GURGAON GRAMIN BANK PO EXAM 2010 SOLVED PAPER

GENERAL AWARENESS


1. Which of the following is a programme to provide electric connections to those living below poverty line ?
(A) MPLADS
(B) Kutir Jyoti
(C) Ganga Kalyan Yojana
(D) Sangam Yojana
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


2. As per the guidelines issued by the SEBI the Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a must for which of the following ?
(A) Demat Accounts
(B) All Saving Banks Accounts
(C) All Housing Loan Accounts
(D) All Current Accounts
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


3. For getting National Old Age Pension the age of the person should not be less than—
(A) 50 years
(B) 55 years
(C) 58 years
(D) 60 years
(E) 65 years
Ans : (E)


4. Many a times we read about the priority sector in newspapers. Which of the following is/are considered segment(s) of Priority Sector in India ?
1. Agriculture
2. Small Scale Industry
3. Textile Industry
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


5. The average size of holdings in India is about 2 hectares or 5 acres. What problems do farmers normally face due to this ?
1. Proper irrigation facilities are not possible for these farms.
2. Scientific and advanced techniques are very expensive for these farms.
3. It does not pose a problem for them. These farms are ideal in size. Hence all sorts of advanced methods can easily be used for them.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2 is correct
(C) Only 3 is correct
(D) Both 1 and 2 are correct
(E) None is correct
Ans : (B)


6. Which of the following is considered a technological factor in the productivity of agricultural land ?
(A) Inadequate irrigation facilities
(B) Size of holding
(C) Pattern of Land Tenure
(D) Type of marketing facilities in the area
(E) All the above
Ans : (A)


7. Many times we read a term ‘Free Market’ in newspapers. What does it mean ?
[Pick up the correct statement(s)]
1. It is a market where pricing is driven by the laws of supply and demand.
2. In free market things are available without restraints of the government
3. In such markets goods are free from extraneous influences such as tariff or quotas.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) 1 and 2 both
(E) 1, 2 and 3 all
Ans : (E)


8. Earlier it was thought safe to allow each financial institution to carry out only one type of financial service. But now banks are selling shares, insurance companies can sell banking services.
These new financial conglomerates are colloquially referred to as—
(A) Multinationals
(B) Financial supermarkets
(C) Market regulators
(D) Brand Promoters
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


9. Marketing of agro products and also of the cottage industry is most important for economic development. Which of the following should be the major consideration for the marketing of rural products ?
(A) Proper storing facility only
(B) Proper holding capacity only
(C) Adequate and cheap transport facility only
(D) Small number of intermediaries only
(E) All the above are needed
Ans : (E)


10. Many people travel to different parts of India to work as agricultural labour as the wages given to them are different in different parts. Which of the following is/are determining factor(s) in deciding the structure of agricultural wages in India ?
1. Land to Labour ratio i.e. The number of people employed on a land holding of a particular size.
2. Nature of crop sown on the land. Food crops do not attract good wages whereas commercial crops do.
3. Nature of the area as a high productivity area will have higher wages and vice-versa.
(A) Both 1 and 2
(B) Both 1 and 3
(C) Only 2
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)


11. The structure of the financial system in India can be divided into many segments. Which of the following is not one of these segments ?
(A) Industrial Finance
(B) Agriculture Finance
(C) Developmental Finance
(D) Government Finance
(E) Personal Finance
Ans : (E)


12. Which of the following statements about the changes in cropping patterns is/are correct ?
1. The Govt. of India can influence crop pattern through legislative and administrative measures.
2. The Cropping pattern normally depends upon the climatic conditions of the area.
3. As 80% of the agro products are being exported from India the cropping pattern depends upon the WTO stipulations in the field.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2 are correct
(D) Only 2 and 3 are correct
(E) All 1, 2 and 3 are correct
Ans : (E)


13. The Head of the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) is called—
(A) Swami
(B) Karta
(C) Bharta
(D) Agraj
(E) Jyeshthi
Ans : (B)


14. The Banking Industry and financial sector in India has come a long way in the past few years. Which of the following were the major drawbacks of the banks in India, inherited from the British Raj owing to which the Govt. of India decided to nationalize them in 1969 and put them through a series of reforms again ?
1. Interlocking of directorship of big business houses.
2. Paucity of credit to socially and economically important sectors of the economy.
3. Shortage of trained manpower to handle the major task of economic development.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (D)


15. A national policy to provide rural credit was launched by the Govt. of India in general and by RBI and NABARD in particular. Which of the following cannot be considered as one of the objectives of this National Policy ?
1. To ensure timely and increased flow of credit to the rural sector.
2. To make available credit facilities to every region of the country so that there are no regional imbalances.
3. To establish a well organized network of informal/non institutional credit system in the country.
(A) Only 1
(B) Both 1 and 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)


16. Under Bharat Nirman Programme of the Govt. of India action is proposed in various areas. Which of the following is not one of these areas ?
(A) Irrigation
(B) Rural Roads
(C) Rural Housing
(D) Rural Water Supply
(E) Rural Employment
Ans : (E)


17. Which of the following is the name of the legislation, which provides employment to the poors in remote areas of the country ?
(A) NREGA
(B) POTA
(C) FEMA
(D) COFEPOSA
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


18. The Reserve Bank of India issues coins and notes of various denominations. At present RBI does not issue coins of which of the following denominations ?
(A) 10 paise
(B) 25 paise
(C) 50 paise
(D) 1•00 Rupee
(E) 5•00 Rupee
Ans : (A)


19. Many a times we come across a term ‘Know Your Customer’ in area of banking transactions. Which of the following is the main purpose of issuing Know Your Customer guidelines by the RBI ?
(A) To provide better customer service
(B) To keep a check on money laundering
(C) To bring more and more people in the Income Tax net
(D) To make high value transactions faster
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


20. Which of the following is not correct about the various targets set for 11th Five Year Plan ?
(Whole plan period 2007-12).
(A) Farm sector growth to be increased to 8%
(B) GDP growth rate to be increased to 10%
(C) Create 7 Crore new jobs
(D) Literacy rate is to be increased to 80%
(E) Reduction in unemployment amongst the educated youth
Ans : (A)


21. Many a times we come across a term read as ‘GM’ in reference to certain crops. What is the full form of the term ‘GM’ ?
(A) Geographically Moderated
(B) Genetically Modified
(C) Globally Marketed
(D) Grown after Modifications
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


22. Many a times we see a term in newspapers ‘IPO’. What is the full form of the same ?
(A) Indian Public Offer
(B) Institutional Purchase Offer
(C) Industrial Purchase Order
(D) Indian Purchase Offer
(E) Initial Public Offer
Ans : (E)


23. Which of the following is not the part of the Charter of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) ?
1. NRHM has to pay special attention to 18 States, which have weak Public Health Indicators.
2. Mission provides for appointment of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) in each one of four metros so that these metros become free from Polio, Malaria, and HIV infections by 2010 ?
3. It aims at effective integration of Private Sector in health sector so that government burden can be reduced to the level of mere policy maker.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 2 and 3
(D) Only 3
(E) Both 1 and 3
Ans : (C)


24. Who amongst the following had said ‘small aim is crime’ ?
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru
(B) Lal Bahadur Shastri
(C) Smt. Indira Gandhi
(D) Dr. A. P. J. Kalam
(E) Dr. Manmohan Singh
Ans : (D)


25. The rate on which banks lend to RBI is known as—
(A) CRR
(B) PLR
(C) Bank Rate
(D) REPO Rate
(E) SLR
Ans : (A)


26. Which of the following name is not associated with the insurance business in India ?
(A) Bajaj Allianz
(B) LIC
(C) GIC
(D) Tata AIG
(E) GE Money
Ans : (E)


27. Which of the following awards is given for excellence in the field of sports ?
(A) Kalidas Samman
(B) Dhyanchand Award
(C) Shram Vir Award
(D) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


28. Which of the following does not represent the name of a bank working in India ?
(A) YES
(B) HDFC
(C) TATA
(D) Kotak Mahindra
(E) Axis
Ans : (C)


29. Who amongst the following addresses the nation on the Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Delhi ?
(A) President of India
(B) UPA Chair person
(C) Speaker of the Lok Sabha
(D) Prime Minister of India
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)


30. Which of the following is considered an informal method of getting credit/finance ?
(A) Internet Banking
(B) Branch visits
(C) Going to money lenders
(D) Tele Banking
(E) All of these
Ans : (C)


31. Which of the countries represent letter ‘C’ in the category known as BRIC countries ?
(A) Canada
(B) Chile
(C) Cuba
(D) Croatia
(E) China
Ans : (E)


32. Nobel Prizes are not given for the performance in the area of—
(A) Literature
(B) Physics
(C) Chemistry
(D) Music
(E) Medical Science
Ans : (D)


33. Which of the following countries has not made any significant investment in India ?
(A) Japan
(B) USA
(C) Nepal
(D) Britain
(E) France
Ans : (C)


34. Twenty-20 matches are played in the game of—
(A) Hockey
(B) Football
(C) Badminton
(D) Tennis
(E) Cricket
Ans : (E)


35. Which of the following is known as Plastic money ?
1. Demand Draft
2. Credit Card
3. Debit Card
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 2 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (D)


36. In which of the following Hindi films actor Shahrukh Khan has played the role of a Hockey Coach ?
(A) Guru
(B) Chak De India
(C) Om Shanti Om
(D) Jab We Met
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


37. Which amongst the following nations is not a member of the SAARC ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Bhutan
(C) Nepal
(D) Maldives
(E) South Africa
Ans : (E)


38. Which of the following organizations/bank has done a commendable work in the field of micro finance and was awarded Nobel Prize also in the past ?
(A) Gramin Bank of Bangladesh
(B) CRY
(C) ASHA
(D) NABARD
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


39. Which of the following is not a Public Sector Unit/Undertaking/ Agency ?
(A) ECGC
(B) SEBI
(C) SIDBI
(D) Axis Bank
(E) BHEL
Ans : (D)


40. The European Union has adopted which of the following as a common currency ?
(A) Dollar
(B) Dinar
(C) Yen
(D) Peso
(E) Euro
Ans : (E)


41. Various Govt. agencies/organizations are given responsibilities for implementing various policies/decisions of the Govt. of India. Policies about credit flow to the agricultural/priority sector are framed/implemented through which of the following apex bodies ?
(A) ECGC
(B) NABARD
(C) UTI
(D) IDBI Bank
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


42. Which of the following is not a foodgrain ?
(A) Wheat
(B) Rice
(C) Maize
(D) Jowar
(E) Cotton
Ans : (E)


43. Many a times we read in newspapers about ‘Financial Inclusion’. What does it really mean ?
[Pick up correct statement(s)]
1. Allow the merger and acquisition of banks so that only few big banks exist and continue to cater to the need of corporate sector.
2. Expending the network of banks in such a way that people from lower strata of society also get the benefit of services provided by banks.
3. Providing Insurance cover to each and every citizen so that he/she can live a healthy and long life.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (B)


44. Which of the following is not a gallantry Award ?
(A) Vir Chakra
(B) Jeevan Raksha Padak
(C) Ashok Chakra
(D) Mahavir Chakra
(E) Saraswati Samman
Ans : (E)


45. Heavy Water is normally used by which of the following industries ?
(A) Nuclear Power generation plants
(B) Pharma Industry
(C) Paper Industry
(D) Sugar plants
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


46. As per news items published in various newspapers, Italy has offered its help in developing ‘SMEs’ in India. What is the full form of ‘SME’ ?
(A) Small and Monopolistic Economy
(B) Small and Medium Enterprises
(C) Speedy and Mechanical
(D) Small and Medium Level Economy
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


47. Which of the following indexes is developed to measure life expectancy, level of literacy, education and standard of living of people in a country ?
(A) Inflation
(B) Sensex
(C) Human Development Index
(D) SLR
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)


48. Which of the following is a type of tax levied by the Govt. on goods and services ?
(A) SAT
(B) NET
(C) PAN
(D) VAT
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)


49. Who amongst the following was made the Chairman of the National Land Reforms Council ?
(A) Smt. Sonia Gandhi
(B) Arjun Singh
(C) Pranav Mukherjee
(D) Kamal Nath
(E) Manmohan Singh
Ans : (E)


50. Which of the following is not a foreign bank working in India ?
(A) HSBC
(B) Barclays
(C) Standard Chartered
(D) Yes Bank
(E) All are foreign banks
Ans : (E)

SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1.The President of India appoints the Chairman and Members of the National Human Rights Commission on whose recommendations?
(A)Prime Minister of India
(B)Speaker of Lok Sabha
(C)Home Minister
(D)Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha
(E)All of the Above
Ans: (E) All of the Above

2.In which year India ratified International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ?
(A)1966
(B)1968
(C)1976
(D)1978
(E)1979
Ans: (E) 1979

3.In which of the following cities is located the technology center of Unique Identification Authority of India?
(A)Delhi
(B)Hyderabad
(C)Ranchi
(D)Hyderabad
(E)Bangalore
Ans: (E) Bangalore

4.The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) links 37 constituent laboratories with diverse research portfolios as varied as drug discovery to oceanography. Recently we read in the newspapers that CSIR’s latest imitative is launching of an Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) Programme. What is the main purpose of Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) Programme?
(A)To make India a hub of drug research and development
(B)To bring the scientists of the world under one roof
(C)To bring down the costs of the new drugs and make them affordable to all
(D)To make India self reliant in Drug production
(E)All of above
Ans: (C) To bring down the costs of the new drugs and make them affordable to all

5.On the recommendation of which of the following committees the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been releasing money of the Centers share of recapitalization assistance to the primary agriculture credit societies (PACS) in various states to introduce
cooperative reforms ?
(A)N R Narayanmurthy Committee
(B)Prof A. Vaidyanathan Committee
(C)K Madhav Das Committee
(D)R Gandhi Committee
(E)None of them
Ans: (B)Prof A. Vaidyanathan Committee

6.Express Remit is the brand name of a remittance facility by which of the following banks?
(A)State Bank of India
(B)Punjab National Bank
(C)Bank of Baroda
(D)ICICI Bank
(E)HDFC Bank
Ans: (A) State Bank of India

7.Which among the following is the most important source region of NRI remittances to India ?
(A)North America
(B)Europe
(C)Middle East
(D)Asia Pacific
(E)South America
Ans: (A) North America

8.As per the guidelines issued by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in February 2009, any company with more than what fraction of foreign equity should be considered as a foreign company?
(A)51%
(B)59%
(C)61%
(D)71%
(E)75%
Ans: (A) 51%

9.To achieve 100% financial Inclusion in India, Reserve Bank of India had had issued a circular in July 2009 permitting cash withdrawals of up to Rs 1,000 per day from PoS (Point of sale) terminals at merchant establishments. Recently which of the following bank has become first Bank of India to offer this facility?
(A)State Bank of India
(B)Punjab National Bank
(C)Bank of India
(D)Union Bank of India
(E)UCO Bank
Ans: (D) Union Bank of India

10.Which among the following sector of Indian Economy is maximum dependent on economic developments in advanced nations?
(A)Manufacturing Sector
(B)Agricultural Sector
(C)Mining Sector
(D)Textile Sector
(E)Services Sector
Ans: (E) Services Sector

11.Many a times we read in the newspapers that Government of India is promoting private investment in the country through PPP mode that is Public private partnership. What is the target of the private sector investment in the country by 2012 ?
(A)$ 150 Billion
(B)$ 200 Billion
(C)$ 300 Billion
(D)$ 400 Billion
(E)None of them
Ans: (B) $ 200 Billion

12.Which among the following country has been consistently on the top slot for last four years and this year too in the latest version of World Bank’s annual report “Doing Business 2010″?
(A)Sweden
(B)New Zea Land
(C)Singapore
(D)China
(E)South Korea
Ans: (C) Singapore

13.What is Doing Business 2010 rank of India?
(A)129
(B)131
(C)132
(D)133
(E)135
Ans: (D) 133, last year it was 132 and it has gone down by 1

14.As per the World Bank Report, which among the following in India is comparatively easy for outsiders planning to do business here?
(A)Dealing with Construction Permits
(B)Registering Property
(C)Getting Credit
(D)Enforcing Contracts
(E)Employing Workers
Ans: (C) Getting Credit

15.Which among the following cities ranks first in ease of doing business in India?
(A)Gurgaon
(B)Chandigarh
(C)Hyderabad
(D)Ludhiana
(E)Bangalore
Ans: (D) Ludhiana

16.For the first time in India, in which of the following Budgets “basic reforms in the international financial and trading system ” was stressed in India?
(A)1969
(B)1975
(C)1983
(D)1991
(E)1992
Ans: (C) 1983

17.The recently presented Economic Survey says ” India’s unpardonably large bureaucratic costs are like a valuable resource buried under the ground, waiting to be excavated and used” . The unpardonably large bureaucratic costs refer here to which of the following?
(A)Cost incurred in recruitment and training of bureaucrats
(B)Costs incurred in getting a project cleared in government offices as bribes
(C)Hidden Costs due to unwanted delay in projects approval
(D)Low efficiency of the bureaucracy of the country due to political instability
(E)All of the above
Ans: (C) Hidden Costs due to unwanted delay in projects approval

18.Bring out the incorrect statement regarding India’s textile sector:
(A)India’s textile and clothing sector currently employs 35 million people
(B)After agriculture it is second largest provider of employment
(C)Textile sector has a tendency to shrink as the GDP and Economy grows
(D)Textile sector is a major absorber of low-skilled labor
(E)All of above are correct statements
Ans: (C) statement C is incorrect. This natural tendency has been seen in agriculture sector and not in textile sector

19.Year 2009-10 was a time of inflationary concerns for our country witnessing unusual double digit inflation. In the history of Independent India, which among the following decades had shown 3 consecutive years of double-digit, food price inflation?
(A)1970s
(B)1980s
(C)1990s
(D)2000s
(E)1960s
Ans: (A) 1970s. 1972-73-74

20.Who among the following is the chairman of the Technology Advisory Group which has the mandate to fix the framework for large and transformational IT projects of the government?
(A)Kaushik Basu
(B)C Rangrajan
(C)Nandan Nilkeni
(D)Ashowk Chawla
(E)None of them
Ans: (C) Nandan Nilkeni

21.The following options A to E are news headlines related to Union Budget 2010 , taken from some financial newspapers. Among them bring out the one that deals with Transfer Payments ?
(A)Government projects Rs. 248664 crore for Interest payments
(B)Government projects Rs. 301331 as corporation tax in 2010-11
(C)Government will spend Rs. 60000 Crore on Defense in 2010-11
(D)The Subsidy has been Reduced from Rs. 131025 crore to 116224 crore in Union Budget 2010
(E)The government pitches for Rs. 40000 crore for Disinvestment
Ans: (D) The Subsidy has been Reduced from Rs. 131025 crore to 116224 crore in Union Budget 2010

22.In which of the following example the marginal productivity is close to zero?
(A)7 people working in a bank branch and 3 more join them after a massive recruitment drive of the bank
(B)7 people from a family working in a farm and 3 more join to them because they lost their jobs due to poor markets
(C)7 teachers teaching in a school and 3 more join them to teach 3 different subjects to a class of 100 students
(D)7 people are recruited by a company in unreserved category and 3 more recruited one of them was a physically disabled person
(E)None of them
Ans: (B) Option B is an example of Hidden Unemployment

23.As we all know that economic liberalization began in true sense in July 1991 in India. Which among the following was the first step of the government while taking the country towards Economic Liberalization?
(A)Substantial changes in industrial license policy were made
(B)The Rupee was made convertible
(C)Procedural formalities for Foreign direct Investment were removed
(D)The government significantly reduced the taxes
(E)The Government launched a highly focused Foreign Trade Policy
Ans: (A) Substantial changes in industrial license policy were made

24.Who among the following is not a member of National Development Council?
(A)The Prime Minister of India
(B)The President of India
(C)The members of Planning Commission
(D)The Chief Minister of states
(E)All of above are members
Ans: (B) The President of India

25.Bhoodan Yojna which was a measure of gifting land by the rich landlords to the poor laborers was initiated by whom among the following?
(A)Acharya Narendra Dev
(B)Acharya Vinoba Bhave
(C)Raj Naraina
(D)Medha patkar
(E)Swami Sundaranand
Ans: (B) Acharya Vinoba Bhave

26.As per 2001 census, which among the following states had lowest density of population per sq. kms?
(A)Mizoram
(B)Sikkim
(C)Nagaland
(D)Manipur
(E)Arunachal Pradesh
Ans: (E) Arunachal Pradesh

27.In a condition of monopoly, the monopolist has a control over the price he charges for his product. In which of the following conditions he will be able to maximize his profits?
(A)Lowering the prices if the demand curve is elastic
(B)Lowering the price, if the demand curve is inelastic
(C)Raising the price, if the demand curve is elastic
(D)In all of above situation
(E)in none of the above situations
Ans: (A) Lowering the prices if the demand curve is elastic

28.A competitive firm maximizes its profit when _______?
(A)MR=AR
(B)MR=MC
(C)MC=AC
(D)MC=AR
(E)None of the above
Ans: (B) MR=MC

29.Rs. 10000 are realized after selling 100 units and Rs. 14000 are realized after selling 120 Units. In this example, Rs. 200 is ________?
(A)Price per unit
(B)marginal cost
(C)marginal profit
(D)marginal revenue
(E)maximum profit
Ans: (D) Marginal Revenue

30.Who among the following is India’s current Minister of State (Expenditure & Financial Services)?
(A)S S Palanimanickam
(B)Namo Narain Meena
(C)Dinsha J. Patel
(D)Jitin Prasada
(E)None of them
Ans: (B) Namo Narian Meena

31.What is the current limit for collateral free loansto micro and small enterprises (MSEs) sector in India?
(A)Rs. 5 Lakh
(B)Rs. 10 Lakh
(C)Rs. 15 Lakh
(D)Rs. 8 Lakh
(E)None of them
Ans: (A) Rs. 5 Lakh

32.As we read in the newspapers that Reserve bank of India is introducing Base rate System which shall be the new reference rate for determining lending rates for banks. The Base Rate System would bring in more transparency to loan pricing for customers. On which date is being introduced in India?
(A)April 1, 2010
(B)June 1, 2010
(C)July 1, 2010
(D)January 1, 2011
(E)April 1, 2011
Ans: (C) July 1, 2011

33.Recently RBI has released on its website, the report of the Committee on Comprehensive Regulation of Credit Rating Agencies. Who among the following is the chairman of this committee?
(A)Dr. K.P. Krishnan
(B)Subir Gokarn
(C)Ashok Chawla
(D)Shri Vipin Malik
(E)Dr A.Vasudevan
Ans: (A) Dr. K. P. Krishnan

34.”On-line Electric Vehicle,”(OELV) is world ‘ s first commercial wireless electric vehicle. It was launched on March 9, 2010 in which of the following countries?
(A)Japan
(B)United States
(C)South Korea
(D)China
(E)India
Ans: (C) South Korea

35.With traded over 161 million contracts in 2009 , MCX has in February 2010 became word’s ______largest commodity Exchange?
(A)Second
(B)Third
(C)Fourth
(D)Fifth
(E)Sixth
Ans: (E) Sixth

36.Recently we read in the newspapers that attorney generals of seven states of United States are investigating over the charges over world’s largest seed producer that it has abused its market power to lock out competitors and raise prices. Which of the following companies is this world’s largest seed producer?
(A)Asgrow
(B)McKenzie Seeds
(C)Burpee Seeds
(D)Monsanto
(E)Unwins Seeds
Ans: (D) Monsanto

37.Recently Bt varieties Bollgard-I and Bollgard-II were amid news as the reports in various news papers say that Bollgard-I has been phased out in many countries and Bolgard-II are preferred. These verities are of ________?
(A)Bt Cotton
(B)Bt Brinjal
(C)Bt Tomato
(D)Bt Potato
(E)None of them
Ans: (A) Bt Cotton

38.Which among the following is the largest importer of Indian marine products as we read in the newspapers that it has decided to adopt the 20 per cent sampling method on Indian marine Products, especially shrimp, from April 2010 which shall lead to difficulty in exports?
(A)China
(B)Japan
(C)United States
(D)European Union
(E)Australia
Ans: (D) European Union

39.Which among the following organizations holds the largest stake in India’s top depository, National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL)?
(A)National Stock Exchange
(B)IDBI Bank
(C)Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI)
(D)Bombay Stock Exchange
(E)None of them
Ans: (B) IDBI Bank

40.What is Amfis related to in India?
(A)Banking
(B)Mutual Funds
(C)Marketing & Finance
(D)Power Industry
(E)Information Technology
Ans: (B)Mutual Funds Association of Mutual Funds of India (Amfis)

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

 

 

UNO declared 1960-70 as the development decade. In 1961 UNO attempted to increase the income of developing countries with the growth rate of 5% p.a. during that development decade. In July 1960 a conference of developing countries was held at Cairo which resolved to convene a world conference for this purpose. Economic and Social Council of UNO organise a World Trade and Development Conference from March 31, 1964 to July 16, 1964. A worldwide International Trade Policy was determined in this conference. Various issues related to extension of international trade of developing countries were also discussed in that conference. The conference came to be known as UNCTAD-I.

Presently, UNCTAD has become a permanent organisation for promoting international trade with its head quarter at Geneva (Switzerland), Mr. Allec Irwin is its present Chairman. Generally, UNCTAD has its session after four years. IMF has got the permanent representation in all its bodies. This is reason why IMF includes all UNCTAD proposals in its policies. UNCTAD recommendations are only suggestions and no country can be compelled to accept them.

 

The details of various UNCTAD are as follows:

UNCTAD I	Cairo	Mar 31 - June 16, 1964
UNCTAD II	New Delhi	Feb - March 1968
UNCTAD III	Santiago (Chile)	April - May 1972
UNCTAD IV	Nairobi (Africa)	May 1976
UNCTAD V	Manila (Philippines)	May 7 - June 2, 1979
UNCTAD VI	Belgrade (Yugoslavia)	June 6 - July 3, 1983
UNCTAD VII	Geneva (Switzerland)	1987
UNCTAD VIII	Cartegina DE Indias (Columbia)	1992
UNCTAD IX	Midrand (Africa)	April 27 - May 11, 1996
UNCTAD X	Bangkok (Thailand)	Feb 12 - Feb 19, 2000
UNCTAD XI	Sao-Paulo (Brazil)	June 13 - June 18, 2004
UNCTAD XII	Accra (Ghana)	April 20 - April 25, 2008

Objectives of UNCTAD

1. To promote international trade specially with the view to accelerating the economic development of underdeveloped countries.
2. To determine policies and principles for international trade and economic development.
3. To propose the strategy for implementing pre-approved principles and policies.
4. To assist Economic and Social Council of the UNO.
5. To provide a suitable platform for trade dialogues.

Members of UNCTAD

Though UNCTAD is functioning as a permanent agency of the UNO, but its membership is fully optional. Any country may join or quit UNCTAD. 

The functioning of UNCTAD on democratic principles every member has only one voting right. For general disputes, simple majority among present members but two third majority is needed for important issues.

World Habitat Day-2011 to be Celebrated on 3rd October

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October each year as the World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of human settlements and the necessity of adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat.

For this year’s celebrations UN-HABITAT has chosen the theme “Cities and Climate Change” because climate change is fast becoming the preeminent development challenge of the 21st century. Indeed, no-one today can really foresee the predicament in which a town or city will find itself in 10, 20 or 30 years time. In this new urban era with most of humanity now living in towns and cities, one must bear in mind that the greatest impacts of disasters resulting from climate change begin and end in cities. Cities too have a great influence on climate change. This gives us a compelling set of opportunities because cities with their people, industries, seats of learning, culture and infrastructure can provide the best solutions when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving coping mechanisms and reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate disruption.

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation is organizing celebrations at National Bal Bhawan, New Delhi on 3rd October, 2011 to commemorate the Day.

Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture Kumari Selja would deliver the World Habitat Day Address on the occasion.

Secretaries in the States / UTs dealing with Housing and Human Settlement, Mayors / Municipal Commissioners and other Dignitaries will also be present during the celebrations.

Setting up of a new Central Procurement Agency

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for setting up of Central Procurement Agency (CPA) for Department of Health & Family Welfare ( DoHFW), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).

The Cabinet has also approved the following :

a) Creation of a fully autonomous CPA in DoHFW as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 for efficient procurement and distribution of health sector goods.

b) One-time budgetary support of Rs. 50 crore to enable establishment of CPA. Thereafter, CPA will charge service fee, which will be well within the overall ceiling of 5% of the value of procurement, to meet its subsequent operational expenses.

c) Creation of one post of the Chief Executive Officer for CPA of the rank of the Joint Secretary to Govt. of India.

The Cabinet`s approval would enable MoHFW to efficiently procure and properly distribute quality medicines, vaccines, contraceptives and medical equipment. to the State/Union Territory Governments and also eliminate shortages and wastages resulting in considerable savings to the Government.

Background:

DoHFW is procuring drugs, vaccines, contraceptives and medical equipment for its various disease control programmes departmentally and through Procurement Agents. However, certain deficiencies, such as, inadequate professional procurement expertise, absence of supply chain management system, manual collection of data and absence of any credible Management Information System (MIS) have been adversely affecting the procurement. Therefore, a professional, autonomous and efficient organization is being established to eliminate these deficiencies and streamline the procurement system.

Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on Green Economy and Inclusive Growth

The 2011 Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on ‘Green Economy and Inclusive Growth’ will begin New Delhi  from October 03. The Government of India and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD Secretariat are jointly hosting it. The Delhi Dialogue aims to support the preparations for Rio+20 by providing a platform for international deliberations on opportunities for a green economy to reinforce countries’ poverty eradication and social development agendas, including enhancing food security and energy security of the poor. It is expected that a shared vision on these issues would be the main outcome of this Dialogue.

The Delhi Dialogue is a step forward in preparations for the UNCSD, also known as Rio+20, scheduled to take place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims to provide a platform for international deliberations on the integration of green economy architecture and global challenges of poverty eradication, food security, and energy security. Eradicating poverty is an indispensible requirement for sustainable development. A major cause aggravating poverty is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production. The Delhi Dialogue will be an opportunity for high level government officials and UN agencies to explore in depth the linkages of a green economy for poverty eradication and broad-based, inclusive growth. Integrating green economy strategies and policies into poverty eradication, food security and energy security is an imperative for sustainable development. The issues to be addressed include sustainable management of sectors like agriculture, industry, energy and transport, urgent adoption of sustainable lifestyles and consumption patterns through reduction in per capita ecological footprint, appropriate population policies, equity concerns, poverty eradication and developmental imperatives.

Government officials and delegates from 54 countries and 12 UN agencies are expected to attend it. Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/C) and Shri Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, along with Mr Sha Zukang, Secretary General, UNCSD will address the delegates at the inaugural. It is also expected that Dr. Maurice Strong, Dr. Martin Khor, Executive Director, South Centre, Mr. Steven Stone, Dr. R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI, Dr. M S Swaminathan, Chairman, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Dr. Ashok Khosla, President, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dr. Kirit Parikh, former member, Planning Commission, and other international speakers will address the conference.

Setting up of six new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research

The Union Cabinet September 30 approved the establishment of six new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) at Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Hajipur, Guwahati and Rae Bareli at an estimated cost of Rs.633.15 crore.

This will facilitate the establishment of full fledged NIPER Campuses at these places for imparting higher PG level education as well as undertake R&D projects. This will help in meeting the requirement of highly skilled manpower of the pharmaceutical industry, and focus on R&D.

The Government set up NIPER, an Institute of National Importance at Mohali under NIPER Act, 1998. However, in view of the increased requirement of highly skilled manpower for the pharmaceutical industry, the Government, in principle, decided to set up six new NIPERs at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Hajipur, Guwahati and Rae Bareli. Accordingly, post graduate courses in pharmaceutical Sciences were commenced at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Hajipur from the academic session of 2007-08 with the help of Mentor Institutes. PG courses at Guwahati and Rae Bareli were started with the help of Mentor Institutes from 2008.

Establishment of Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA)

The Union Cabinet September 30 approved the proposal of Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Research and Education to accept the proposal of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) to establish an international institute, namely, Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) in India with centres at Ludhiana in Punjab, Pusa in Bihar and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

CIMMYT is authorised to establish BISA at three centres- one each at Punjab, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. BISA will be conferred an international status as contemplated in clause 3 of United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947. The Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) on behalf of Government of India will be authorised in all matters regarding establishment of the institute. DARE will be authorised to conclude the agreement/MOU between the Government of India in the DARE and CIMMYT.

The establishment of BISA in India will enable India to harness the best of international science, in meeting food security challenges. India would be able to rapidly and effectively absorb the research output of BISA thus benefiting farmers of the country. A major International R&D institution will make India even a bigger centre for agricultural research in the world and this, in turn, may attract further research & development investment in the country.

Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure September 30 approved the implementation of the project of four laning of Lucknow Sultanpur section from Km 11.500 to Km 134.700 (total 125.900 km) on National Highway-56 in Uttar Pradesh under NHDP Phase-IV A to be executed in BOT (Toll) mode on DBFOT basis. The total cost of the project will Rs.1092.60 crore inclusive of Rs.49.09 crore as approximate cost of land acquisition, relief and rehabilitation and pre-construction activities.

The main object of the project is to expedite the improvement of infrastructure in the State of Uttar Pradesh and also in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying between Lucknow and Sultanpur. The NH-56 is an important link connecting Lucknow, Sultanpur and other towns in eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It will also increase the employment potential for the local labourers.

The project will be covered in the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Raibareilly and Sultanpur.

Banks see huge fall in requests for demand drafts

The Demand Draft (DD), a popular financial instrument for transfer of funds or payment till recently, is losing its sheen.

Banks are seeing a significant dip in the requests for issue of DDs, thanks to use of electronic mode of transfer and net-banking facilities.“The issue of DDs in banks is showing a 50 per cent decrease of late.

The use of DDs were inevitable till three-four years ago for payment of fees for recruitment tests, academic exams and Government transactions.

“On an average, a bank branch used to issue 300-500 DDs a day earlier. Almost all major recruiters such as Public Service Commissions, banks and some academic institutions have now switched over to online payments making the DDs almost obsolete.

The expanded use of National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) also made DDs less popular.

“Many businessmen are using the electronic mode now as it is faster. There is no blocking of funds. Clearance of DDs may take up to 10 days in some cases,''

Then, there is also a cost factor. The RBI had advised banks to reduce commission on DDs as early as 2007 though commission/service charges continue to be on the ‘higher' side, according to experts.

As of now, commission for issue of DD up to Rs 10,000 is around Rs 50. For Rs 1 lakh it is upwards of Rs 400. Banks are not forthcoming to share exact numbers on the dip in overall revenue due to decreased demand for DDs.

Reserve Bank of India

 

 

It is the Central Bank of the country. The Reserve Bank of India was established in 1935 with a capital of Rs. 5 crore. This capital of Rs. 5 crore was divided into 5 lakh equity shares of 100 each. In the beginning the ownership of almost all the share capital was with the non-government share holders. In order to prevent the centralisation of equity shares in hand of a few people The Reserve Bank of India was nationalised on January 1, 1949.

The general administration and direction of RBI is managed by a Central Board of Directors consiting of 20 members which includes one Governor, four Deputy Governors, one Government Official appointed by the Union Government of India to give representation to important strata in economic life of the country besides four directors are nominated by the Union Government to represent local boards. Apart from the central board there are four local boards also and their head offices are situated in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi. Five members of local boards are appointed by the Union Government for a period of four years. The local boards work according to the instructions and orders given by Board of Directors, and from time to time they also tender useful advice on important matter. The office of RBI is in Mumbai. At present Dr. D. Subbarao is the Governor of Reserve Bank of India.

Functions of Reserve Bank of India

1. Issue of Notes - The Reserve Bank has the monopoly of note issue in the country it has the sole right to issue currency notes of various denominations except one rupees notes. The Reserve Bank act as a only source of legal tender money because the one rupee note issued by the Ministry of Finance are also circulated through it. The Reserve Bank has adopted the Minimum Reserve System for note issue. Since 1957, it maintains the gold and foreign reserve of Rs. 200 crore, of which at least Rs. 115 crore should be in gold.
2. Banker to the Government - The second important function of the Reserve Bank of India is to act as the banker, agent, and adviser to the Government. It performs all the banking functions of the State and the Central Government and it also tenders useful advice to the Government on matters related to economic and monetary policy. It also manages the public debt for the Government.
3. Bankers' Bank - The Reserve Bank performs the same function for the other banks ordinarily perform for their customers. It is not only banker to the commercial bank, but it is the lender of the last resort.
4. Controller of Credit - The Reserve Bank undertakes the responsibility of controlling credit created by the commercial banks. To achieve this objective it makes extensive use of quantitative and qualitative techniques to control and regulate the credit effectively in the country.
5. Custodian of Foreign Reserves - For the purpose of keeping the foreign exchange rates stable the Reserve Bank buy and sells the foreign currencies and also protect the country's foreign exchange funds.
6. Other Functions - The bank performs a number of other developmental works. These works include the function of clearing house arranging  credit for agriculture (which has been transferred to NABARD), collecting and publishing the economic data, buying and selling of Government Securities and Trade Bill, giving loans to the Government, buying and selling of valuable commodities etc. It also act as representative of Government in IMF and represents the membership of India.

Development of Indian Banking

 

 

In order to make the Reserve Bank of India more Powerful, the Government of India nationalised it on January 1, 1949. With a view to have the coordinated regulation of Indian banking. the Indian Banking Act was passed in 1949. According to this Act, the Reserve Bank of India was granted extended powers for the inspection of non-scheduled banks. For the development of the banking facilities in the rural areas the Imperial Bank of India was partially nationalised on July 1, 1955 and it was renamed as the State Bank of India. Along with it other 8 (at present 5) banks were converted as its associate banks which form what is named as the State Bank Group. They are as follows -

1.  The State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (in the beginning State Bank of Bikaner and State Bank of Jaipur were merged and named as the Stat Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur)
2. The State Bank of Hyderabad
3. The State Bank of Indore (merged with SBI)
4. The State Bank of Mysore
5. The State Bank of Saurashtra (merged with SBI)
6. The State Bank of Patiala
7. The State Bank of Travancore

In order to have more control over banks, 14 large commercial banks whose reserves were more than Rs. 50 crore each were nationalised on July 19, 1969. The nationalised banks are as follows -

1. The Central Bank of India
2. Bank of India
3. Punjab National Bank
4. Canara Bank
5. United Commercial Bank
6. Syndicate Bank
7. Bank of Baroda
8. United Bank of India
9. Union Bank of India
10. Dena Bank
11. Allahabad Bank
12. Indian Bank
13. Indian Overseas Bank
14. Bank of Maharashtra

After a decade, on April 15, 1980, those 6 private sector banks whose reserves were more than Rs. 200 crore each were nationalised. These banks are -

Andhra Bank

1. Punjab and Sindh Bank
2. New Bank of India
3. Vijaya Bank
4. Corporation Bank
5. Oriental Bank of Commerce 

On Septemeber 4, 1993 the Government merged the New Bank of India with Punjab National Bank and a result of this the total number of nationalised banks reduced from 20 to 19.

With the transition of the national economy to a higher growth trajectory, the provision of adequate and timely availability of bank credit to the productive sectors of the economy has acquired importance. As public sector banks still own about 71 percent of the assets of the banking system they continue to play an important role in responding to the change in economic environment. As the banking regulator and supervisor and as a monetary policy authority, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) continues to guide the banking system, including foreign, private sectors and public sector banks, to meet emerging economic challenges.

As certain rigidity and weaknesses were found to have developed banking system during the late eighties, the Government felt that the financial system to play its role in ushering in a more efficient and competitive economy. Accordingly, a high level committee under the Chairmanship of Shri M. Narasimham on the Financial System (CFS), was setup on August 14, 1991 to examine all aspects relating to the structure, organisation, functions and procedure of the financial systems. Based on the recommendations of the Committee a comprehensive reform of the banking system was introduced in 1992-93.

A high level committee under Chairmanship of Shri M. Narasimham was again constituted by the Government of India in December 1997 to review the record of implementation of financial reforms recommended by CFS in 1991 and chart the reforms necessary in the year ahead. The Committee submitted its report to the Government in April 1998.