Friday, April 27, 2012

Election Commission hosts third Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC Countries

Election Commission of India is hosting the Third Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC Countries here from 30 April to 2 May, 2012. The Conference brings together the Chief Election Commissioners and senior election officials of the region on a common platform to share experience of best practices in election administration and management. The Conference will build on the initiatives and exchanges discussed at the previous Conferences. Discussions will also focus on the final shape of the Forum of SAARC Election Management Bodies, which has been approved in principle at the last Conference held in Islamabad. The conference will be inaugurated by Dr S Y Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India.

Some of the important topics to be discussed are: Empowerment of Election Management Bodies; Inclusive elections (gender issues, marginalized sections, minorities etc.), Voters Education, Controlling Money Power in Elections, Technology for cost-effective elections etc.

The idea of holding such Conferences took concrete shape at the 37th Session of the Standing Committee of SAARC, held at Thimphu, in April, 2010. Bangladesh hosted the first Conference in May 2010, where initial discussions on creating a Forum of SAARC EMBs were also held.

The second Conference was held in Islamabad by the Election Commission of Pakistan. It focussed on experience sharing, and also discussed the draft charter of the proposed Forum. It adopted a resolution to establish the Forum. A number of initiatives on mutual exchanges and training activities were discussed, and bilateral arrangements were tied up between member Commissions. During the Conference, Chief Election Commissioner of India offered to host the 3rd Conference in New Delhi, which was accepted.

Election Commission of India works in close collaboration with the Election Management Bodies of South Asian Countries. In the recent weeks officials for the Election Commission of Afghanistan, Maldives and Bhutan received training at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election management IIIDEM.

Laying the Foundation Stone of the IIIDEM new Campus in Dwarka

Coinciding with the SAARC Heads of EMBs conference, Foundation Stone of new campus of India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) will be laid by Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, Chief Election Commissioner of India, on Monday, at Dwarka, New Delhi in the presence of Election Commissioners Shri V. S. Sampath and Shri H.S. Brahma and Heads of Election Management Bodies of SAARC countries. They include Mr.Fazel Ahmad Manawi, Chairman, Independent Election Commission, Afghanistan, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner, Bangladesh, Dasho Kunzang Wangdi, Chief Election Commissioner, Bhutan, Mr. Neel Kantha Upreti, Chief Election Commissioner, Nepal, Mr.Ibrahim Waheed, Commissioner, Election Commission, Maldives, Mr. Justice (R ) Muhammad R. Essani, Member, Election Commission Pakistan and Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya, Commissioner of Elections, Sri Lanka. Shri Tejendra Khanna, Hon. Lt. Governor of Delhi will be the Chief Guest at the event.

ECI plans to develop IIIDEM as an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension of participatory democracy and election management. Presently, IIIDEM operates from the premises of the election Commission of India in New Delhi.

The funds to the tune of Rs 48 crores have been approved for 2011-12 and 2012-13 for construction of the new campus.

At present, training courses of IIIDEM are being conducted in the interim premises of this Institute at Election Commission of India. IIIDEM, since its launch in June 2011 has hosted 32 courses for more than 500 election officials and other stakeholders in all aspects of Election management. Training courses are already lined up at IIIDEM in the coming weeks for the upcoming Summary Revision and General Elections in some of the states.

Besides the national training programmes, IIIDEM has also conducted five courses for Kenyan, Maldivian, Bhutanese and Afghanistan election officials and Nigerian Election Commissioners. There are requests for such courses from Nepal and Fiji. Over the ten months of its existence, IIIDEM has become a hub for national and international training courses, seminars and workshops. Standard training modules for international participants have already been developed by a renowned team of Indian and International experts.

Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha nominated to Rajya Sabha

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actor Rekha are among four eminent persons who have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the UPA government.
Tendulkar, 39, who has 100 international centuries to his credit, and Rekha, 57, who made a name for herself in the 1980s in the Hindi filmdom through a variety of roles she played with ease and brilliance, will become members under Article 80 of the Constitution, which allows the President to nominate to the Rajya Sabha 12 members having special knowledge of, or practical experience in, literature, science, art and social service.
One of the top heroines of yesteryear, Rekha has won many prestigious awards during her career.
She won accolades and the national award for her portrayal of ‘Umrao Jaan' in Muzaffar Ali's film of the same name.
Highly placed government sources said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written to the Home Ministry. There was no official word on the other two names recommended for nomination.
There has been a long-standing demand from several quarters for conferring the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on Tendulkar for his contribution to cricket. He enjoys a phenomenal fan following in not only India but also many other countries. He scored the historic 100th international hundred against Bangladesh in Dhaka last month.
In the recent past, well-known film personalities, including Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen and Lata Mangeshkar, have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha now has seven nominated members.

Bachat Lamp Yojana

Till now 259.16 lakh Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) have been distributed under the Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) scheme. In the 11th Plan total funds allocated for the scheme were Rs.18.32 crores.

The BLY scheme has been designed on Public Private Partnership mode. The Umbrella Framework for BLY has been registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Programme of Activities (PoA). The private investors can participate in the BLY scheme and develop the CDM projects and distribute CFLs in co-ordination with the State Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs). The private investor invests into the BLY project and earns the carbon credits for the same. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) acts as an overall coordinator for the BLY projects.

Under the BLY Scheme, no exemption/tax holiday/subsidy is provided to the CFL manufacturers. The scheme was approved for the 11th Plan and is proposed with modifications in the 12th Plan also.

Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme



Panchayat Empowerment and Accountability Incentive Scheme (PEAIS) is a Central Sector Plan Scheme being implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj since 2005-06.  PEAIS aims to (i) incentivize States to devolve 3Fs (functions, funds and functionaries) to Panchayats and (ii) incentivize Panchayats to put in place accountability systems to make their functioning transparent and efficient.  Performance of States is measured through a Devolution Index (DI) prepared through an independent agency.  Awards are given to best performing States/UTs based on their rank on DI annually.  From 2011-2012, Panchayats have been incentivized for their performance during the year 2010-2011. The State/UT Governments have been advised to utilise the amount released for the development of Panchayati Raj in the State.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

LIST OF ISRO SATELLITES

Satellite
Launch Date
Launch Vehicle
Type of Satellite
RISAT-1
26.04.2012
PSLV-C19
Earth Observation Satellite
Jugnu
12.10.2011
PSLV-C18
Experimental / Small Satellite
SRMSat
12.10.2011
PSLV-C18
Experimental / Small Satellite
Megha-Tropiques
12.10.2011
PSLV-C18
Earth Observation Satellite
GSAT-12
15.07.2011
PSLV-C17
Geo-Stationary Satellite
GSAT-8
21.05.2011
Ariane-5
VA-202
Geo-Stationary Satellite
RESOURCESAT-2
20.04.2011
PSLV-C16
Earth Observation Satellite
YOUTHSAT
20.04.2011
PSLV-C16
Experimental / Small Satellite
GSAT-5P
25.12.2010
GSLV-F06
Geo-Stationary Satellite
STUDSAT
12.07.2010
PSLV-C15
Experimental / Small Satellite
CARTOSAT-2B
12.07.2010
PSLV-C15
Earth Observation Satellite
GSAT-4
15.04.2010
GSLV-D3
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Oceansat-2
23.09.2009
PSLV-C14
Earth Observation Satellite
ANUSAT
20.04.2009
PSLV-C12
Experimental / Small Satellite
RISAT-2 20.04.2009
PSLV-C12
Earth Observation Satellite
Chandrayaan-1
22.10.2008
PSLV-C11
Space Mission
CARTOSAT - 2A
28.04.2008
PSLV-C9
Earth Observation Satellite
IMS-1
28.04.2008
PSLV-C9
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-4B
12.03.2007
Ariane-5ECA
Geo-Stationary Satellite
CARTOSAT - 2
10.01.2007
PSLV-C7
Earth Observation Satellite
SRE - 1
10.01.2007
PSLV-C7
Experimental / Small Satellite
INSAT-4CR
02.09.2007
GSLV-F04
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-4C
10.07.2006
GSLV-F02
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-4A
22.12.2005
Ariane-5GS
Geo-Stationary Satellite
HAMSAT
05.05.2005
PSLV-C6
Experimental / Small Satellite
CARTOSAT-1
05.05.2005
PSLV-C6
Earth Observation Satellite
EDUSAT (GSAT-3)
20.09.2004
GSLV-F01
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Resourcesat-1(IRS-P6)
17.10.2003
PSLV-C5
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-3A
10.04.2003
Ariane-5G
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-3E
28.09.2003
Ariane-5G
Geo-Stationary Satellite
GSAT-2
08.05.2003
GSLV-D2
Geo-Stationary Satellite
KALPANA-1(METSAT)
12.09.2002
PSLV-C4
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-3C
24.01.2002
Ariane-42L H10-3
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Technology Experiment Satellite (TES)
22.10.2001
PSLV-C3
Earth Observation Satellite
GSAT-1
18.04.2001
GSLV-D1
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-3B
22.03.2000
Ariane-5G
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Oceansat(IRS-P4)
26.05.1999
PSLV-C2
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-2E
03.04.1999
Ariane-42P H10-3
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-2DT
January 1998
Ariane-44L H10
Geo-Stationary Satellite
IRS-1D
29.09.1997
PSLV-C1
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-2D
04.06.1997
Ariane-44L H10-3
Geo-Stationary Satellite
IRS-P3
21.03.1996
PSLV-D3
Earth Observation Satellite
IRS-1C
28.12.1995
Molniya
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-2C
07.12.1995
Ariane-44L H10-3
Geo-Stationary Satellite
IRS-P2
15.10.1994
PSLV-D2
Earth Observation Satellite
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS-C2)
04.05.1994
ASLV
Space Mission
IRS-1E
20.09.1993
PSLV-D1
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-2B
23.07.1993
Ariane-44L H10+
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-2A
10.07.1992
Ariane-44L H10
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series (SROSS-C)
20.05.1992
ASLV
Space Mission
IRS-1B
29.08.1991
Vostok
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-1D
12.06.1990
Delta 4925
Geo-Stationary Satellite
INSAT-1C
21.07.1988
Ariane-3
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series
(SROSS-2)
13.07.1988
ASLV
Earth Observation Satellite
IRS-1A
17.03.1988
Vostok
Earth Observation Satellite
Stretched Rohini Satellite Series
(SROSS-1)
24.03.1987
ASLV
Space Mission
INSAT-1B
30.08.1983
Shuttle [PAM-D]
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Rohini (RS-D2)
17.04.1983
SLV-3
Earth Observation Satellite
INSAT-1A
10.04.1982
Delta 3910 PAM-D
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Bhaskara-II
20.11.1981
C-1 Intercosmos
Earth Observation Satellite
Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE)
19.06.1981
Ariane-1(V-3)
Geo-Stationary Satellite
Rohini (RS-D1)
31.05.1981
SLV-3
Earth Observation Satellite
Rohini (RS-1)
18.07.1980
SLV-3
Experimental / Small Satellite
Rohini Technology Payload (RTP)
10.08.1979
SLV-3
Experimental / Small Satellite
Bhaskara-I
07.06.1979
C-1 Intercosmos
Earth Observation Satellite
Aryabhata
19.04.1975
C-1 Intercosmos
Experimental / Small Satellite

India & the sex selection conundrum

What was our immediate response to further decline in the child sex ratio in India? Within days of the provisional 2011 Census results (March-April 2011), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reconstituted the Central Supervisory Board for the Pre-conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) Act 1994 , which had not met for 3 years, and on November 30, 2011 the Ministry of Women and Child Development formed a Sectoral Innovation Council for Child Sex Ratio. But we are busy dousing flames in haste without looking to dampen the source. This fire-fighting approach is unlikely to succeed, because putting out fires in one district virtually ensures its spread to another. That is what has happened.
The decline in child sex ratio (0-6 years) from 945 in 1991 to 927 in 2001 and further to 914 females per 1,000 males in 2011 — the lowest since independence — is cause for alarm, but also occasion for serious policy re-think. Over the last two decades, the rate of decline appears to have slowed but what began as an urban phenomenon has spread to rural areas. This is despite legal provisions, incentive-based schemes, and media messages. Indians across the country, bridging class and caste divides, are deliberately ensuring that girls are simply not born. This artificial alteration of our demographic landscape has implications for not only gender justice and equality but also social violence, human development and democracy.

What is wrong?

So what are we doing wrong — both in the discourse we have created and in the policy route we have chosen to walk? To start with, we have chosen to target one symptom (practice of sex selection), instead of evolving a comprehensive national policy response to a deeply resistant ailment (son preference/daughter aversion and low status of women in India). State policy has, in the main, consisted of seeking to stem the supply of technology that enables sex selection through application of the law — the PCPNDT Act bans the use of diagnostic techniques for determining the sex of a foetus. The rationale (framed within an inverted demand-supply paradigm) is that stopping supply of the technology will reduce the demand — for determining the sex of the foetus and aborting if it is female. So far (not withstanding wide publicity about the PCPNDT Act, including signboards in every clinic, hospital and nursing home), this hasn't panned out as planned.
Meanwhile, this singular focus on PCPNDT has triggered an unhealthy discourse beyond what the law actually bans (using medical diagnostics to determine the sex of the foetus) to the next step, i.e. the act of abortion. Over the last few years, the hunt for aborted female foetuses appears to have become legitimate media pastime and reportage consists chiefly of stories about “foetuses' foeticide” and “foetal remains.” Clearly, the goriness of the phenomenon meets the media's need for just a tad bit of sensation (foetal remains found in gunny bags outside quack clinics, in the fields, in the dark depths of deep wells, etc.).
While national attention on this issue is welcome, this is complex terrain. On the one hand is the right of females to be born, and of society to protect and preserve a gender balance. On the other hand lies a woman's right under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (enacted in 1971, revised in 1975) to have a safe and legal abortion as part of a whole gamut of reproductive rights. In our zeal to create an environment against one type of abortion (of a foetus only because it is female), we end up stigmatising all abortions. Access to safe and legal abortion for Indian women is already severely limited, and this environment will not improve things. Indeed the very word ‘foeticide' i.e. ‘killing' of the foetus (used often without the qualifying ‘female foeticide') dents abortion rights.

Tackling the demand side

As for tackling the demand side — i.e. addressing the complex reasons that son preference-daughter aversion is so prevalent — our policy response has included marking the National Girl Child Day (declared in 2009) on January 24, sporadically putting up billboards at major intersections telling us to ‘love the girl child,' ‘beti bachao', ‘stop killing girls', and a slew of ill-conceived conditional cash transfer schemes to incentivise the birth of girls at both the Centre and the State level.
A 2010 desk review of 15 conditional cash transfer schemes (Dhan Lakshmi, Ladli, Beti Hai Anmol, Kanyadan, and others) conducted by TV Sekher of IIPS for UNFPA is revealing. Most of them promised relatively small amounts at maturity, had complex conditions (immunisation, school enrolment, institutional delivery, sterilisation, among others), gave cash amounts at the age of 18 (for dowry?), and were aimed at poor or BPL families. Quite apart from the objectionable attempt to arm twist every imaginable kind of ‘desired' behaviour (immunise, educate, sterilise) in return for small sums of money, the big problem is that these schemes are targeted largely at poor families. This is not a poor or BPL-only phenomenon. Small cash amounts are unlikely to make an iota of difference to families who have resources to pay for sex selective technology. On this issue, Indian policymakers, accustomed to ‘targeting' the poor (i.e. BPL) need to bravely enter the unfamiliar terrain of targeting the not-so-poor, the upwardly mobile, the wealthy.
The advocacy and communications around this issue, by both the government and NGOs, has taken the ‘love the girl child' route. It is unexceptionable, politically correct, and ensconced comfortably in a language of patriarchal protectiveness (ladki ko bachao). Of course, everyone likes to ‘love little girls in pigtails,' including MPs who will defeat the Women's Reservation Bill time and again in Parliament.

Cultural attitudes

The problem of ‘demand' goes far deeper than our communication or policy solutions seem to suggest. Sex selection is located at the complex interface of cultural attitudes, patriarchal prejudice, socioeconomic pressures, the changes wrought by modernity, and the commercialisation and misuse of modern medical technology. The impact of modernity and materialism on the decreased valuation of females i.e. enhanced daughter aversion, the lack of old-age social security i.e. son preference, increasing violence against women, property rights, inheritance laws — each of these and more play a role. We must demand of ourselves an equally comprehensive national policy on the sex ratio, capable of addressing each contributory factor.

South Korea & China

South Korea has beaten the problem by adopting a comprehensive national response. China, whether or not we agree with its particular national framework, at least has one. The Chinese government adopted a series of concurrent policies, strategic actions and laws to promote gender equality, increase female workforce participation, ensure old age social security, in addition to banning the use of sex selective diagnostics. The country's sex ratio is showing small signs of improvement.
Finally, a national communication strategy is key to a national policy response, and this must rest on acknowledging two things — one, behaviour change communication is a specialised field whose expertise must be harnessed, and two, the nature of reproductive decision-making in India is changing along with immense changes in the Indian family structure. A communication strategy needs to identify primary targets (decision-makers) and secondary targets (decision supporters), and reach them through strategic media platforms — traditional, conventional and new media. As for the core content of messages, a lot can be said, but for now let us agree to go beyond billboard exhortations to ‘love the girl child.' And recognise that the girl will grow up to be a woman one day.

PSLV-C19 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES RISAT-1

The PSLV-C19, the newest in the series of polar satellite launch vehicles of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), burst off the launch-pads of Sriharikota in the wee hours of April 26 on its space mission of placing indigenously developed Radar Imaging Satellite the RISAT-1 in a polar circular orbit.
After a customarily tense countdown at the ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, at precisely 5.47 a.m., the launch vehicle’s core stage igniters and set of six strap-on motors ignited within seconds of each to signal the successful lift-off of the PSLV-C19 with the RISAT -1 firmly docked inside its metal frames. 
The RISAT-1 with a payload of 1858 kg, the heaviest satellite being launched yet by the PSLV, is a state-of-the-art Active Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload that will operate in the C-band. In simpler terms, the RISAT-1 can beam back imaging of the earth surface features during day and night and under all imagined weather conditions. The SAR which gives the RISAT-1 its magic lens also makes it superior to the generation of optical remote sensing satellites in terms of clearer imaging at all times and under any condition.
Once the PSLV-C19 successfully completed each of the four stages of its flight in a span of 18 minutes and reported normal parameters, congratulatory scenes broke out at the Mission Directorate at Sriharikota. 
According to ISRO scientists, once the satellite onboard propulsion system will raise the orbital altitude to 536 km with orbital inclination of approximately 97 degrees to place the RISAT-1 into a polar sun-synchronous orbit, the satellite will begin its daily routine of 14 orbits with a of 25 days. During its mission life of five years, RISAT-1 will use its active microwave remote sensing capability for cloud penetration and day-night imaging of the earth surface and provide critical data inputs for a range of applications.
The satellite’s applications will range across agriculture — paddy monitoring in the kharif season — and management of natural disasters like flood and cyclone and could greatly assist food security planning in India.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 21st flight (PSLV-C19), launches India’s first Radar Imaging Satellite – RISAT-1 into a Polar Circular Orbit with an altitude of 480 km (+ 40.5 km) and orbital inclination of 97.552 (+ 0.2). RISAT-1 weighing 1858 kg is the heaviest satellite being launched by PSLV.

This is the third flight of the high end version (PSLV-XL) with six extended strap-on motors, each carrying 12 tonnes of solid propellant. (The two earlier flights of PSLV-XL were used to launch Chandrayaan-1 and GSAT-12 Communication Satellite) 
 RISAT-1
Radar Satellite-1 (RISAT-1) is a state of the art Microwave Remote Sensing Satellite carrying a Synthetic Aperture Reader (SAR) Payload operating in C-band (5.35 GHz), which enables imaging of the surface features during both day and night under all weather conditions. 
Lift-off Mass 1858 kg
Orbit Circular Polar Sun Synchronous
Orbit Altitude 536 km
Orbit Inclination 97.552o
Orbit Period 95.49 min
Number of Orbits per day 14
Local Time of Equator Crossing 6:00 am / 6:00 pm
Power Solar Array generating 2200 W and one 70 AH Ni-H2 battery
Repetivity 25 days
Attitude and Orbit Control 3-axis body stabilised using Reaction Wheels, Magnetic Torquers and Hydrazine Thrusters
Nominal Mission Life 5 years
Launch date April 26, 2012
Launch site SDSC SHAR Centre, Sriharikota, India
Launch vehicle PSLV- C19

Native anti-malaria drug launched

India on April 25 launched its first indigenously launched anti-malaria new-age drug ‘Synriam'. The drug, produced by Ranbaxy Laboratories, was formally introduced for marketing here.
The drug, launched by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the presence of Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, has been developed by the company in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and supported by the Indian Council for Medical Research.
Malaria claims half a million lives every year globally and India contributes to 77 per cent malaria cases of the 2.5 million cases of malaria reported annually from South East Asia.
The dual-molecule combination drug conforms to the recommendations of World Health Organisation (WHO) and will be required to be taken only once a day for three days.
The drug Synriam is to be used to treat uncomplicated “Plasmodium falciparum” malaria in adults. It provides relief from most malaria-related symptoms, including fever, and has a high cure rate of over 95 per cent.
“Today, India joins the elite club of the countries to have developed a new drug indigenously for malaria on the occasion of World Malaria Day,” Ranbaxy Laboratories CEO and MD Arun Sawhney said.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Azad said the drug should be made accessible and affordable so that poor and needy can purchase it as they are the ones who are most exposed to malaria.
After commencing research on the drug in 2003, the company received the Drug Controller General of India's (DCGI) approval in 2011 to manufacture and market it in India.
The drug is efficacious and has the advantage of “compliance and convenience” as it can be taken at any time before or after meals. The course is one tablet a day for three days. Unlike artemisinin-based drugs, it has a synthetic source, the production of which can be scaled up whenever required and a consistent supply of the drug can be maintained at low cost.
The company has spent close to $ 30 million on research and development of the drug, of which the Government of India contributed a total of Rs. 5 crore.
The company also plans to introduce the drug in African countries once the clinical trials are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals are received.
Company's President (R&D) Sudershan Arora said the clinical trials in Africa will be over by the first quarter of 2013 and the drug could be introduced in the same year after getting the necessary approvals there.

Allahabad Bank P.O. Exam Solved Paper

GENERAL AWARENESS
(Exam Held on 17-04-2011)

1. Who is the author of the novel “A Bend in the River “?
a) Chetan Baghat
b) Amitav Ghosh
c) V. S. Naipaul
d) Arundhati Roy
e) None of these
2. Who is the author of book “Darkness at Noon”?
a) Salman Rushdi
b) Arun Nayyar
c) Aravind Adiga
d) Arthur Koestler
e) None of these
3. Which of the following terms is associated with the game of Cricket?
a) Center Forward
b) Love
c) LBW
d) Deuce
e) None of these
4. Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi is associated with the country -
a) Egypt
b) Ghana
c) Tunisia
d) Iran
e) Libya
5. Which of the following is currency of UAE?
a) Dirham
b) Dolloar
c) Pound
d) EURO
e) Dinar
6. Who is Kapil Sibal?
a) Agriculture Minister
b) Telecom Minister
c) Finance Minister
d) Sports Minister
e) None of these
7. Well known Late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has excelled himself in -
a) Arts
b) Music
c) Literature
d) Jounalism
e) Sports
8. What is the name of Central Bank of USA?
a) Central Bank U.S.A
b) Reserve Bank of USA
c) Federal Reserve System
d) United States International Bank
e) None of these
9. Vikram Pandit is associated with which of the following banks?
a) United Bank
b) Citigroup Bank
c) HSBC
d) ICICI
e) HDFC
10. Which of the following metal is used in Nuclear Power production plant?
a) Copper
b) Zinc
c) Iron
d) Uranium
e) Barium
11. Which among the following is a renewable energy source?
A) Solar
B) Wind
C) Thermal
a) Only (A)
 b) Only (B)
c) Only (C)
d) Both (A) & (B)
e) All (A), (B) & (C)
12. Which of the following states government proposes to setup India’s first Islamic bank in the country?
a) Kerala
b) Gujarat
c) Tamilnadu
d) Utar Pradesh
e) Odisha
13.As per the latest survey of indian economy, which among the following sectors is likely account for maximum share in country’s GDP?
a) Agriculture
b) Services
c) Industries
d) Automobiles
e) None of these
14. Which of the following organisations will distribute UIDAI cards among the citizens of country?
a) LIC
b) RBI
b) CSO
d) Ministry of Foreign Affairs
e) None of these
15. Which of the following organisation has announced to setup a core banking facilities in rural areas and rural infrastucture?
a) SBI
b) RBI
c) ICICI
d) Rural Co-operative Banks
e) NABARD
16. What does the letter M stands for in SME, a commonly used abbriviation in financial parlance?
a) Millionaire
b) Miles
c) Medium
d) Mid-term
e) Monetary
17. What is the full form of SWIFT used in finance/banking sector?
a) Society for Worldwide International Financial Telecommunication
b) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
c) Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Taxation
d) Society for Worldwide International Financial Taxation
e) None of these
18. RBI appointed a committee under the chairmanship of D. Mohanty to look into -
a) 2G spectrum scam
b) Implementation of Base Rate
c) Bank’s Saving Interest rate
d) Inflation
e) None of these
19. The government has proposed to setup Megha Food Parks in the country in order to-
a) control food prices
b) reduce wastage of farm produce
c) improve health facilities in urban areas
c) improve the food supply chain
e) None of these
20. What does the term IRR stands for in banking/financial parlance?
a) Interest Rate Risk
b) Interest Rate of Return
c) Internal Rate of Return
d) Internal Recovery Risk
e) None of these
21. Which of the following organizations provide credit history of the borrowers?
a) RBI
b) AMFI
c) CRISIL
d) SEBI
e) CIBIL
22. Which among the following rates is likely to effect the bank’s loan interest rate?
a) Repo rate / Bank Rate
b) CRR / SLR
c) Inflation rate
d) Reverse Repo Rate
e) None of these
23. At which of the following rates a bank borrows money from RBI?
a) Reverse Repo Rate
b) Cash Reserve Ratio
c) Repo Rate
d) SLR
e) None of these
24. The Indian economy has registered a growth of _________ in Fiscal Year 2009-10.
a) 7.2%
b) 7.4%
c) 6.7%
d) 8.1%
e) None of these
25. What is the expansion of the term FIMMDA?
a) Fixed Income Money Market and Development Association of India.
b) Floating Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India.
c) Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India
d) Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Agency of India.
e) None of these
26. Which among the following countries was second largest importer of services and goods in 2009-10 ?
a) USA
b) China
c) India
d) Germany
e) Japan
27. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus is bleong to which of following countires?
a) Pakistan
b) Irak
c) UAE
d) Bangladesh
e) Afghanistan
28. Pipavav Port is situated in which of following states?
a) Gujarat
b) Tamilnadu
c) Kerala
d) Andhra Pradesh
e) Odisha
* Pipavav Port is India’s first port in the private sector
29. Niyamgiri bauxite mining project is to be carried out in which of the following states?
a) West Bengal
b) Orissa
c) Jharkhand
d) Andhra Pradesh
e) None of these
30. Which of the following schemes has been launched by government of india for school childrens?
a) MNREGA ( Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)
b) SEWA ( Self Employed Women’s Association )
c) Mid Day Meal
d) UIDAI ( Unique Identification Authority of India) 
e) None of these
31. The precautionary limit of the Lok-Adalat has been fixed up to Rs._______
a) 5 lakh
b) 10 lakh
c) 15 lakh
d) 20 lakh
e) None of these
32. Which of the following theories is used in economic parlance?
a) Keynesian theory
b) Pascal’s Theory
c) Gravity Theory
d) Affinity matrix
e) None of these
33. Which of the following terms is not used in banking/finance parlance?
a) Credit
b) Debit
c) Discount
d) Absolute Zero
e) None of these
34. Which of the following terms is not used in banking/finance parlance?
a) Balance sheet
b) Commercial paper
c) HIV virus
d) Hedge fund
e) None of these
35. What is CARTOSAT-2B?
a) a fighter jet developed by DRDO
b) an advanced Remote Sensing Satellite built by ISRO
c) an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by India’s ADE
d) a type of supercomputer developed by IIT, Khadagpur
e) None of these
36. Which among the following european countries is facing debt crisis?
a) Ireland
b) Netherland
c) France
d) Portugal
e) None of these
37. Which of the following acts was introduced to prevent the utilisation of money derived from crime?
a) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
b) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
c) Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002
d) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961
e) None of these
38. ASHA scheme aims at which of the following areas?
a) Health
b) Food
c) Education
d) Employment
e) None of these
39. Which of the following document show the balance of cash of an individual in banking/finanancial institutions on a particular date?
a) Annual Trade Report
b) Reconciliation Statement
c) Balance Sheet
d) Quarterly return statement submitted to RBI
e) None of these
40. Which among the following terms is not related to banking/finance sector?
a) Amortization
b) Breakeven Point
c) Acid Test Ratio
d) ELISA test
e) None of these
41. As per National Advisory Council (NAC) recommendations for National Food Security Bill (NFSB) which one of following is true in context of priority sector households?
a) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 20 kg of rice or wheat per month
b) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 25 kg of rice or wheat per month
c) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 30 kg of rice or wheat per month
d) Each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 35 kg of rice or wheat per month
e) None of these
42. As per the union budget fiscal deficit pegged at ______.
a) 3.2% of GDP
b) 4.6% of GDP
c) 3.6% of total costs
d) 4.2% of total costs
e) None of these
(Note : no financial year was given in the question so some confusion there, but for FY 2011-12 it is 4.6% of GDP and for current FY 2010-11 it is 5.1% of GDP).
43. Which among the following terms is not related to banking/finance sector?
a) Prime rate
b) Line of Credit
c) Centrifugal force
d) Solvency
e) None of these
44. Which of the following institutions/banks is the primary monetary authority of India?
a) SBI
b) RBI
c) SEBI
d) Finance Ministry
e) None of these
45. How much initial amount will subsidised by the government to get new LPG connection for a single poor person?
a) Rs. 500
b) Rs. 700
c) Rs. 1200
d) Rs. 1400
e) None of these
46. Which of the following is/are key industries in india?
a) oil/petroleum refining
b) steel / electricity
c) cement / coal
a) Only (A)              
 b) Only (B)            
 c) Only (C)            
d) Both (B) & (C)              
e) All (A), (B) & (C)
47. Which of the following rates is long term Interest rate measure?
a) Repo rate
b) Bank rate
c) Reverse Repo Rate
d) Fixed Interest rate
e) None of these
48. The design of new product and improving the old product by adding new features to it is called
a) Product enrichment
b) Product enhancement
c) High-valued product
d) Improved product
e) None of these
49. A group of big industrialists and businessmen of India wrote an open letter addressed to Indian government on which of follwoing issues?
a) Corporate governance
b) Government deficit
c) Inflation
d) Petrol prices
e) None of these
50. Which among the following sectors receiving the maximum FDI equity inflow into India during FY 2009–10 ?
a) Services sector
b) Housing and real estate
c) Construction activities
d) Education business
e) None of these

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Nalanda University ACT to be Ammended

Planning Commission has constituted a Committee to suggest Amendments in the Nalanda University Act, 2010. Prof.N.R.MadhavaMenon, Former Vice-Chancellor, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata will be the Chairman of the 10 member committee, other members include are Prof.Pankaj Chandra, Director, IIM Bangalore, Dr.GopaSabharwal, Vice Chancellor, Nalanda University, Prof. G. Mohan Gopal, Director Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, New Delhi, Prof. K. Rajiv Saxena, Vice President, South Asia University, Dr.MeenakshiGopinath , Principal,LSR, New Delhi, Dr.JitendraNath Mishra, Joint Secretary, MEA , and the committee will also have representatives of Department of Legislative Affairs & Department of Expenditure will be as members.

The Committee would examine the Nalanda University Act, 2010 particularly provisions relating to academic, administrative and financial autonomy and suggest amendments to provide for full autonomy in matters relating to making appointments, determining salaries and emoluments and auditing. The Committee would also suggest amendments in the Act to ensure that the university acquires international stature and excellence through representative and flexible governance and forward looking legislation. It would first examine Statutes, existing Ordinances and Regulation and suggest changes so that these are consistent with the Act and lay down broad principles for making Statutes, existing Ordinances and future Regulations in the interest of consistency and clarity and would suggest amendments / insertions in the Act to take care of existing gaps with a view to see that the University functions smoothly.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

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

Saturday, April 21, 2012

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)