Monday 21 November 2011

IBPS CLERKS GENREAL AWARENESS MODEL PAPER

1.Cairo Programme of Action (POA) refers to which of the following ?
1) Vaccination   
2) Adult literacy
3) Food security   
4) Population control
5) None of these

2.Justice Wadhwa Committee is reviewing the functioning of which of the following ?
1) Mid-day meal programme
2) Rashtriya Swasthaya Bima Yojna
3) Public Distribution System
4) Public Distribution System
5) None of these

3.What is the objective of the Central Registry launched under the provisions of the SARFAESI Act 2002, recently ?
1) To preent leakage of funds in delivery of central government sponsored rural emloyment sches
2) To prevent tax evasion by Indians by keeping track of large transactions in the banking system
3) To prevent frauds in loan cases involving multiple lending from different banks on the same asset
4) To ensure timely delivery of agricultural credit under priority sector norms by public sector banks
5) None of these

4. What is the objective of the National Mission for Electric Mobility launched recently ?
1) Promoting the use of energy saving devices
2) Promoting the replaement of diesel by electric locomotives in Indian Railways
3) Promoting spread of mob ile services in rural areas
4) Promoting the use of battery operated vehicles
5) None of these

5.What is the objective of India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) ?
1) To promote R 7 D collaboration between universities and industry
2) To promote the use of non - renewable sources of energy
3) To promote higher education using broadband
4) TO promote energy effeciency in power sector
5) None of these

6.Which of the following became India's first bank to facilitate payment of income tax using ATMs recently ?
1) State Bank of India   
2) Punjab National Bank
3) Canara Bank
4) Union Bank of India
5) None of these

7.Which of the following has / have been selected as the sole fund manager by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to manage its corpus of about Rs 3.5 lakh crore recetly ?
1) State bank of India   
2) ICICI Prudential
3) HSBC    
4) Reliance Capital
5) None of these

8.Rabobank has received the Reserve Bank of India approval to set up its first branch in India recently. It is a bank headquartered in which country ?
1) France   
2) Belgium
3) Britain   
4) Netherlands
5) None of these

9.The government has approved the creation of posts of 'Indirect Tax Ombudsmen' in several cities recently. Which of the following statements about is / are correct ?
I) It will be set up in seven cities
II) It will examine public complaints on income tax matters
III) It will have the powers to give settle claims and give awards" to the aggrieved parties
1) I only   
2) II and III only
3) II only   
4) III and I only
5) None of these

10.What does 'remittances', a word we often come across in articles on foreign exchange reserves in newspapers, refer to ?
1) Postponement of paymnets to the IMF
2) Money transfer by amigrant worker to their home country
3) Donation by individuals to a chartiy
4) Taxation obligation of developing countries
5) None of these

11.Which state has launched the 'Jeevandhara' programme to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the poor recently ?
1) Andhra Pradesh   
2) Maharashtra
3) Rajasthan   
4) Gujarat
5) None of these

12.The abbreviation 'EAG states' mentioned in the Census 2011 refers to which of the following?
1) Eligible Action Group States
2) Economically Advancing Group States
3) Empowered Action Group States
4) Empowered Advancing Group States
5) None of these

13.  Which of the following had the highest share of bank credit (occupation - wise) as on March 31, 2009 according to a RBI report released recently ?
1) Agriculture   
2) Industry
3) Trade   
4) Transport Operators
5) None of these

14.Which of the following statements is / are correct about the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRD) (1) Bill introduced in Lok Sabha ?
I) The Bill gives statutory status to interim pension regulator
II) The Bill was supported by Left Parties
III) The Bill was supported by the BJP
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II and III only   
4) III and I only
5) None of these

15.The Banking Laws (amendment) Bill 2011 was tabled in Parliament recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct as per current policy ?
I) Nationalised banks cannot issue bonus shares
II) Nationalised banks can raise capital through rights issues
III) Nationalised banks cannot issue preference shares
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II only   
4) III and I only
5) None of these

16.The government has tabled a Constitution Amendment Bill on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Parliament recently. WHich of the following statements is /a re correct ?
 I) GST will replace many taxes levived at the Centre, including excise duty and service tax
 II) GST will replace many taxes levied at the state level, including sales tax and entertainment tax
 III) Currently states are not allowed to tax sale of goods, while the Centre cannot tax services
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II only  
4) III and II only
5) None of these

17. The Banking Laws (amendment) Bill 2011 was tabled in Parliaent recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct as per current policy ?
1) At present promoters and shareholders of private banks cannot exercise voting rights in proportion to their shareholding
II) Voting rights of a non - governments shareholder in nationalised banks cannot exceed 5% irrespective of the size of his shareholding
III) Voting rights of a shareholder in private sector banks cannot exceed 10% irrespective of the size of his shareholding
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II only  
4) III and I only
5) None of these

18.What is the FDi limit in the insurance sector in India ?
1) 11%    
2) 26%
3) 49%   
4) 51%
5) None of these

19.Which of the following is launchign 'Rupay' as a domestic alternative to the global real-time payment processing firms like Visa, MasterCard?
1) CCA venue Payment Gateway
2) PayPal Corporation of India
3) Industrial Financial Corporation of India
4) National Payments Corporation of India
5) None of these

20. Export of which of the following crop is / are allowed currently ?
1) Wheat   
2) Non-Basmati rice
3) Sugar   
4) Pulses
5) None of these

21.Which of the following is the oil exploration & production company operating in Siberia and owned by the ONGC ?
1) Venture Production   
2) Regarl Petroleum
3) Enterprise Oil   
4) Imperial Energy
5) None of these

22. The government has decided provide equity support to public sector banks (PSBs) to raise its holding to .........
1) 55%   
2) 58%
3) 62%   
4) 68%
5) None of these

23.Which of the following is / are not covered under the compulsory labelling programme of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) ?
1) Air conditioners   
2) Refrigerators
3) Geysers   
4) Distribution transformers
5) None of these

24. Which foreign bank publishes the monthly Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) that measures the health of manufacturing sector in India and is based on a survey of top 500 companies ?
1) Barclays   
2) HSBC
3) Stanchart Bank   
4) Citi Bank
5) None of these

25. Which of the following has become the first state in the country to announce a monthly allowance to unemployed under-graduates recently ?
1) Karnataka   
2) Rajasthan
3) Goa   
4) Maharashtra
5) None of these

26. How many commercial banks are functioning in India as per the 'Statistical Tables Relating To Banks in India 2009-10 unveiled by the RBI in March 2011 ?
1) 135   
2) 167
3) 193   
4) 256
5) None of these

27.The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) will be implemented in the coming year (2011 - 12) with a budget of Rs. 7860 crore and nine sub - schemes. Which of the following sub-scheme refers to livestock development, dairy farming and fisheries ?
1) Rainfed Area Development Programme
2) National Mission for Protein Supplements
3) Promotion of Oil Palm
4) Accelerated Fodder Development Programme
5) None of these

28. What was the share of priority sector lending in lending by commercial banks as on March 31, 2010 as per the 'Statistical Tables Relating to Banks in India 2009-10' report univeiled by the RBI recently ?
1) 16%   
2) 24%
3) 31%   
4) 36%
5) None of these

29. Under the current merger & acquisition policy, any deal involving acquisition of ..... or more in a listed company requires the acquirer to make an open offer for buying at least ....... stake from public shareholders.
1) 5 per cent, 10 per cent
2) 10 per cent, 15 per cent
3) 15 per cent, 20 per cent
4) 20 per cent, 25 per cent
5) None of these

30.Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) is for the integrated development of which of the following category of villages ?
1) Villages where SCs comprise more than 25% of population
2) Villages where SCs & STs comprise more than 50% of population
3) Villages where STs comprise more than 25% of population
4) Villages where SCs comprise more than 50% of population
5) None of these

31. How much as the requirement of water for irrigation in India as per a recent assessment by the National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development (NCIWRD) ?
1) 4000 billion cubic meters (BCM)
2) 1869 BCM   
3) 1123 BCM
4) 557 BCM   
5) None of these

32.Which foreign bank has the highest number of employees in India ?
1) HSBC   
2) Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
3) Standard Chartered Bank
4) Citibank
5) None of these

33.Which of the following statements about solvency ratio in the insurance sector is /are correct?
I) IRDA has directed general insurance companies to increase their solvency ratios for vehicle insurance
II) A high solvency ratio indicats lower probability of default
III) A higher solvency ratio indicates better financial health of the insurance company
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II and III only   
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

34. Which of the following regions had the highest number of bank branches in the country as per the 'Statistical Tables Relating to Banks in India 2009-10' unveiled by the RBI recently?
1) Rural   
2) Semi-Urban
3) Urban   
4) Metropolitan
5) None of these

35.Which state has the highest number of commercial bank branches in India as on March 31, 2010 as per the 'Statistical Tables Relating to Banks in India 2009-10' report unveiled by the RBI recently ?
1) UP   
2) Maharashtra
3) Andhra Pradesh   
4) Tamil nadu
5) None of these

36. Which of the following does not come under the definition of Scheduled Commercial Banks in India ?
1) Scheduled State Co - operative Banks
2) cheduled Urban Co - operative Banks
3) REgional Rural Banks
4) None of the above
5) None of these

37.Which of the following is / are implementing the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) project ?
I) Ministry of Science and Technology
II) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
III) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II and III only   
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

38. What ws the poverty rate in 2009-10 according to recent estimates by Planning Commission ?
1) 28%   
2) 30%
3) 32%   
4) 34%
5) None of these

39.Which of the following statements about demand and supply of petroleum products in India is / are correct ?
I) India's current petroleum refining capacity is 240 million tonnes per annum (MTPa)
II) India's demand for the petroleum products is less than its refining capacity
III) Further addition in refining capacity is likely to boost country's exports of petroleum products
1) I only   
2) I and II ony
3) II and III only   
4) III and I only
5) None of these

40. Which of the following has launched the 'Trans Union Score' that will indicate credit worthiness of consumers applying for loans from banks ?
1) Experian Credit Information Co
2) Indian Credit Rating Agency
3) Credit Information Bureau Ltd
4) Euifax Information Services
5) None of these

41. Which bank has announced an end to its 'teaser' home loan scheme recently ?
1) Bank of India   
2) HDFC Bank
3) Union Bank   
4) State Bank of India
5) None of these

42.The government has decided to set up an inter-ministerial group chaired by Planning Commission member Arun Maira to examine the ssue of imposing restrictions on FDI in pharmaceutical industry. How much FDI is permitted currently ?
1) 33%   
2) 49%
3) 51%   
4) 100%
5) None of these

43. Which of the following is the criterion for allocation of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to below poverty line (BPL) families ?
1) Same quantity of foodgrains is given to every BPL family
2) The quantity of foodgrains given depends on the number of members in the BPL family
3) The quantty of foodgrains given depends on the annual income of the BPL family
4) Both (2) & (3)
5) None of these

44.How much was the net Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) investment in Indian stock markets in 2010-11 acording to SEBI ?
1) Rs. 0.76 lakh crores   
2) Rs. 0.95 lakh crore
3) Rs. 1.17 lakh crore
4) Rs. 1.46 lakh crore
5) None of these

45.The government has launched 'Service Discharge Benefit Scheme' for over 2.7 lakh employees of which organisation recently ?
1) Department of Telecom
2) Indian Army
3) Department of Posts
4) Indian Railways
5) None of these

46. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) In which state are known as 'Mitanins' ?
1) Jharkhand   
2) Rajasthan
3) Orissa   
4) Chhattisgarh
5) None of these

47. 'Health and Wellness Tourism – Advantage India', a study that offers a 10 - point prescription to boost health and wellness tourism in India, is a joint initiative of YES Bank and ....
1) MCI   
2) IMA
3) FICCI   
4) CII
5) None of these

48. Kimberley Process certificates are compulsory for for trade in which of the following ?
1) Gold   
2) Diamonds
3) Radioactive materials
4) All the above   
5) None of these

49. The Ministry of Statistics 7 Programme Implementation recently decided to allow MPs to spend a maximum of Rs. 10.00 lakhs per year from their MPLAD funds for :
1) creating awareness about social welfare schemes of the government
2) building sports facilites in their constitutencies
3) rehabilitation of those affected by natural calamities
4) giving assistance to the physically challenged in their constitutencies
5) None of these

50. The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRa) 2010 came into effect from May 1, 2011. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) 'Organisations of political nature' can receive foreign funds only after prior clearances from the government
II) Organisations that receive foreign funds will have to renew their registration once every three years
 III) Banks will have to immediately report to the government about all foreign funds exceeding Rs. 10 lakh
1) I only   
2) I and II only
3) II only   
4) III only
5) None of these

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

Sunday 20 November 2011

IBPS BANKING AWARENESS PRACTICE MODEL PAPER

1.    From which state was the Janani 0 Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched recently ?
1) Kerala
2) Maharashtra
3) Haryana
4) Rajasthan
5) None of these

2.    RBI has decided to release a Rs. 5 coin mark 1000 years of which temple recently ?
1) Sabarimala Temple
2) Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
3) Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur
4) Vaishno Devi Temple
5) None of these

3.    Which of the following approved $ 1 billion loan for the National Ganga River Basin Project recently ?
1) UNEP
2) ADB
3) World Bank
4) All above jointly
5) None of these

4.    The revised estimates of national income for the financial year 2010-11 were released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) on May 31, 2011. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
 I) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at factor cost at 2004-05 prices is Rs. 4877842 crore
 II) Per Capita GDP at factor cost at 2004-05 prices is Rs. 38,247
 III) Per Capita Net National Incoem (NNI) at factor cost at 2004-05 prices is Rs. 35,917
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I and III only
5) None of these

5.    The government has set up ......... Vidyut Vyapar Nigam' as the Central Agency to purchase solar power from the developers and sell it to distribution companies such as state electricity boards.
1) BHEL
2) NHPC
3) REC
4) NTPC
5) None of these

6.    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a change in its overseas direct investment guidelines to give Indian companies more flexibility in managing international joint ventures (JVs) and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) Listed companies will be allowed to write off 25 per cent capital, loans and other receivables such as royalty and management fee of their JVs and wholly-owned subsidiaries without seeking RBI permission
II) These guidelines will be applicable for JVs in which Indian promoters own at least 51 per cent
III) Existing regulations allow restructuring of balance sheets only for winding - up of JVs and wholly - owned subsidiaries abroad
1) II only
2) I and II only
3) III and I only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

7.    Which public sector bank is associated witht he launch of India's first Gramin Bank (Rural Bank) ATM Card in asociation with Vranasi - based Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recently ?
1) Allahabad Bank
2) SBI
3) Canara Bank
4) UBI
5) None of these

8.    The government announced the setting up of a special wing - Directorate of Income Tax (Criminal Investigation) - to investigate criminal offences under direct tax laws recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) It will work under the purview of Enforcement Directorat
II) It will cover evasion of income tax and corporate tax
III) It will cover evasion of excise and customs duties
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II only
4) III only
5) None of these

9.    Which of the following is not among the five-fold strategy adopted by the government to tackle the menace of illicit funds ?
1) Joining global crusade against 'black money'
2) Creating an appropriate legislative framework
3) Setting up institutions for dealing with Illicit Funds
4) Offering amnesty schemes to bring back black money
5) None of these

10.    The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) does not cover :
1) Rice
2) Coarse Cereals
3) Pulses
4) All the above
5) None of these

11.    Which of the following statements about rules governing the New Pension Scheme (NPS) is / are correct ?
I) Fund managers under NPS can be from public sector as well as private sector
II) NPS funds cannot be invested in equity markets
III) Both government and private sector employees can invest in NPS
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I and III only
5) None of these

12.    SCORES is a complaints redressal system launched by :
1) SEBI
2) IBA
3) CBDT
4) CCI
5) None of these

13.    Direct tax collections account for what share of GDP in India ?
1) 9.26 per cent
2) 7.62 per cent
3) 5.66 per cent
4) 4.72 per cent
5) None of these

14.    The government has increased the duty - free import quota for garments from which neighbouring country by two million pieces to 10 million recently ?
1) Nepal
2) Bangladesh
3) Myanmar
4) Bhutan
5) None of these

15.    The Committee set up to review the functioning of the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) submitted its report to the Finance Ministry recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) It has recommended an increase in the ceiling on annual subscriptions in Public Provident Fund (PPF).
II) It has recommended an upward revision of the rate of interest in Post Office Saving Account from 3.5% to 4%.
III) It has recommended in increae in the compulsory investment of net small savings collections in State Government Securities
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I and III only
5) None of these

16.    Which of the following statements regarding recent changes in the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) is / are correct ?
I) Age limit for identification of beneficiaries has been lowered
II) 60 years is the new age limit for identification of beneficiaries
III) Monthly pension has been increased for al beneficiaries
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

17.    The draft National Manufacturing Policy was given in - principle approval by a High Level Committee on Manufacturing, held under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) The objective is to generat 100 million additional jobs by 2025
II) The objective is to raise the share of manufacturing in GDP to 30% by 2025
III) Manufacturing Industry Promotion Board (MIPB) should be set up to facilitate overseas investments by Indian companies
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

18.    The government announced certain changes in the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) More than 3 crore persons are covered under the IGNOAPS currently
II) Total additional requirement of funds for implementing the changes will be Rs. 2,770 crore in 2011-12
II) Age limits for windows and disabled covered under the scheme has been lowered
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II only
4) II and III only
5) None of these

19.    The National Broadband Plan is aimed at rolling out broadband infrastructure to every village with more than ...... people.
1) 500
2) 1000
3) 1500
4) 2000
5) None of these

20.    The new series of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was unveiled recently. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
 I) 2004-05 will be the base year
 II) The weight of manufacturing in the new IIP has been increased
 III) The weight of mining and electricity has been reduced in the new IIP
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

21. The government replaced the Duty Entitlement Pass Book [DEP(2)] scheme of export promotion replaced with Duty Drawback scheme on September 30. Which of the following statements is / are correct?
 I) DEPB was a reimbursement of Customs duty paid by an exporter on an imported input used in the export product
 II) DEPB was a cashless export promotion scheme
III) DEPB was administered by the revenue department of Finance Ministry
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) III and I only
5) None of these

22.    What is the interest rate in 2011-12 on fresh loans for farmers who have repaid their previous short - term loans on time ?
1) 3%
2) 4%
3) 5%
4) 6%
5) None of these

23.    Which of the following indexes was coined by economist Arthur Okun ?
1) Corruption Perception Index
2) Network Readiness Index
3) Terrorism Risk Index
4) Misery Index
5) None of these

24.    Which of the following category of workers were included under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima yojana (RSBY) recently ?
1) Railway porters
2) Beedi workers
3) Carpenters
4) Masons
5) None of these

25.    Which of the following have been disallowed from opening branches abroad by the RBI recently ?
1) Private sector banks   
2) Pension Funds
3) Cooperative banks
4) NBFCs
5) None of these

26.    Which of the following is the power excahnge being set up by NPTC ?
1) Bharat Power Exchange Ltd
2) National Power Exchange Ltd
3) Power Exchange India Ltd
4) None of the above
5) None of these

27.    India has filed an application for an extension of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from ...... nautical miles to ............. nautical miles with the United Nations Commission on the Law fo the Sea
1) 100, 300
2) 200, 250
3) 100, 250
4) 200, 350
5) None of these

28.    Which was India's best performing state during 1980-2004 in terms of productivity of the organised manufacturng sector, according to a RBI sponsored study unveiled recently ?
1) Bihar
2) Tamil Nadu
3) Karnataka
4) Haryana
5) None of these

29.    What was the insurance penetration (percentage of insurance premium to Gross Domestic Product) in India in 2009 according to figures released by the Finance Ministry in August 2011 ?
1) 3.14
2) 4.80
3) 4.70
4) 5.39
5) None of these

30.    Indian - mining companies have bid for a stake in Hajigak ..... ore mines in Afghanistan
1) Bauxite
2) Copper
3) Iron
4) Coal
5) None of these

31.    India and ir Lanka signed a MoU to develop the ....... port in July 2011
1) Kankesanthurai
2) Hambantota
3) Trincomalee
4) Galle
5) None of these

32.    The establishment of Serious Fraud Investigation Office to tackle white collar crimes is based on the recommendations of :
1) Vepa kamesam committee
2) J. Venkateswarlu committee
3) Jaydeep N. Shah committee
4) Nilesh S. Vikamsey committee

33.    'Sukhi Griha Parikalpana' is a housing welfare scheme for rehabilitation of slum dwellers launched by which central government ministry?
1) Railway   
2) Rural Development
3) Urban Development
4) Labour & Employment
5) None of these

34.    A draft policy on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail was unveiled by a committee of secretaries (CoS) in July 2011. Which of the following statements regarding current FDI policy in retail is / are correct ?
I) FDI upto 10% is permitted in multi-brand retail.
II) 100% FDI is permitted in cash & carry wholesale trade
III) FDI upto 51% is permitted in single - brand retail
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

35.    The government approved the acquisition of ...... Commercial and International Bank Ltd.' by ........ was approved by the government in July 2011.
1) State Bank of India
2) Bank of India
3) Axis Bank
4) ICICI
5) None of these

36.    What is the base year of the new series of Consumer Price Indices (CPI) for rural, urban and combined introduced by the govenment in January, 2011 ?
1) 2005
2) 2007
3) 2008
4) 2010
5) None of these

37.    Which of the following was imposed a penalty of Rs. 55.5 crore for abusing its dominant position in the currency derivative (CD) market in June 2011 ?
1) National Stock Exchange
2) MCX-SX
3) Bombay Stock Exchange
4) OTCEI
5) None of these

38.    Use of the which of the following softwares in reporting financial results of companies was made compulsory by the government recently?
1) XBRL
2) Tally
3) HTML
4) COBOL
5) None of these

39.    What is the minimum time of operation an insurance company is required to launch an initial public offer (IPO) ?
1) 3 years
2) 5 years
3) 7 years
4) 10 years
5) None of these

40.    The Finance Ministry recently unveiled the structure of the infrastructure debt funds (IDFs) proposed in Budget 2011-12. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) IDF can be set up as a mututal fund (MF)
II) IDF can be set up as a non - banking finance company (NBFC)
III) IDF can be regulated by RBI or SEBI
1) I and II only
2) II only
3) II and III only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

41.    The securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced key changes int he Takeover Code governing mergers and acquisitions of companies in the country in July 2011. According to the new rules an investor whose shareholding in a company exceeds a certain limit will have to make an open offer to acquire a further ..... of the shareholding of the company
1) 18%
2) 20%
3) 24%
4) 26%
5) None of these

42.    The comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between India and Japan came into effect on August 1, 2011. This is India's third CEPA after .......
1) USA and United Kingdom
2) Singapore and South Korea
3) Malaysia and Thailand
4) China and Hong Kong
5) None of these

43.    The European Union has decided to lift restrictions on India's export of which of the following passing through European ports ?
1) Processed food   
2) Cheap medicines
3) Arms and Ammunition   
4) Radioactive waster
5) None of these

44.    Which state has the highest slum population in India according to Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry ?
1) Maharashtra
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Uttar Pradesh
4) West Bengal
5) None of these

45.    What is India's Per Capita Income at current prices in 2010-11 ?
1) Rs. 41,532
2) Rs. 45,278
3) Rs. 49,294
4) 54.835
5) None of these

46.    What is the share of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India's industrial production ?
 1) 8.72%
2) 16.18%
3) 24.67%
4) 44.86%
5) None of these

47.    The M. Damodaran committee on customer services by banks has suggested sweeping changes in banking practices in its report submitted to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in August 2011. Which of the following statements regarding its recommendations is / are correct ?
I) There should be a common customer service call centre for all banks
 II) Insurance cover for deposits should be raised to Rs 500, 000 from Rs 100,000 now
 III) Banks should offer savings accounts with facilities like cheque facility, ATM card, etc without prescribing a minimum balance requirement
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I, II and III

48.    The State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks Laws) Amendment Bill 2009 was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 11, 2011. Which of the following statements is / are correct ?
I) It allows subsidiary banks of State Bank of India (SBI) to raise capital through public issue route or through preferential allotment of equity shares
II) It authorises the Centre  to approve increase in or reduction of the authorised capital of a subsidiary bank
III) It permits the SBI Chairman to nominate an official of the State Bank or the subsidiary bank as the Chairman of the Board of a subsidiary bank
1) I only
2) I and II only
3) II and III only
4) I, II and III
5) None of these

49.    Which of the following is / are sold below market price to consumers in India ?
1) Kero sene
2) Diesel
3) LPG
4) All the above
5) None of these

50.    The Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas in its report submitted on August 3, 2011 has called for an end to sale of subsidised domestic cooking gas (LPG) for people with income of more than ....... per annum.
1) Rs 2 lakh
2) Rs 3 lakh
3) Rs 4 lakh
4) Rs 6 lakh
5) None of these

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

Saturday 19 November 2011

IBPS BANKING AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Which of the following bodies tightened the norms for foreign exchange risk cover in India mentioning that only companies with a networth of Rs 200 crore can use derivatives to hedge against risk of volatility in currency rates?
a. IMF
b. Reserve Bank of India
c. SEBI
d. Union Ministry of Finance
Ans: b
2. Which body in India finally provided tax exemption on the 9.5 per cent interest income on PF deposits for 2010-11?
a. Reserve Bank of India
b. Income Tax Department
c. Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation
d. Corporate Affairs Ministry
Ans: b
3. (1) The report on Customer Service in Banks by a committee chaired by M. Damodaran, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) that was released on 3 July 2011 recommended an increased deposit insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh so as to encourage individuals to keep all their deposits in banks.
(2) The panel also suggested blocking of lost ATM cards through SMS and immediate restoration of funds in case of non-dispensation of cash at an ATM within 5 working days.
Which of the above is not true?
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 & 2
d. None of the above
Ans: b
4. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a bid to tame inflationary pressure hiked the short-term indicative policy rate (repo rate) by 50 basis points on 26 July 2011. The repo rate currently stands at what percentage?
a. 7%
b. 7.5%
c. 8%
d. 8.5%
Ans: c
5. Which bank posted a 99 per cent drop in net profit at Rs 21 crore for the fourth quarter ended 31 March 2011 against Rs 1867 crore during the corresponding period in 2010?
a. Indian Overseas Bank
b. State Bank of India
c. Bank of India
d. United Bank of India
Ans: b
6. Who did global payments processing company MasterCard appoint as the General Manager, South Asia and Country President, India?
a. T. V. Seshadri
b. Vicky Bindra
c. Tunde Lemo
d. Ajay Banga
Ans: a
7. Government of India on 19 July 2011 appointed Usha Ananthasubramanian, former general manager of Bank of Baroda (BoB) as executive director of which public sector lender?
a. Central Bank of India
b. Punjab National Bank
c. United Bank of India
d. Gramin Bank
Ans: b
8. Name the public sector lender that selected Metlife as its partner for a proposed foray into the life insurance segment.
a. Syndicate Bank
b. Punjab National Bank
c. Corporation Bank
d. United Bank of India
Ans: b
9. Which bank signed a memorandum of understanding with Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) under which DHFL will distribute home loans to Yes Bank's customers?
a. Canara Bank
b. ABN Amro bank
c. Yes Bank
d. HSBC
Ans: c
10. Which life insurance company in India launched a new non-linked health insurance plan, Jeevan Arogya?
a. HDFC Standard Life Insurance Co. Ltd
b. Life Insurance Corporation of India
c. IDBI Fortis Life Insurance Company Ltd.
d. SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd
Ans: b
11. Which of the following public sector banks in November 2011 froze its lending to the power sector?
a. State Bank of India
b. Allahabad Bank
c. Punjab National Bank
d. United Bank of India
Ans: b
12. Which Indian bank on 10 May 2011 raised benchmark prime lending rate 75 basis points to 14% following raising of interest rates by RBI by basis points on 3 May 2011?
a. State Bank of India
b. Union Bank
c. Punjab National Bank
d. Bank of Baroda
Ans: a
13. The Reserve Bank of India on 26 April 2011 fined 19 banks, including the country's top private and foreign banks for violating its guidelines on derivatives. Which is the only public sector bank on the list of banks to be fined?
a. State bank of India
b. Punjab National Bank
c. Bank of India
d. Indian Bank
Ans: a
14. The Reserve Bank of India on 25 August 2011 released its Annual Report for 2010-11. Which of the following was not discussed in the Annual Report the Central Board of the RBI?
a. assessment of the macroeconomic performance during 2010-11
b. prospects for 2011-12
c. working and operations of the Reserve Bank and its financial accounts
d. role of regulatory bodies in controlling the financial markets
Ans: d
15. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) panel headed by headed by Usha Thorat, Director, Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL) on 29 August 2011 came up with suggestion on non-banking finance company (NBFC). Which of the following related to this statement is not true?
1. The panel suggested the central bank to insist on a minimum asset size of more than Rs.25 crore for registering any new non-banking finance company (NBFC)
2. Transfer of shareholding, direct or indirect, of 25 per cent and above, change in control, merger or acquisition of any registered NBFC will require prior approval of the Reserve Bank.
3. Tier-I capital for capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) purposes would be specified at 12 per cent to be achieved in three years for all registered deposit-taking and non-deposit-taking NBFCs.
4. NBFCs would be subject to regulations similar to banks while lending to stock brokers and merchant banks and similar to stock brokers, as specified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
a. 1 & 4
b. 2 & 4
c. Only 4
d. Only 1
Ans: d
16. Which Indian PSU bank in tune with its plans to expand its retail division in the UK entered the mortgage market in the country for the first time?
a. Punjab National Bank
b. Oriental Bank of Commerce
c. State bank of India
d. Indian Overseas Bank
Ans: c
17. Which of the following banks set up two loan processing centres for the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment on a pilot basis in Bangalore & in New Delhi in September 2011?
a. Corp Bank
b. United Bank of India
c. Syndicate Bank
d. Bank of Baroda
Ans: c
18. The government suspended M Ramadoss for alleged violations in issuing insurance cover to an airline during his stint as head of another state-run insurer. To which insurance group did he belong to?
a. New India Assurance
b. LIC
c. GIC
d. ICICI Insurance
Ans: a
19. Which of the following banks in early May 2011 entered into a tie-up with non-banking finance companies such as Future Capital, Bajaj Finance, and Reliance Capital to grow its retail portfolio?
a. Central Bank of India
b. State Bank of India
c. Bank of India
d. HDFC Bank
Ans: a
20. Which are the two Gujarat-based cooperative sector lenders on which Reserve bank of India imposed a financial penalty of Rs 1 lakh each for violation of various rules, including anti-money laundering guidelines?
1. Shree MahalaxmiMercantile Co-operative Bank
2. Rander People's Co-operative Bank
3. Abad District Co Op Bank
4. Ahd Mercantile Co-Op Bank Ltd
a. 1 & 2
b. 2 & 3
c. 1 & 4
d. 3 & 4
Ans: (a)

Wednesday 16 November 2011

SBI Associate Banks Probationary Officers Exam., 2011



General Awareness, Marketing and Computers
(Exam Held on 7-8-2011)


1. A major Public Sector Bank raised interest rates on loans by 25 basis points–was news in some major financial newspapers recently. This means bank has raised interest by 25 basis points of–
(A) Savings Bank Interest Rate
(B) Base Lending Rate
(C) Repo Rates
(D) Present Rates on Deposits
(E) Discounted Rates of Interest
Ans : (B)

2. The Finance Minister of India in one of his press conferences said that inflationary pressure is likely to continue following recent increase in rates of some commodities in international markets. Which of the following commodities was he referring to as it gets frequent increase at international levels and disturbs our Home Economy substantially ?
(A) Gold and Silver
(B) Petroleum products
(C) Tea and Coffee
(D) Sugar
(E) Jute and Jute products
Ans : (B)

3. Immediately prior to change in the measure of Food Inflation, which of the following indexes was being used for measuring it?
(A) Wholesale Price Index
(B) Consumer Price Index
(C) Interest Rates offered by banks on deposits
(D) Sensex and Nifty
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)


4. What is the full form of 'FINO' a term we see frequently in financial newspapers ?
(A) Financial Investment Network and Operations
(B) Farmer's Investment in National Organisation
(C) Farmers Inclusion News and Operations
(D) Financial Inclusion Network and Operations
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

5. Which of the following is / are commodity/ies on which subsidy is given to farmers / poor in India ?
1. Fertilizer
2. Kerosene
3. LPG
(A) Only1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

6. 'Bhagyam Oilfields' which were recently in news are located in which of the following states in India ?
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Gujarat
(C) Assam
(D) Maharashtra
(E) Karnataka
Ans : (A)

7. The Finance Minister of India recently decided to review the position of 'Bad Debts' in priority sector. Which of the following is/are the reason(s) owing to which PM took this decision ?
1. Bad Debt in agriculture is still rising substantially every year despite special treatment to it.
2. Bad Debt in other areas of priority sector is almost nil now,
3. Govt. is planning to disburse another installment of Rs. 1,60,000 crore which will bring 'Bad Debts' almost at 'Nil level' and no special treatment will be needed in next fiscal year.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

8. Which amongst the following countries is not a member of the TAPI pipe line project, which was in news recently ?
(A) India
(B) Afghanistan
(C) Portugal
(D) Pakistan
(E) Turkmenistan
Ans : (C)

9. An agreement on Arms Reduction popularly known as 'START' is one of the major issues in the way of smooth relations between which of the following two countries ?
(A) India–Pakistan
(B) India–China
(C) China–Japan
(D) USA–Russia
(E) Russia–Iran
Ans : (D)

10. The International WWW Conference-2011 was organized in which of the following places in March 2011 ?
(A) London
(B) Paris
(C) Vienna
(D) Manila
(E) Hyderabad
Ans : (E)

11. Which of the following international agencies/ organizations had initiated an "International Convention for the 'Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance' , which came into effect recently ?
(A) World Health Organisation (WHO)
(B) International Court of Justice
(C) International Maritime Organisation
(D) International Atomic Energy Agency
(E) United Nations organization
Ans : (E)

12. 'BRIC' which was the Organisation of 4 nations namely Brazil, Russia, India and China has now become 'BRICS'. Which is the fifth nation included in it ?
(A) South Korea
(B) Sp Lanka
(C) Singapore
(D) Spain
(E) South Africa
Ans : (E)

13. The process of acquisition of agricultural land and its compensation to farmers recently came up as a major issue in which of the following states ? (It also created law and order problem in the State)
(A) Haryana
(B) Gujarat
(C) Uttar Pradesh
(D) Rajasthan
(E) Punjab
Ans : (C)

14. What does the letter 'L' denote in term 'LAF' as referred every now and then in relation to monetary policy of the RBI ?
(A) Liquidity
(B) Liability
(C) Leveraged
(D) Longitudinal
(E) Linear
Ans : (A)

15. BP Pic which was in news recently is a major international company in field of–
(A) Heavy Machinery
(B) Oil exploration and processing
(C) Atomic Energy
(D) Information Technology
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

16. Who amongst the following has been appointed as the new coach of the Indian Cricket team for a period of two years ?
(A) Stuart Law
(B) Allan Border
(C) Gary Kirsten
(D) Duncan Fletcher
(E) Allan Donald
Ans : (D)

17. Why was Kanishtha Dhankhars name in news recently ?
(A) She was crowned Femina Miss India-2011
(B) She was adjudged Best Actress-2010 by Film Fare
(C) She is the new Capital of India's woman cricket team
(D) She is the new Dy. Minister Textile in place of Dayanidhi Maran
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

18. K. Balachander, who was awarded prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award-2010, is basically a/an–
(A) Actor
(B) Director
(C) Photographer
(D) Music Director
(E) Choreographer
Ans : (D)

19. Banks and other financial institutions in India are required to maintain a certain amount of liquid assets like cash, precious metals and other short term securities as a reserve all the time. In Banking World this is known as–
(A) CRR
(B) Fixed Asset
(C) SLR
(D) PLR
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

20. Which of the following Space agencies recently launched three satellites and placed them into Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit successfully?
(A) NASA
(B) ROSCOSMOS
(C) cnsa
(D) ISRO
(E) JAXA
Ans : (D)

21. As per the decision taken by the Govt. of India recently, "Bamboo is a liberated item now". What does it really mean ?
1. Bamboo, henceforth will be treated as a minor forest produce only.
2. Now villagers are free to sell bamboo in their community forest areas.
3. Gramsabha is given right to issue transport passes to legally transport the produce.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

22. Union Cabinet recently passed a Rs. 7000 crore project to clean-up which of the following rivers in India?
(A) Narmada
(B) Ravi
(C) Ganga
(D) Chambal
(E) Krishna
Ans : (C)

23. As per estimates of the Planning Commission of India the target growth rate of 12th Five Year Plan is set to–
(A) 7 to 8%
(B) 8.0% to 8.5%
(C) 9% to 9.5%
(D) 10 to 10.5%
(E) 11%
Ans : (E)

24. Goodluck Jonathan was recently reelected the President of–
(A) South Africa
(B) Nigeria
(C) Kosovo
(D) Haiti
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

25. Which of the following schemes is not launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India ?
(A) National Old Age Pension Scheme
(B) National Maternity Benefit Scheme
(C) National Family Benefit Scheme
(D) Mid-Day Meal Scheme
(E) All are launched by Ministry of Rural Development
Ans : (D)

26. Where you are likely to find an embedded operating system ?
(A) on a desktop operating system
(B) on a networked PC
(C) on a network server
(D) on a PDA
(E) on a mainframe
Ans : (D)

27. An online discussion group that allows direct 'live' communication is known as–
(A) Webcrawler
(B) chat group
(C) regional service provider
(D) hyperlink
(E) e-mail
Ans : (B)

28. Which of the following is a program that uses a variety of different approaches to identify and eliminate spam ?
(A) Directory search
(B) Anti-spam program
(C) Web server
(D) Web storefront creation package
(E) Virus
Ans : (B)

29. Connection or link to other documents or Web Pages that contain related information is called–
(A) dial-up
(B) electronic commerce
(C) hyperlink
(D) e-cash
(E) domain name
Ans : (C)

30. Which of the following is a programming language for creating special programs like
applets ?
(A) Java
(B) cable
(C) domain name
(D) Net
(E) COBOL
Ans : (A)

31. The system unit–
(A) coordinates input and output devices
(B) is the container that houses electronic components
(C) is a combination of hardware and software
(D) controls and manipulates data
(E) does the arithmetic operations
Ans : (C)

32. System software–
(A) allows the user to diagnose and troubleshoot the device
(B) is a programming language
(C) is part of a productivity suit
(D) is an optional form of software
(E) helps the computer manage internal resources
Ans : (E)

33. Computer and communication technologies, such as communication links to the Internet that provide help and understanding to the end user is known as–
(A) presentation file
(B) information technology
(C) program
(D) worksheet file
(E) FTP
Ans : (B)

34. Which of the following is contained on chips connected to the system board and is a holding area for data instructions and information ? (processed data waiting to be output to secondary storage)
(A) program
(B) mouse
(C) Internet
(D) memory
(E) modem
Ans : (D)

35. Microsoft's Messenger allows users to–
(A) to bypass a browser to surf the Web
(B) create a blog
(C) communicate via direct live communication
(D) identify and eliminate spam
(E) make graphic presentations
Ans : (C)

36. Portable computer, also known as laptop computer, weighing between 4 and 10 pounds is called–
(A) general-purpose application
(B) Internet
(C) scanner
(D) printer
(E) notebook computer
Ans : (E)

37. The main circuit-board of the system unit is the–
(A) computer program
(B) control unit
(C) motherboard
(D) RAM
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

38. Which of the following is billionth of a second ?
(A) Gigabyte
(B) Terabyte
(C) Nanosecond
(D) Microsecond
(E) Terasecond
Ans : (C)

39. Online Marketing is the function of which of the following ?
(A) Purchase Section
(B) Production Department
(C) I.T. Department
(D) Designs Section
(E) A collective function of all staff
Ans : (E)

40. Customisation is useful for–
(A) Designing customer specific products
(B) Call centers
(C) Publicity
(D) Motivating the staff
(E) Cold calls
Ans : (A)

41. The key challenge to market driven strategy is–
(A) Selling maximum products
(B) Employing maximum DSAs
(C) Delivering superior value to customers
(D) Being rigid to changes
(E) Adopting short term vision
Ans : (C)

42. Effective Selling skills depends on–
(A) Size of the sales teams
(B) Age of the sales teams
(C) Peerstrength
(D) Knowledge level of the sales team
(E) Educational level of the sales team
Ans : (C)

43. Generation of sales leads can be improved by–
(A) Being very talkative
(B) Increasing personal and professional contacts
(C) Being passive
(D) Engaging Recovery Agents
(E) Product designs
Ans : (B)

44. A Market Plan is–
(A) Performance Appraisal of marketing staff
(B) Company Prospectus
(C) Documented marketing strategies
(D) Business targets
(E) Call centre
Ans : (C)

45. Marketing channels mean–
(A) Delivery objects
(B) Sales targets
(C) Delivery outlets
(D) Delivery boys
(E) Sales teams
Ans : (C)

46. Social Marketing means–
(A) Share market prices
(B) Marketing by the entire society
(C) Internet Marketing
(D) Marketing for a social cause
(E) Society bye-laws
Ans : (D)

47. Service Marketing is the same as–
(A) Internet Marketing
(8) Telemarketing
(C) Internal Marketing
(D) Relationship Marketing
(E) Transaction Marketing
Ans : (D)

48. Market driven strategies include–
(A) Identifying problems
(8) Planning marketing tactics of peers
(C) Positioning the Organisation and its brands in the market place
(D) Internal marketing
(E) Selling old products
Ans : (C)

49. Innovation in marketing is same as–
(A) Motivation
(8) Perspiration
(C) Aspiration
(D) Creativity
(E) Teamwork
Ans : (D)

50. Personal Loans can be canvassed among–
(A) Salaried persons
(8) Pensioners
(C) Foreign Nationals
(D) NRI customers
(E) Non-customers
Ans : (A)

GENERAL AWARENESS MODEL QUESTIONS

1. As per the existing norms and policies of the RBI, Banks are required to advance how much of their total advances to priority sectors ?
A.30%
B. 35%
C. 40%
D. 25%
Answer: (C)

2. The rate of interest, banks charge to its main/major and prime; customers is popularly called as..............
A. risk premium
B. prime lending rate
C. repo rate
D.reverse repo rate
Answer: (B)

3. Which of the following was the mutual fund listed on the newly launched mutual fund platform on National Stock Exchange ?
A. UTI Mutual Fund
B. SBI Mutual Fund
C. LIC Mutual Fund
D. Bank of Baroda Mutual Fund
Answer: (A)

4. Which of the following cannot be called as debt instrument as referred in financial transaction ?
A.certificate of deposit
B. bonds
C. stocks
D. loans
Answer: (D)

5. Which of the following organizations/agencies has recently released "Asian Development Outlook 2011" ?
A. world bank
B. Asian Development Bank
C. UNCTAD
D. UNESCO
Answer: (B)

6. When was the "Self Help Group" bank linkage programme started ?
A. 1992
B. 1995
C. 1998
D. 2001
Answer: (A)

7. While returning cheques, the uniforms regulations and rules for bankers clearing houses expect the banks that the returning memo sent by banks to the collecting banks :
A.should be signed
B.should be signed or initialed
C.if it is computerized no signatures or initials are required
D.all of the above
Answer: (B)

8. The RBI on July 5,2011 extended the .......... percent ceiling of bank investment in liquid schemes of mutual funds to include short-term debt funds.
A.5
B.8
C.10
D.12
Answer: (C)

9. RBI has introduced a new series of 'star' bank note, which will be issued in denominations of ?
A. Rs. 10 , Rs. 20 , Rs. 50
B. Rs. 10 , Rs. 50 , Rs. 100
C. Rs. 20 , Rs. 50 , Rs.100
D.Rs. 20 , Rs. 100 , Rs. 500
Answer: (A)

10. Recently which bank has successfully completed 100 years?
A. Punjab National bank
B. Central Bank of India
C. Bank of India
D.State Bank of India
Answer: (B)

11. If you see a big hoarding at a prominent public place, the punch line of which says ‘We All Were Born Free’; ‘We All Have Equal Rights’, in all probability, the hoarding is put up by—
A. Union Public Service Commission
B. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
C. National Human Rights Commission
D. National Commission for Farmers
Answer: (C)

12. Who amongst the following was India’s official candidate for the post of UNO’s Secretary General ?
A.Mr. Shyam Saran
B. Mr. Vijay Nambiar
C.Mr. Shashi Tharoor
D.Dr. C. Rangarajan
Answer: (C)

13. Prof. Muhammad Yunus the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize 2006 is the exponent of which of the following concepts in the field of banking ?
A. Core Banking
B. Micro Credit
C. Retail Banking
D. Internet Banking
Answer: (B)

14. Many a time we read in the newspapers that RBI has changed or revised a particular ratio/rate by a few basis points. What is basis point ?
A. Ten per cent of one hundredth point
B. One hundredth of 1%
C. One hundredth of 10%
D.Ten per cent of 1000
Answer: (B)

15. Expand the term NREGA—
A.National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
B. New Rural Employment Guarantee Agency
C.National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
D.National Rural Employment Guarantee Agency
Answer: (A)

16. Which of the following awards is not given for excellence in the field of literature ?
A.Arjun Award
B. Bharatiya Gnanpith Award
C.Nobel Prize
D. Booker Prize
Answer: (A)

17. Who is the author of the book ‘Future Shock’ ?
A.Kenneth Blanchard
B.Napoleon Hill
C.Tom Peters
D.Alvin Toffler
Answer: (D)

18. The market in which long term securities such as stocks and bonds are bought and sold is commonly known as—
A.Capital Market
B .Bull Market
C.Commodities Exchange
D.Bullion Market
Answer: (D)

19. The Tarapore committee report is concerned with which of the following ::
A.SBI
B.RBI
C.SEZ
D.Capital A/c convertibility
Answer: (D)

20. The per-capita income in India is estimated by ?
A.Central statistical organization
B. RBI
C. Central bank
D. Census commission
Answer: (A)

21. Which of the following is not a bank or finance company?
A.Barclays
B. BNP Paribas
C.Lufthansa
D. HSBC
Answer: (C)

22. Approximately what per cent of the Indian population lives on $ 1 or even less a day?
A. 35
B. 30
C. 25
D. 20
Answer: (A)

23. The J.L. Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research was recently in the news because of:
A.ultra modern scientific courses in India
B.Ist nano-technology lab in India
C.success in DNA coding
D.international meeting of scientists
Answer: (B)

24. Karvar, Sasan, Akaltara, Mudra and Ratnagiri are the sites proposed for:
A.archaeological survey
B.test sites for Indian missiles
C.hydroelectric power projects
D.ultra-mega power plants
Answer: (D)

25. Which of the following is NOT one of the recommendations of the committee setup on Financial Sector Reforms under the Chairmanship of Raghuram G.Rajan ?
(1) Give more freedoms to banks to setup branches and ATMS anywhere
(2) Setup an office of financial ombudsmen
(3) All deposits taking institutions should be free from the supervision of the RBI
A.Only 1
B.Only 2
C.Only 3
D. All
Answer: (A)

26. Federal Reserves is the Central Bank of—
A.China
B.Canada
C.U.S.A.
D.Japan
Answer: (C)

27. Which of the following companies of Indian origin has been placed amongst the World's seven Best Firms in Financial Sector ?
A.ICICI Bank
B.HDFC Bank
C.Bajaj Capitals
D.IDBI Bank
Answer: (B)

28. Which of the following is one of the two sub-schemes under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) launched in union budget 2011-2012 ?
A.saffron mission
B.accelerated fodder development program
C.bringing green revolution to eastern India
D.national mission for protein supplements
Answer: (A)

29. Who among the following leaders did not attend the IBSA summit in October 2011 ?
A.Dmitri Medvedav
B. Manmohan singh
C.Jacob Zuma
D. Dilma Raussef
Answer: (B)

30. Financial market department was setup in RBI in ?
A.July 2006
B.July 2005
C.August 2006
D. August 2005
Answer: (B)

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Women use their debit cards less frequently, reveals RBI survey


This piece of information may give you some insight into how women deal with money. The Reserve Bank of India, in a survey, has found that they use their debit cards less frequently.
What one could deduce from this finding is that women prefer to use credit cards for shopping to avail themselves of the 45-day credit period. But when it comes to hard cash for daily needs, it is the hubby who swipes the debit card at an ATM.
“Women may be smarter when it comes to money matters. The 45-day free credit period that comes with shopping with a credit card is an irresistible attraction,” said Mr Sanjay Sharma, Managing Director IDBI Intech, a banking and financial service technology provider.
The number of debit and credit cards outstanding as at September-end 2011 was 25 crore and 1.76 crore respectively. Some of the other findings of the RBI's survey to assess customer satisfaction in the usage of ATMs across the country are: the use of cards for shopping was more among the youth; the use of debit cards for shopping was the highest in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Further, debit cards were mainly used for withdrawing cash or shopping purposes and the use of these cards for bills payment/ticket purchase was still low. The survey covered 600 ATMs distributed proportionately over metro, urban, semi-urban and rural regions, constituting one per cent of the total number of 60,000 ATMs in the country.

Customer service slips in public sector banks


While a good number of people generally state that they prefer to have their accounts in state-run banks, citing safety as the most important criteria, the banking regulator's findings reveal that customer service complaints against public sector banks have risen in 2010-11 as compared to those against private sector and foreign banks.
‘Customer satisfaction is an integral element in inculcating trust among the common people on the banking sector,' states the Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2010-11.
Understanding the importance of customer service in banking, the RBI set up a separate customer service department in 2006 as also Banking Ombudsman (BO) offices in 15 major banking centres.
The BO has since proved to be a forum for redressing complaints received from customers.
According to the latest Trend and Progress report, the number of complaints received by the banking ombudsman has dipped in 2010-11 to 71,274 from 79,266 in 2009-10.
The decline in complaints has been more visible in the BO offices in Chennai, where it fell from 12,727 in 2009-10 to 7,668 in 2010-11, in New Delhi from 12,045 to 10,508 and in Mumbai from 10,058 to 7,566.
In the midst of this declining trend, Bhopal, Patna, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Guwahati reported an increase in the number of complaints.
The report further points out that the number of complaints per branch was high for foreign banks at 22.34, with almost a-fourth of the total received against credit/debit/ ATM cards.
The second largest number of complaints was with regard to pension followed by loans and advances.
More than 90 per cent of the total complaints relating to Direct Selling Agents (DSA) were received against foreign banks and new private banks in 2010-11 and 50 per cent (of the total complaints) related to hidden charges. Such complaints were found to be relatively less in public sector banks.
Pension-related complaints were instead quite high, accounting for almost 95 per cent of the total complaints, in public sector banks.
The RBI had constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of the former Chairman of SEBI, Mr M. Damodaran, to examine banking services rendered to retail and small customers, including pensioners in 2010.
The Committee was also mandated to look into the grievance redressal mechanism prevalent in banks, suggest measures for expeditious resolution of complaints.
The committee interacted with various stakeholders on all aspects of customer service, including attitude of bank staff towards small and rural customers, service charges, transparency in operations, grievance redressal, customer rights and expectations, among others.

Regional rural banks see healthy growth in saving bank deposits

It looks like people in rural areas put more money in savings bank (SB) deposits than in term deposits. This was visible in 82 regional rural banks (RRBs), which saw SB deposits rise by nearly Rs 15,000 crore and term deposits by around Rs 4,800 crore in 2010-11. Also, current account deposits were up by around Rs 1,100 crore.
These figures were released by the RBI in its Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2010-11 on Monday.
The CASA (current account savings account) deposits constituted almost 60 per cent of the total deposits. The vast rural presence and small-ticket deposits helped boost CASA.
While agriculture credit constituted nearly 55 per cent of the total credit. The crop loan alone was around 40 per cent of the total credit. In all, priority sector lending was 82.4 per cent to the total credit.
The credit-deposit ratio, which was 57.1 per cent in 2009-10, increased to 59.69 per cent during 2010-11.

PROFIT GROWTH

The RRBs in the country recorded a net profit of Rs 1,988 crore (Rs 1,884 crore), a growth of 5.5 per cent. The growth in net profit was mainly because of a nearly 30 per cent decline in provisions and contingencies during the period. The provisions and contingencies decreased to Rs 705 crore (Rs 1,029 crore) during the period.
On the income side, the interest income stood at Rs 15,225 crore (Rs 12,945 crore), recording a growth of 17.6 per cent.
On the expenditure side, the wage bill saw a jump of 42.9 per cent — from Rs 2,676 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 3,825 crore in 2010-11.
The migration of banking operations to core banking solution (CBS) gained pace, and 65 of the 82 RRBs implemented them by the end of September 30.

SBI, ICICI Bank lead peers in global branch network


State Bank of India and ICICI Bank appropriated to themselves the credit of running the most extensive global networks from among the country's public and private sector banks.
State Bank of India (SBI) owns the largest network of foreign offices (64) as at August-end, says the Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2010-11.
Bank of Baroda followed with 60. Together, these two accounted for 51 per cent of total foreign offices of banks. SBI also undertook the largest expansion of foreign operations by opening five new offices abroad during the year under reference.
ICICI Bank (19) led the private sector banks in terms of largest foreign presence.

FOREIGN BANKS

The number of foreign banks operating here is 38 (34 a year ago). The number of branches too rose to 321 (315). Another 47 (45) banks had representative offices.
Standard Chartered had the largest network, followed by HSBC, Citibank and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Permission was granted to National Australia Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Rabobank International and Woori Bank to open one branch each.
Besides, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation was allowed to open a representative office.
Foreign operations of Indian banks expanded to a network of 244 offices as compared with 233 offices in the previous year.

GENERAL AWARENESS MCQs FOR BANK EXAMS

1. Which of the following countries is not a member of G-8?
1) Canada
2) Russia
3) Spain
4) France
5) Italy

2. Which of the following is a Public sector bank?
1) Dena
2) Karnataka
3) South Indian
4) Karur Vysya
5) IndusInd

3. Which of the following committees is associated with the microfinance institutions (MFIs)?
1) B.N. Srikrishna
2) Kirit Parikh
3) Rangarajan
4) Y.H. Malegam
5) Bimal Jalan

4. U.K.Sinha is the Chairman of which of the following regulators?
1) SEBI
2) IRDA
3) FMC
4) TRAI
5) AERA

5. Who became the first Indian author to win the Man Booker Prize in 1981?
1) Salman Rushdie
2) Arundhati Roy
3) Kiran Desai
4) Aravind Adiga
5) None


6. Which of the following cups is associated with Lawn Tennis?
1) Yonex Cup
2) Hopman Cup
3) Thomas Cup
4) Uber Cup
5) Tunku Abdul Rahman Cup

7. Which of the following international groups/organizations consists of only developing countries?
1) UNO
2) G8
3) G15
4) G20
5) OECD

8. The banking Ombudsman sche-me was formulated by the Reserve bank of India to provide an expeditious redressal grievan-ce mechanism to bank custom-ers. When did this scheme beco-me operational?
1) 1990
2) 1992
3) 1995
4) 1998
5) 1996

9. Which of the following is the pu-nchline of the Bank of Baroda?
1) With you all the way
2) Pure banking Nothing else
3) The Banker to every Indian
4) Nation banks on us
5) India's International Bank

10. Taufik Hidayat, Joachim Person, Lin Dan and Chetan Anand are the famous players associated with which of the following sports?
1) Tennis
2) Table Tennis
3) Badminton
4) Chess
5) Golf

11. The Lok Sabha passed a Bill recently to change the name of which of the following states?
1) Assam
2) Orissa
3) Uttarakhand
4) Karnataka
5) Andhra Pradesh

12. Ollanta Humala, who previously served as an army officer, beca-me the President of which of the following countries in July 2011?
1) Uganda
2) Peru
3) Mexico
4) South Africa
5) None of these

13. Ms. Pauline Nyiramasuhuko became the first-ever woman to be found guilty of genocide by an international tribunal. She was a former minister for women's em-powerment of which of the following countries?
1) Sudan
2) Algeria
3) Ethiopia
4) Rwanda
5) Uganda

14. Who was appointed the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) in July 2011?
1) P.J. Thomas
2) Pradeep Kumar
3) Ajit Seth
4) Ajit Singh
5) None of these

15. What is the annual funding under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for the current fiscal (2011-12)?
1) Rs. 2 Crore
2) Rs. 3 Crore
3) Rs. 5 Crore
4) Rs. 4 Crore
5) None of these

16. Which country recently opened the world's longest sea bridge (36.48km) to traffic?
1) India
2) USA
3) China
4) Japan
5) Russia

17. Which Indian shuttler won the title at the Maldives International badminton challenge held in Male, Maldives in June 2011?
1) Saina Nehwal
2) P.C. Tulasi
3) P.V. Sindhu
4) Gutta Jwala
5) Ashwini Ponappa

18. Mayookha Johny of India won a gold medal at the 19th Asian athletics championships in Kobe, Japan in July 2011. In which spo-rting event did she win the gold medal?
1) High Jump
2) Pole Vault
3) Shot Put
4) Discus throw
5) Long Jump

19. The Karpoor Chandra Kulish International Award is given for excellence in which of the following fields?
1) Classical music
2) Print Journalism
3) Movies
4) Sports
5) None of these

20. Which Indian-origin student won the 2011 Scripps National Spel-ling Bee competition held in Maryland, USA?
1) Sameer Mishra
2) Kavya Shivshankar
3) Anamika Veeramani
4) Sukanya Roy
5) None of these

21. Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to the prestigious Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IA-TA) from 2011 to 2013. He is the chairman of which of the following airlines?
1) SpiceJet
2) Kingfisher Airlines
3) IndiGo
4) Jet Airways
5) None of these

22. Broken Republic is a book about the Maoist guerrilla movement in the forests of central India. Who is the author?
1) Siddhartha Deb
2) Kiran Desai
3) Anita Desai
4) Arundhati Roy
5) None

23. Who was honoured with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 2009 in May 2011?
1) Nelson Mandela
2) Aung San Suu Kyi
3) Angela Merkel
4) Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
5) None of these

24. Yingluck Shinawatra is the first woman Prime Minister of which of the following countries?
1) Myanmar
2) Thailand
3) Cambodia
4) Malaysia
5) Indonesia

25. Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has launched its 'e-Kiosk', an automated cheque depositing system, recently. Where is the headquarters of the IOB?
1) Mumbai
2) Chennai
3) New Delhi
4) Kolkata
5) Pune

26. Which country has decided to phase out nuclear power by 2034 after the Japan disaster shook pu-blic confidence in the Industry?
1) France
2) USA
3) India
4) Switzerland
5) Pakistan

27. The Reserve Bank of India has directed banks to reimburse customers for amounts wrongfully debited from their accounts in failed ATM transactions within how many days of an account holder's complaint?
( With effect from July 1,2011)
1) 7
2) 10
3) 12
4) 15
5) 30

28. Who won the U.S. open golf championship in June 2011?
1) Tiger Woods
2) Graeme McDowell
3) Lucas Glover
4) Rory McIlory
5) None

29. Who became the Ambassador of India to the United States of America in August 2011?
1) Shiv Shankar Menon
2) Meera Shankar
3) Ranjan Mathai
4) Nirupama Rao
5) None

30. Sepp Blatter was re-elected as the President of which of the following sports governing bodies in May 2011?
1) ICC
2) FIFA
3) IAAF
4) FIH
5) None of these

31. The concessional rate of interest which is lower than the normal bank rate of interest is called?
1) Repo rate
2) Reverse repo rate.
3) Cash Reserve ratio
4) bank rate
5) base rate

32. Which scheme seeks to improve the conditions of the urban slum dwellers living below the poverty line that do not possess adequate shelter?
1) JNNURM
2) NREGP
3) VAMBAY
4) Bharat Nirman
5) None of these

33. Who is the author of the book 'My Country, My Life'?
1) Khushwant Singh
2) Jaswant Singh
3) Jawaharlal Nehru
4) L.K. Advani
5) None of these

34. Oscar awards are given annually in which of the following fields?
1) Literature
2) Science
3) Peace
4) Economics
5) Films

35. Which of the following institutions regulate the Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs)?
1) SEBI
2) LIC
3) RBI
4) IRDA
5) FMC

36. Which of the following banks' mascot is the DOLLe (dolphin)?
1) IndusInd
2) Syndicate
3) Andhra
4) Bank of India
5) State Bank of India

37. In which field is Pritzker Prize given?
1) Mathematics
2) Architecture
3) Medicine
4) Peace
5) None

38. Which of the following authors was given the Lost Man Booker Prize in 2010 for his book 'Troubles'? (He is also the author of the book 'The Siege of Krishnapur, that won the 1973 Booker Prize'.)
1) P.H. Newby
2) J. G. Farrell
3) V. S. Naipaul
4) William Golding
5) Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

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