s demand’ of a product/ commodity ?
(A) Price of a commodity.
(B) Income of the mdividual.
(C) Utility and quality of a commodity
(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (C)
(4) Only (A) & (C)
(5) All (A), (B) & (C)
12. Which of the following terms is used in the field of economics ?
(1) Adiabatic
(2) Bohr Theory
(3) Plasma
(4) Barter System
(5) Viscosity
13. “Pascal Lamy calls on trade negotiators to move out of their comfort zones towards agreements”, was the headline in some major newspapers. This news is associated with which of the following organisations/agencies ?
(1) World Trade Organisation
(2) International Monetary Fund
(3) World Bank
(4) United Nations Organisation
(5) North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
14. Which of the following is not a function of the Planning Commission of India ?
(1) Assessment of the material, capital and human resources of the country
(2) Formulation of plans for the most effective and balanced utilisation of country’s resources
(3) Public cooperation in national development
(4) Preparation of annual budget of the country and collection of taxes to raise capital for the implementation of the plans
(5) Determination of stages in which the Plan should be carried out
15. Which of the following periods represents the period of the first Five-Year Plan in India?
(1) 1948 – 53
(2) 1947 – 52
(3) 1952 – 57
(4) 1950 – 55
(5) 1951 – 56
16. Which of the following is the name of the process available to common people to seek court’s intervention in matters of public interest ?
(1) Public Interest Litigation (PIL)
(2) Habeas Corpus
(3) Ordinance
(4) Residuary power
(5) None of these
17. India’s foreign policy is based on several principles, one of which is
(1) Panchsheel
(2) Satyamev Jayate
(3) Live and Let Live
(4) Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam
(5) None of these
18. As we know thousands of tonnes of foodgrain was washed away in the floods in Haryana and Punjab a few months back. This incident is an example which indicates that there is a scope for improvement in our machinery controlling our
(1) Mid Day Meal Scheme
(2) Public Distribution System
(3) Food for Work Programme
(4) Village Grain Bank Scheme
(5) Operation Flood Scheme
19. President Barack Obama was on a visit to India a few months back. His visit is said to have forged both the nations into a new era of relations. India managed to sign a special agreement with US in which of the following fields/areas as a byproduct of the visit of Obama ?
(A) Energy sector & Nuclear energy as US has lifted sanctions on supply of high tech machines.
(B) Skill Development Programmes in IT sector in which US has super-specialisation.
(C) Training in management of Micro-finance Institutions.
(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (A) & (C)
(4) Only (B) & (C)
(5) Only (A) & (B)
20. Many times we read a term Tax Haven’ in various newspapers. What does it mean ?
(A) It is a country where certain taxes are levied at a very low rate.
(B) It is a country where people can dump their illegal money without any problem.
(C) It is a place where foreigners can work without paying any tax on their income.
(1) Only (A) & (B)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (B) & (C)
(4) Only (A)
(5) All (A), (B) & (C)
21. As per existing law, what is the minimum per day wages paid to a worker from unorganised sector in India ?
(1) Rs. 50
(2) Rs. 75
(3) Rs. 100
(4) Rs. 125
(5) No such law is there
22. Who amongst the following was awarded the “Indira Gandhi Peace Prize” for 2010 ?
(1) Ronald Noble
(2) Luiz Inacio Lula D’Silva
(3) Mohammed ElBaradei
(4) Aung San Suu Kyi
(5) None of these.
23. Which of the following is not a Poverty Eradication Programme launched by the Government of India ?
(1) Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana
(2) Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana
(3) National Social Assistance Programme
(4) AADHAAR
(5) National Family Benefit Scheme
24. According to the World Bank estimate about 40% Indians are living below International Poverty line of US $
(1) 1 per day
(2) 1.25 per day
(3) 2 per day
(4) 2.5 per day
(5) 3 per day
25. The 10th Trilateral Ministerial Meeting of RIC group was organised in November 2010. Who are the members of the RIC ?
(1) Russia – Iran – China
(2) Russia – India – China
(3) Romania – Iran – Canada
(4) Romania – Israel – Chile
(5) Russia – India – Croatia
26. India and Syria recently decided to double their trade in next 2 years. Indian Government has decided to export which of the following commodities to Syria ?
(1) Natural gas
(2) Milk
(3) OIL
(4) Wheat
(5) All of these
27. India has sanctioned a Rs. 26 million grant to which of the following countries for development of tube wells ?
(1) Myanmar
(2) Bangladesh
(3) Nepal
(4) Pakistan
(5) Sri Lanka
28. Which of the following is the name of the scheme launched by the Government of India for adolescent girls ? (Launched in November 2010)
(1) Swawlamban
(2) SABALA
(3) AADHAAR
(4) ASHA
(5) None of these
29. Many times we see in financial journals/bulletins a term M3. What is M3 ?
(1) Currency in circulation on a particular day
(2) Total value of the foreign exchange on a particular day
(3) Total value of export credit on a given date
(4) Total value of the tax collected in a year
(5) None of these
30. As per news in various newspapers, Government has allocated a huge sum of Rs. 31,000 crore for ‘RTE’. What is full form of RTE ?
(1) Right to Education
(2) Reforms in Technical Education
(3) Return to Empowerment
(4) Right to Empowerment
(5) Renewable Technology for Energy
31. Which of the following is not a major function of the RBI in India ?
(1) Issuance of currency notes
(2) To facilitate external trade and payment and developing a foreign exchange market in India
(3) Maintaining price stability and ensuring adequate flow of credit to productive sectors
(4) Taking loans/credit from World Bank/IMF and ADB etc. and reallocating it for various activities decided by the Government of India
(5) Formulation and monitoring the monetary and credit policy
32. The RBI has regional offices at various places. At which of the following places it does not have an office ?
(1) Kota
(2) Shimla
(3) Lucknow
(4) Panaji
(5) Guwahati
33. Which of the following organisations/agencies has given a US, $ 407 billion loan to India to boost up its micro finance services in unbanked areas ?
(1) IMF
(2) World Bank
(3) Bank of Japan
(4) ADB
(5) Jointly by IMF and ADB
34. The Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) has projected that the Indian Exports will grow by what percentage during 2010-11 ?
(1) 15%
(2) 18%
(3) 22%
(4) 24%
(5) 28%
35. Which of the following organisations/agencies has given the estimate that India will be third largest FDI recipient in 2010-12 ?
(1) UNCTAD
(2) WTO
(3) World Bank
(4) IMF
(5) None of these
36. The performance of which of the following industries is considered performance of a core industry ?
(1) Garments
(2) Leather
(3) IT
(4) Oil and Petroleum
(5) Handicrafts
37. Who amongst the following is not a recipient of Nobel Prize in economics ?
(1) Peter A. Diamond
(2) Dale T. Mortensen
(3) Amartya Sen
(4) Paul Krugman
(5) Robert G. Edwards
38. Basel Committee has given its recommendations on which of the following aspects of banking operations ?
(1) Marketing of bank products
(2) Priority sector lending
(3) Risk Management
(4) Micro financing
(5) All of these
39. Which of the following is the rank of India in Human Development Report 2010 prepared by the UNO ?
(1) 99
(2) 100
(3) 115
(4) 119
(5) None of these
40. Which of the following was/were the key objectives of the RBI’s review of Monetary and Credit Policy 2010-11 which was reviewed again on 2nd November 2010 ?
(A) To sustain the anti-inflationary thrust.
(B) To maintain an interest rate regime consistent with price.
(C) To provide e^rtra tax incentives to exporters who were in stress due to market fluctuations.
(1) Only (A)
(2) Only (B)
(3) Only (A) & (B)
(4) All (A), (B) & (C)
(5) None of these
41. PUGS is the group of nations falling under
(1) Euro zone
(2) Asia Pacific
(3) SAARC
(4) NATO
(5) Commonwealth
42. Which of the following is / are the preconditions, the IMF has put to provide bail out package to Ireland ?
(A) It should gradually lower down unemployment benefits.
(B) It should bring down the minimum wages in order to boost employment.
(C) It should import some of the crucial commodities from non euro countries as an immediate measure to improve shortage of the same.
(1) Only (A) & (B)
(2) Only (B) & (C)
(3) Only (A) & (C)
(4) Only (A)
(5) All (A), (B) & (C)
43. India is self sufficient in production of which of the following commodities ?
(1) Edible oil
(2) Milk
(3) Pulses
(4) Natural gas
(5) All of these
44. Which of the following is used as a fuel in Nuclear power stations in India ?
(1) Thorium
(2) Copper
(3) Tin
(4) Cromium
(5) All of these
45. Which of the following States has taken up the job of improving Dams with the help of the World Bank’s Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement project ?
(1) Kerala
(2) Gujarat
(3) Tamil Nadu
(4) Uttar Pradesh
(5) Guwahati
46. Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance won how many seats in recendy held assembly elections in Bihar ?
(1) 150
(2) 243
(3) 200
(4) 206
(5) None of these
47. Who amongst the following is the author of the book “Development as Freedom”?
(1) M. S. Swaminathan
(2) C. Rangarajan
(3) Manmohan Singh
(4) Y.V. Reddy
(5) Amartya Sen
48. Which of the following terms is used in Finance and Banking ?
(1) Line of Sight
(2) Scattering Loss
(3) Revenue
(4) Oscillation
(5) Shielding
49. Who amongst the following is a famous economist ?
(1) Richard Dawkins
(2) Alan Greenspan
(3) Vernon Heywood
(4) Olivar Sachs
(5) Stephen Hawking
50. Who amongst the following has never held post of the Governor of the RBI
(1) C. Rangarajan
(2) L. K. Jha
(3) Manmohan Singh
(4) Bimal Jalan
(5) Usha Thorat

ANSWERS:

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

Bank Of India Exam 2010 General Awareness Solved Paper

1. The President of the Palestine recently emphasized that his country will not resume peace talks until Israel fully halts settlement building in the—
(A) West Bank
(B) Haifa
(C) Gaza
(D) Tel-Aviv-Yafo
(E) Jerusalem
Ans : (A)

2. All the major world leaders gathered in Berlin in Nov. 2009 to mark the 20th anniversary of—
(A) European Union
(B) NATO
(C) Fall of Berlin Wall
(D) G-20
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

3. Now almost all major newspaper journals and magazines are printing research reports giving the analysis and/or the causes of the sub-prime crisis which gripped America and the world a few months back. Which of the following was/were amongst the common cause(s) of the same ?
(They were present in almost all the economies)
(1) The problem was that investors erroneously believed property prices were quite predictable and built a whole edifice of financial planning on the back of the American housing market.
(2) Credit rating agencies all over the world were not equipped to forecast the effect of sub-prime crisis on world economy. Agencies were over-confident and did not react in time.
(3) Neither USA nor other countries took a note of the crisis in time. In fact they ignored it for quite some time.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 1 and 2
Ans : (A)

4. If you see a big hoarding at a prominent public place, the punch line of which says ‘We All Were Born Free’; ‘We All Have Equal Rights’, in all probability, the hoarding is put up by—
(A) National Commission for Farmers
(B) National Human Rights Commission
(C) Directorate of Income Tax
(D) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(E) Union Public Service Commission
Ans : (B)

5. Nowadays we frequently read news items about ‘Derivatives’ as used in the world of finance and money market. Which of the following statement(s) correctly describes what a derivative is and how it affects money/finance markets ?
(1) Derivatives enable individuals and companies to insure themselves against financial risk.
(2) Derivatives are like fixed deposits in a bank and are the safest way to invest one’s idle money lying in a bank.
(3) Derivatives are the financial instruments which were used in India even during the British Raj.
(A) Only 3
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

6. Many a time we read in the newspapers that RBI has changed or revised a particular ratio/rate by a few basis points. What is basis point ?
(A) Ten per cent of one hundredth point
(B) One hundredth of 1%
(C) One hundredth of 10%
(D) Ten per cent of 1000
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

7. Which of the following issues cannot come under the purview of the functioning of the Human Rights Commission of a country ?
(A) Racial Discrimination
(B) Treatment to Prisoners of War
(C) Human Trafficking
(D) Child Abuse
(E) Climate Migration
Ans : (E)

8. A prominent international weekly sometime ago printed a caption on its cover page which read ‘Brazil Takes Off’. Other major newspapers/magazines also printed similar stories/articles in their publications at that time. Why have magazines/newspapers decided to talk about Brazil these days ?
(1) All major economies of the world have been taking time to recover from the recession but Brazil was one of those which was ‘Last in and First out’.
(2) Brazil is a member of BRIC but unlike China it is a democracy, unlike India, it has no hostile neighbours, no insurgents and unlike Russia it exports more oil and arms and treats foreign investors with more respect.
(3) Brazil is the world’s second largest booming economy.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 1 and 2
Ans : (A)

9. Which of the following countries has conferred the honour of ‘Legion d’ honneur’ on Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar ?
(A) Germany
(B) Norway
(C) Japan
(D) U.K.
(E) France
Ans : (E)

10. Expand the term NREGA—
(A) National Rural Employment Guarantee Agency
(B) National Rural Electrification Governing Agency
(C) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(D) New Rural Employment Guarantee Agency
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

11. The Rajya Sabha has recently cleared the new poll bill. Which one of the following amendment(s) is/are made in this bill ?
It has proposed—
(A) Increasing the security deposits to more than double
(B) Restricting the publication of exit polls
(C) Ensuring speedy disposal of electoral disputes
(D) Only (A) and (B)
(E) All (A), (B) and (C)
Ans : (D)

12. The market in which long term securities such as stocks and bonds are bought and sold is commonly known as—
(A) Commodities Exchange
(B) Capital Market
(C) Bull Market
(D) Bullion Market
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

13. Which one of the following was India’s top destination for exports during 2009 ?
(A) UAE
(B) USA
(C) Russia
(D) China
(E) Bangladesh
Ans : (A)

14. Which one of the following will be the first High Court in India, to implement the concept of ‘ecourts’ ?
(A) Delhi
(B) A.P.
(C) Chennai
(D) Kolkata
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

15. Amongst the following, which one of the following sectors provides the highest contribution in Industrial Production Index ?
(A) Crude Oil
(B) Petro Refinery Products
(C) Electricity
(D) Coal
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

16. Amongst the following sectors, which sector/segment has shown the highest per cent growth in the current fiscal ?
(A) Mining
(B) Manufacturing
(C) Electricity, gas and water supply
(D) Banking and Finance
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

17. As per the reports published in newspapers, India purchased around 200 tonnes of gold (almost half the quantity of gold put up for sale) in Sept. 2009. India purchased this gold from which of the following organizations ?
(A) World Bank
(B) Asian Development Bank
(C) International Monetary Fund
(D) International Gold Council
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

18. World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s ministerial meeting was organized in which of the following cities recently ?
(A) Geneva
(B) Washington
(C) Paris
(D) Port of Spain
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

19. In which one of the following countries, was the recent Commonwealth Meet (CHOGAM) held ?
(A) Trinidad
(B) Canada
(C) Australia
(D) Jamaica
(E) U.K.
Ans : (A)

20. Which of the following decisions taken by the RBI will promote the concept of financial inclusion in the country ?
(A) To appoint some additional entities as business correspondents
(B) To collect reasonable service charges from the customer in a transparent manner for providing the services.
(C) To ask the banks to open at least 50 new accounts daily in non serviced areas.
(D) Only (A) and (B)
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

21. For recapitalization of Public Sector Banks, the World Bank has decided to provide funds to India. These funds will be made available in the form of—
(A) Soft Loan
(B) Term Loan
(C) Emergency aid
(D) Grants
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

22. Citizens of which one of he following age-groups (in years) are covered under the New Pension System (NPS) ?
(A) 18–50
(B) 21–55
(C) 25–55
(D) 18–60
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

23. 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 household
(D) To provide life and health insurance covers only to people living below poverty line
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

24. Which one of the following had set up the N. R. Narayana Murthy Committee on issues relating to Corporate Governance ?
(A) SEBI
(B) RBI
(C) CII
(D) Ministry of Finance, GOI
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

25. The proceeds of the disinvestment of profitable public sector units will be used for which of the following purposes ?
(A) Expansion of existing capacity of PSEs
(B) Modernisation of PSEs
(C) Opening of new PSEs
(D) Meeting the expenditure for various social sector schemes
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

26. Which one of the following is the target fixed for fiscal deficit in the year 2010-2011 ?
(A) 3•5%
(B) 4•0%
(C) 5•5%
(D) 5•0%
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

27. Which one of the following companies is the largest producer of natural gas in the country ?
(A) ONGC
(B) OIL
(C) Cairn India
(D) RIL
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

28. Which one of the following states has sought a package of Rs. 500 crores ($ 100 million) for its Rural Poverty Reduction Programme ?
(A) M.P.
(B) Tamil Nadu
(C) A.P.
(D) Karnataka
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

29. Chinese objections have stalled the road work at the village of Demchok, on the Indian side of the line of control. In which one of the following states is this village located ?
(A) Arunachal Pradesh
(B) Assam
(C) Himachal Pradesh
(D) Rajasthan
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

30. Constitutionally, which one of the following can levy Service Tax ?
(A) Union Govt. only
(B) State Govt. only
(C) Union Territory Govt. only
(D) All of these
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

31. In the proposed low cost pension scheme, which one of the following has been made responsible for maintaining of the records of pension account of an individual ?
(A) SIDBI
(B) National Securities Depositories Ltd. (NSDL)
(C) Stock Holding Corporation of India
(D) RBI
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

32. Which one of the following is/are implication(s) of large inflow of foreign exchange into the country ?
1. It makes monetary management difficult for RBI.
2. It creates money supply, asset bubbles and inflation.
3. It weakens the competitiveness of Indian exports.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (B)

33. The Central Banks of which one of the following countries has offered $ 115 billion emergency credit to support its economy hit by falling prices and also to strengthen its currency ?
(A) South Korea
(B) Japan
(C) U.K.
(D) USA
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

34. Which of the following books is written by Chetan Bhagat ?
(A) The Golden Gate
(B) A House for Mr. Biswas
(C) 2 States
(D) White Tiger
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

35. NTPC Ltd. is in the process of exploring opportunities to source coal from overseas. In which one of the following countries has the NTPC identified two new coal mines ?
(A) Bhutan
(B) Australia
(C) South Korea
(D) Indonesia
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

36. Which of the following organizations has raised its loan amount to India to make it US $ 7 billion in 2009-10 fiscal ?
(A) Asian Development Bank
(B) International Monetary Fund
(C) World Bank
(D) European Union
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

37. Who amongst the following cricket players became the first to score 17000 runs in One Day Internationals ?
(A) Rahul Dravid
(B) Stephen Fleming
(C) Ricky Ponting
(D) Sachin Tendulkar
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

38. The Govt. of India has decided to use the Core Banking System of banks to ensure proper usage of funds provided for which of its following programmes ?
(A) Literacy Mission
(B) Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(C) National Health Mission
(D) All of these
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

39. Famous Dada Saheb Phalke Award is given for exemplary work in the field of—
(A) Sports
(B) Literature
(C) Science & Technology
(D) Social Service
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

40. 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)

41. The organization of the South East Asian countries is known as—
(A) OPEC
(B) ASEAN
(C) NATO
(D) UNCTAD
(E) SAARC
Ans : (B)

42. ‘Miss Earth 2009’ title has been conferred upon—
(A) Alejandra Pedrajas
(B) Sandra Saifert
(C) Jessica Barboza
(D) Larissa Ramos
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

43. Which of the following countries became the third largest producer of Steel in the world in 2009 ?
(A) China
(B) India
(C) USA
(D) Japan
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

44. The Foreign Trade policy is announced recently by the Govt. of India. Which of the following ministries/agencies announce the same ?
(A) Reserve Bank of India
(B) Export Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank)
(C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(D) Ministry of Commerce & Industry
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

45. Irina Bokova has taken over as the Chief of the—
(A) ILO
(B) UNICEF
(C) OPEC
(D) UNO
(E) UNESCO
Ans : (E)

46. Dorjee Khandu has taken over as the Chief Minister of—
(A) Meghalaya
(B) Uttarakhand
(C) Arunachal Pradesh
(D) Assam
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

47. Which of the following terms is used in the game of Football ?
(A) Caddy
(B) Cutback
(C) Mid-on
(D) Love
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

48. Which of the following is considered a Non Food Crop ?
(A) Wheat
(B) Maize
(C) Bajra
(D) Rice
(E) Jute
Ans : (E)

49. Who amongst the following was the Prime Minister of Nepal immediately prior to Madhav Kumar Nepal ?
(A) Ram Baran Yadav
(B) Pushpakamal Dahal
(C) Girija Prasad Koirala
(D) Mahendra Kumar Suryavanshi
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

50. The 10th India-European Summit was held in New Delhi in November 2009. Who amongst the following represented India and also chaired the same ?
(A) S. M. Krishna
(B) Pratibha Patil
(C) Pranab Mukherjee
(D) Manmohan Singh
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

Asia's first dolphin research centre to come up in Bihar

With only about 2,000 Gangetic river dolphins left in India, down from tens of thousands just a few decades ago, the Bihar government is planning to set up Asia's first research centre to strengthen conservation efforts to save the endangered mammal.
An official in the chief minister's office said the Gangetic dolphin research centre would be set up in Patna, where dozens of dolphins can still be seen in the stretch of the river near the state capital.
The man behind the proposal is RK Sinha, an expert on Gangetic river dolphins and chairperson of the working group for dolphin conservation set up by the central government. He said the centre was suggested by the Planning Commission and subsequently received "in principle" approval by the state government.
"A final decision in this regard is likely soon," said Sinha, popularly known as the dolphin man.
Gopal Sharma, a scientist with the Zoological Survey of India here, said the centre would carry out research activities on the dolphin and also conduct a census in rivers in Bihar.
The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, India's only dolphin sanctuary, spread over 50 km along the Ganges, is located in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.
The Gangetic river dolphin is India's national aquatic animal but frequently falls prey to poachers. Their carcasses are found regularly on river banks.
The mammals are killed at an alarming rate with wildlife officials saying poachers kill them for their flesh and oil, which is used as an ointment and aphrodisiac.
Gangetic river dolphins fall under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and have been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Last year, the Bihar government decided to set up a task force for the conservation of endangered species.
The Gangetic river dolphin is one of the four freshwater dolphin species in the world. The other three are found in the Yangtze river in China, the Indus river in Pakistan and the Amazon river in South America.
The Gangetic river species - found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal - is blind and finds its way and prey in the river waters through 'echoes'.

India's first common bird monitoring system

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.

"We should have had bird monitoring systems in the country, at least 30 years back. In west, there are more than 100 years old bird monitoring programs," he added.

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.

World it Forum - Conference to Focus on ICT for Sustainable Development

India is all set to host World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) 2012 tomorrow in Vigyan Bhawan,New Delhi . The fifth edition of the coveted event is being organised by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), in partnership with the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DEITy), Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Government of India.

The Forum opens tomorrow with the inaugural address by Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications and IT & HRD, Government of India. Other key speakers at the inaugural function are Mr. Janis Karklins, Assistant Director General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO, Shri Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and IT, Government of India, Mr Leon Strous, President, IFIP and Shri J Satyanarayana, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India

WITFOR will focus, on use of ICT in agriculture, education, health and e-Governance, within the overall theme of ‘ICT for Sustainable Human Development’. Representatives from over 30 countries will share their knowledge, views and best practices in the use of IT for governance and delivery of key public services, brought together on a common platform that will allow them to showcase successful, working models of the use of ICT for development.

WITFOR was born out of the need for emerging economies and developed countries to collaborate and harness the potential for digital technologies for sustainable development. Since its inception in 2003, World IT Forums have been held four times–in Vietnam (2009), Ethiopia (2007), Botswana (2005) and Lithuania (2003). The activities of the Forum are broadly guided by the World Summit on the Information Society`s (WSIS) Plan of Action, in order to help achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The participation in WITFOR has risen from 600 to 1,500 in six years, bearing testimony to its robust content and the diversity of attendees. The WITFOR conferences help bring together a variety of stakeholders to discuss, debate and analyse ways in which ICT is powering the engine of growth and development in the emerging economies for policymakers and practitioners to share knowledge on ‘ICT for development’ with their international counterparts who are facing similar challenges in their countries.

With over 80 speakers from around the world, WITFOR 2012 aims to bring together a unique mix of policymakers and political leaders, social entrepreneurs, academic researchers, practitioners and executives, both from the private and public sector. Leaders from multilateral organisations like UNESCO, UNDP, the World Bank and from regional bodies like the West African Health Organisation will share their experiences in meeting the challenges of globalisation and sustainable development.

Other attendees include high-level dignitaries from the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Moldova, Paraguay, as well as senior members of academia and from across South Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa. The Forum, aimed primarily at fostering an informed debate among policymakers, will also bring together senior bureaucrats and technologists from South Korea, Canada, Nigeria, Kenya, Malaysia, Estonia, Moldova and Secretaries to the Government of India – both from the Centre and the states.

WITFOR is an important international event that places the host country on an international platform to showcase its achievements. So far, India has hosted only regional ICT/e-Governance international events and partnering in WITFOR 2012 will give Indian Policy Makers as well as Industry and opportunity not only to learn from other countries but will also open avenues for further cooperation and business development especially for innovative products such as Aakash and value added services delivered on Mobile Platforms. Also, WITFOR 2012 will give Indian States an opportunity to showcase their premier e-Governance projects and give international delegates an opportunity to visit such projects across India

The Forum will discuss the role of IT interventions in bringing about greater transparency in governance, issues of privacy and security while dealing with public databases, financial inclusion and ways of leveraging wireless technologies. It will also debate challenges related to the training of health workers, capacity building, evidence-based decision making to improve health outcomes, the role of government in primary healthcare, and the role of ICT in creating digital content, bridging the skills gap and the digital divide, as well as improving productivity, food security, knowledge transfer in the agriculture sector.

As a country with enormous ICT capabilities and equally immense socio-economic development challenges, India attracts significant international attention for its efforts to exploit the developmental potential of ICT. At the same time, Indian policymakers and practitioners can learn from the experiences of other countries. WITFOR 2012 will provide a unique opportunity for sharing knowledge on mobilising ICT for development, among a diverse range of professionals engaging in this effort in many countries with a variety of development challenges. WITFOR 2012 will provide a valuable forum for understanding how the power of ICT can be harnessed for sustainable development.

With nearly 1200 registrations , delegates are drawn from the public and private sectors across India, as well as from Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia, including participants from Greece, Poland, Finland, Croatia, Paraguay, South Korea, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa. Indian delegates include senior government officials from various states, public enterprises, private sector and academia, from all across the country, as well as independent researchers, ICT enthusiasts, students, entrepreneurs and members of the academia and development practitioners.
WITFOR 2013 will be held in Paraguay.

Centre to rate states on environment protection

With an increase in illegal mining, coastal abuse and rampant industrialization, the Centre now plans to rate every state based on their environmental performance.

In an endeavour to assess how successful each state has been in conserving the environment, the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has conceptualized an Environment Protection or Performance Index (EPI). Sources in the Maharashtra environment department said the concept of EPI is still taking shape and the guidelines will be ready by 2013. Conceptualized on the lines of the Human Development Index (HDI), EPI will rate states according to their management of coastal pollution, solid waste, sewerage, water and the rise in sea level.

"With population increasing by the day and the growth of industrialization in the state, we feel the need for EPI for Maharashtra. This will help us analyze the areas we need to improve upon. We will be able to gauge how much we are conserving the environment," said Sachin Ahire, minister of state for environment, The EPI will also help address health concerns as well as environmental concerns like pollution and conservation.

Ahire added that the EPI guidelines for Maharashtra will be dependent on director-general of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) Dr R K Pachauri's 2020 projections on climate change effects. "Based on Pachauri's projections, the guidelines for EPI will be prepared for the state. We are expecting the report in six months," said Ahire.

DoT’s Power to impose Penalty on Operators for not completing Customer Verification upheld by TDSAT

The Department of Telcom's (DoT) power to impose penalty on operators for not dully completing formalities of customer verification for security purposes was upheld by tribunal Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal's (TDSAT). While delivering its judgement a two-member TDSAT bench stated that the matter related to the security of the nation so far as conduct of telegraph is concerned, can be implemented through conditions of licence.

TDSAT’s order followed a petition filed by the GSM lobby group COAI and various operators challenging the penalty imposed by the DoT. Operators had requested that the penalty regime introduced by DoT on 22 November 2006 be quashed as they felt that the penalty imposed by the DoT 's TERM Cell in various circles as illegal, arbitrary and suffering from procedural impropriety. Operators claimed that imposition of the Scheme of Financial Penalty for Violation of Terms and Conditions of the Licence Agreement for Subscriber Verification Failure Cases imposed by DoT was not countenanced under the terms of the licences.

TDSAT in response mentioned that the circular letters issued by the Respondent (DoT) for the aforementioned reason were not illegal or invalid. Also operators cannot be permitted to question the validity of those circular letters which have been issued three years prior to the date of filing of the petition being barred under law of Limitation as well in view of the doctrine of delay/latches on their part.

The TDSAT upheld TERM cell powers stating that DoT cannot be said to have acted illegally and without jurisdiction in delegating its power relating to making inspection, imposition of penalties and the determination thereof by authorities of the Term Cells and the Appellate Authority. The principle of Natural Justice was provided by DoT by providing enough safeguards to the operators to put their points on adverse findings.

Food Corporation of India (FCI) notified 10 Sites in States for Construction of Modern Silos/Mandis

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) in April 2012 notified 10 sites in States for construction of modern silos to be declared as mandis. The decision to construct silos/mandis reflected FCI’s objective to augment capacity for storing food-grains for the public distribution system. The mandis would be constructed to enable farmers to directly sell their produce.

The FCI Board of Directors headed by Chairman Siraj Hussain on 13 April 2012 decided that the silos shall be either located within the local mandi or declared as mandis by the States. The silos are to be located alongside railway sidings.

With the coming in of fresh stocks of wheat in the mandis, storage has become a major concern with the Food Ministry. Government needs to urgently accelerate creation of additional storage space to prevent rotting of grains stored in the open as well as to keep enough stocks to fulfil its obligation under the proposed National Food Security Act to provide by law subsidised foodgrains to the poor.

The government appointed M/s Mott McDonald as consultants for conducting a feasibility study on creation of modern storage facilities. The consultant submitted the final report to the Planning Commission in November 2011. Based on their proposals the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) for Food approved the creation of facilities for storing 20 lakh tonnes of foodgrains in 10 States under its Private Entrepreneur Guarantee Scheme (PEG) wherein the FCI will give guarantee for hiring the facility for 10 years.

State-level panels

The FCI Board of Directors also set up State-level committees on silos headed by the zonal chief with representation from the Ministries of Food, Agriculture, and Railways, and mandis and States on it. The committee is responsible for approving the locations for godowns in each of the 10 States — Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and Gujarat.

The Board directed that locations with high procurement and off-take of wheat be preferred for creation of silos. The location of silos is to be considered on the basis of wheat procurement and off-take in a revenue district. Each silo is to have a capacity of either 25000 tonnes or 50000 tonnes depending upon the availability of space under the Private Entrepreneur Guarantee Scheme. Each State will have to provide the space for construction of godowns. Creation of 51.25 lakh tonnes capacity in Punjab and 38.8 lakh tonnes in Haryana was recommended.

In the wheat procuring-cum-consuming regions of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, silos have been sanctioned for additional capacity. Proposal for creation of 19.52 lakh tonnes in Madhya Pradesh and for 6.40 lakh tonnes in Bihar was also approved during the meeting of the FCI board on 13 April 2012.

The FCI Board decided that in the consuming regions of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Gujarat the silos should have at least four-month storage capacity. The States which have not been able to sanction the capacity or start construction work for silos will have to let go and transfer their sanctioned capacity to another State. The States will have to provide land and invite tenders within three months following the approval of the location.

FDI Inflows into India’s Services Sector in India went up by 62% during April-January period 2011-12

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the services sector in India went up by 62% during April-January period 2011-12 on account of unfavourable economic conditions of the western markets.

The financial and nonfinancial services sector attracted FDI worth $4.83 billion during the 10-month period of 2011-12 as compared to $2.98 billion in the April-January period of 2010-11. The trend reflected confidence in India's growth story. It was observed that though the economic growth in India itself declined in 2011-12 to 6.9%, the economy was among the best performing in the world.

Despite taxation and policy issues, the country enjoys the investor confidence as is evident from a 53 per cent increase in total FDI inflows to $26.19 billion during the 10-month period (April-January 2011-12). The sectors that attracted sizeable FDI inflows include drugs and pharmaceutical ($3.20 billion), construction ($2.23 billion), telecommunications ($1.99 billion) and power ($1.56 billion).

The highest FDI of $8.91 billion came from the Mauritius, followed by Singapore ($4.30 billion) and Japan ($2.75 million).

President calls for more public-private partnership, priority to research in PSEs

The President, Ms Pratibha Devisingh Patil, said on April 13 that the private and public need to work together more for the high demand from infrastructure investment.

This is while higher priority must also be given to research and innovation in public sector enterprises (PSEs) through in-house R&D facilities, apart from sponsored research with universities and industry, particularly when foreign collaboration is involved.

“The test is to be nationally creative, globally competitive and efficient, ensure on-time deliverability and provide employment,” Ms Patil said while presenting awards to top PSEs in the country for their operational excellence in 2010-11. The presentation took place during the Public Sector Day Celebrations organised jointly by Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE).

“There should be a constant process of review and assessment, to ensure that best practices of corporate governance for production and management are followed, and innovative business practices are adopted. Public Sectors must make these elements an essential part of the functioning,” she added.

Also present in the occasion were the Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Mr Praful Patel and the Secretary of DPE, Mr O.P. Rawat.

Mr Patel said that investments by the 248 Central PSEs touched an all time high of more than Rs 6.66 lakh crore, which was 15 per cent more than the previous year. Turnover was more than Rs 14.73 lakh crore, which was over 18 per cent. He called upon the PSEs to increasingly compete internationally and said that the Ministry will help solve all the issues they face in doing so.

The SCOPE Gold trophy went to ONGC for Environmental Excellence, Steel Authority of India for Corporate Governance, NTPC and THDC for Corporate Social Responsibility, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Electricals for R&D, Technology Development, Bharat Heavy Electricals for Best practices in Human Resource Management. Meanwhile, Power Finance Corp got the award for best managed bank and financial institution and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corp for best managed PSE setup.

International Operations of CPSEs

The Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) are increasingly into ‘International Trade’ in goods and services, which has a bearing on the Balance of Payments of the country.  During the year 2010-11, as many as 140 CPSEs out of the 220 operating CPSEs either had foreign exchange earnings (FEE) or foreign exchange expenditure(FEE).  As many as 39 CPSEs were net foreign exchange earners.  Out of these 39 CPSEs, 10 CPSEs, namely, ONGC VideshLtd., Air India Ltd., National Aluminium Company Ltd., Airports Authority of India Ltd., Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Shipping corporation of India Ltd., Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd., IRCON International Ltd., Cochin Shipyard Ltd. and RITES Ltd. earned net foreign exchange of more than Rs. 200 crore during 2010-11. 

Foreign Exchange Earnings

15 CPSEs namely, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corpn. Ltd., Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Air India Ltd., ONGCVidesh Ltd., Hindustan Petroleum Corpn. Ltd., Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd., Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., MMTC Ltd., National Aluminium Company Ltd., Ircon International Ltd., Airports Authority of India Ltd., PEC Ltd. and  Air India Charters Ltd. had gross foreign exchange earnings of more than Rs. 1000 crore, during 2010-11.  Out of these fifteen CPSEs namely, Air India, BHEL, ONGC Videsh, NALCO, SCIL, IRCON International Ltd. and Airport Authority of India Ltd. have been net foreign exchange earners.  Hindustan PetroleumCorpn. Ltd. and PEC Ltd.  have shown reduction in their foreign exchange earnings during 2010-11.  The remaining CPSEs have  had foreign exchange expenditure more than their foreign-exchange earnings.  This is particularly so in the case of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

Sources of Foreign Earnings

Export of goods and merchandise, income from Royalty & Consultancy Services and interest earnings are the major sources of foreign exchange earnings.  Export of merchandise was the major source of foreign exchange earnings in both the years 2009-10 and 2010-11.  Its share in total earnings, however, decreased from 89.08% of the total in 2009-10 to 88.40% of the total in 2010-11.

Foreign Exchange Expenditure

In terms of growth and change in foreign exchange expenditure during 2010-11 over 2009-10 there was a significant increase in foreign expenditure in the case of MMTC Ltd., Handicrafts & Handloom Exports Corporation of India Ltd., GAIL(India) Ltd. and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.  In the case of other CPSEs, like MSTC Ltd., ONGC VideshLtd., Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd., Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd., on the other hand, there was a general reduction in the foreign exchange expenditure. 

            There was a big increase in foreign expenditure of Handicrafts & Handloom Exports Corporation of India Ltd. during 2010-11 due to increased trading in bullion.  The Oil Marketing Companies (IOCL, BPCL, MRPL, CPCL, ONGC and GAIL) and others, namely, MMTC, SAIL, BHEL, RINL, SCI, BEL, HHEC, NTPC also incurred increase in gross foreign exchange expenditure during 2010-11.  Import of ‘raw materials’ and ‘capital goods’ have been the major items of  foreign exchange expenditure in both the years. 

            The share of ‘raw materials’/crude oil continued to claim the largest share (around 90%) of gross foreign exchange expenditures in both the years of 2009-10 and 2010-11. Exchange rate fluctuation and change in commodity prices have been also impacting the earnings and expenditures of CPSEs.

International Finance & Investment

Sources of Funds

International finance refers mainly to external commercial borrowings, supplier’s credit, funds raised through the equity market abroad.  Shares of MTNL (ADR) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and GAIL (GDR) and SAIL(GDR)  are listed on the London Stock Exchange. 

Foreign Investments by CPSEs

Investment comprise off-shore investment by CPSEs through establishment of Indian subsidiaries abroad joint ventures (JVs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A).  Several CPSEs have set up subsidiaries abroad for marketing their products, procuring raw materials and consolidating their international operations.  ONGC Videsh, in particular, has been successful in acquiring oil and gas assets abroad.  As on March 31, 2011, OVL has participation directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries/joint ventures in 33 exploration and production projects in 14 countries, comprising 9 producing assets, 4 assets under development and 19 exploration assets.  During 2010-11, the company produced 9.45 MMTOE, which accounted for 10.5 per cent of India’s total domestic oil and gas production.  The other CPSEs are following the lead given by OVL in international investments.  SAIL, CIL, RINL, NMDC and NTPC have together formed a JV in International Coal Ventures Pvt. Ltd. for acquisition of coal assets abroad.

Mega and Major Projects under Implementation by CPSEs

• Central Sector Projects- In the central sector there were altogether 607 projects under implementation as on 31 March, 2011  of which 157 projects  were  Mega projects (each costing Rs. 1,000 crore and above), 450 Major projects  (each costing between Rs. 100 crore and Rs. 1000 crore).  The total estimated cost of these 607 projects works out to be Rs. 7,76,715.89 crore.  The total expenditure incurred on 607 Mega and Major projects stands at Rs. 3,55,698.64 crore as on 31 March, 2011.   
• CPSEs Projects - Out of these 607 projects in the central sector, 170 projects (costing Rs. 500 crores and above) belonged to Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).  Of these 170 projects, 113 were Mega projects and 57 were Major projects. The total estimated cost in respect of these 210 projects of CPSEs stood at Rs. 4,59,799crore, while the revised/anticipated cost is equal to Rs. 5,07,459 crore. 
• Atomic Energy - There were 4 projects in atomic Energy sector under implementation as on 31 March, 2011.  These projects belonged to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. and Bhavini Limited and cost above Rs. 500  crore. 
• Civil Aviation - There were 9 projects in the civil aviation sector under implementation, as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 2 were in Mega category, 7 in Major category.  All these projects belonged to Airport  Authority of India Limited.
• Coal - There were 45 projects in the coal sector under implementation, as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 7 were in Mega category, 38 in Major category.  These projects belonged to Central Coal Fields Limited, South-Eastern Coal Fields Limited, Northern Coal Fields Limited, Singareni Colliers Company Limited and Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. 
• Fertilizers - There were 6 projects in the fertilisers sector under implementation as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 3 were in Mega category, 3 in Major category.  All these projects belonged to National Fertilisers Limited.  
• Mines -  There was only one Mega project in the mining sector as on 31 March, 2011.  This belonged to National Aluminium Company Limited. 
• Petroleum -  There were 82  projects in the petroleum sector under implementation, as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 40 were in Mega category and 42 in Major category. These projects belonged to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bongaigaon Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd., Gas Authority of India Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited.  
• Power -  There were 87 projects in the power sector under implementation, as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 44 were in Mega category and 43 in Major category.  All these projects belonged to National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation, National Thermal Power Corporation, North East Electric Power Corporation, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited. 
• Shipping & Ports - There were 26 projects in the Shipping & Ports sector under implementation, as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 7 were in Mega category and 19 in Major category.  These belonged to Mumbai Port Trust and Shipping Corporation of India. 
• Steel -  There were 19 projects under implementation in the steel sector, as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 6 were in Mega category and 13 in Major category.  These projects belonged to National Mineral Development Corporation, Rastriya Ispat Nigam Limited and Steel Authority of India. 
• Telecommunication - There were 41 projects under implementation in the telecommunication sector as on 31 March, 2011.  Of these, 3 were in Mega category and 38 in Major category.  These projects belonged to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. 
• CPSEs Under Construction - There are some CPSEs which yet to go on regular production on a commercial scale as they are at construction stage.  Many of these CPSEs are subsidiary companies set up by (Holding) CPSEs.   Some of these subsidiary companies are ‘shell companies’ which have been set up tentatively to facilitate the establishment of Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) or similar other Projects.   The objective of ‘shell companies’ for UPMM is to develop large capacities of power generation in the different parts of the country.  It brings in the potential investors in UMPP after obtaining the necessary clearances.  The Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFCL) was selected as the Nodal Agency for the development of  such power projects by the Central Electricity Authority.  Many of the ‘shell companies’ are subsidiary companies of PFCL.  As on 31 March, 2011, there were altogether 28 CPSEs ‘under construction’, as against 32 as on 31 March, 2010.  While seven CPSEs ‘under construction’ existing in 2009-10 have been left out, three CPSEs have been added to this list during the financial year 2010-11.