BANK EXAMS GENERAL AWARENESS QUESTIONS

1) This agency issued guidelines on distance marketing of products on 6 April 2011 to protect the interest of people who buy policies over phone or Internet. Identify the agency.
a. SEBI
b. IRDA
c. TRAI
d. DoT

2) In India’s first sale of rupee perpetual bonds by a non-finance company Rs 1500 crore ($332 million) was raised. Name the non-finance company.
a. Tata Steel
b. Pantallons Retail
c. RIL
d. Maruti Suzuki

3) Which of the following Indian cricket players took the highest number of wickets in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011 along with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi?
a. Yuvraj Singh
b. Zaheer Khan
c. Munaf Patel
d. Harbhajan Singh

4) Union Sports Ministry on 6 April 2011 formed a committee to fine-tune the draft National Sports Development Bill. Who is heading the committee?
a. Justice Mukul Mudgal
b. Justice Tej Pratap Singh Mann
c. Justice Gurdev Singh
d. Justice Jaswant Singh Phogat

5) Name the cricketer who beat Michael Clarke by a comfortable 15-vote margin to bag the Allan Border Medal besides being named Australia’s ODI Player of the Year in Feb 2010?
a. Shane Watson
b. Simon Katich
c. Mitchell Johnson
d. Sachin Tendulkar

6) Record food grain production helped to reduce food inflation to a four month low for the week ending 26 March 2011. What was the inflation percentage for the week?
a. 9.18%
b. 9.25%
c. 9.21%
d. 9.36%

7) Praveen Kumar Tripathi took over as the Chief Secretary of which of the following governments on 4 April 2011?
a. Delhi Government
b. Haryana Government
c. Uttar Pradesh Government
d. Uttarakhand Government

8) The Union Government gifted a Kendriya Vidyalaya to a nondescript village Indrapura to which of the following Indian states?
a. Bihar
b. Odisha
c. Rajasthan
d. Madhya Pradesh

9) The Supreme Court on 5 April 2011 passed an order to lift iron export ban imposed by which of the following Indian states on 26 July 2010 and also ordered it to implement the new rules for regulating iron ore mining and transportation?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Andhra Pradesh
c. Karnataka
d. Odisha

10) To enhance credit worthiness of economically weaker sections and LIG households, a Mortgage Risk Guarantee Fund was announced to be created under which of the following scheme or Yojana?
a. Rajiv Awas Yojana
b. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana
c. Indira Awas Yojana
d. Mahatama Gandhi NREGA

11) Which agency issued guidelines on distance marketing of products on 6 April 2011 to protect the interest of people who buy policies over phone or Internet?
a. SEBI
b. IRDA
c. TRAI
d. DoT

12) Buyer's Credit was launched by the Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma, on 6 April 2011 to boost project exports from India. Under which of the following was Buyer’s Credit launched?
a. National Export Insurance Account
b. Export-Import Bank of India
c. Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India
d. Reserve Bank of India

13) Read the two statements mentioned with regard to the budgetary allocations for addressing environmental concerns.
1. The budget proposed that the solar lantern used in far-flung villages will attract no duty from 10 per cent charged earlier.
2. To provide green and clean transportation for the masses, National Mission for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles will be launched in the year 2011 in collaboration with all stakeholders. Which of them is true?
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 & 2
d. None of the above

14) 21 year old Marjan Kalhor is the first Iranian woman to have entered an Olympic event. She is a participant in the 2010 Winter Olympics that began in Vancouver on 12 Feb 2010. Which sport is she associated with?
a. Ski
b. Shot put
c. Cycling
d. Bobsleigh

15) With his victory in the men’s large hill ski jump on 20 Feb 2010 at the Vancouver Olympics, he became the first person to win four individual gold ski jumping medals. Name this sportsperson.
a. Simon Ammann (Switzerland)
b. Ahonen Janne (Finland)
c. Alexander Nicholas (USA)
d. Bardal Anders (Norway)

16) The Indian Government in April 2011 issued a notice to which of the following companies to terminate licences for Kerala, West Bengal and Assam for delay in roll- out of services in these three circles?
a. Sistema Shyam Teleservices
b. Tata Teleservices
c. Reliance
d. BSNL

17) Which Italian luxury sports car makers on 6 April 2011 announced its entry into the Indian market where it will sell its high-performance cars priced between Rs1.20 crore and Rs1.43 crore?
a. Maserati
b. Bentley
c. Aston Martin
d. Maybach

18) Who did HDFC Bank, the country's second-largest private sector lender appoint in March 2011 to head its investment banking division?
a. Rakesh Singh
b. Charul Madan
c. Gaurav Khungar
d. Atul Singh

19) Gangaur, a festival which marks the union of Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvati is celebrated for 18 days from the day after Holi in which of the following Indian states?
a. Rajasthan
b. Karnataka
c. Tamil Nadu
d. Uttaranchal

20) Read the following statements with regard to the allocation in the Educational sector as proposed by Union Budget 2011-12.
1. For Sarva Siksha Abhiyan the allocation was increased by 40 percent to 21000 crore rupees.
2. All institutions of higher learning will be connected through optical fibers by March 2012.
3. 500 crore rupees was proposed to be provided for national skill development fund.
4. For the needy scheduled castes ad scheduled tribe candidates studying in class-IX and Xth pre-matric scholarship scheme was proposed to be introduced. Which of the above mentioned statements is not true?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3 & 4
d. 4

21) Scientists recently developed a computer that could be controlled by the power of thought. It would help people unable to speak or move. What is the name of the technology which they used to develop this kind of computer?
a. electrocortiography
b. symbian C++
c. java
d. flash lite

22) Which of the following companies bought the Pringles brand from Procter & Gamble Co for $1.5 billion?
a. Diamond Foods Inc
b. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay
c. Emerald Nuts
d. Kettle Potato Chips

23) Online marketplace eBay India, in association with leading apparel brand Reebok auctioned a bat autographed by Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The proceeds of the auction will go to which of the following NGOs?
a. Oxfem
b. CRY
c. All Bengal Women’s Union
d. UNEM

24) Which Indian hockey player was in April 2011 named captain of the Indian Hockey team the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup scheduled to be played in Malaysia from 5-15 May 2011?
a. Arjun Halappa
b. Rajpal Singh
c. Bharat Kumar Chetri
d. Mohd. Amir Khan

25) Under the Godfrey Phillips Zonal Bravery Awards given away by the former ruler of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh in Jaipur on 5 April 2011, which of the following NGOs was honoured with the Amodhini Award of Rs.1 lakh?
a. Udyogini
b. Charities Aid Foundation
c. CRY
d. Akhil Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram

26) The Basic Customs Duty exemption was proposed to be extended to which of the following sectors?
a. art and antiquities for exhibition or display in private art galleries
b. Cinematographic film, factory-built ambulances
c. syringes and needles
d. agricultural machinery

27) A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of Japan. Where is the Pacific Tsunami Warning System headquartered? 
a. Hawai
b. Tokyo
c. Manila
d. Jakarta

28) Which of the following companies announced on 6 April 2011 that it won contract to provide broadband internet connectivity to Indian Railways through state-run RailTel Corp of India Ltd?
a. DEL
b. IBM
c. Infosys
d. HCL Infosystems

29) Which super luxury carmaker on 7 April 2011 unveiled Continental GT sedan in India?
a. Ferrati
b. Bentley
c. Maybach
d. Maserati

30) What amount of money was allocated for Bharat Nirman?
a. 1000 crore
b. 58000 crore
c. 55438 crore
d. 14362 crore

31) Who defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn on 15 Feb 2010 to retain the Pattaya Open title?
a. Vera Zvonareva of Russia
b. Sabine Lisicki of Germany,
c. Ayumi Morita of Japan
d. Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan

32) A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of japan. What are the possible factors which can cause Tsunami?
i)An Earthquake
ii) A landslide
iii) A volcanic eruption or explosion
iv) Impact by a meteorite
Please choose the right option
a. i, ii, iii and iv
b. i and ii only
c. ii and iii only
d. i and iv only

33) Which of the following Indian cricket is the most heavily insured player for the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 4 T-20 tournament which begins on 8 April 2011?
a. Sachin Tendulkar
b. Yuvraj Singh
c. M S Dhoni
d. Virender Sehwag

34) The Union Budget for 2011-12 proposed lowering of qualifying age for tax relief for senior citizens from 65 years to _?
a. 55
b. 58
c. 60
d. 62

35) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to increase the Income Tax Exemption Limit for individual tax payers from 1 lakh 60 to _?
a. 1 lakh 80 thousand
b. 1 lakh 90 thousand
c. 2 lakh
d. 2 lakh 20 thousand

36) Noted Social worker Anna Hazare on 5 April 2011 started his hunger strike  at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the reported delay in bringing in which of the following bills to effectively deal with corruption?
a. Lokpal Bill
b. The Competition (Amendment) Bill
c. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Bill
d. The Appropriation (No.3 ) Bill

37) Who became the world number one badminton player?
a. Saina Nehwal
b. Wang Xin
c. Sania Mirza
d. Wang Shixian

38) When is the National Youth Day observed?
a. January 14
b. February 14
c. August 31
d. January 12

39) What is Tejas?
a. Spacecraft
b. Missile
c. Submarine
d. Light combat aircraft

40) Who is the Chairperson of the Central Board Film Certification?
a. Sharmila Tagore
b. Karan Johar
c. Nafisa Ali
d. Om Puri
e. None of these

41) Ali Akbar Salehi is the foreign minister of
a. Israel
b. Iran
c. Afghanistan
d. Indonesia

42) Who is the new chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)?
a. AP Singh
b. Arun Shourie
c. Sanjeev Tripathi
d. BK Gupta

43) According to an extensive genetic study on modern humans, two conclusions were drawn out.
i) There is an enormous amount of diversity in the African hunter-gatherer populations.
ii) The genetic diversity among 27 present-day African populations originated in southern Africa and progressed to northern Africa.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a. Both i and ii
b. Neither I and ii
c. Only i
d. Only ii

44) Which one of the following Indian states recently released a Braille version of the RTI (Right to Information) Act and its rules for the benefit of visually challenged?
a. Gujarat
b. Bihar
c. Haryana
d. Madhya Pradesh

45) Roger Federer won his fourth Australian Open Tennis Championship and 16th Grand Slam on 31 Jan 2010. Who did he defeat in the final of the Australian Open 2010?
a. Rafael Nadal
b. Andy Murray
c. Fred Perry
d. Rod Laver

46) Which of the following Bollywood Actress won the Best Actress trophy at the 13th London Asian Film Festival for her performance in Onir’s I AM?
a. Nandita Das
b. Juhi Chawla
c. Tabu
d. Konkona Sen Sharma

47) In tiger census 2010, 
i) Pugmarks were used as the only indicator of tiger numbers.
ii) An advanced Scientific process was adopted which included video trapping and use of satellite data. Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
Choose the right option:
a. Only i is incorrect
b. Only ii is incorrect
c. Both i and ii are incorrect
d. Both i and ii are not incorrect

48) India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in the semi finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 played at Mohali. Who was declared man of the match of the high powered game?
a. Saeed Ajmal
b. Sachin Tendulkar
c. Munaf Patel
d. Wahab Riaz

49) Which of the following bodies put off indefinitely the new rules governing unwanted telemarketing calls which were supposed to be implemented from 21 March 2011?
a. Department of Telecommunication (DoT)
b. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
c. Indian Ministry of communication & Technology
d. HRD Ministry

50) The Indian government in March 2011 conferred the Miniratna status on which of the following PSUs?
a. National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)
b. Air India Charters Ltd
c. Cement Corporation of India
d. HMT Machine Tools Ltd

51) In the Union Budget 2011-12, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to increase the Income Tax Exemption Limit   for individual tax payers from Rs 1 lakh 60 thousand to _?
a.1 lakh 80 thousand
b.1 lakh 90 thousand
c. 2 lakh
d.2 lakh 20 thousand 
52) A team from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, discovered that a green alga invades tiny developing salamander embryos.  What is this phenomenon called?
a)Symbiosis
b)Photosynthesis
c) Ecdysis
d) Aestivation
53) Which of the following Bollywood Actress won the Best Actress trophy at the 13th London Asian Film Festival for her performance in Onir’s I AM?
a.Nandita Das
b.Juhi Chawla
c.Tabu
d.Konkona Sen Sharma

54) Noted Social worker Anna Hazare on 5 April 2011 started his hunger strike  at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the reported delay in bringing in which of the following bills to effectively deal with corruption?
a. Lokpal Bill
b. The Competition (Amendment) Bill
c. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Bill
d. The Appropriation (No.3 ) Bill

55) Who won the National Jute Board-Kolkata international squash at Calcutta Racket Club on 3 April 2011 after defeating Omar Mosaad?
a.Karim Darwish
b.Khawaja Adil Maqbool
c. Ritwik Bhattacharya
d. Peter Nicol

56) Read the following statements:
1.He won the ATP Miami Masters crown by defeating Nadal and thus remained unbeaten in 2011.
2.He captured all four titles- the Australian Open, Dubai, elite Masters titles at Indian Wells and Miami in 2011.
3.He had won his first Miami Masters title in 2007.
4.He joined Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras as the only players to win the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami in the same year.Identify the tennis player being referred to.
a.Novak Djokovic
b.Roger Federer
c. Andy Murray
d.Rafael Nadal

57) At the National Conference on Kharif Strategies, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on 6 April 2011 mentioned that India has achieved an all-time high production of foodgrains. What was the estimation regarding foodgain production in 2010-11?
a.235.88 million tonnes
b.215 million tonnes
c. 261.34 million tonnes
d. 222.66 million tonnes

58) Which of the following steel plants in India achieved record production of 5.71 million tonnes (mt) of hot metal (a 6.3 per cent growth over 2009-10), 5.33 mt of crude steel (4.3 per cent) and 4.57 mt of saleable steel (4.3 per cent)?
a.Bhillai Steel Plant
b.Rourkela Steel Plant
c. Bokaro Steel Plant
d.Salem Steel Plant

59) The Department of Information Technology (DIT) on 5 April 2011 published a draft policy on which of the following to enable the government departments to provide services, including payment of utility bills and filing of tax with the use of a medium?
a.Mobile governance
b.E-governance
c. Service Delivery Gateway
d.Applications Inter-operability

60) Which of the following was not proposed in the Union Budget 2011-12 presented by pranab Mukherjee?
1.Special vehicles were proposed to be created in the form of Infrastructure Debt Funds to attract foreign funds.
2.Rs. 300 crore expenditure was proposed to promote horticulture centres in rain fed areas for increasing crop productivity.
3.For the manufacturing sector, the budget proposed reduction of basic customs duty on raw silk from 30 to 5 per cent.
4.Concessional 10 per cent Excise Duty was also proposed for fuel cell or Hydrogen cell-technology-based vehicles.

a.1 & 3
b.Only 2
c.Only 4
d.3 & 4

61) Sectors                                                   Budgetary Allocations
1.Agriculture & Allied Activities                      A. Rs 14362 crore
2.Rural Development                                     B. Rs  38852 crore
3.Defence Sector                                           C. Rs 55438 crore
4.Industries & Minerals                                   D. Rs 164415 crore
   A  B  C  D
a.1  4  2  3
b.2  1  3  4
c. 3  1  4  2
d.4  2  3  1

62) In the Budget it was proposed to provide sum of money for implementation of vegetable initiative to set in motion a virtuous cycle of higher production and incomes for the farmers. What was the proposed amount?
a.Rs 500 crore
b.Rs 300 crore
c. Rs 10000 crore
d. Rs 650 crore

63) According to an extensive genetic study on modern humans, two conclusions were drawn out.
i) There is an enormous amount of diversity in the African hunter-gatherer populations.
ii) The genetic diversity among 27 present-day African populations originated in southern Africa and progressed to northern Africa.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) Both i and ii
b) Neither I and ii
c)  Only i
d) Only ii   

64) A massive Tsunami caused by a devastating earthquake of the 8.9 magnitude hit about 400 km north-east of Tokyo, capital of Japan. Consider the following statements regarding Tsunami.
i) A Tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, reaching heights of over 100 feet onto land.
ii) Most tsunamis, about 80 percent, happen within the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make earthquakes and volcanoes common.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) Both i and ii
b) Only i
c) Only ii
d) Neither i nor ii

65) Which one of the following Indian states recently released a Braille version of the RTI (Right to Information) Act and its rules for the benefit of visually challenged?
a) Gujarat
b) Bihar
c) Haryana
d) Madhya Pradesh

66)Engineering and construction major L&T announced that it has achieved financial closure for which of the following with the help of 10-bank consortium led by SBI pitching in with Rs 11478 crore debt?
a.Kolkata Metro Rail Project
b.Pune Metro Project
c.Delhi Metro project
d.Hyderabad Metro Rail project

67) Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was offered and accepted the honour of being chosen to get an honorary commission in which of the following?
a.Indian Navy
b.Territorial Army
c. Indian Air Force
d. Indian Para-military Force

68) Which of the following real estate firms on 5 April 2011 announced a gift in the shape of villas worth Rs. 9 crore to skipper M.S. Dhoni and his teammates following their victory in the World Cup 2011?
a.DLF
b.Amrapali
c. Unitech
d.Tata Construction & Projects Ltd

69) Roger Federer won his fourth Australian Open Tennis Championship and 16th Grand Slam on 31 Jan 2010. Who did he defeat in the final of the Australian Open 2010?
a. Rafael Nadal
b. Andy Murray
c. Fred Perry
d. Rod Laver

70) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana was proposed to be being extended to the beneficiaries of which of the following Union Government schemes?
a.Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries
b.Beneficiaries of Swavlamban pension scheme
c.Indira Gandhi National old Age Pension scheme beneficiaries
d.Beneficiaries of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana

71) Which of the following companies announced their alliance with Chennai Super Kings as the official team partner for the upcoming IPL Season 4?
a. ONGC
b. Indian Oil Corporation
c. Hindusthan Petroleum
d. Gulf Oil Corporation

72) Scientists have identified five genes which raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Consider the following statements regarding Alzheimer’s disease.
i) Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of Dementia.
ii) Problems that happen due to the Alzheimer’s are personality-disorder, decision making, abstract thinking and loss of initiative.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) Only i
b) Only ii
c)  Both i and ii
d) Neither i nor ii

73) A giant predatory theropod dinosaur, similar in stature and size to Tyrannosaurus rex, has been identified by palaeontologists. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
i) The new dinosaur, named Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, probably stood four metres tall, was 11 metres long and weighed around six tonnes.
ii) Like T. rex, it was a carnivore with huge powerful jaws.
iii) It ran on back legs, with small front limbs.
a) Only i and ii
b) Only i and iii
c)  Only ii and iii
d)  All i, ii and iii are correct


74) Solvay, the Belgian soda ash maker which sold a drugs unit a year ago, agreed to buy which of the following French companies to add specialty chemicals spanning ingredients for moisturisers and car-part polymers?
a.Rhodia
b.Danisco
c.Cognis
d.Le Zèbre

75) Gilead Sciences, a California based bio-pharmaceutical research firm, and its patent partner, Roche Holding AG, have sued which of the following Indian generic drug makers in March 2011 for allegedly infringing a US patent for Tamiflu, a drug used in treatment of bird and swine-flu infections?
a.Dr Reddy’s
b.Natco Pharma
c. Ranbaxy Laboratories
d. GlaxoSmithKline

76) AT&T on Sunday announced that it had agreed to buy T-Mobile USA from which of the following telecom companies for $39 billion?
a.Deutsche Telekom
b.Sprint Nextel
c.Verizon Wireless
d.Comcast


77) What is the prize-money of the golf tournament ‘Avantha Masters’ that began on 11 Feb 2010?
a. €1.5 million
b. €1 million
c. €2.5 million
d. €2 million

78) An international team of scientists, led by the Australian National University recently discovered evidence that the body’s immune cells often share information about foreign substances with each other to ward of invaders. The study can help increase the immunity level in human body against pathogens and cancer. Which of the followings are the symptoms of Cancer?
i) Weight Loss
ii) Excessive Sweating
iii) Lumps and Swelling (tumour)
iv) Enlargement of Spleen
Please choose the correct option:
a) i, ii, iii and iv
b) i and ii only
c)  i, ii and iii
d) only i

79) Which of the following companies in April 2011 filed a petition in the Supreme Court to block penal action initiated by the Income Tax authorities on its contested $2.5-billion tax bill?
a. Vodafone International
b. Bharti Airtel
c. Uninor
d. Tata Teleservices

80) Vivendi agreed to buy Vodafone Group's 44% stake in which of the French mobile-phone operator’s for euro 7.95 billion ($11.3 billion) to win full control of its largest unit and secure more stable earnings?
a.T-Mobile
b.Orange
c. Virgin Mobile
d. SFR

81) A consortium comprising two companies acquired the IPL’s global Internet, mobile and audio rights, along with television rights in specific territories outside India, for the next four years. The consortium bagged the rights with a winning bid of Rs 261.6 crore in Chennai on 20 March 2011. Which are the two companies included in the consortium?
a. TIL & Nimbus Communication
b. Reliance Big Pictures & Zoom
c. TIL & Colors
d. Zoom and UTV Motion Pictures

82) Which chess player won his maiden Grand Master norm in the Chennai Open 2010 International Grand Master chess tournament on 1 Feb 2010?
a. R. Siddharth of Chennai
b. Kravtsiv of Ukraine
c. P. Shyam Nikhil of Tamil Nadu
d. Maxim Turov of Russia

83) Who was appointed member of ICC Cricket Committee as a representative of national coaches on 11 Feb 2010?
a. Gary Kirsten
b. Mark Taylor
c. Kumar Sangakkara
d. Tim May

84) At the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna, the scientists calculated that the Earth sees about __ thunderstorms every hour.
a) 670
b) 580
c) 760
d) 960

85) HCL Technologies on Thursday announced the expansion of its Smart Grid partner ecosystem by entering into strategic alliances with two data management software firms focused on the smart grid market. Which are the two firms with which HCL has entered into an alliance?
1. Infosys
2. eMeter
3. Cape Gemini
4. Tridium
a. 1 & 2
b. 2 & 3
c.  2 & 4
d. 1 & 4

86) The Gujarat Government banned controversial book, entitled Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his struggle with India. Who is the author of the book?
a) Joseph Lelyveld
b) Joseph Ponting
c) Hugh Grant
d) Vikram Seth

87) Which one of the following states imposed a blanket ban on plastic bags?
a) Delhi
b) Haryana
c) Himachal Pradesh
d)Tamil Nadu

88) Who is the Chairperson of the Central Board Film Certification?
a) Sharmila Tagore
b) Karan Johar
c)  Nafisa Ali
d) Om Puri
e) None of these

89) Ali Akbar Salehi is the foreign minister of
a) Israel
b) Iran
c) Afghanistan
d) Indonesia

90) Who is the new chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)?
a) AP Singh
b) Arun Shourie
c) Sanjeev Tripathi
d) BK Gupta

91) When is the National Youth Day observed?
a) January 14
b) February 14
c)  August 31
d) January 12

92) What is Tejas?
A) Spacecraft
B) Missile
C) Submarine
D) Light combat aircraft

93) Who became the world number one badminton player?
a) Saina Nehwal
b) Wang Xin
c) Sania Mirza
d) Wang Shixian

94) Name the cricketer who beat Michael Clarke by a comfortable 15-vote margin to bag the Allan Border Medal besides being named Australia’s ODI Player of the Year in Feb 2010?
a. Shane Watson
b. Simon Katich
c. Mitchell Johnson
d. Sachin Tendulkar

95) In India’s first sale of rupee perpetual bonds by a non-finance company Rs 1500 crore ($332 million) was raised. Name the non-finance company.
a.Tata Steel
b.Pantallons Retail
c. RIL
d.Maruti Suzuki

96) With his victory in the men’s large hill ski jump on 20 Feb 2010 at the Vancouver Olympics, he became the first person to win four individual gold ski jumping medals. Name this sportsperson.
a. Simon Ammann (Switzerland)
b. Ahonen Janne (Finland)
c. Alexander Nicholas (USA)
d. Bardal Anders (Norway)

97) The Indian Government in April 2011 issued a notice to which of the following companies to terminate licences for Kerala, West Bengal and Assam for delay in roll- out of services in these three circles?
a.Sistema Shyam Teleservices
b.Tata Teleservices
c. Reliance
d. BSNL

98) Open market operations, one of the measures taken by RBI in order to control credit expansion in the economy means —
(A) Sale or purchase of Govt. securities
(B) Issuance of different types of bonds
(C) Auction of gold
(D) To make available direct finance to borrowers
(E) None of these

99) Capital Market Regulator is—
(A) RBI
(B) IRDA
(C) NSE
(D) BSE
(E) SEBI

100) As we all know Govt. of India collects tax revenue on various activities in the country. Which of the following is a part of the tax revenue of the Govt.?
(i)  Tax on Income
(ii)  Tax on Expenditure
(iii) Tax on Property or Capital Asset
(iv) Tax on Goods and Services

(A) Both (i) and (iii) only
(B) Both (ii) and (iv) only
(C) All (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(D) Only (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(E) None of these

Answers: 

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

51) A 52) A 53) B 54) A 55) A 56) A 57) A 58) A 59) A 60) B 61) A 62) B 63) A 64) A 65) A 66) D 67) B  68) B 69) B 70) A 71) D 72) C 73) D 74) A 75) B 76) A 77) A 78) A 79) A 80) D 81) A 82) A 83) A  84) C 85) C 86) A 87) A 88) A 89) B  90) C  91) D 92) D 93) B  94) A 95) A 96) A 97) A 98) A 99) E  100) C

SCHEMES /PROGRAMMES / POLICIES

Swavalamban scheme
· It is a pension scheme for workers in the unorganised sector who do not have access to the social security net.
· Under the scheme subscribers would get Rs.1,000 from the government each year for a subscription amount of Rs.12,000 per year New Pension System (NP)S account.
· The scheme will remain valid for this financial year and for the next three consecutive fiscals.
· A subscriber can enter the scheme at the age of 18 years and will be eligible for pension after turning 60.
· On turning 60, the pensioner can withdraw 60 per cent of his contribution, while the balance will be given as a monthly annuity by the LIC.
· The LIC has been appointed one of the many aggregators who will collect subscription amounts  from subscribers.
· The Scheme shall be managed by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and Government will release its contribution to PFRDA for crediting the same to the NPS accounts of eligible subscribers.
· Launch Date:26 September( 78th birthday of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh)

National water policy and climate change
Spurred by the need to look at climate change impact on water resources, the Centre is formulating a revised National Water Policy in consultation with the States and other stakeholders to ensure basinlevel management strategies. This would deal with variability in rainfall and river flows due to climate change.

Integrated Children Protection Scheme
The Government of India, Ministry of Women & Child Development has formulated a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme – “Integrated Child Protection Scheme” (ICPS) with the objective to provide a safe and secure environment to the children in the country who are in need of care and protection as well as children in conflict with law. The intervention includes, inter-alia, financial support for setting up and / or maintenance of Homes for children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law, setting up of child protection structure – state child protection society, capacity building, advocacy etc.
Specific Objectives:
· To institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures.
· To enhance capacities at all levels.
· To create database and knowledge base for child protection services.
· To strengthen child protection at family and community level.
· To ensure appropriate inter-sectoral response at all levels.
· To raise public awareness.

Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra
· To be developed at a cost of Rs. 25 lakhs, The Panchayat Ghars have been envisaged as the mini secretariat.
· It will have services of seven computer operators to update the records.
· Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra will act as the village knowledge resource centre and help in ensuring that the benefits of development reach out to the needy and the poor in rural areas. It would be a forum for the village people to interact and exchange their experiences and would provide logistic support and record keeping facility.
· It shall be a single window for providing the information on the MGNREGS and will also help in efficient implementation of MGNREGA at Panchayat and Block level and in providing space for greater and more transparent interaction with the local people.
Funding: The source of funding for the construction of Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendras will come from BRGF, MGNREGA and other relevant schemes.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
· One of the eight National Missions outlined in National Action Plan on Climate Change, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) specifically focuses on solar energy and its role in minimizing future emissions.
· The Government has launched JNNSM in January, 2010 with a target of 20,000 MW grid solar power (based on solar thermal power generating systems and solar photovoltaic (SPV) technologies), 2000 MW of off-grid capacity by 2022 (i.e. 22000 MW by 2022).
· The Mission will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will be of three years (upto March, 2013, target-1,100 MW grid connected+200 MW off- grid=1300 MW), the second till March 2017 and the third phase will continue till March, 2022.
· National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education has been set up at IIT-Bombay.

Pradhanmantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)
· The Government has launched a new scheme called Pradhanmantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) for the integrated development of scheduled castes dominated villages in the country.
· There are about 44,000 villages in which the population of scheduled castes is above 50 per cent.
· The new scheme PMAGY will be launched on a pilot basis in 1000 such villages.
· Under this Scheme, each village would be able to avail gap funding of Rs.10 lakh over and above the allocations under Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation Schemes. On successful implementation of the pilot phase, the PMAGY would be extended in coming years.

Status:
PMAGY was launched at Village 18 BB, Block Padampur, District Sriganganagar, Rajasthan.
· The pilot scheme has been taken up for implementation in five States of which four are Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu (225 villages in each state) and Assam (100 villages)
· Fifth state U.P. is yet to respond to the government's invitation.
· [note: PMAGY is speculated as a replica of U.P.'s Ambedkar Village scheme]

National Commission on Human Resource for Health (NCHRH)
NCHRH is the proposed council aimed at ensuring propriety, increasing efficiency, and providing greater synergy among health professionals and improving the quality of health infrastructure in India.
Status:
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has asked the Ministries of Human Resource Development and Health and Family Welfare to identify linkages between the two proposed regulatory bodies — National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) and the National Commission on Human Resource for Health (NCHRH) — being promoted by them respectively to speed up the process of setting up the two authorities.

PURA
· The Government has approved the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) Scheme on 21st January 2010 for implementation on a pilot basis during 11th Five Year Plan.
· The scheme aims at holistic and accelerated development of compact areas around a potential growth centre in a Gram Panchayat (s) through Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework for providing livelihood opportunities and urban amenities to improve the quality of life in rural areas.
· The Ministry of Rural Development had initially implemented the PURA scheme from 2004-05 to 2006-07 on a pilot basis.
· However, only seven pilot projects were implemented for drawing an experience for preparing a restructuring scheme in future. One pilot project each was implemented in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh during the initial pilot phase of PURA scheme.
Background:
· PURA is a brainchild of former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
· PURA mission based on the principle of connectivity — physical, electronic, knowledge and economic.
· Physical connectivity is envisaged as circular roads connecting a group of villages.

Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls [RGSEAG](SABLA)
· Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls [RGSEAG] –SABLA is a scheme proposed by the Ministry for women and child development for Adolescent Girls of 11 – 18 Years, whereby the Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) and Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY) would be merged with content enrichment. The scheme is proposed to be implemented using the platform of Integrated Child Development Services Scheme. 
· It's a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to be implemented through the State Governments/UTs with 100% financial assistance from the Central Government for all inputs, except supplementary nutrition for which Government of India and States would share on 50: 50 basis.
· The scheme aims at empowering adolescent girls (AGs) of 11-18 years with focus on out-ofschool girls by improvement in their nutritional and health status and upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills and vocational skills. The scheme also aims at equipping the girls on family welfare, health hygiene etc.

Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY)
Objective: The objectives of the scheme are to improve the health and nutrition status of pregnant, lactating women and infants.
Eligibility: 
All pregnant and lactating women except Govt and PSU employees. The beneficiaries would be pregnant women of 19 years of age and above for first two live births (benefit for still births will be as per the norms of scheme).

Benefits:

Each pregnant and lactating woman will receive a total cash incentive of ` 4000/- in three installments between the period from the second trimester of pregnancy to the child attaining the age of 6 months.
Fund Sharing:
The Scheme will be centrally sponsored with 100% assistance from the Centre.
Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development
Implementation:
· On pilot basis in selected 52 districts during the remaining period of XI Five Year Plan at a total cost of  Rs.1000 crore.
· There will be Steering and Monitoring Committees at all levels to oversee implementation and monitor the progress.
· An IGMSY Cell within the Ministry of Women and Child Development will also be set up
Inception: approved by CECA in Oct 2010.

National Initiative on Climate resilient agriculture
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the implementation of a new plan scheme
‘National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture’ to address climate change impact on agriculture and allied sectors.
Objective: 
The main objective of the Scheme is to assess the impact of climate change on agriculture and allied sectors in the country and evolve cost effective adaptation and mitigation strategies.
The components of the scheme are:
1. Detailed vulnerability assessment of agro-climate regions and production systems, and the relative vulnerability of different crops, livestock and fishery sectors.
2. Initiate strategic research on adaptation and mitigation at seven major research institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on natural resources, major food crops, livestock, marine and freshwater fisheries.
3. Demonstrate available climate resilient practices on farmers' fields in 100 most vulnerable districts of the country.
4. Strengthen research infrastructure to state of the art and capacity building of scientists for
undertaking long term research on climate change adaptation.

Bank of India Probationary Officers Exam., 2010

General Awareness on Current Developments 

 
(Exam Held on 24-1-2010)

 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)

Allahabad Bank Agriculture Officers Exam., 2009

 General Awareness

(Exam Held on 1-3-2009)

 1. According to the World Economic Forum which of the following groups of countries have the most developed financial system in the world ?

(A) USA–France
(B) France–Britain
(C) India–USA
(D) Britain–Australia
(E) USA–Britain
Ans : (E)

2. Which of the following sectors of US economy were passing through a phase of slow down recently and wanted US Govt. to provide bail out packages to them ?
1. Agricultural sector
2. Auto sector
3. Banking and Financial Services Sector
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)

3. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true about the buy back of the Foreign Convertible Bonds (FCBs), which were in news recently ?
1. Govt. has put a ban on the buy back of the Foreign convertible Bonds.
2. Govt. has now allowed the buy back of the Foreign convertible Bonds.
3. Companies can now pre pay the foreign convertible bonds from their Indian rupee resources and/or through their foreign currency accruals.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

4. Which of the following countries has decided to issue a currency note equivalent to that of US$ 200 million as it is struggling with the world's highest inflation rate of 231 million per cent ?
(A) Somalia
(B) Ethiopea
(C) Sudan
(D) Uganda
(E) Zimbabwe
Ans : (E)
5. The Reserve Bank of India in its mid term review of the monetary policy in October 2008 had said that the inflation would be around 7% by the year-end.
Which of the following is/are indications on the basis of which RBI gave this statement ?
1. Headline inflation as measured by the wholesale price index has started declining
2. Commodity prices are coming down
3. Domestic Demand is also slowing down
4. Fuel prices are lowered down recently
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 1 and 4 only
(C) All 1, 2, 3 and 4
(D) Only 4
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

6. As we all noticed in the recent past almost all major banks were offering loans at cheaper rates. Which was/were the major event(s) that took place in the financial sector, which prompted banks to do so ?
1. RBI frequently announced a cut in various rates and ratios
2. Govt. provided Rs. 7000 crore refinance to SIDBI to help SSIs
3. Housing loans upto Rs. 20 lakhs will now be treated as loan to priority sector
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 & 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)
7. Which of the following statements is/are TRUE about the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
which was in news sometimes back ?
1. The US Govt. provided a US $ 7000 million bail out package to the company
2. The company filed for bankruptcy in a court in New York
3. The company is now out of financial crisis and is busy in its restructuring so that it can start afresh.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

8. Which of the following States became the first State in India to reserve a Govt. job for HIV + candidates ?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Kerala
(C) Karnataka
(D) Delhi
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

9. The Govt. of India recently decided to allow Currency Futures in India. In addition to Ministry of Finance which is/are the other organization(s) whose permission/approval is needed for such operations in India ?
1. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
2. Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
3. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) Only 2 and 3
Ans : (E)
10. The Reserve Bank of India has decided to help banks, as a temporary measure, by providing additional liquidity support under LAF. What is the full form of LAF ?
(A) Loan Adjustment Fund
(B) Liquidity Adjustment Facility
(C) Long Awaited Funds
(D) Loan Against Funds
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

11. As per the report being published in media now the economy of Asia is fast approaching at the saturation point while the growth prospects for Europe and US appear to be bleak. Hence Chinese, Americans and others are now looking towards—
(A) Africa
(B) South East Asia
(C) Latin America
(D) Gulf countries
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

12. The formal or institutional credit delivery system in rural India comprises of which of the following ?
1. Cooperative Credit Institutions
2. Commercial Banks
3. Regional Rural Banks
4. Self Help Groups
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) Only 3 and 4
(C) Only 1, 2 and 3
(D) All 1, 2, 3 and 4
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)
13. As per the reports published recently in the newspapers/magazines the Current Account Deficit of India's Balance of Payment during 2007-08 was at a very high level. When compared to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the percentage of the Current Account Deficit of 2007-08 was about what per cent of the GDP at that time ?
(A) 0•5%
(B) 0•75%
(C) 1%
(D) 1•25%
(E) 1•5%
Ans : (E)
14. The FDIC a USA based financial sector organization's name was in news recently. What is the full form of FDIC ?
(A) Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation
(B) Financial Insurance and Deposits Company
(C) Federal Income and Deposits Corporation
(D) Financial Instruments and Development Company
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

15. The Reserve Bank of India has recently issued guidelines to banks on Pillar 2 of Basel II framework. Pillar 2 deals with which of the following ?
1. Better human resource management
2. Adequate capital to support risks
3. Better profitability with minimum number of employees
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)
16. Which of the following countries recently signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and became the 179th country to do the same ?
(A) India
(B) Pakistan
(C) Sudan
(D) Iraq
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

17. A State Mission on Urban Poverty is formed by which of the following States in India ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Kerala
(E) Tamil Nadu
Ans : (D)
18. The Govt. of India these days is trying to implement new projects/schemes for the development of North Eastern Region (NER) of our country. Which of the following statement (s) is/are True about the North Eastern Region of our country ?
1. The NE Region comprising eight States has a high literacy level and is rich in ethnic cultural heritage with linguistic diversity.
2. The region has very good educational institutions and facilities as each and every district has a very good school/college and one or two institutes for higher learning.
3. The Govt. of India is trying to open few model central schools in the Region so that children of the Region can compete with the children of other zones/regions as entire education in the NE Region is given in local languages at present.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

19. India has recently signed an agreement with which of the following to form a Free Trade Area from January, 2009 ?
(A) ASEAN
(B) SAARC
(C) EU
(D) Latin America
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)
20. Which of the following States has decided to modernize Godavari Delta by investing a huge sum of Rs. 3,361 crores ?
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Kerala
(D) Andhra Pradesh
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

21. Which of the following State Govts. has decided to request the Govt. of India to provide 33.3% reservation for the backward classes in State Assemblies and in the Lok Sabha ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Bihar
(D) Tamil Nadu
(E) Andhra Pradesh
Ans : (D)
22. Which of the following is not a department of the Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India ?
(A) Department of Economic Affairs
(B) Department of Expenditure
(C) Department of Revenue
(D) Department of Foreign Investments
(E) Department of Disinvestments
Ans : (D)

23. Which of the following countries recently signed a security cooperation agreement with India when our Prime Minister visited that country recently ?
(A) North Korea
(B) South Korea
(C) China
(D) Japan
(E) Nepal
Ans : (D)
24. Which of the following two countries decided to approach International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support them in their efforts to avoid financial turmoil which engulfed some big nations ?
(A) Hungary and Ukrain
(B) Croatia and Russia
(C) Russia and China
(D) USA and Russia
(E) Australia and China
Ans : (A)

25. As we all know a B. K. Chaturvedi Committee was set up by the Govt. of India to give recommendations on oil and natural gas sector. Which of the following is/are not amongst its recommendations ?
1. Special taxes to be imposed on all oil products in the country
2. Excise duties on petrol to be reduced to Rs. 10 per litre till March 2009
3. Subsidy on LPG should be increased from present 25% to 40%
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 1 and 2
Ans : (D)
26. Which of the following is not a social sector programme being run by the Govt. of India ?
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(B) National Rural Health Mission
(C) National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
(D) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(E) Mid Day Meal Scheme
Ans : (C)
27. Under the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, the Govt. of India recently gave the first instalment of credit to the banks. What was the amount of the1st instalment ?
(A) Rs. 10,000 crore
(B) Rs. 15,000 crore
(C) Rs. 20,000 crore
(D) Rs. 25,000 crore
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)
28. As per the newspaper reports how many bank branches India has at present ? (all the banks put together) About—
(A) 25,000
(B) 30,000
(C) 50,000
(D) 60,000
(E) 70,000
Ans : (C)
29. As per the reports published in various newspapers/magazines in several nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America more people have mobile phones than bank accounts. What is the position in India in regard to these two facilities ? [Pick up the correct statement(s)]
1. In India about 260 million people have mobile phones.
2. At present about 34% of Indian population is enjoying the formal banking facilities.
3. RBI has recently approved mobile Banking (m–Banking) and favours SMS based small ticket payments upto Rs. 15,000.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)
30. The World Investment Report 2008 was released in September 2008. This report is published every year by—
(A) Govt. of India
(B) World Trade Organization (WTO)
(C) Asian Development Bank (ADB)
(D) World Bank
(E) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Ans : (E)

31. The National Illness Assistance Fund (NIAF) which was set up in 1997 is now known with a new name as—
(A) Rastriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)
(B) National Health Mission (NHM)
(C) Pulse Polio Abhiyan (PPA)
(D) Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP)
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)
32. Bhimsen Joshi who was chosen for India's highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ is a famous—
(A) Sitarist
(B) Tabla Player
(C) Classical Singer
(D) Classical Dancer
(E) Cine Actor
Ans : (C)
33. As we all know the UN Security Council and IAEA want Iran to stop enrichment of Uranium as they fear that Iran may produce nuclear armaments. What is Irans’ view on the issue ?
1. Iran says it is doing enrichment for civilian purposes only
2. Iran is of the view that in the present scenario of the building tension in gulf region it needs a nuclear bomb to protect its interests.
3. Iran has signed Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and it is doing whatever is allowed to do under NPT's terms and conditions
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

34. As we all know some new initiatives were introduced in the area of Fiscal Management by the Govt. of India. Which of the following acts was passed a few years back to keep a check on the fiscal indiscipline on macro economic parameters ?
(A) FERA
(B) FRBMA
(C) FEMA
(D) Public Debt Act
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)
35. As we all know the Govt. of India has launched a massive infrastructure development programme known as Bharat Nirman. What is/are the goal(s) of this programme ?
1. To bring at least one crore hectares additional land under assured irrigation
2. To provide internet connections to all 1,25,000 villages by 2012.
3. To provide road connectivity to all villages with a population of 1000 in plains and 500 in hilly areas.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)

36. Some members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have raised objections on India's decision to give export subsidies on which of the following commodities ?
(A) Wheat
(B) Sugar
(C) Rice
(D) Steel
(E) Cement
Ans : (C)
37. Who among the following is the author of the book entitled, “To a Hunger-free World” ?
(A) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) M. S. Swaminathan
(C) Jaswant Singh
(D) Nelson Mandela
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

38. National Games and Sports 2011 will be organised in which of the following states ?
(A) Goa
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Delhi
(D) Rajasthan
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

39. ‘Jakumi’ is the mascot of which of the following events ?
(A) Commonwealth Games 2009
(B) SAARC Games 2010
(C) National Games 2009
(D) European Union Games 2012
(E) FIFA World Cup 2010
Ans : (E)
40. Nobel Laureate (2008) Jean-Marie Gustave le Clezio writes in which of the following languages ?
(A) French
(B) Spanish
(C) Japanese
(D) German
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

41. Shiva Narayan Chandrapol, who was honoured with “Cricketer of the Year, 2008” by ICC, belongs to—
(A) India
(B) South Africa
(C) West Indies
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)
42. ……… was the only Indian to win a gold medal in Olympic 2008.
(A) Saina Nehwal
(B) Sudesh Kumar
(C) Pankaj Advani
(D) Mahesh Bhupati
(E) Abhinav Bindra
Ans : (E)

43. The name of Jigme Khesar N. Wangchuk was in news, since he was enthroned as the…… of the following country.
(A) President of Bhutan
(B) King of Bhutan
(C) Prime Minister of Thailand
(D) King of Cambodia
(E) Prime Minister of Cambodia
Ans : (B)
44. Irani Cup is associated with which of the following games ?
(A) Hockey
(B) Cricket
(C) Badminton
(D) Golf
(E) Lawn Tennis
Ans : (B)

45. Recently Govt. of India has decided to increase the direct foreign investment, from present 26 per cent to—
(A) 40%
(B) 45%
(C) 49%
(D) 74%
(E) 100%
Ans : (C)
46. Third summit of IBSA was organised in October 2008 in—
(A) New Delhi
(B) Salvador
(C) Durban
(D) Mumbai
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)
47. Recently, who of the following was awarded National Amity Prize 2008 ?
(A) Shekhar Gupta
(B) Kiran Desai
(C) Vikram Seth
(D) Anita Desai
(E) Khushwant Singh
Ans : (E)
48. As per news in the newspapers, the President of country is Mr. Mugabo who has signed an agreement with the opposition leader Morgan Swanariroy to share to rule the country. What is the name of the country ?
(A) Zimbabwe
(B) Croatia
(C) Sudan
(D) Ethiopia
(E) Egypt
Ans : (A)
49. Dronacharya Prize is awarded in the field of…… for excellence in coaching.
(A) Literature
(B) Games and Sports
(C) Cinema
(D) Classical Dance
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

50. Which of the following rate/ratio is not fixed by Reserve Bank of India ?
(A) Rapo rate
(B) SLR
(C) CRR
(D) Inflation
(E) RBI fixes all the above
Ans : (D) 

SBI ASSOCIATE BANKS CLERKS EXAM 2011

GENERAL AWARENESS

Q:1 What is financial inclusion ?

(1) To provide a permanent employment to the unemployed

(2) To provide a 100 days job to all those who are in need of a job

(3) To provide banking services to all those living in remote areas

(4) To ensure that all financial transactions amounting Rs. 5,000/- and above are done through banks.

(5) To provide finances for all.

Q: 2 Recently the term 3G was very much in news and even a conference on it was organized in India. What is the letter 'G' denotes in 3G ?

(1) Grade

(2) Group

(3) Global

(4) Guild

(5) Generation

Q: 3 Some major banks and financial institutions in various Western countries were to wind up their business and/ or declare themselves in financial problems during last few years. This trend is technically known as _

(1) Devaluation

(2) Deformation

(4) Political backdrop

(5) Globalisation

Q: 4 Which of the following International sports events was organized in Delhi in October 2010 in which several countries participated ?

(1) Asian Games

(2) World Cup Cricket Tournament

(3) Asian Hockey Tournament

(4) Commonwealth Games

(5) None of these

Q: 5 Exporters in India get insurance cover and risk cover from which of the following organizations?

(1) SIOBI

(2) NABARD

(3) ECGC

(4) RBI

(5) None of these

Q: 6 Which of the following places in India does not have a Stock Exchange ?

(1) Kolkata

(2) Ahmedabad

(3) Mumbai

(4) Delhi

(5) Udaipur

Q.7 Hillary Clinton who was in India recently is the U.S. Secretary of--

(1) Commerce

(2) State

(3) Treasury

(4) Defence

(5) None of these

Q.8 If Indian Banking industry had demonstrated its resilience to external shocks in 2008-09, the credit  goes to --

(A) Policies of the RBI & the Govt. of India

(C) Foreign aid/investments to Indian companies

(1) Only (A) (2j Only (B) (3) Only (C)

Q: 9 Tembhli village which was in news is in ---

(1) Bihar

(2) Rajasthan

(3) Orissa

(4) West Bengal

(5) Maharashtra

Q:10 Rohan Bopanna who represented Indian in an international event is a----

(1) Billiards Player

(2) Golf Player

(3) Chess Player

(4) Table Tennis Player

(5) Lawn Tennis Player

Q:11 AlBA Women's World Boxing Championship was organized in September 2010 in ---

(I) Rome

(2) New Delhi

(3) London

(4) Vienna

(5) Barbados

Q: 12 Mr. A. K. Antony a Union Minister in the Indian Cabinet recently signed an agreement with South Korea. This means the agreement is for the Cooperation in the field of--

(1) Agriculture

(2) Rural Development

(3) Defence

(4) Steel & Iron

(5) None of these

Q: 13 Sir Mota Singh who was Knighte by the Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year is---

(1) First Sikh Judge in UK

(2) first Sikh Minister in UK

(3) First Indian to become Vice Chancellor in Cambridge

(4) First Indian to become Governor of a State in USA

(5) None of these

Q.14 'Ayodhya' which was in news recently is a place in---

(1) Madhya Pradesh

(2) Bihar

(3) Rajasthan

(4) Jharkhand

(5) Uttar Pradesh

Q.15 Which of the following is the name of a private sector Bank in India?

(1) IDBI Bank

(2) Axis Bank

(3) Corporation Bank

(4) UCO Bank

(5) All are Private Banks

Q.16. The Govt. of India does no! provide any direct financial assistance to which of the following schemes?

(1) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme

(2) Rural Health Mission

(3) Indira Aawas Yojana

(4) Jeevan Sathi Yojana

(5) Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana

Q.17. What does the letter'S' denotes in 'AFSPA' ar abbreviation we very often see in newspapers?

(1) Slow

(2) Special

(3) State

(4) Solid

(5) Sovereign

Q.18. Which of the following terms is used in banking and finance?

(1) Abiotic

(2) Demand Deposit

(3) Fat scales

(4) A diabetic

(5) Cathode

Q.19. Which of the following is a food crop?

(1) Maize

(2) Cotton

(3) Palm

(4) Jute

(5) Jatropha

Q.20. Vedanta Alumina is a company operating in the area of ----

(1) Shipping

(2) Mining

(3) Cement

(4) Textiles

(5) Banking

Q.21. Names of which of the following rates/ratios cannot be seen in financial newspapers?

(1) Bank Rate

(2) Repo Rate

(3) Cash Reserve Ratio

(4) Pulse Rate

(5) Statutory Liquidity Ratio

Q.22. An individual visiting UAE will have to make his/her payments in which of the following currencies?

(1) Dirham

(2) Taka

(3) Baht

(4) Peso

(5) Dinar

Q.23. Who, amongst the following is NOT a famous writer?

(1) Sania Mirza

(2) V. S. Naipaul

(3) Chetan Bhagat

(4) Khushwant Singh

(5) Namita Gokhale

Q.24. 'Peepli Live' is a film directed by ---

(I) Anusha Rizvi

(2) Aamir Khan

(3) Kiran Rao

(4) David Dhawan

(5) None of these

Q.25. Which of the following is the Chemical name of the salt we use in our kitchen?

(1) Calcium Carbonate

(2) Calcium Chloride

(3) Sodium Carbonate

(4) Sodium Chloride

(5) Ammonium Sulphate

Q.26. The judges of the Supreme Court of India now retire at the age of---

(1) 58 years

(2) 60 years

(3) 62 years

(4) 65 years

(5) 68 years

Q.27. Operation New Dawn is the beginning of stability in---

(1) Afghanistan

(2) Iran

(3) Sudan

(4) Sri Lanka

(5) Iraq

Q.28. Which of the following books' is written by Kiran Desai ?

(1) A house for Mr. Biswas

(2) 3 Mistakes of My Life

(3) A Tale of Two Sisters

(4) The Inheritance of Loss

(5) Tale of Two Cities

Q.29. Jimena Na";'arrete who was crowned Miss Universe 2010 is from ---

(I) Mexico

(2) Venezuela

(3) Brazil

(4) New Zealand

(5) Italy

Q.30. India has an agreement with USA for producing energy in the form of---

(1) Hydraulic

(2) Thermal

(3) Nuclear

(4) Solar

(5) All of these forms

Q. 31 Which of the following is an economic term?

(1) Plaintiff

(2) Bunker Blaster

(3) Deflation

(4) Lampoon

(5) Zero Hour

Q.32. Which of the following awards is given to sports persons in India?

(1) Shantiswarup Bhatnagar Awards

(2) Arjuna Award

(3) Kalidas Samman

(4) Saraswati Samman

(5) None of these

Q.33. Which of the following is the trophy/cup associated with the game of cricket?

(1) Derby

(2) Merdeka Cup

(3) Santosh Trophy

(4) Duleep Trophy

(5) Durand Cup

Q.34. Who amongst the following can take benefit of the Social Security Fund established by the Govt. ofIndia for unorganized workers? .

(1) Primary school teacher

(2) Employee of Sugar Factory

(3) Textile Mazdoor

(4) Rickshaw Puller

(5) Clerk in a factory

Q.35. Shushil Kumar who won a Gold Medal at an international event is a famous---

(1) Wrestling champion

(2) Golf player

(3) Table Tennis Player

(4) Weight lifter

(5) None of these

Q.36. In case a major war breaks out between two nations, which of the following organizations/agencies will be seen in the battle field, in addition to the armies of the fighting parties?

(1) WTO

(2) Red Cross

(3) CARE

(4) OPEC

(5) All of these

Q.37. Which of the following is the abbreviated name associated with food security?

(1) ASHA

(2) PDS

(3) WTO

(4) OPEC

(5) NPA

Q.38. Which of the following is a good and rich source of vitamin 'C' ?

(1) Milk

(2) Radish

(3) Mango

(4) Lemon Juice

(5) Banana

Q.39. Who amongst the following Indian Prime Ministers was honoured Posthumously by the Govt. of Bangladesh for his/her contributions to the independence of the nation?

(1) Rajiv Gandhi

(2) Jawaharlal Nehru

(3) Indira Gandhi

(4) Lai Bahadur Shastri

(5) None of these          

Q.40. Who amongst the following was never a Governor of the RBI?

(1) Bimal Jalan

(2) Y. V. Reddy

(3) Arup Roy Choudhury

(4) C. Rangarajan

(5) D. Subbarao

 Answer:

(1) 3 (2) 5 (3) 3 (4) 10 (5) 5 (6) 5 (7) 4 (8) 1 (9) 5 (10) 5 (11) 5 (12) 3 (13) 1 (14) 5 (15) 2 (16) 1 (17) 2 (18) 2 (19) 4 (20) 2 (21) 4 (22) 1 (23) 1 (24) 1 (25) 4 (26) 4 (27) 1 (28) 4 (29) 1 (30)  (31) 3 (32) 2 (33) 4 (34) 4 (35) 5 (36) 2 (37) 2 (38) 4 (39) 3 (40) 3

Indian Overseas Bank PO 2009 Solved Paper

1. As we all know rise of the ‘BRICs’ has left a vast impact on almost all aspects of the global economy. However, which of the following cannot be called as the direct effect(s) of ‘Rise of the BRICs’ on global/other powerful economy/economies ?
1. Countries like China wish to learn more about outsourcing from India.
2. It has made countries to suffer from Sub-prime Crisis.
3. EURO has become a powerful currency and many non-Euro countries are in ‘Swap Agreement’ with various nations.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
2. As per the reports published in the newspapers/journals how much amount the Govt. of India is planning to infuse in Public Sector Banks to make them competitive and strong globally ?
About—
(A) Rs. 10,000 crore
(B) Rs. 15,000 crore
(C) Rs. 20,000 crore
(D) Rs. 25,000 crore
(E) Rs. 30,000 crore
3. What is the maximum stake the Govt. of India has in any public sector bank at present ?
(A) 40%
(B) 49%
(C) 50%
(D) 64%
(E) 74%
4. Which of the following is not a major highlight of the Union Budget 2008-09 ?
1. A target of Rs. 2•80 lakhs crore is fixed for providing credit to agriculture sector.
2. Limit of the Banking Cash Transaction Tax is raised from present 1% to 1•5%.
3. PAN requirement is not mandatory for financial transactions. Other Ids are also acceptable.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 2 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
5. As per the news in major financial newspapers a ‘Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana’ is launched in Delhi and Haryana States for members of unorganized sectors. Under the scheme each family is likely to get the benefit of Rs.………
(A) 15,000
(B) 20,000
(C) 25,000
(D) 30,000
(E) 50,000
6. As proposed in the Union Budget 2008-09 a ‘Risk Capital Fund’ is set up by the Govt. of India. Who amongst the following will maintain and operate that fund ?
(A) NABARD
(B) SIDBI
(C) ECGC
(D) RBI
(E) None of these
7. As per the Economic Survey 2007-08 presented in the Lok Sabha in February 2008, what has been the percentage growth in Bank credit ? About—
(A) 10%
(B) 15%
(C) 18%
(D) 21%
(E) 26%
8. As per the budget of the Indian Railways for 2008-09 the operating ratio of the railways has—
(A) Improved only by 0•5%
(B) Decreased by 0•5%
(C) Remained at the same level on which it was in 2007-08
(D) Reached at the level of 81%
(E) Reduced to the level of 63% which was the level of 2000-01
9. The government of India has launched a new scheme for the ‘Girl Child’. What is the name of the scheme ?
(A) Raj Lakshmi
(B) Rani Bitia
(C) Dhan Lakshmi
(D) Aanandita
(E) None of these
10. The President of India recently signed the much-awaited notification for the implementation of the suggestions made by the ‘Delimitation Commission’.
What will be the effect of this notification ?
(A) Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies will be redefined
(B) Candidates from SC/ST categories will get all benefits for another 15 years’ time
(C) The boundaries of the National Capital, New Delhi will be extended further
(D) Operations of the Cooperative Banks and Societies will not be limited to the state of their origin. They will also be like Public Sector Banks
(E) None of these
11. As per the new policy the number of Judges in the Supreme Court would be now—
(A) 21
(B) 25
(C) 26
(D) 30
(E) 31
12. As per the reports published in the newspapers the banks, particularly public sector banks are tying up with various rating agencies for providing a qualitative assessment of the credit needs of the borrowers. Which amongst the following is/are such credit rating agencies in India ?
1. CARE
2. CRISIL
3. ULIP
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) 1 and 2 only
(D) Only 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
13. As per the newspaper reports the RBI is planning to introduce ‘Plastic Currency Notes’. What is/are the benefits of ‘Plastic Notes’ ?
1. Their Shelf life will be longer.
2. It will replace plastic money or credit, debit cards which are giving birth to many fraudulent practices.
3. Printing will be cheaper.
(A) Only 3
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
14. ‘Sub Prime Lending’ is a term applied to the loans made to—
(A) Those borrowers who do not have a good credit history
(B) Those who wish to take loan against the mortgage of tangible assets
(C) Those who have a good credit history and are known to bank since 10 years
(D) Those borrowers who are most preferred customers of the Bank
(E) None of these
15. As per the reports published in various journals and newspapers the ‘small borrowers’ in rural areas still prefer to take informal route for their credit needs. Which of the following is the ‘informal route’ of credit in financial sector ?
(A) Credit cards
(B) Loan against gold from financial institute
(C) Debit cards
(D) Money lender
(E) None of these
16. The Planning Commission of India has set up a 12 member committee on financial sector reforms. Who is the Chairman of the Committee ?
(A) Janki Raman
(B) Raghuram Rajan
(C) Rakesh Mohan
(D) K. V. Kamath
(E) None of these
17. Basel-II norms are associated with which of the following aspects of the banking industry ?
(A) Risk management
(B) Manpower planning
(C) Retirement benefits for the employees
(D) Corporate Governance
(E) None of these
18. What is meant by ‘Underwriting’ the term frequently used in financial sector ?
(A) Under valuation of the assets
(B) The Act of taking on a risk for a fee
(C) Giving a Guarantee that a loan will not become a bad loan
(D) The act of permission to float an IPO
(E) None of these
19. The government of India recently constituted the New Finance Commission (13th). What are its major functions ? To decide—
1. The salary structure of the employees of the Central Government.
2. The distribution of the net proceeds of taxes between states and Central Govt.
3. Rate of Income Tax and other taxes collected by the Union Govt.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
20. Who amongst the following was the Captain of the Indian cricket team which registered its victory in tri-series ODI matches against Australia played in March 2008 ?
(A) M.S. Dhoni
(B) Anil Kumble
(C) Rahul Dravid
(D) Saurav Ganguly
(E) Sachin Tendulkar
21. Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy who was the chief guest during the Republic Day Function 2008 is the—
(A) President of Brazil
(B) Prime Minister of Brazil
(C) President of France
(D) Prime Minister of France
(E) Foreign Secretary of USA
22. Who amongst the following has taken over as the President of Serbia after the General elections held there in February 2008 ?
(A) Boris Tadic
(B) Tomislav Nicolic
(C) Samak Sundaravej
(D) Novak Djokovic
(E) None of these
23. Indra K. Nooyi who was elected as the Chairperson of the US-India Business Council is the CEO of which of the following Companies ?
(A) Pepsi Co.
(B) Infosys
(C) Tata Consultancy Services
(D) NIIT
(E) None of these
24. Maria Sharapova won the Australian Open 2008 Women’s singles by defeating—
(A) Shahar Peer
(B) Kateryna Bondarenko
(C) Sania Mirza
(D) Victoria Azarenka
(E) Ana Ivanovic
25. Saina Nehwal won the Seniors’ Championship match of which of the following games held in Goa in January 2008 ?
(A) Golf
(B) Tennis
(C) Table tennis
(D) Archery
(E) Badminton
26. As per the news published in some newspapers magazines two PSUs National Thermal Power Corporation and Coal India Ltd. are going to float a joint venture ‘SPV’. What is the full form of ‘SPV’ ?
(A) Small Power Venture
(B) Special Purpose Vehicle
(C) Special Power Venture
(D) Small Purpose Vehicle
(E) None of these
27. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently agreed to allow foreign direct investment in the field of mobile television services. Upto what extent FDI is allowed in this field ?
(A) 50%
(B) 60%
(C) 64%
(D) 70%
(E) 74%
28. As per the performance assessment data released by the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) in January 2008. Which of the following sectors registered a growth of 3•6 per cent ?
(A) Agriculture Sector
(B) Banking Sector
(C) Tourism Sector
(D) Aviation Services Sector
(E) None of these
29. Which of the following is the name of very violent and serious types of winds which bring lot of disaster ?
(A) Trade winds
(B) Hurricane
(C) Cirrus
(D) Stratus
(E) None of these
30. The Global Employment Trends Report 2008 published by the International Labour Organization has indicated that there may be increase in global unemployment. What according to them is/are the major reasons of this possibility ?
1. Turmoil in Credit Markets all over the world.
2. Rise in oil prices in international market.
3. Civil unrest in some under and undeveloped nations.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) None of these
31. As we have noticed many banks of Indian origin are opening offices/branches in foreign countries. Why is this trend emerging at a very fast pace ?
1. These Banks wish to provide banking facilities to foreigners as banking facilities are not plenty in many foreign countries. India wants to take an advantage of the situation.
2. These banks wish to help Indian firms to acquire funds at internationally competitive rates.
3. These banks wish to promote trade and investment between India and other countries.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 2 and 3
32. Many economists, bankers and researchers in India often advocate that banks should equip themselves for new challenges. These challenges are in which of the following shapes/forms ?
1. As Indian economy is getting increasingly integrated with the rest of the world the demand of the Corporate banking is likely to change in terms of size, composition of services and also the quality.
2. The growing foreign trade in India will have to be financed by the local banks.
3. Foreigners are habitual of the comforts provided by the technology. India has to do a lot in this reference.
(A) Only 1 is correct
(B) Only 2 is correct
(C) Only 3 is correct
(D) All 1, 2 and 3 are correct
(E) None of these
33. As per the reports published in the newspapers Indian Rupee is now fully accepted in Asian countries like, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia etc. What does it really mean ?
1. Anybody from Asian country can purchase Indian Rupee and keep it in his/her bank account in his/her country without any restrictions.
2. Now people in these nations are not required to go for a double conversion first in dollar and then in rupee.
3. People travelling European/Asian countries can make their payments in rupee anywhere without any problem.
(A) Only 1 is correct
(B) Only 2 is correct
(C) Only 3 is correct
(D) All 1, 2 and 3 are correct
(E) None of these
34. Which of the following is not a banking/finance related term ?
(A) Credit wrap
(B) EMI
(C) Held to Maturity
(D) Exposure limit
(E) Diffusion
35. Very often we read about the Doha Ministerial Conference 2001 in reference to WTO negotiations. What were the major issues over which nations were of different opinions ?
1. Providing subsidy to agriculture.
2. Export of patented drugs/medicines by developed nations.
3. Restriction on natural movement of people from one nation to other.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 3
(E) None of these
36. The Technology Mission on Cotton was launched during Xth plan. The scheme was designed to get increase in production of cotton by which of the following levels by the end of the plan ?
(A) 100 lakh bales
(B) 150 lakh bales
(C) 175 lakh bales
(D) 200 lakh bales
(E) None of these
37. A National Development Fund was created by the Government of India a few years ago. What was the purpose of the fund ?
1. Boost investment in social sector projects to promote education, healthcare and
employment.
2. Capital investments in selected profitable PSEs to yield adequate returns.
3. To fund revision in pay structure of Central Government employees.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) None of these
38. Olympic 2008 are scheduled to be held in—
(A) Paris
(B) Tokyo
(C) London
(D) Moscow
(E) None of these
39. The general elections took place in which of the following countries in March 2008 ?
(A) Iran
(B) Iraq
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Myanmar
(E) Sri Lanka
40. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘Economic Nightmare of India’ ?
(A) Morarji Desai
(B) K. Rajeshwar Rao
(C) Charan Singh
(D) Jyoti Basu
(E) None of these
41. As per the targets for 11th plan educated unemployment is to be reduced to which of the following levels ?
(A) 5%
(B) 6%
(C) 7%
(D) 8%
(E) 9%
42. ‘Long Walk’ to Freedom’ is a book written by—
(A) Sonia Gandhi
(B) L. K. Advani
(C) Nelson Mandela
(D) Benazir Bhutto
(E) Nawaz Sheriff
43. India recently signed a pact with which of the following countries on solving the problems of Indian labour in that country ?
(A) Iran
(B) UAE
(C) Malaysia
(D) Kuwait
(E) None of these
44. Which of the following countries is trying to launch a Satellite to study the sun ?
(A) USA
(B) India
(C) Russia
(D) China
(E) None of these
45. Jang Hyun Jong who was adjudged as the ‘Asian Hockey Player of the year’ is from—
(A) China
(B) Singapore
(C) South Korea
(D) India
(E) None of these
46. Who amongst the following is the winner of Padma Vibhushan Awards given away recently ?
(A) Rahul Gandhi
(B) Priya Dutt
(C) Vinod Dua
(D) Ratan Tata
(E) None of these
47. Which of the following films was adjudged ‘Best Film’ in 14th Star Screen Awards given away in January 2008 ?
(A) Om Shanti Om
(B) Guru
(C) Taare Zameen Par
(D) Jab We Met
(E) Chak De India
48. A meeting of the European Leaders was held in January 2008 at which of the following places to discuss ‘Global Economic Turmoil’ ?
(A) London
(B) New Delhi
(C) New York
(D) Tokyo
(E) Milan
49. Castro Sibling is the new President of—
(A) Romania
(B) Cuba
(C) Israel
(D) Venezuela
(E) None of these
50. Kosovo declared itself independent from which of the following countries ?
(A) Ukraine
(B) Croatia
(C) Serbia
(D) Russia
(E) None of these

Answers:

1. (B) 2. (C) 3. (E) 4. (A) 5. (D) 6. (B)
7. (D) According to Economic Survey 2007-08, the percentage growth in bank credit is 21•5%.
8. (D) 9. (C) 10. (A) 11. (E) 12. (A)
13. (C) 14. (A) 15. (D) 16. (B) 17. (A)
18. (A) 19. (B) 20. (A) 21. (C) 22. (A)
23. (A) 24. (E) 25. (E) 26. (B) 27. (E)
28. (A) 29. (B) 30. (D) 31. (E) 32. (A)
33. (D) 34. (E) 35. (A) 36. (D) 37. (A)
38. (E) 39. (A) 40. (C) 41. (A) 42. (C)
43. (D) 44. (A) 45. (C) 46. (D) 47. (E)
48. (A) 49. (E) 50. (E)