Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

The Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSRLC) has been set up by the Union government to re-write and clean-up financial laws of India. It is headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna

India’s per capita income

India’s per capita income, often used to measure a country's standard of living, increased by 14.5 per cent during 2009-10 to Rs 46,492. The per capita income at factor cost is estimated as Rs 46,492 at current prices. As per the base year 2004-05, the per capita income in rural areas was Rs 16,327, while in the urban areas it stood at Rs 44,223.

Business transparency dominates CREDAI meet

Laser-like focus on “business transparency” dominated a conference of India's real estate leaders at Singapore on April 28. Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath commended them for addressing the “image deficit” in this critical sector.

Thematic documents on “Mission transparency,” prepared by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), were presented to the Minister at its 11th national convention. Receiving the “transparency” papers, Mr. Nath said they fully reflected the conference theme of “igniting change in Indian realty”.

The papers were formally handed over after CREDAI Chairman Pradeep Jain emphasised the need for proactive policies by the Indian authorities to support the growth of the real estate sector. CREDAI President Lalit Kumar Jain also drew attention to the current “policy vacuum” and its impact on the business practices in the real estate sector. The solution, in Mr. Jain's view, was to facilitate single-window clearances.

Highlighting how important these documents were for the industry, CREDAI Secretary T. Chitty Babu, who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Akshaya Homes, said: “CREDAI's Mission Transparency will bring in a revolutionary change in the Indian real estate business. This will lead to ethical business practices by which the supply of homes could be increased through the single-window approvals. Ethical practices will also reduce costs”.

Commenting on the importance of such economic imperatives, Mr. Nath, in his inaugural address, pointed out that India had emerged in recent years as “the largest aspirational society on this planet”. The Government would, therefore, have to look at public-private partnership and other new models of economic growth.

While the micro-level transaction costs in India's real estate sector should be addressed, it was commendable that CREDAI was now engaging itself in some “inward thinking”. The “image deficit” in this sector was sought to be set right by “steps which are not imposed upon you [CREDAI],” said Mr. Nath.

India at present accounted for 3.3 per cent of the global market share in the realty domain. Viewed differently, India today constituted the ninth largest construction market in the world. In the related big picture, India's current challenges were those of sustaining and managing overall economic growth. Within this framework, sub-urbanisation, as distinct from urbanisation, had also emerged as a new challenge in recent years, said Mr. Nath.

Availability of Fertilizers for Kharif 2011-12 and Revision in the NBS for 2011-12

The Union Cabinet today accorded approval for the proposals for revision in the benchmark prices for Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) 2011-12, w.e.f 1st April, 2011 for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers.

This will enable the manufacturers and importers to import fertilizers and fertilizer inputs and undertake domestic production and make fertilizers available to the farmers in 2011-12. The farmers in the country will be able to buy fertilizers at subsidized rates at Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs).

Budgetary provision for P&K fertilizers for 2011-12 is Rs.33,500 crore. However, the total subsidy outgo for P&K fertilizers for 2011-12 will depend on the overall sale of fertilizers in 2011-12.

Background :

The Department of Fertilizers announced NBS for 2011-12 w.e.f 1sf April 2011 in March 2011 to enable the importers and manufacturers of fertilizers to enter into supply contracts and make fertilizers available to the farmers in the country in 2011-12. However, given the prevailing international situation of tight availability of fertilizers and their spiraling prices in the international market, fertilizer companies reported their inability to finalize supply contract at the prices benchmarked for NBS 2011-12. The matter was examined by an Inter-Ministerial Committee, which recommended a revision in the benchmark prices for NBS 2011-12 to enable availability of fertilizers. Accordingly, the Department of Fertilizers submitted a Note containing proposal for revision in the benchmark prices for NBS 2011-12, w.e.f. 1st April 2011 for approval of the Government.

Revised Cost Estimate and implementation schedule for National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the revised cost estimate of Rs.2288.06 crore for the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP) in place of the original approved cost estimate of Rs.1718 crore.  The budget escalation of Rs.570.96 crore, includes Rs.427.29 crore by way of grant and Rs.142.77 crore as loan as a part of the revised cost estimate of Rs.2288.06 crore.  The revised cost estimate of Rs.2288 crore includes the additional loan component of Rs.95.51 crore to be provided to offset the lower recovery of the user charges from Rs.118 crore (originally envisaged) to Rs.22.49 crore during the project period.

          The CCEA has revised the completion date as 31^st December, 2012 from the earlier approved completion date of 30^th September, 2011.

         The CCEA further approved the following:

a.      The additional loan sanctioned to the project will be interest free, with moratorium of seven years and to be repaid in eight annual installments thereafter.

b.      Reallocation of Rs.510 crore, originally under Grant from Auto Cess to Grant from Plan fund, without any additional financial implications.

c.         The Governing Council, NATRIP Implementation Society / GB National Automotive Board (proposed) will prioritize the allocation, centre wise, during 2011-12 and 2012-13 taking into account the availability of budgetary provision and the pace of ongoing works and also decide 'the allocation of user charges, as also the apportionment of loan to the various centers. Further, Vehicle Research & Development Establishment’s (VRDE) portion of the user charges may be offset against VRDE's share of loan repayment.

          The completion of project will ensure that full bouquet of automotive testing and R&D facilities are available for introduction of higher emission and safety norms by 2015.  This will contribute to lowering of vehicular emissions and improve vehicle safety.  The Project will also lead to manifold increase in the growth of the automotive sector and its contribution to national economy.

Background:

NATRIP, the flagship project of Department of Heavy Industry (DHI), was approved by the CCEA in July, 2005, with a total investment of Rs.1718 Cr, for up-gradation of three existing automotive testing and R&D centers viz. (VRDE) at Ahmednagar, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) at Pune and International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) at Manesar and for setting up of four greenfield centers at Chennai, Indore, Silchar and Rae Bareilly for automotive testing, homologation and R&D. Once completed these centres would house 'state of the art' facilities and enable ushering in latest automobile regulations; both for safety and emissions. The project faced initial hurdles, mainly on account of delays in acquisition of land at various sites, delays in clearances, shifting of utilities etc. These factors have necessitated revision in the scheduled completion dates and cost escalation. Most of these hurdles have now been resolved and the project is expected to be completed by December 2012.

World Bank Assistance to National Ganga River Basin Authority for abatement of pollution of River Ganga

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Project for cleaning of River Ganga to be implemented by the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) at an estimated cost of Rs. 7000 crore. The share of Government of India will be Rs 5100 crore and that of the State Governments of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal will be Rs 1900 crore. The World Bank has agreed in-principle to provide a loan assistance of US $ 1 billion (approx. Rs 4600 crore) to the Government of India for the NGRBA project, which will form part of the central share of the project. The duration of the project will be eight years.

NGRBA was constituted in February, 2009 as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga River under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The objective of the Authority, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, is to ensure conservation of the river Ganga and to maintain environmental flows by comprehensive planning and management, adopting a river basin approach.

The project is envisaged as the first phase in a long-term programme of World Bank support to NGRBA. The project will support NGRBA's objective of Mission Clean Ganga. The project has been designed keeping in view the lessons learnt from the previous Ganga Action Plan and International River clean-ups. The project will have three components relating to (a) institutional development for setting up dedicated institutions for implementing the NGRBA program, setting up Ganga Knowledge Centre, strengthening environmental regulators (Pollution Control Boards) and local institutions (ULBs, etc) (b) infrastructure investments including for municipal sewage, industrial pollution, solid wastes and river front management, and (c) project implementation support.

Revised cost estimates of National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the revised cost estimates from Rs.244.60 crore to Rs.479.91 crore with a foreign exchange component of US $ 8.1 million for setting up of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) at Kundli, Haryana.

NIFTEM will be a global centre of excellence integrating all facets of food science, technology, entrepreneurship, research and management and will be recognized as the focal point for catalyzing the growth of the food processing industries in India in the global context. The Institute will cater to the needs of various stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, industry, exporters, policy makers, the government and existing institutions. It will develop world-class managerial talent and entrepreneurship with advanced know-how in food science and technology, increase the importance of food hygiene and safety standards, facilitate business incubation services, collect and disseminate information on national and international market trends for food products.

Bharat Nirman: Rural drinking water

Backgrounder

Ensuring the availability of potable drinking water in rural areas has been a major challenge. Keeping this in mind Rural drinking water has been one of the six components of Bharat Nirman, a major initiative by the Government of India to build rural infrastructure since  2005. Phase I of  Bharat Nirman was implemented in the period 2005-06 to 2008-09 while the Phase II is being implemented from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Status of Rural Drinking Water :

During Bharat Nirman Phase – I period, 55,067 un-covered and about 3.31 lakh slipped-back habitations were to be covered with provisions of drinking water facilities.Water quality problems in 2.17 lakh quality-affected habitations was to be addressed. While prioritizing the water quality problem, arsenic and fluoride affected habitations have been accorded priority followed by iron, salinity, nitrate and other contaminants.

Measures undertaken:

In order to ensure that habitations once provided with drinking water supply infrastructure do not slip back and face drinking water problem, sustainability of drinking water sources and systems has been accorded high priority. To achieve drinking water security at village/ habitation level, conjunctive use of water i.e. judicious use of rainwater, surface water and ground water is promoted. In order to enable the rural community to shoulder responsibility in management, operation and maintenance of water supply systems at village level, decentralized, demand-driven, community-managed approach has been adopted. To further strengthen community participation in the drinking water sector the National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance program was launched in February, 2006 under which 5 persons in each Gram Panchayat are to be trained to carry out regular surveillance of drinking water sources for which 100% financial assistance including water testing kits, are provided.

Physical Progress:

i) Uncovered habitations:

Against 55,067 un-covered habitations to be covered during the Bharat Nirman period, 54,440 habitations have been covered during Phase-I. During 2009-10, 377 habitations out of the 586 targetted habitations were covered . In 2010-11, 183 habitations have been reported as covered upto 31.12.2010 against the target of 376 habitations. The strategy adopted under the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) is to cover all uncovered habitations to ensure that the rural population gets at least 40 lpcd (and additional 30 lpcd for cattle in DDP areas) of potable water from sources lying within the village or nearby.

ii) Quality-affected habitations:

More than 85% of the sources in rural drinking water supply schemes are ground-water based. Under the NRDWP, chemical contaminants which are sought to be tackled are excess arsenic, fluoride, iron, salinity and nitrate. Except for nitrate, all others occur naturally. Nitrate occurs in drinking water due to leaching of chemical fertilizers and sewerage. The strategy of the Department is to prioritize addressing the problems of arsenic and fluoride in drinking water through alternative surface water sources. The treatment technologies that are available for removal of excess arsenic and fluoride are still not foolproof in respect of reject management and operation & maintenance issues. Though a target of 2.17 lakh quality affected habitations was identified at the beginning of Bharat Nirman, the States submitted an action plan for covering only 1,95,813 such habitations.

Arsenic & Fluoride :

As on 1.04.2006, there were 7,067 habitations reported to be afflicted with arsenic and 29,070 habitations with fluoride contamination. Priority has been given to address the problems in these habitations. However, that due to expansion of testing, more areas are getting identified as having problems of quality.

Iron :

At the beginning of Bharat Nirman period there were 1,04,437 rural habitations affected with excess iron in drinking water sources. The focus is to tackle excess iron problem through aeration based technology or low-cost terra-cotta based filtration technique. States such as Karnataka and Orissa have already taken up the challenge of tackling this contamination through low-cost terracotta based filtration technology.

Salinity :

In respect of salinity, 12,425 habitations were having a problem at the beginning of Bharat Nirman period. Although there are a number of technologies like distillation, ion-exchange, reversible osmosis , electro-dialysis etc., these being expensive solutions the focus of the Department is to tackle this problem through dilution of groundwater through artificial recharge of groundwater.

Nitrate :

The strategy adopted to tackle excess nitrate in the drinking water is by improving the sanitary conditions. At the beginning of Bharat Nirman period, 19,387 habitations were afflicted with excess nitrate. As reported by the States, 3,10,698 quality affected habitations were addressed by sanctioned projects and of these 50,168 habitations have been fully covered with completed projects to provide safe water supply during Phase-I.

Status of Quality Affected Habitations : 

As on 1.4.2009 at the beginning of Bharat Nirman phase-II states reported that 1,79,999 quality affected habitations were remaining to be covered.  Of these during 2009-10,32,734 and during 2010-11 upto 31.12.2010, 10,783 habitations have been reported as covered. Thus, in all during Bharat Nirman phase-I and II, 93,685 quality affected habitations have been fully covered with completed schemes. The goal of the Department is to cover all remaining water quality affected habitations with safe drinking water by the end of Phase-II (2009-12).

Financial Progress:

For the rural water supply, component of Bharat Nirman, it was envisaged that Rs.25,300 crores would be required as Central share during 4 years. Accordingly in 2005-06, Rs. 4,098 crores and in 2006-07 Rs. 4,560 crores were utilized. In the 11thPlan period, in 2007-08 , Rs.6,442.76 crores, in 2008-09 ,Rs. 7,298.79 crores and in 2009-10 , Rs. 7,989.72 crores have been utilized. Out of the total budget of Rs 9000 crore for rural drinking water in 2010-11 , amount worth Rs 6692.92 crore was utilized upto 31.12.2010.

It is expected that with the focus on reaching out to households, involvement of community and adopting technologies that are people friendly the objective of ensuring access to potable drinking water in rural areas under the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) can be achieved.  

Government's Programme & Policies

(1) Prerna:- The ‘janasankhya sthirata kosh (national population stabilization fund) has to promote & under take activities aimed at achieving population stabilization at a level consistent with the needs of sustainable economic growth. Social development and environment protection by 2070
Prerna is responsible for parenthood strategy. It is monetary incentive strategy aimed at pushing up the age of marriage of girls and delay the birth of the first child.
(2) National Rural Health Mission:-Launched in April 2005 the mission seeks to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care which is accountable and at the same time responsible to the needs of the people.

• It also aims to achieve the goals set out under the national policy and the millennium development goals during the mission period.

(3) Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna:-Launched by ministry of labour & employment, govt of India to provide health insurance coverage for BPL families.

• Beneficiaries are entitled to hospitalization coverage up to Rs 30,000 for most of the disease that require hospitalization.

(4) National Food Security Mission:-Sponsored scheme launched in august 2007.

• Objective is to increased production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses.

(5) 15 Point Programme:-In Oct 2009 govt decided to include 3 more schemes in the Prime minister’s new 15 point programme for the welfare of minorities.
Those are: -

• National rural drinking water programme.
• Urban infrastructure developed scheme for small and medium town.
• Urban infrastructure and governance scheme.

(6) Bharat Nirman Yojna:- It is a time bound business plan for action in rural infrastructure .Under Bharat nirman , action was proposed in the areas of:-

• Irrigation.
• Rural housing.
• Rural water supply.
• Rural electrification.
• Rural telecommunication connectivity.

(7) National Mission On Education:-It is a mission in which education is provide through information and communication technology. “SAKSHAT” one stop education portal was launched on Oct 30, 2006 by the president of India.

• Head of National knowledge commission:- Sam Pitroda.

(8) Right To Education Act 2009:- Article 21-(A), as inserted by the constitution (86th Amendment Act) 2002, provides for free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years as a fundamental rights. Consequently the parliament has enacted this in April 2009.
Salient features:-
(a) Free and compulsory education 6 to 14 age group.
(b) Will apply to all India except J&K.
(c) Provide for 25% reservation for economically disadvantaged communities in admission in private school.
(d) A child who completes elementary education (up to class 8) shall be awarded a certificate.
(9) Female Literacy:- It is a scheme to provide education & related facilities to ST Students launched by ministry of tribal affairs in December 11, 2009.
(10) Anil Kakodkar Committee on reforms in IITS:- it will suggest reforms to make these elite institutions a global brand.
(11) Yashpal Committee Report:- It was set up in 2008 for higher education and research.

• It has suggested the scrapping of all higher education regulatory /monitoring bodies and creation of a super regulation.
• It also recommended that the deemed university status be abandoned and that all deserving universities be either converted into full fledged universities or scrapped.

(12) National Rural Livelihood Mission:- Ministry of rural development and panchyati raj proposed to restructure the existing swarnjayanti gram swarojgar yojana into rural livelihood mission to have a focused approach to rural poverty eradication in a time bound manner.

• Objective is to reduce poverty among rural BPL by promoting diversified and gainful self employment and wage employment opportunities which would lead to an appreciable increase in sustainable basis.

(13) NREGA Renamed After Mahatma Gandhi:- On Oct 2, 2009 Government has changed the name of National Rural Employment guarantee Act to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment guarantee Act.
(14) Chandra Sheker Panel:- on the recomandation of a committee headed by cabinet secretary K.M Chander shaker. Centre had increased the pension for retired service man.
(15) Rajiv Awas Yojna:- Ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation had launched the housing project called the Rajiv awas yojna for slum dwellers and the urban poor.

• Aimed at making India slum free in the next five years.

UNION BANK OF INDIA PROBATIONARY OFFICERS EXAM SOLVED PAPER

GENERAL AWARENESS
(EXAM HELD ON 09-01-2011)

1. A hockey player is supposed to know the meaning of the term?
(A) Dead Ball
(B) Bouncer
(C) LBW
(D) Penalty Corner
(E) Frozen Ball
ANS: D
2. Which one of the following have provided bailout package to Ireland to deal with its debt crisis?
(A) EU only
(B) IMP only
(C) World Bank only
(D) Only (A) and (B) above
(E) All (A), (B) and (C) above
ANS: D
3. Which one of the following Indian Company is the only company from India to be included in the Top Ten 2010 Value creators Global Ranking released by global management consulting firm BCG?
(A) RIL
(B) Tata Steel
(C) Bharti Airtel
(D) JSPL
(E) Bajaj Auto
ANS: D
4: Which one of the following has launched guidebook on standards for exporters?
(A) RBI
(B) SEBI
(C) IBA
(D) UNIDO
(E)UNESCO
ANS: D
5. BIPA with Sudan comes into effect was the news in various newspaper recently. It is an agreement for?
(A) Investment in a country
(B) Peaceful use of atomic power
(C) Allowing students to visit each others nation
(D) Allowing people to come for medical treatment
(E)
ANS: A
To form an alliance with each other in case of a war
6. In which one of the following sports Sandhya Rani Devi bagged
Silver in Asiad 2010, Games?
(A) Shooting
(B) Squash
(C) Taekwondo
(D) Ten-pin bowling
(E) Wushu
ANS: E
7. Which of the’ following terms is normally not seen in the field of
International Relations?
(A) Exchange Rate
(B) Free Trade
(C) MFN
(D) Alluvial Soil
(E) OECD
ANS: D
8. According to mid term review of Indian economy, which one of the following segments will be the major contributor to GDP growth?
(A) Agriculture
(B) Industry
(C) Services
(D) Mining
(E) None of these
ANS: C
9. Which of the following films directed by Aamir Khan was sent for OSCARs Award nominations from India?
(A) Rang De Basanti
(B) Peepli Live
(C) Tare Zamin Par
(D) Lagan
(E) None of these
ANS: B
10. In which one of the following states, population growth rate is lower than national average?
(A) Dethi
(B) Gujarat
(C) Chhattisgarh
(D) Himachal Pradesh
(E) Orissa
ANS: E
11.In broad gauge, the distance between the rails is
(A) 1.00 metre
(B) 3 metre
(C) 1.67 metre
(D) 2.67 metre
(E) 0.76 metre
ANS: C
12. Who is Indra Nooyi?
(A) CEO Coca Cola
(B) CEO PepsiCo.
(C) Managing Director Nano Division
(D) India’s permanent representative to UNO
(E) None of these
ANS: B
13. ET Now and CNBC TV18, TV Channels essentially broadcast
(A) English News
(B) Classic English Movies
(C) Political Events and News
(D) Business and Economic News
(E) All important national and international news in English
ANS: D
14. Amongst the following sports men/women, who has won the first gold medal at Guangzhou Asian Games?
(A) Yuan Xiachao
(B) Wang Migluen
(C) Zhu Oianward
(D) Takeshi Matsuda
(E) Wu Jingbiao
ANS: A
15. With which one of the following fields was Satyajit Ray associated?
(A)Films
(B) Sports
(C) Social Work
(D). Drama
(E)Short Stories
ANS: A
16. ‘Daniel Vettroi’ is captain of which one of the following teams?
(A) New Zealand Cricket Team
(B)South Africa Cricket Team
(C)New Zealand Basket Ball Team
(D) West Indies Cricket Team
(E) Australia Cricket Team
ANS: A
17. Who amongst the following carried Indian Tricolour at
Guangzhou Asian Games?
(A) Sania Mirza
(B) Saina Nehwal
(C) Gagan Narang
(D) Suranjay Singh
(E) Randhir Singh
ANS: C
18. Financial ratio analysis of a company helps in understanding—
1. The long term debt raising capacity
2. The short term solvency
3. The reasons for fluctuation in its stock prices
4. The net worth of the company
5.The profitability
(A) 1,2,3,4
(B) 2,3,4
(C)3,4,5
(D) 3,1,2,4
(E) 1,2,4,5
ANS: E
19. Human breath is visible in winter but not in summer because—
(A) The difference in outside pressure gives visibility to breath
(B) Breath contains certain impurities and visible matters
(C) Water vapour in breath condenses in cold air, making it visible
(D) Breath has heat in it which evaporates in cold air giving visibility
(E) None of these
ANS: D
20. Which of the following is/are not the names of Seven North
Eastern States?
1. Jorhat
2. Manipur
3. Meghalaya
4. Agartala
5. Dimapur
(A) 1,2,3
(B) 2,3,4
(C) 3, 4, 1
(D) 1, 4, 2
(E) 1,4,5
ANS: E
21. According to a recent newspaper survey, which one of the following is the most preferred language for leisure reading among the Indian Youth?
(A) Hindi
(B) Marathi
(C) Bengali
(D) Telugu
(E) English
ANS: E
22. Who was Dr. C. Rangarajan?
(A) Chairman, PMEAC
(B) Member, Planning Commission
(C) Chief Economist, IBA
(D) RBI Governor
(E) Member, Minority Commission
ANS: D
23. Which of the following is an oilseed?
(A) Garlic
(B) Clove
(C) Cardamom
(D) Cumin Seed
(E) Mustard
ANS: E
24. The RBI reviews its credit and monetary policy at regular intervals and also in between. What is the purpose of the same?
1. To ensure that inflation does not cross the limit
2. To ensure that banks have enough liquidity
3. To ensure that cost of the fund does not reach a very high level
(A) Only 1
(B) Only2
(C) All1,2 and 3
(D) Only 2 and 3
(E) None of these
ANS: C
25. The name of the white revolution is associated with?
(A) J. V. Narlikar
(B) J.C.Bose
(C) Kurien Verghese
(D) M. S. Swaminathan
(E) C. Rangarajan
ANS: C
26. The cabinet committee recently approved the ‘IGMSY’ a scheme for the welfare of the people of India. Who amongst the following will get the benefit of the scheme?
(A) Mothers and pregnant women
(B) Children upto 12 years of age
(C) Youth
(D) Old and Senior Citizens
(E) All the above
ANS: A
27. The Govt. of India provides direct financial support to which of the following schemes?
(A) Jeevan Bharati Scheme
(B) ULIP
(C) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(D) Packing Credit Guarantee Scheme
(E) All of the above
ANS: C
28. Who amongst the following is a famous Urdu author/poet who received Jnanpith Award recently?
(A)Akhlaq Khan Shabryar
(B)ONV Kurup
(C) Khushwant Singh
(D) Krishna Sobti
(E)None of these
ANS: A
29. Who amongst the following is the author of the Book ‘A Bend in the River’?
(A) V. S. Naipaul
(B) Arun Shourie
(C) Octavia Paz
(D) Daniel Defoe
(E) Walter Scott
ANS: A
30. Which of the following is called
the pink city of India?
(A) Kolkata
(B) Lucknow
(C) Kota
(D) Hyderabad
(E) Jaipur
ANS: E
31. Which of the following states got a new Chief Minister without
new assembly elections?
(A) Goa
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Jharkhand
(D) Gujarat
(E) Delhi
ANS: C
32. A two days National level conference /event was organised in
Chandigarh in September 2010.
Which was the conference /event?
(A) Miss India 2010
(B) Asian Women Hockey Finals 2010
(C) Conference of the Finance Ministers of SAARC
(D) National Rabi Conference
(E) None of these
ANS: E
33. Which of the following Summits took place in Hanoi in October
2010?
(A) ASEAN Summit
(B) SAARC Summit
(C) G-20 Summit
(D) G-8 Summit
(E) None of these
ANS: A
34. The Reserve Bank does not have an office in?
(A) Kanpur
(B) Jaipur
(C) Lucknow
(D) Bhopal
(E) Gulbarga
ANS: E
35. A Badminton player is supposed to know the meaning of the term
(A) Bouncer
(B) Love
(C) LBW
(D) Punch
(E) Booster
ANS: B
36. Who amongst the following is the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2010?
(A) Ishant Sharma
(B) Hariom Singh
(C) M.S.Dhoni
(D) Sushil Kumar
(E) Saina Nehwal
ANS: E
37. India extended a credit of US $ 250 million to which of the following countries, which will be used for infrastructural development there?
(A)China
(B) Pakistan
(C) Myanmar
(D) Nepal
(E)Sudan
ANS: D
38. Which one of the following makes a case for intensive, modem farming?
(A) Higher output using organic method
(B) Remunerative price
(C) Cropping pattern
(D) Land acquisition for non agricultural needs
(E) None of these
ANS: C
39. In which one of the following States multi-thousand-food grain scam has recently been noticed by the High Court?
(A)M. P.
(B) Orissa
(C)Bihar
(D) Jharkhand
(E)U.P.
ANS: C
40. Which one of the following is the objective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issued by the Government?
(A), To ensure that Companies take steps for rehabilitation of project affected people
(B) To ensure that Companies use some of their profits for educating the project affected people
(C) To ensure that Companies provide health care to project affected people
(D) To ensure that Companies take preventive measures to avoid environmental damage
(E) None of these
ANS: A
41. The eleventh ‘five year plan’ of India is for the five years ranging
from?
(A) 2009—2014
(B) 2008—2013
(C) 2007—2012
(D) 2006—2011
(E) None of these
ANS: C
42. DSCR indicates the ability of a company to
(A) Meet its current liabilities
(B) Service its shareholders
(C) Meet its long term debt obligations
(D) Raise further capital
(E) None of these
ANS: C
43. An IPO is—
(A) Initial price offered by a private limited company to its shareholders
(B) An offer by an unlisted company for sale of its shares for the first time to the public
(C) Used to increase the share capital of an unlisted company
(D) A book building process
(E) None of these
ANS: B
44. A decreasing current ratio indicates
(A) A stable liquidity
(B) An increasing liquidity
(C) A strained liquidity
(D) Satisfactory current solvency
(E) None of these
ANS: E
45. Private equity investors, invest in a company based mainly on
(A) The age of the company
(B) The location of the company
(C) The activity undertaken by the company
(D) The creditability and the valuation of the company
(E) The existing profitability of the company
ANS: E
46. The synagogue is generally
(A) An epic
(B) A religion
(C) Jewish House of Prayer
(D) The Parsi temple
(E) A palace
ANS: C
47.Deuce is a term used in
(a) Polo
(b) Lawn tennis
(c) Badminton
(d) Boxing
(e) Volley ball
(A) a,b,c
(B) b, c, d
(C) c,d,a
(D) a,b,e
(E) b,c,e
ANS: E
48. ISI is the intelligence agency of
(A) United Kingdom
(B) United States of America
(C) Israel
(D) Pakistan
(E) India
ANS: D
49. Air Traffic Controller’s job involves—
1. Control of air traffic in and within vicinity of airport
2. Control of movement of air traffic between altitude, sectors and control centres
3. Following established procedures and policies for air traffic control
4. Control of commercial air line flights according to government regulations
5. To authorize and regulate
commercial airline flights
(A) 1,2
(B)2,3
(C) 1, 2, 3, 4
(D) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
(E) 3,4,5
ANS: A
50. Animal assisted therapy is employed in?
(A) Operations
(B) ICU
(C) Old age homes
(D) Training animals
(E) Natural healing
ANS: D

Union Bank of India Probationary Officers Exam 2010 Solved Paper

General Awareness 

(Exam Held on 9-1-2011) 

1. The eleventh ‘five year plan’ of India is for the five years ranging from—
(A) 2009–2014
(B) 2008–2013
(C) 2007–2012
(D) 2006–2011
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

2. DSCR indicates the ability of a company to—
(A) Meet its current liabilities
(B) Service its shareholders
(C) Meet its long term debt obligations
(D) Raise further capital
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

3. An IPO is—
(A) Initial price offered by a private limited company to its shareholders
(B) An offer by an unlisted company for sale of its shares for the first time to the public
(C) Used to increase the share capital of an unlisted company
(D) A book building process
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

4. A decreasing current ratio indicates—
(A) A stable liquidity
(B) An increasing liquidity
(C) A strained liquidity
(D) Satisfactory current solvency
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

5. Private equity investors, invest in a company based mainly on—
(A) The age of the company
(B) The location of the company
(C) The activity undertaken by the company
(D) The creditability and the valuation of the company
(E) The existing profitability of the company
Ans : (E)


6. The synagogue is generally—
(A) An epic
(B) A religion
(C) Jewish House of Prayer
(D) The Parsi temple
(E) A palace
Ans : (C)

7. Deuce is a team used in—
(a) Polo
(b) Lawn tennis
(c) Badminton
(d) Boxing
(e) Volley ball
(A) a, b, c
(B) b, c, d
(C) c, d, a
(D) a, b, e
(E) b, c, e
Ans : (E)

8. ISI is the intelligence agency of—
(A) United Kingdom
(B) United States of America
(C) Israel
(D) Pakistan
(E) India
Ans : (D)

9. Air Traffic Controller's job involves—
1. Control of air traffic in and within vicinity of airport
2. Control of movement of air traffic between altitude, sectors and control centres
3. Following established procedures and policies for air traffic control
4. Control of commercial airline flights according to government regulations
5. To authorize and regulate commercial airline flights
(A) 1, 2
(B) 2, 3
(C) 1, 2, 3, 4
(D) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
(E) 3, 4, 5
Ans : (A)

10. Animal assisted therapy is employed in—
(A) Operations
(B) ICU
(C) Old age homes
(D) Training animals
(E) Natural healing
Ans : (D)

11. In broad gauge, the distance between the rails is—
(A) 1•00 metre
(B) 3 metre
(C) 1•67 metre
(D) 2•67 metre
(E) 0•76 metre
Ans : (C)

12. Who is Indra Nooyi ?
(A) CEO Coca Cola
(B) CFO PepsiCo.
(C) Managing Director Nano Division
(D) India's permanent representative to UNO
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

13. ET Now and CNBC TV18, TV Channels essentially broadcast—
(A) English News
(B) Classic English Movies
(C) Political Events and News
(D) Business and Economic News
(E) All important national and international news in English
Ans : (D)

14. Amongst the following sportsmen/women, who has won the first gold medal at Guangzhou Asian Games ?
(A) Yuan Xiachao
(B) Wang Migluen
(C) Zhu Oianward
(D) Takeshi Matsuda
(E) Wu Jingbiao
Ans : (A)

15. With which one of the following fields was Satyajit Ray associated ?
(A) Films
(B) Sports
(C) Social Work
(D) Drama
(E) Short Stories
Ans : (A)

16. ‘Daniel Vettroi’ is captain of which one of the following teams ?
(A) New Zealand Cricket Team
(B) South Africa Cricket Team
(C) New Zealand Basket Ball Team
(D) West Indies Cricket Team
(E) Australia Cricket Team
Ans : (A)

17. Who amongst the following carried Indian Tricolour at Guangzhou Asian Games ?
(A) Sania Mirza
(B) Saina Nehwal
(C) Gagan Narang
(D) Suranjay Singh
(E) Randhir Singh
Ans : (C)

18. Financial ratio analysis of a company helps in understanding—
1. The long term debt raising capacity
2. The short term solvency
3. The reasons for fluctuation in its stock prices
4. The net worth of the company
5. The profitability
(A) 1, 2, 3, 4
(B) 2, 3, 4
(C) 3, 4, 5
(D) 3, 1, 2, 4
(E) 1, 2, 4, 5
Ans : (E)

19. Human breath is visible in winter but not in summer because—
(A) The difference in outside pressure gives visibility to breath
(B) Breath contains certain impurities and visible matters
(C) Water vapour in breath condenses in cold air, making it visible
(D) Breath has heat in it which evaporates in cold air giving visibility
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

20. Which of the following is/are not the names of Seven North-Eastern States ?
1. Jorhat
2. Manipur
3. Meghalaya
4. Agartala
5. Dimapur
(A) 1, 2, 3
(B) 2, 3, 4
(C) 3, 4, 1
(D) 1, 4, 2
(E) 1, 4, 5
Ans : (E)

21. According to a recent newspaper survey, which one of the following is the most preferred language for leisure reading among the Indian Youth ?
(A) Hindi
(B) Marathi
(C) Bengali
(D) Telugu
(E) English
Ans : (E)

22. Who was Dr. C. Rangarajan ?
(A) Chairman, PMEAC
(B) Member, Planning Commission
(C) Chief Economist, IBA
(D) RBI Governor
(E) Member, Minority Commission
Ans : (D)

23. Which of the following is an oilseed ?
(A) Garlic
(B) Clove
(C) Cardamom
(D) Cumin Seed
(E) Mustard
Ans : (E)

24. The RBI reviews its credit and monetary policy at regular intervals and also in between. What is the purpose of the same ?
1. To ensure that inflation does not cross the limit
2. To ensure that banks have enough liquidity
3. To ensure that cost of the fund does not reach a very high level
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) All 1, 2 and 3
(D) Only 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

25. The name of the white revolution is associated with—
(A) J. V. Narlikar
(B) J. C. Bose
(C) Kurien Verghese
(D) M. S. Swaminathan
(E) C. Rangarajan
Ans : (C)

26. The cabinet committee recently approved the ‘IGMSY’ a scheme for the welfare of the people of India. Who amongst the following will get the benefit of the scheme ?
(A) Mothers and pregnant women
(B) Children upto 12 years of age
(C) Youth
(D) Old and Senior Citizens
(E) All the above
Ans : (A)

27. The Govt. of India provides direct financial support to which of the following schemes ?
(A) Jeevan Bharati Scheme
(B) ULIP
(C) Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(D) Packing Credit Guarantee Scheme
(E) All of the above
Ans : (C)

28. Who amongst the following is a famous Urdu author/poet who received Jnanpith Award recently ?
(A) Akhlaq Khan Shahryar
(B) ONV Kurup
(C) Khushwant Singh
(D) Krishna Sobti
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

29. Who amongst the following is the author of the Book ‘A Bend in the River’ ?
(A) V. S. Naipaul
(B) Arun Shourie
(C) Octavia Paz
(D) Daniel Defoe
(E) Walter Scott
Ans : (A)

30. Which of the following is called the pink city of India ?
(A) Kolkata
(B) Lucknow
(C) Kota
(D) Hyderabad
(E) Jaipur
Ans : (E)

31. Which of the following states got a new Chief Minister without new assembly elections ?
(A) Goa
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Jharkhand
(D) Gujarat
(E) Delhi
Ans : (C)

32. A two days National level conference/event was organised in Chandigarh in September 2010. Which was the conference / event ?
(A) Miss India 2010
(B) Asian Women Hockey Finals 2010
(C) Conference of the Finance Ministers of SAARC
(D) National Rabi Conference
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

33. Which of the following Summits took place in Hanoi in October 2010 ?
(A) ASEAN Summit
(B) SAARC Summit
(C) G-20 Summit
(D) G-8 Summit
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

34. The Reserve Bank does not have an office in—
(A) Kanpur
(B) Jaipur
(C) Lucknow
(D) Bhopal
(E) Gulbarga
Ans : (E)

35. A Badminton player is supposed to know the meaning of the term—
(A) Bouncer
(B) Love
(C) LBW
(D) Punch
(E) Booster
Ans : (B)

36. Who amongst the following is the receipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2010 ?
(A) Ishant Sharma
(B) Hariom Singh
(C) M. S. Dhoni
(D) Sushil Kumar
(E) Saina Nehwal
Ans : (E)

37. India extended a credit of US $ 250 million to which of the following countries, which will be used for infrastructural development there ?
(A) China
(B) Pakistan
(C) Myanmar
(D) Nepal
(E) Sudan
Ans : (D)

38. Which one of the following makes a case for intensive, modern farming ?
(A) Higher output using organic method
(B) Remunerative price
(C) Cropping pattern
(D) Land acquisition for nonagricultural needs
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

39. In which one of the following States multi-thousand-foodgrain scam has recently been noticed by the High Court ?
(A) M. P.
(B) Orissa
(C) Bihar
(D) Jharkhand
(E) U. P.
Ans : (C)

40. Which one of the following is the objective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issued by the Government ?
(A) To ensure that Companies take steps for rehabilitation of project affected people
(B) To ensure that Companies use some of their profits for educating the project affected people
(C) To ensure that Companies provide health care to project affected people
(D) To ensure that Companies take preventive measures to avoid environmental damage
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

41. A hockey player is supposed to know the meaning of the term—
(A) Dead Ball
(B) Bouncer
(C) LBW
(D) Penalty Corner
(E) Frozen Ball
Ans : (D)

42. Which one of the following have provided bailout package to Ireland to deal with its debt crisis ?
(A) EU only
(B) IMF only
(C) World Bank only
(D) Only (A) and (B) above
(E) All (A), (B) and (C) above
Ans : (D)

43. Which one of the following Indian Company is the only company from India to be included in the Top Ten 2010 Value creators Global Ranking released by global management consulting firm BCG ?
(A) RIL
(B) Tata Steel
(C) Bharti Airtel
(D) JSPL
(E) Bajaj Auto
Ans : (D)

44. Which one of the following has launched guidebook on standards for exporters ?
(A) RBI
(B) SEBI
(C) IBA
(D) UNIDO
(E) UNESCO
Ans : (D)

45. BIPA with Sudan comes into effect was the news in various newspaper recently. It is an agreement for—
(A) Investment in a country
(B) Peaceful use of atomic power
(C) Allowing students to visit each other's nation
(D) Allowing people to come for medical treatment
(E) To form an alliance with each other in case of a war
Ans : (A)

46. In which one of the following sports Sandhya Rani Devi bagged Silver in Asiad 2010 Games ?
(A) Shooting
(B) Squash
(C) Taekwondo
(D) Ten-pin bowling
(E) Wushu
Ans : (E)

47. Which of the following terms is normally not seen in the field of International Relations ?
(A) Exchange Rate
(B) Free Trade
(C) MFN
(D) Alluvial Soil
(E) OECD
Ans : (D)

48. According to mid term review of Indian economy, which one of the following segments will be the major contributor to GDP growth ?
(A) Agriculture
(B) Industry
(C) Services
(D) Mining
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

49. Which of the following films directed by Aamir Khan was sent for OSCARs Award nominations from India ?
(A) Rang De Basanti
(B) Peepli Live
(C) Tare Zamin Par
(D) Lagan
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

50. In which one of the following states, population growth rate is lower than national average ?
(A) Delhi
(B) Gujarat
(C) Chhattisgarh
(D) Himachal Pradesh
(E) Orissa
Ans : (E)

Central Bank of India P.O. Exam., 2010 Solved Paper

General Awareness
(Exam Held on 25-7-2010)

1. Equity schemes managed strong NAV gains, which boost their assets’ was a news in some financial newspapers. What is the full form of the term NAV as used in above head lines ?
(A) Nil Accounting Variation
(B) Net Accounting Venture
(C) Net Asset Value
(D) New Asset Venture
(D) None of these
Ans : (C)

2. As per reports published in various news papers, mutual fund companies showed 94 per cent growth in their total profits during 2009-10. This means the profits earned by these companies were 94 per cent—
(A) Of the total investments they made collectively during the year
(B) More than their profits during previous year
(C) Of the total capital of the company
(D) Less than the total expenditure of the companies
(D) None of these
Ans : (B)

3. As per the news published in various newspapers Pakistan has imposed 15 per cent regulatory duty on exports of cotton yarn. Why countries are required to impose regulatory duties on exports of some of their commodities while in the eyes of the layman more exports means more foreign exchange and more revenue for the Govt. ?
1. It is done to control the exports of a commodity as it may be needed more in local markets than in foreign countries.
2. It is done to control the general inflation in the country as the inordinate exports of various commodities create imbalance and also cost push inflation.
3. It is a good short time measure to collect more revenue from the exports of the commodity which is in high demand in overseas markets.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

4. As per the reports published in some major newspapers ‘ADAG companies’ made good profits during the year. ADAG companies are popularly known as—
(A) Companies owned by Tata Group
(B) Aditya Birla Companies
(C) Reliance Companies
(D) Companies owned by Aptech
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

5. ONGC–Mittal Energy finds hydrocarbons in two blocks OPL-279 & OPL-285 in Nigerian sea was the news in some major newspapers. what is the full form of the term OPL as used in the above head line ?
(A) Oil Prospecting License
(B) Ownership and Partnership Lease
(C) Overseas Private Line
(D) ONGC Petroleum Ltd.
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)


6. “Mutual Funds reported exceptional performance in 2009-10” was the news in major financial newspapers recently. What is a mutual fund ?
1. A type of collective investment scheme that pools money from many investors and invest it in stocks, bonds or other money market instruments.
2. It is a subsidiary of a bank or financial company created specially to ralse money to be invested in a particular industry i.e. housing or insurance etc. The money raised thus cannot be invested anywhere else.
3. When several banks and financial companies come together and create a common pool of money to fund mega infrastructural project like bridges, roads, power plants etc. the common pool is known as Mutual Fund.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

7. As we all know the Bank Rate at present is fixed at 6%. What does it mean in context to the banking operations ?
(A) No bank will be able to give loan to any party on a rate lower than the Bank Rate
(B) Bank should give loan to their priority sector customers/borrowers at the rate of 6% only. They cannot charge less or more than this from their priority sector clients
(C) Banks are required to invest 6% of their total capital on financial inclusion and inclusive banking operations
(D) Banks will be required to give 6% of their total deposits to the Govt. of India for meeting its Balance of Trade requirements
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

8. As per the reports in various newspapers many private companies are trying to obtain the licences to launch a banking company in India. Which of the following organizations/agencies issue the licence for the same ?
(A) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
(B) Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF)
(C) Indian Bank Association
(D) Registrar of Companies
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

9. We very frequently read about Europe’s Sovereign—debt crisis these day. Which of the following statement/s is/are true about the same ?
1. In early 2010 the Euro crisis developed in some countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal.
2. This created a credit default swap between the countries of the European Union.
3. SAARC countries have offered some assistance to some of severely affected countries like Portugal, Spain and Greece.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 2
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

10. As we all know the RBI has raised the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 25 bps in April 2010. What action banks will have to take to implement the same ?
1. They will have to deposit some more money with the RBI as a reserved money.
2. Banks will be required to give some more loan to projects of the priority sector.
3. Banks will be required to give loan equivalent to the CRR to the Govt. of India for its day to day expenditure as and when required.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (A)

11. As per estimates given by the RBI the Economic Growth during the year 2010-11 will be at which of the following levels ?
(A) 6•5%
(B) 7%
(C) 7•5%
(D) 8%
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

12. Which of the following is/are correct about the RBI’s credit policy announced in April 2010 ?
1. Repo rate raised by 25 bps.
2. A new reporting platform was introduced for secondary market transactions in Certificate of Deposits (CDs) and Commercial Papers (CPs).
3. Core Investment Companies (CICs) having an asset size of Rs. 100 crore are required to register also with the RBI.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

13. As per the announcement made by the RBI some Stock Exchanges in India are allowed to introduce Plain Vanilla Currency Options. The term Plain Vanilla Currency Options is associated with which of the following activities / operations ?
(A) Dollar–Rupee Exchange Rate
(B) Floating of Commercial Papers
(C) Launch of new mutual funds
(D) Deciding the opening price of a share on a particular business day
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

14. Which of the following is not a term related to banking/finance operations ?
(A) Provision Coverage Ratio
(B) Securitization
(C) Consolidation
(D) Commodification
(E) Derivatives
Ans : (C)

15. The process of “Artificial Application of Water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops”, is technically known as—
(A) water harvesting
(B) irrigation
(C) water recharging
(D) percolation
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

16. As per the news published in major newspapers / journals henceforth the Credit Card holders will be able to access their credit card information though automated interactive voice response system over the phone instead of speaking to the staff. This decision of the banks/credit card companies will provide—
1. an additional hurdle to the customers as people feel comfortable in talking to the staff instead of talking to a machine.
2. an additional security to the customers as this does not allow any staff to handle any transaction directly.
3. some comfort to the banks as they will be able to reduce their staff strength.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 1 and 3
Ans : (B)

17. The 34th National Game which were postponed several times are scheduled to be held in which of the following states ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Kerala
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Uttar Pradesh
(E) Jharkhand
Ans : (E)

18. Waste Water generates which of the following gases which is more powerful and dangerous than CO2 ?
(A) Nitrogen
(B) Sulphur di-oxide
(C) Hydrogen
(D) Methane
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

19. Which of the following days was observed as World Water Day 2010 ?
(A) 20th June
(B) 22nd July
(C) 22nd March
(D) 20th May
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

20. Late Vinda Karandikar who died a few months back was a famous—
(A) Author
(B) Cine-Actor
(C) Sportsman
(D) Classical Singer
(E) Social Worker
Ans : (A)

21. As per the reports published recently the Govt. of India has decided to create a separate agency/body scrutinize all Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) officially. Up till now the security screening was being done by the—
(A) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Govt. of India
(B) Reserve Bank of India
(C) Securities and Exchange Board of India
(D) Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India
(E) Ministry of Home Affairs Govt. of India
Ans : (E)

22. As per the news reports in various newspapers the USA has outlined some major policy goals to prevent the danger of nuclear terrorism. Which of the following is/are included in those policy goals ?
1. Convene a nuclear security summit within a year’s time under the leadership of the USA.
2. A new agreement/pact should be introduced in place of present Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
3. Call for a global effort to secure all nuclear weapons at all vulnerable sites all over the world.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) Only 2 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

23. ‘Indira Gandhi Canal’ which is around 450 km long provide irrigation facility mainly to which of the following states ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Haryana
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Gujarat
(E) Rajasthan
Ans : (E)

24. Former caption of the Indian Cricket team, Ajit Wadekar is conferred which of the following awards for the year 2010 ?
(A) Bharat Ratna
(B) Khel Shri Award
(C) Dronacharya Award
(D) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

25. Who amongst the following is the director of the popular Hindi film “Oye Lucky ! Lucky Oye” ?
(A) Mani Ratnam
(B) David Dhavan
(C) Dibankar Banerjee
(D) R. Balakrishnan
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

26. India recently signed an agreement to import Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) from a country which is the largest LNG producer and supplier of the world. Which is that country ?
(A) Kuwait
(B) Qatar
(C) Iran
(D) Saudi Arabia
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

27. As a measure to help countries hit by global financial meltdown the RBI has purchased notes worth US $ 10 billion in terms of Special Drawing Rights from a World Organisation/agency. Which is this agency/organization ?
(A) Federal Reserve of U.S.A.
(B) Asian Development Bank
(C) World Bank
(D) International Monetary Fund
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

28. Which of the following is not a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India ?
(A) Mazagaon Dock Ltd.
(B) Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.
(C) Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
(D) Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
(E) Bharat Earth Movers Ltd.
Ans : (C)

29. Which of the following states won the senior National Women’s Football Tournament 2010 ?
(A) Manipur
(B) Assam
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Kerala
(E) Delhi
Ans : (A)

30. Which of the following is not a missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) ?
(A) Shaurya
(B) Pinaka
(C) BrahMos
(D) Agni
(E) Nag
Ans : (A)

31. Which of the following declarations/treaties was adopted by the BRIC countries recently to promote Global Food Security ?
(A) Moscow Declaration
(B) Doha Treaty
(C) Delhi Declaration
(D) Kabul Treaty
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

32. Which of the following statements represent(s) the main objective(s) of the revised National Health Policy–2002 of the Govt. of India ?
1. Increase Public expenditure from 0•9 per cent to 2 per cent of the GDP.
2. Setting up of Medical Grants Commission for funding new Govt. Medical and Dental colleges.
3. Mandatory two years rural posting before awarding the degree to Medical Graduates.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

33. Which of the following metals is used for generation of nuclear Energy by most of the Nuclear Power Plants ?
(A) Zinc
(B) Platinum
(C) Uranium
(D) Nickel
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

34. Indus Water Treaty is a pact on sharing of river water between India and—
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Pakistan
(C) Nepal
(D) Afghanistan
(E) Myanmar
Ans : (B)

35. The Union Cabinet recently cleared Prohibition of unfair Practices in Technical Medical Educational Institutes and Universities Bill 2010. As per the Bill which of the following will now be treated as a cognizable offence ?
(A) Accepting capitation fee from the students
(B) Running a private college
(C) Not allowing students to change their course in between
(D) Running a college without proper facilities
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

36. Which of the following is/are considered a Renewable Source of Energy ?
1. Wind Energy
2. Solar Energy
3. Nuclear Energy
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (D)

37. Which of the following countries is not amongst the top ten in industrial production in the world during 2010 ?
(A) India
(B) Iran
(C) China
(D) France
(E) U.S.A.
Ans : (B)

38. Commonwealth Games 2010 are being organized in which of the following countries ?
(A) Australia
(B) South Africa
(C) Canada
(D) New Zealand
(E) India
Ans : (E)

39. Which of the following is not a banking related term ?
(A) Radiation
(B) Outstanding amount
(C) Benchmark Prime Lending Rate
(D) Explicit Guarantee
(E) Creditor
Ans : (A)

40. Insurance service provided by various banks is commonly known as—
(A) Investment Banking
(B) Portfolio Management
(C) Merchant Banking
(D) Bancassurance
(E) Micro Finance
Ans : (D)

41. Who amongst the following has recently taken over as the Chairman of the 19th Law Commission ?
(A) Mr. A. R. Lakshmanan
(B) Mr. P. V. Reddy
(C) Mr. Yashwant Sinha
(D) Mr. Ranjan Bharti Mittal
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

42. Moortidevi Award is given for excellence in the field of—
(A) Classical dance
(B) Literature
(C) Classical music
(D) Cinematography
(E) Social service
Ans : (B)

43. Which of the following terms is used in the game of Cricket ?
(A) Love
(B) Tee
(C) Penalty stroke
(D) No Ball
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

44. Which of the following awards is given by an agency of the United Nations Organization ?
(A) Normon Borloug Award
(B) Kalinga Prize
(C) Ramon Magsaysay Award
(D) Pulitzer Prize
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

45. Which of the following countries won the Hockey World Cup 2010 ?
(A) Spain
(B) England
(C) India
(D) Australia
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

46. Who amongst the following is the author of the English novel ‘solo’, which was given Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2010 ?
(A) Aamer Hussain
(B) Jonathan Tel
(C) Rana Dasgupta
(D) John Torrence Tate
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

47. Mr. Surjit Patar who was awarded Saraswati Samman recently is a well known poet of—
(A) Hindi
(B) English
(C) Punjabi
(D) Urdu
(E) Bengali
Ans : (C)

48. Which of the following is the book written by Kiran Desai ?
(A) Higher than Everest
(B) A Passage to England
(C) Affluent Society
(D) All My Yester Years
(E) The Inheritance of Loss
Ans : (E)

49. Which of the following Trophies/cups is associated with the game of Hockey ?
(A) Durand Cup
(B) Santosh Trophy
(C) Rangaswami Cup
(D) Ranji Trophy
(E) K. D. Singh Babu Trophy
Ans : (C)

50. Sandra Bullock who was awarded Oscar recently is a famous—
(A) Actress
(B) Director
(C) Music Composer
(D) Screen play writer
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

Punjab and Sind Bank Probationary Officers Exam., 2010

General Awareness
(Held on 16-5-2010)

1. The Rate on which Banks borrow from the RBI is called—
(A) SLR
(B) CRR
(C) Interest Rate
(D) Bank Rate
(E) Repo Rate
Ans : (D)

2. M. K. Narayan has taken over as the Governor of—
(A) Gujarat
(B) Assam
(C) Meghalaya
(D) West Bengal
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

3. Which of the following will be the venue of the India-ASEAN Summit to be held in 2012 ?
(A) Tokyo
(B) Jakarta
(C) Beijing
(D) New Delhi
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

4. As we know the RBI is the apex Bank of India, similarly the apex Bank of USA is called—
(A) Federal Reserve
(B) The Central Bank of USA
(C) Bank of America
(D) Central National Bank of USA
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

5. As per the newspaper reports the Standards and Poors (S&P) has changed India’s sovereign rating from ‘Negative’ to ‘Stable’. This means—
1. India’s economic condition has improved a lot.
2. There is no pressure of inflation of the economy as it is well under control.
3. India’s economic condition has further gone down as it has failed to control the fiscal deficit.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)


6. As per the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) unveiled by the UPA Govt. in August 2009, India will try to capture new markets for its exports in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Oceania etc. Earlier amongst the following were India’s biggest export markets ?
1. USA
2. Europe
3. SAARC Nations
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

7. As per the recent reports published in various newspapers, the core infrastructure industries registered a 4.5% growth in the month of February 2010. This figure does not include the performance of which one of the following industries; as it is not a core industry ?
(A) Coal
(B) Power
(C) Paper
(D) Cement
(E) All are core industries
Ans : (C)

8. Who amongst the following has taken over as the new Chief of the Armed Forces ?
(A) Pradeep V. Naik
(B) V. K. Singh
(C) Suresh Mehta
(D) Deepak Kapoor
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

9. As per the provisions made in the Union Budget 2010-11, Govt. will infuse Rs. 16,500 crores in banks to make their capital base strong. This money will be infused in which of the following types of banks ?
(A) Gramin Banks
(B) Cooperative Banks
(C) National Housing Banks
(D) Public Sector Banks
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

10. Who amongst the following is the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2009 ?
(A) Herta Mulber
(B) Barack Obama
(C) Martli Ahtisaari
(D) Paul Krugman
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

11. As reported in various financial newspapers the Govt. of India is planning to link the prices of diesel and petrol to market prices and may also introduce a graded system of sharing subsidy. If it is done this will be in order to implement the recommendation of which of the following committees ?
(A) Murli Deora Committee
(B) C. Rangarajan Committee
(C) Kirit Parikh Committee
(D) S. Sundareshan Committee
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

12. Which of the following schemes of the Govt. of India is planned to help farmers by providing a competitive price to their produce ?
1. Minimum support price of agro products
2. Creating buffer stock of food grains
3. Making loans available to them on special and subsidized rates of interest
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

13. Which of the following norms/practices adopted by the banks is/are launched to ensure that the money from illegal activities/sources does/do not come to banks and therefore, the economic health of the nation does not get affected ?
1. Know your Customer
2. Financial Inclusion
3. Branchless Banking
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (A)

14. As a practice, all banks now deduct some amount from their pre tax income and set aside in a separate account to create a cushion for the loans which may go bad. This is called—
(A) CRR
(B) SLR
(C) Provisioning
(D) PLR
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

15. As we know many Indian Banks are opening their branches in foreign countries these days. What in your opinion is/are the reasons owing to which these banks are willing to open branches in foreign countries ?
1. India has the largest network of bank branches in the world. Hence other nations also wish to take advantage of their services.
2. Indian Banks get an opportunity to raise foreign currency funds and also the experience funding joint ventures of multinationals. This prompts them to open their branches in foreign nations.
3. As many foreign banks are functioning in India, India in turn is also required to open equal number of branches in foreign countries. Hence Indian Banks are opening branches in these countries.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

16. Who amongst the following was recently nominated as the ‘Member of the Rajya Sabha’ ?
(A) Amitabh Bachchan
(B) Manoj Kumar
(C) Aamir Khan
(D) Javed Akhtar
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

17. The 97th annual session of the Indian Science Congress was held in which of the following cities in January 2010 ?
(A) Mumbai
(B) Kolkata
(C) New Delhi
(D) Thiruvananthapuram
(E) Hyderabad
Ans : (D)

18. Which of the following crops need plenty of water to grow ?
(A) Jowar
(B) Cotton
(C) Paddy
(D) Bajra
(E) All these need plenty of water
Ans : (C)

19. Which of the following is/are true about the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ?
1. The Act is now known as Indira Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
2. The Act is now applicable to all the districts of the country.
3. Minimum wage fixed under this Act is now Rs. 250 per day.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

20. Who amongst the following was recently awarded the prestigious “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” ?
(A) Sunil Mittal
(B) Ratan Tata
(C) Harshpati Singhania
(D) Rahul Bajaj
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

21. Govt. of India recently approved the national policy on Bio fuels. Which of the following crops is one which is used to make biofuels ?
(A) Onion
(B) Sugarcane
(C) Wheat
(D) Coconut
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

22. Which of the following countries is the largest producer of milk in the world ?
(A) China
(B) India
(C) Denmark
(D) USA
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

23. Which of the following terms is not associated with the game of Hockey ?
(A) Bouncer
(B) Bully
(C) Short Corner
(D) Goal
(E) Penalty Corner
Ans : (A)

24. Saina Nehwal is a famous—
(A) Lawn Tennis Player
(B) Golf Player
(C) Table Tennis Player
(D) Badminton Player
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

25. Who amongst the following is associated with music and is a maestro of international repute ?
(A) Vikram Seth
(B) Steve Waugh
(C) Salman Rushdie
(D) Ritu Beri
(E) A. R. Rahman
Ans : (E)

26. India is providing help to which of the following nations in setting up a Medical College there on the lines of the AIIMS ?
(A) Nepal
(B) Bhutan
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Myanmar
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

27. Which of the following is the abbreviated name of the company which produces chemical fertilizers in India ?
(A) IASRI
(B) BHEL
(C) IFFCO
(D) FICCI
(E) FERA
Ans : (C)

28. Which of the following is not a food grain ?
(A) Paddy
(B) Jatropha
(C) Bajra
(D) Jowar
(E) Wheat
Ans : (B)

29. As we know Govt. is paying much attention towards the development of watersheds and water bodies in all the areas of the country. What is/are the reasons owing to which Govt. has to take these special efforts to develop/recharge watersheds and water bodies ?
1. The one single biggest problem of the agricuture in the country is inappropriate irrigation facilities and farmers’ overdependence on the monsoon. Govt. wants farmers to come out of it.
2. The water table in some of the areas in the country is going down. This is a matter of great concern for all of us as this may result in severe water problem in days to come. Govt. is serious about it.
3. Around 30 to 35 per cent watersheds/water bodies in the country are not being utilized as the quality of the water in these has deteriorated over the years.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

30. Which of the following is/are true about the Indira Awas Yojana ?
1. The scheme provides financial assistance to people living below poverty line for construction of housing units.
2. Every family gets an assistance of Rs. 3 lakhs for construction of new housing unit and upto Rs. 2 lakhs for upgradation of old/existing units.
3. Scheme is available only to those who are staying in any village or urban areas having a population of 50000 or more.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

31. The head office of the World Trade Organisation is located in—
(A) Nepal
(B) India
(C) Japan
(D) Australia
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

32. Who amongst the following is/was not a famous writer of English Language ?
(A) V. S. Naipaul
(B) Anita Desai
(C) Harivansh Rai Bachchan
(D) Kiran Desai
(E) Chetan Bhagat
Ans : (C)

33. Which of the following awards is given for excellence in the field of Sports ?
(A) Kalidas Samman
(B) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
(C) Jananpith Award
(D) Arjun Award
(E) Bharat Ratna
Ans : (D)

34. Which of the following trophies/cups is associated with the game of Cricket ?
(A) Davis Cup
(B) Agha Khan Cup
(C) Nehru Trophy
(D) Durand Cup
(E) Duleep Trophy
Ans : (E)

35. Who amongst the following is NOT a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan Award given away recently ?
(A) Y. V. Reddy
(B) Zora Segal
(C) V. Ramakrishnan
(D) Pratap C. Reddy
(E) Shreya Ghosal
Ans : (E)

36. The conference of the Speakers and presiding officers of the commonwealth countries was organized recently in—
(A) New Delhi
(B) London
(C) Pretoria
(D) Kuala Lumpur
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

37. Which of the following films was adjudged as the ‘Best Feature Film’ in 56th National Film Awards, announced recently ?
(A) Antaheen
(B) Fashion
(C) Jogva
(D) Bioscope
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

38. Who amongst the following Indian Players won the Mixed Doubles of the Australian Open Tennis 2010 ?
(A) Mahesh Bhupati
(B) Leanders Paes
(C) Sania Mirza
(D) Rohan Bopanna
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

39. As per the “Education for All Global Monitoring Report”, released by the UNO, over half of the total illiterate population of the world lives in just four countries. Which of the following is not one of these four ?
(A) China
(B) India
(C) South Africa
(D) Pakistan
(E) Bangladesh
Ans : (C)

40. Which of the following is/are correct about the Rajiv Gandhi LPG Vitrak Yojana ?
1. Women/men in the age group of 21-45 years will be stakeholders.
2. All stackeholders will earn Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month as their income.
3. LPG will be supplied through a pipeline from the nearest depot to the filling station which will be common for a constellation of 4 to 5 villages.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 2
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (A)

41. An individual going to Bangladesh will be required to make all his/her payments in which of the following currencies ?
(A) Rial
(B) Dinar
(C) Taka
(D) Rupee
(E) Dollar
Ans : (C)

42. Mr. Najib Tun Razak, who was on a visit to India a few months back, is the—
(A) President of Iran
(B) Prime Minister of Iran
(C) President of Malaysia
(D) Prime Minister of Malaysia
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

43. The construction of a dam on which of the following rivers in Arunachal Pradesh has become a matter of concern as some people feel that it will damage the socio cultural environment of the State ?
(A) Brahmaputra
(B) Teesta
(C) Gandak
(D) Padma
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

44. India recently provided a US $ 1 billion credit to which of the following countries in its neighbourhood so that bilateral trade with it can be improved ?
(A) China
(B) Pakistan
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Myanmar
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

45. Which of the following regulatory fiscal bodies is celebrating its Platinum Jubilee this year ?
(A) NABARD
(B) SEBI
(C) IRDA
(D) AMFI
(E) RBI
Ans : (E)

46. As we all know the Govt. of India had launched ‘Look East Policy’ a few years ago so that it can have better relations and trade with South East Asian counties. Which of the following nations is considered or called the “Door of South East Nations” ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Myanmar
(C) China
(D) Afghanistan
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

47. Which of the following countries is going to host SAARC summit next year ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) India
(C) Pakistan
(D) Nepal
(E) Maldives
Ans : (E)

48. As per the reports published in various newspapers, the Union Minister of Corporate Affairs is planning to introduce a system where two firms may audit accounts of every company. Which of the following may be the impact of this dual audit system, when implemented ?
1. This will bring transparent, independent and objective assessments of the functioning of the companies.
2. This will create a warning or alarming system so that Satyam like episodes can be averted.
3. This will give an opportunity to auditors to learn more about the ‘inside activities’ of the companies and also a better understanding of the business tactics, the companies adopt to beat their competitors.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

49. Some financial experts and business leaders feel that the present policies of the RBI may result in hardening of the interest rates further. Besides this hardening of the ‘rupee in international markets is also possible. If it happens, what will be its impact on the market ?
1. More and more Indian firms would like to borrow from global markets instead of domestic ones.
2. Companies may have to suspend their plans of raising capital needed for extension of business for sometime.
3. More and more Indian companies would like to open their offices/branches in foreign nations so that they can approach foreign investors easily.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 2
(D) Only 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

50. Which of the following is/are true about the “Gram Nyayalayas” ?
1. These courts will be mobile courts and will function at Panchayat level.
2. The Magistrate of these courts will go to the villages in their area of coverage and will dispose off cases of the villages there itself.
3. Only civil suits related to the property of Rs. 5,00,000 and above will be disposed off in this way.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (D)