GENERAL AWARENESS FOR BANK EXAMS

1. Paying for facilities like issuance of demand drafts, cheque books, credit or debit cards and ATM interchange may soon become pass as public sector lender ____ waived all service charges on current and savings accounts (CASA), the first by any bank. The move is aimed at increasing the bank’s below-industry average CASA deposits and the bank expects to double its retail account to 1 crore in the next 12 months.
a) SBI
b) PNB
c) Canara Bank
d) IDBI Bank
e) None of these

2. At present, how many families are categorized as BPL?
a) 5.10 cr
b) 6.52 cr
c) 7.81 cr
d) 10.40 cr
e) None of these

3. DTC stands for
a) Direct Tax Code
b) Disinvestment Tax Code
c) Derivative Trade Code
d) Distinct Tax Code
e) Delhi Tax Code

4. In a surprise move and to the disappointment of taxpayers, the government on Aug 30 deferred the implementation of the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) by a year to ___, 2012 and sough to waive the preferential treatment to woman in tax payment in the name of gender equity.
a) Jan 1
b) Mar 31
c) Apr 1
d) Dec 31
e) None of these

5. Which of the following statement is/are true about Direct Taxes Code (DTC)?
A) Under the Direct Taxes Code Bill, 2010 – tabled in the Lok Sabha by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and referred to the Select Committee of Parliament for scrutiny – the government has sought to raise the income tax exemption limit from Rs.1.6 Lakh to Rs.2 Lakh while retaining a host of incentives for individuals.
B) While senior citizens (above 65 years) will enjoy a higher exemption of Rs.2.5 Lakh, woman taxpayers will have no additional relief as they have not been categorized separately.
C) As for corporate taxes, the levy will be at a flat rate of 30 per cent with no surcharges or cesses. The minimum alternate tax (MAT)will be levied on book profits at 20 per cent.
a) Only A
b) Only A& B
c) Only B&C
d) All the above
e) None of these

6. Name the country with India has signed a protocol to the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement that would the wealth illegally stashed away in banks.
a) Britain
b) US
c) Switzerland
d) France
e) None of these

7. In a major step to alleviate delays in wage payments under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which state govt has launched an “e-Shakti Financial Inclusion” scheme, the first of its kind in the country?
a) UP
b) MP
c) Bihar
d) Maharashtra
e) None of these

8. Name the bank whose chairman Stephan K Green will be appointed as the minister of state for trade and investment.
a) HSBC Holdings
b) Standard Chartered Bank
c) Barclays Bank
d) Royal Bank of Scotland
e) None of these

9. In a big boost to the disinvestment programme of the UPA-II Government, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry gave its green signal to the sale of government’s stake in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), a move aimed at raising around __________ this fiscal.
a) Rs. 14,000 cr
b) Rs.18,000 cr
c) Rs.24,000 cr
d) Rs. 30,000 cr
e) None of these

10. With a net worth of US$62 billion, Mukesh Ambani would be the richest man of earth in ___________, going past the current claimant, Mexican businessman Carlos Slim, according to a forecast by Forbes.
a) 2012
b) 2014
c) 2016
d) 2018
e) None of these

11. In one of his speeches Pranab Mukherjee said that the Govt had no plans to dilute the roles of market regulators. This means the role of which of the following will not be diluted?
a) Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
b) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
c) Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
d) Bureau of Indian Standards
e) Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

12. What is the full form of “ULIP’, the term which was in the news recently?
a) Universal Life & Investment Plan
b) Unit Loan & Insurance Plan
c) Universal Loan & Investment Plan
d) Uniformly Loaded Investment Plan
e) Unit Linked Insurance Plan

13. As per the news published in some major financial news papers, the Maharashtra Govt is planning to introduce “Green Tax” on Vehicles. What is the Purpose of Green Tax?
a) It has been introduced with the aim of discouraging high consumption of petroleum products.
b) It is a tax levied by the Govt in place of VAT as VAT is not very profitable for State Govts.
c) It is just like a toll tax which will be charges from all the vehicles whenever they enter green areas of a city like hospitals, schools, and old-age homes.
d) This is a tax levied on big commercial vehicles only with the aim of prohibiting them from entering residential areas and non-commercial areas.
e) None of these

14. Very often we read in newspapers about 3 G Third Generation Technology. This is a set of standards used by which of the following?
a) To Combat climatic changes
b) Production of nuclear energy
c) Film production
d) Mobile telecommunications
e) All of these

15. Which of the following companies is NOT in the field of insurance business?
a) ICICI Prudential
b) Bajaj Allianz
c) Tata AIG
d) Aegon Religare
e) Royal Orchild

16. Many times we read that a corporate entity is in the process of raising its capital base. Why is a company required to raise money to strengthen its capital base?
A) To finance its diversification Plans
B) To finance its diversification plans
C) To repay its loans and borrowings
a) Only A
b) Only B
c) Only C
d) Only A & B
e) All A, B&C

17. Many times we read in newspapers that a company is planning to bring a public issue. What does it mean?
A) Shares of the company will be issued only through public sector organizations like banks/Central financial institutions etc.
B) Shares of the company will be issued to general public only through primary market.
C) This means some stakeholders/ promoters are willing to leave the company. Hence they wish to sell their stock to the general public.
a) Only A
b) Only B
c) Only C
d) All A,B&C
e) None of these

18. Whenever some people wish to enter into the business world, it is a must for them to approach a bank. What services do banks provide them in this regard?
A) Banks act as payment agents by operating current accounts, paying cheques and receiving payments for them.
B) Maintaining account books for them for their day-to- day activities so that they are not required to appoint account/finance personnel on a regular basis.
C) Lending money by way of overdraft, installment loan, credit or advance for business activities
a) Only A
b) Only B
c) Only C
d) Only A&C
e) All of these

19. As we all have noticed, banks these days are giving more emphasis on “Branchless Banking”. What does this really mean?
A) Banks will not have many branches as used to be in the good old days. Instead, the number of branches will be restricted and will conduct only a specified core business.
B) Banks will launch/operate many delivery channels like ATMs, Mobile Banking/ Internet Banking etc sot that people are not required to visit a branch for their usual banking needs.
C) This means banks will issue only debit or credit cards for all types of day-to-day financial transactions. Cheques/cash payments will not be allowed.
a) Only A
b) Only B
c) Only A&B
d) Only B&C
e) All A, B&C

20. Which of the following is NOT a function of a bank?
a) Providing project finance
b) Selling Mutual Funds
c) Deciding policy rates like CRR, Repo Rate / SLR etc
d) Settlement of payments of behalf of the customers
e) All of these are functions of a bank

21. Which of the following is a form of “savings Bank” popular among the poor or children?
a) Core Banking
b) Credit Banking
c) Debit Card
d) Merchant Banking
e) Piggy Banking

22. Dr. Amartya Sen is a famous
a) Physicist
b) Chemical Engineer
c) Psychologist
e) Economist
e) None of these

23. Which of the following nations is considered the originator of the concept of Micro Finance?
a) India
b) Bangladesh
c) South Africa
d) USA
e) None of these

24. Govt normally does not announce the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of
a) Wheat
b) Paddy
c) Sugarcane
d) Jute
e) All of these

25. At present Dr.D Subbarao is the
a) Governor of Orissa
b) Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
c) Chairman of the FICCI
d) India’s Representative in IMF
e) None of these

26. Banks borrow money from the RBI on which of the following rates?
a) Bank rate
b) CRR
c) SLR
d) Reverse Repo Rate
e) Repo Rate

27. Which of the following is NOT a part of India’s Money Market?
a) Bill Market
b) Call Money Market
c) Banks
d) Mutual Funds
e) Indian Gold Council

28. Which of the following is/are NOT the feature(s) of India’s Foreign Trade Policy (2004 to 2009)?
A) To double India’s percent age share of global trade from present 0.7 per cent to 1.5 per cent by 2009
B) Simplifying the procedures and bringing down the cost
C) Make SAARC countries India’s most preferred foreign trade partners by 2009
a) Only I
b) Only II
c) Only III
d) All I, II and III
e) Only I and III

29. Which of the following is /are the measure(s) taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ease the liquidity crunch in the country?
A) Cut in Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio.
B) Increase the flow of foreign direct investment
C) Supply of additional currency notes in the market.
a) Only I
b) Only II
c) Only III
d) All I, II and III
e) None of these

30. Which of the following services is NOT provided by the post offices of India?
a) Savings Bank Scheme
b) Retailing of Mutual Funds
c) Sale of Stamp Papers (Judicial)
d) Issuance of Demand Drafts
e) Life Insurance Cover

31. Which of the following is true of New Lending Rate System in Banks?
a) For existing loans, the base rate would be applicable once they matured.
b) For new loans, the base rate would be levied immediately.
c) Banks can not charge customers any fee for such switch-over.
d) All of these
e) None of these

32. According to recently released RBI data on the Balance of Payment, net portfolio investments into country during April- December amounted to
a) $ 23.6 billion
b) $ 30.4 billion
c) $ 32.8 billion
d) $ 36.6 billion
e) $ 40.4 billion

33. Which of the following is NOT a Government sponsored organization?
a) Small Industries Development Bank of India
b) NABARD
c) National Housing Bank
d) ICICI Bank
e) All are government sponsored

34. The Reserve Bank has constituted a working group to review the current operating procedure of monetary policy, as transmission of the policy to the rest of the system remains imperfect. The group, to be headed by RBI executive director ___________, will also review the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF), through which the central bank manages money supply in the system on a day-to-day basis.
a) Usha Thorat
b) Deepak Mohanty
c) Rakesh Mohan
d) Naresh Chandra
e) None of these

35. SEBI was established in
a) 1993
b) 1992
c) 1988
d) 1990
e) None of these

36. The working of SEBI includes:
a) To regulate the dealings of share market
b) To check the foul dealings in share market
c) To control the inside trading of shares
d) All of these
e) None of these

37. The ‘Ad hoc Treasury Bill a system’ of meeting budget deficit in India was replaced by a system which came into force on
a) March 31,1997
b) April 1,1996
c) April 1,1997
d) March 31, 1996
e) None of these

38. The recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission has become/will be operational during the period
a) 2009-14
b) 2010 – 15
c) 2011 – 16
d) 2012 – 2017
e) None of these

39. Rural Woman can avail the benefit of Mahila Samriddhi Yojana if they open their account in
a) Rural Pot Offices
b) Commercial Banks
c) Rural Development Bank
d) Any of the above
e) None of these

40. The rate at which banks lend to RBI is known as
a) Bank Rate
b) Repo Rate
c) Reverse Repo Rate
d) Interest Rate
e) None of these

41. The cause of deflation is
a) Lack of goods and services as compared to money supply
b) Lack of imports as compared to exports
c) Lack of money supply as compared to supply of goods and services
d) Lack of money supply and goods
e) None of these

42. Which bank in India performs the duties of the central bank?
a) Central Bank of India
b) State Bank of India
c) Reserve Bank of India
d) Bank of India
e) None of these

43. Mixed Economy means
a) Co-existence of small and large industries
b) Promoting both Agriculture and Industries in the economy
c) Co-existence of public and private sectors
d) Co-existence of the rich and the poor
e) None of these

44. ‘Pure Banking, Northing Else’ is a slogan raised by
a) ICICI Bank
b) HDFC Bank
c) SBI
d) UTI Bank
e) None of these

45. Which of the following is true about Swavalamban Scheme?
A) Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee will launch the Swavalamban scheme in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.
B) As per the scheme, the Centre will contribute Rs.1,000 a year to each New Pension Scheme (NPS) account opened in the current year.
C) The contribution will be made till 2013 – 14
D) To be eligible, a person will have to make a minimum contribution of Rs.1,000 and maximum contribution of Rs.12,000 per annum.
a) Only A,B & C
b) Only A, C & D
c) Only A & D
d) All the above
e) None of these

46. The axe finally fell on Asia’s first cooperative bank, ___________, when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled its licence and asked it not to continue any banking – related transactions until further directions.
a) Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd
b) Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd
c) Nadar Co-operative Bank Ltd
d) Anyonya Cooperative Bank Ltd
e) None of these

47. 13th Finance Commission was constituted under the Chairmanship of
a) YSP Thorat
b) Vijai L Kelkar
c) TS Vijayan
d) Laxmi Narayan
e) None of these

48. SEBI is a
a) Statutory body
b) Advisory body
c) Constitutional body
d) Non-statutory body
e) None of these

49. Bank Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT) was withdrawn with effect from
a) January 1, 2009
b) March 1, 2009
c) March 31, 2009
d) April 1, 2009
e) None of these

50. Which committee recommended abolition of tax rebates under Section 88?
a) Chelliah Committee
b) Kelkar Committee
c) Shome Committee
d) Naresh Chandra Committee
e) None of these


ANSWERS :

1.D 2.B 3.A 4.C 5.D 6.C 7.C 8.A 9.C 10.B

11.E 12.E 13.E 14.D 15.E 16.A 17.B 18.D 19.E 20.C

21.E 22.D 23.B 24.D 25.E 26.E 27.E 28.D 29.A 30.E

31.D 32.C 33.D 34.B 35.C 36.D 37.C 38.B 39.A 40.C

41.C 42.C 43.C 44.C 45.D 46.D 47.B 48.A 49.D 50.B

Chhattisgarh Gramin Bank Officers Exam., 2012

General Knowledge

(Exam Held on 22-1-2012)

 

1. Which of the following is one of the core functions of the Reserve Bank of India ?
(A) To act as Tax collector of the Govt. of India
(B) Work as Banker to the Banks
(C) Help in finalization of the Union Budget
(D) Participate in annual meetings of the various financial institutes world wide
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

2. Which of the following tools is used frequently by the RBI to control credit and monetary situations of the markets in the country ?
(A) Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
(B) Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)
(C) Balance of Trade
(D) Forward Rate Agreements
(E) Electronic Clearing Service
Ans: (A)

3. The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) launched with a corpus of Rs. 1000 crore will help which of the following groups of society ?
(A) Bank Employees
(B) Central and State Government Employees
(C) Workers of the unorganized sectors
(D) War widows
(E) Women employees engaged in textile industry
Ans: (C)

4. What is the full form of the term ‘PDS’ which is a channel of distribution of foodgrains and other essentials to poor people on subsidized rates ?
(A) Public Distribution System
(B) Potential Development System
(C) Profitable Distribution Source
(D) Public Development Syndication
(E) Public Distribution Stores
Ans: (A)

5. India and Afghanistan recently signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement. Who among the following signed on it for Afghanistan during his visit to New Delhi ?
(A) President of Afghanistan
(B) Vice President of Afghanistan
(C) Foreign Minister of Afghanistan
(D) Finance Minister of Afghanistan
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

6. Mr. Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who was on a state visit to India is the Commerce Minister of—
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Pakistan
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Nepal
(E) Myanmar
Ans: (B)

7. Which of the following terms is used in the field of finance and banking ?
(A) Metabolism
(B) Genetic Process
(C) Centrifugal force
(D) Debt instrument
(E) Experimental Error
Ans: (D)

8. Who among the following Indian Leaders was in New York in September 2011 to address UN General Assembly ?
(A) Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
(B) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(C) Mr. Pranab Mukherjee
(D) Ms. Meira Kumar
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

9. Who among the following is the Chief Minister of Gujarat at present ?
(A) Sri Arun Jaitley
(B) Sri Praful Patel
(C) Sri L. K. Advani
(D) Sri Narendra Modi
(E) None of these
Ans: (D)

10. The 12th plan papers are sent to ‘NDC’ for approval-was the news in various newspapers recently. This means the plan was sent to—
(A) New Democratic Council
(B) National Development Council
(C) New Democratic Committee
(D) National Democratic Council
(E) New Departmental Committee
Ans: (B)

11. India recently signed a Tax treaty with ‘Uruguay’. This is a country in—
(A) South America
(B) South Africa
(C) South East Asia
(D) Gulf
(E) Europe
Ans: (A)

12. Which of the following is not a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ?
(A) Italy
(B) Germany
(C) USA
(D) France
(E) India
Ans: (E)

13. Which of the following countries launched its first Space Laboratory Module named ‘Tiangong-1’ recently ?
(A) South Korea
(B) North Korea
(C) China
(D) Japan
(E) Italy
Ans: (C)

14. India recently signed a significant Border Pact with which of the following SAARC countries ?
(A) Myanmar
(B) Nepal
(C) China
(D) Pakistan
(E) Bangladesh
Ans: (E)

15. Northern Rashidpur Field, where a huge stock of gas is found, is a place in—
(A) Pakistan
(B) Nepal
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) India
Ans: (C)

16. Women of which of the following countries got voting rights in General Elections for the first time ?
(A) China
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Pakistan
(D) Nepal
(E) Saudi Arabia
Ans: (E)

17. Which of the following is the currency of Myanmar ?
(A) Dinar
(B) Kyat
(C) Pesso
(D) Euro
(E) Dollar
Ans: (B)

18. Which of the following countries recently decided to lift ban on Foreign News, Websites, etc. as a reforms measure ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Nepal
(C) China
(D) Pakistan
(E) Myanmar
Ans: (E)

19. Who among the following is the first recipient of the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award presented in September 2011 ?
(A) Asha Bhosle
(B) Lata Mangeshkar
(C) Sonu Nigam
(D) Kailash Kher
(E) Anu Malik
Ans: (B)

20. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was associated with which of the following games ?
(A) Badminton
(B) Cricket
(C) Football
(D) Hockey
(E) Lawn Tennis
Ans: (B)

21. Ms. Helle Thorning Schmidt has become the first woman Prime Minister of—
(A) New Zealand
(B) Malaysia
(C) Denmark
(D) Brazil
(E) None of these
Ans: (C)

22. Miss Leila Lopes who was crowned Miss Universe 2011, is a resident of—
(A) Britain
(B) Denmark
(C) New Zealand
(D) Angola
(E) Brazil
Ans: (D)

23. Sri B. C. Khanduri has become the Chief Minister of which of the following States for the second term ?
(A) Orissa
(B) Himachal Pradesh
(C) Jharkhand
(D) Uttarakhand
(E) Chhattisgarh
Ans: (D)

24. First share market in India was established in which of the following cities ?
(A) Kanpur
(B) Chennai
(C) Jaipur
(D) Mumbai
(E) None of these
Ans: (D)

25. 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)

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

27. Who amongst the following is the President of France at present ?
(A) Angela Markel
(B) Elena Vesnina
(C) David Cameron
(D) Dilma Rousseff
(E) Nicolas Sarkozy
Ans: (E)

28. Which of the following is not an agricultural commodity ?
(A) Mango
(B) Cumin
(C) Sulphur
(D) Tomato
(E) Garlic
Ans: (C)

29. Which organization is being given the status of Micro Finance Regulating Authority ?
(A) SIDBI
(B) IDBI
(C) NABARD
(D) SEBI
(E) ICICI Bank
Ans: (D)

30. GNP, the term used by economist, stands for—
(A) Group Net Product
(B) Gross National Product
(C) Grand Nuclear Process
(D) Group Net Working Process
(E) Grand National Promotion
Ans: (B)

31. 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)

32. Term ‘Balance of Payment’ is used in relation to which of the following ?
(A) Tax collection
(B) Exports and Imports
(C) Annual sales of a factory
(D) Deficit in Union Budget
(E) None of these
Ans: (B)

33. Which of the following is not a foodgrain ?
(A) Paddy
(B) Jowar
(C) Bajra
(D) Maize
(E) Isabgol
Ans: (E)

34. Which of the following is an employment generating programme of Govt. of India ?
(A) MGNREGA
(B) NRHM
(C) Bharat Nirman
(D) Pulse Polio
(E) ASHA
Ans: (A)

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

36. Which of the following metals is used for generation of Nuclear Power by most of the Nuclear Power Plants across the world ?
(A) Iron
(B) Copper
(C) Uranium
(D) Nickel
(E) Barium
Ans: (C)

37. 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: (E)

38. 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) Indian Formal Reporting System
Ans: (C)

39. ‘Heavy Water’ is used in which of the following fields ?
(A) Textile Industry
(B) Cement Industry
(C) Iron and Steel Industry
(D) Nuclear Power
(E) Pharma Industry
Ans: (D)

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

41. 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 issues the licence for the same ?
(A) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
(B) Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF)
(C) Indian Banks’ Association
(D) Registrar of Companies
(E) Reserve Bank of India
Ans: (E)

42. ‘Pulitzer Prize’ is given in the field of—
(A) Literature
(B) Social Service
(C) Films
(D) Science
(E) Sports
Ans: (A)

43. Which of the following terms/trophies is related with the game of Cricket ?
(A) Love
(B) Trump
(C) Grand slam
(D) Fifa Cup
(E) Ashes
Ans: (E)

44. Who amongst the following is the Prime Minister of Pakistan ?
(A) Yusuf Raza Gillani
(B) Nawaz Sharif
(C) Hina Rabbani Khar
(D) Asif Ali Zardari
(E) None of these
Ans: (A)

45. 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)

46. Which of the following phenomenon is considered responsible for ‘Global Warming’ ?
(A) Greenhouse Effect
(B) Fire in coal mines
(C) Dry Farming
(D) Monsoon
(E) Trade winds
Ans: (A)

47. OPEC is a group of countries which are—
(A) Exporting oil
(B) Producing cotton
(C) Members of G-20
(D) Developing and poor
(E) Nuclear powers
Ans: (A)

48. 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) Revolution 2020
(E) A House for Mr. Biswas
Ans: (D)

49. Wimbledon Trophy is associated with—
(A) Football
(B) Chess
(C) Hockey
(D) Badminton
(E) Lawn Tennis
Ans: (E)

50. Baichung Bhutia is a famous—
(A) Politician
(B) Cine actor
(C) Social worker
(D) Football Player
(E) Journalist
Ans: (D)

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).