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Monday 14 May 2012

CURRENT AFFAIRS APRIL 2012


1. Name the yesteryear actress who featured in the popular song ‘Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen’ from the film ‘Waqt’who passed away recently.

Achala Sachdev passed away at a Pune hospital on April 30, 2012. Achala was 91 year old.      
2. Where in India, largest solar power plant with an installed capacity of 40 MW started producing electricity?
Pokhran in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan

3. Which department in India plans to set up 1000 ATM’s across 6 states?
Postal department

4. Who created history by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to have qualified for the London Olympics 2012?
Geeta

5. Who has been appointed next Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission?

Ratan Kumar Sinha       

6. In which part of India, Indo Tibetan Border Police headquarters is to be opened?
Bihar

7. Which state’s High Court has insisted that banks cannot freeze accounts nor stop services of issuing cheque book or ATM facility where the account holder has not supplied KYC (Know Your Customers) documents?
Gujarat

8. Name the former Haryana chief secretary who took oath as state information commissioner ?
Urvashi Gulati

9. Which State becames the 3rd state in India to launch State Portal (SP) and State Service Delivery Gateway (SSDG) project?
Nagaland

10. Who won the World Series Hockey 2012 title?
Sher-E-Punjab

11. In which state Urdu medium Government schools would be setup as announced by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav?
Uttar Pradesh

12. Where is the World’s first Virtual shopping store opened?
Korea

13. Who is named as HSBC’s India CEO?
Stuart Milne

14. Which Indian state bans guthka from 1st of April 2012 to curb the increasing number of mouth cancer cases?
Madhya Pradesh

15. Which Indian state chief minister has urged union Finance Minister to bail it out of its huge burden?
West Bengal

16. Name the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice who was sworn in as Supreme court judge ?
F.M.Ibrahim Kalifulla

17. Name the Gujarati techie whose name has emerged for India’s President as the nation has to elect 16th President in July 2012 ?
Sam Pitroda

18. At what value Air India’s restructuring plan was approved by a group of 19 banks led by SBI?
18,000 crore

19. Which services Airtel is planning to launch in Kolkata in April 2012?
4G services

20. Name the nuclear submarine which joined Indian Navy.
INS Chakra

21. Which education company bagged Rs.209 crore order from Assam Government?
Educomp

22. Which 2 north Indian states will have pipeline connected oil terminals for supply of diesel, petrol and kerosene?
Jammu and Himachal Pradesh

23. Which Asian country has issued tender to buy minimum of 30,000 tonnes of basmati rice from India and Pakistan?
Iraq

24. NSE founder who passes away Recently?

RH Patil

Dr R H Patil, chairman, Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL) and founder-managing director of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) passed away in Mumbai.  
25. Who donated 1 million Singapore Dollars to Indian Heritage Centre?
Founder of Singapore-based IT company Si2i Mobility B.K.Modi

26. Name the world’s highest and longest bridge that was officially opened to motorists in China.
Anzhaite Long-span Suspension Bridge in Jishou

27. Which bank has opened 16 Ultra Small branches in 16 locations in villages to cater to financial needs of the rural populace?
IDBI Bank

28. Who has been conferred with Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal?
Narayana Murthy

29. In which city in Kerala will Infosys setup its 2nd campus?
Thiruvananthapuram

30. Which bank will set up 1-person micro branches to serve remote areas of the northeastern region financially?
Indian Overseas Bank

31. Which act does not allow to prosecute (no wife can claim compensation or maintenance) husband’s girlfriend?
Protection of Women from Domestic Vilonce Act, 2005

32. Name the 3 Indian hockey players after whom tube stations in London has been renamed.
Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and Leslie Claudius

33. Who has been signed up as brand ambassador of Toyota Kirloskar Motors?
Virat Kohli

34. When was 63rd Rajasthan Day celebrated?
30th March 2012

35. Where in Rajasthan Spices Board’s first Spices Park is setup?
Jodhpur

36. Which Asian country recently became member of Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)?
India

37. Who won her 6th world sprint title at the world track cycling championships 2012?
Victoria Pendleton

38. Name the Malawi President who died after heart attack.
Bingu wa Mutharika

39. Who was sworn in as Malawi’s President following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika?

Joyce Banda                   

40. Which Asian country made Hindu marriage registration a must by bringing the law in lines with India?
Bangladesh

41. Israel has decided to setup its consulate office in which part of India?
Bangalore

42. Which Indian city is likely to get water taxis and air-conditioned trams?
Kolkata

43. Name the young doctor who is set to become the first foreign national of Indian origin to walk across Antarctica carrying the Indian Flag.
Dr.Alexander Kumar

44. Name the youngest Indian boxer who qualified for London Olympics 2012.

Shiva Thapa                    

45. What percentage hike was allocated for Karnataka by Planning Commission for current fiscal 2012-13 in the 12th Plan?
10%

46. Who will be the sports ambassador for the state of Haryana?
Leander Paes

47. Which category of women will be allowed to participate in the Miss Universe beauty pageant from next year?
Transgender women

48. Which rank does Bangalore hold as preferred entrepreneurial locations worldwide?
9th rank

49. Which TV has become the first Indian television channel to enter the Chinese market?
Zee TV

50. Which act was amended to include compulsory registration of marriages in India?
Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969

51. Where in Himachal Pradesh Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) would be opened?
Una district

52. What denominations of currency note will RBI introduce bearing rupee symbol?
Rs.20 and Rs.50 currency notes

53. Name the index on which NSE is set to launch derivative trade.
FTSE 100 index

54. What percentage and value of US based Max New York Life Insurance was sold to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI)?
26% and Rs.2,731 crore

55. Which country replaced China as Iran’s top oil client?
India

56. India has recently decided to allow Foreign Direct Investment from which Asian country?
Pakistan

57. What value of equity infusion did Air India get spread over a period of 9 years?
Rs. 30,000 crore

58. Where in India Integrated Check Post was inaugurated on the occasion of Baisakhi to enhance trade between India-Pakistan?
Attari

59. Which education council in India would have its own job portal for the students of technical and professional institutions?
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)

60. Which 2 countries have agreed to resume dialogue on disarmament and non-proliferation after a gap of 9 years?
India and China

61. Which repayment transaction is now allowed by RBI electronically i.e. NEFT?
Repayment of Loan EMI’s

62. How many co-sponsors are against the Bill of outsourcing call centers in USA?
106 co-sponsors

63. How much basis point did RBI cut key rates after 3 years?
50 basis points

64. Name the Master Card’s President and CEO who has been elected next chairman of the US-India Business Council?
Ajay Banga

65. Which Indian FMCG company crossed $1 billion mark in 2011-12?
Dabur India

66. Which 14 year old ICC cricket tournament would end after 2013?
ICC Champions Trophy

67. Which state has included services of the petroleum industry, including that provided by tanker operations as essential services under the state’s Essential Services Maintenance Act 1971, (Act 20 of 1971)?
Andhra Pradesh

68. Which Indian state’s 100th anniversary was celebrated recently?
Bihar

69. Who replaces Simon Leung chief executive of the greater China region of Microsoft?
Ralph Haupter

70. Bill to include children with disabilities under which Act was recently passed by Rajya Sabha recently?
Right to Education Act

71. Name the spy satellite launched by ISRO recently.
RISAT-1

72. Which cricket player and lady actor were recommended for Rajya Sabha membership in India?

Sachin Tendulkar and Rekha

73. Name the Indian origin entrepreneur and educator who is named as the Goodwill Ambassador for Education Partnerships for UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Sunny-Varkey

74. Who has been appointed as Governor of Goa, Rajasthan and Uttarkhand?
B.V.Wanchoo, Margaret Alva and Aziz Qureshi

75. Who were given fresh terms as Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra?
E.S.L.Narasimhan and K.Sankaranarayanan

76. Which Indian state will be showcased at the Cannes Film Festival?
Gujarat

77. Which 2 Asian countries will hold 1st ever economic dialogue on 30th April 2012?
India and Japan

78. Name the first of the four Dreamliner aircraft that Air India got from Nikki Haley’s state.
Boeing 787

79. Who won the Asian Snooker Championship 2012?
Aditya Mehta

80. Who retained the crown as Britain’s richest man?
Lakshmi Mittal

81. Where was the India Investrade 2012 organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata held?
Colombo, Sri Lanka

82. Name the mango variety named after the youngest Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
‘Akhilesh aam’, named after Akhilesh Yadav

83. Which Indian state is planning to make 100 the common number to dial in any emergency?
Tamil Nadu

84. Who became the 1st player to cross 2000 runs in cricket tournament IPL?
Suresh Raina

85. Which country is keen to boost trade ties with Kerala?
Singapore

86. Who became the 1st player to win Barcelona title for 7 times?
Rafael Nadal

87. Name the former BCCI president who passed away recently after whom the challenger trophy was named.
N.K.P.Salve

Friday 20 April 2012

BANKING AWARENESS


BANKING AWARENESS



1. RBI’s open market operation transactions are carried out with a view to regulate ____
(A) Liquidity in the economy
(B) Prices of essential commodities
(C) Inflation
(D) Borrowing power of the banks
(E) All the above

Ans
(E) 

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

Ans
(A)

3. The bank rate me
Ans
___
(A) Rate of interest charged by commercial banks from borrowers
(B) Rate of interest at which commercial banks discounted bills of their borrowers
(C) Rate of interest allowed by commercial banks on their deposits
(D) Rate at which RBI purchases or rediscounts bills of exchange of commercial banks
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)

4. What is an Indian Depository Receipt?
(A) A deposit account with a Public Sector Bank
(B) A deposit account with any of depositories in India
(C) An instrument in the form of depository receipt created by an Indian depository against
underlying equity shares of the issuing company
(D) An instrument in the form of deposit receipt issued by an Indian depositories
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)

5. Fiscal deficit is ____
(A) total income less Govt. borrowing
(B) total payments less total receipts
(C) total payments less capital receipts
(D) total expenditure less total receipts excluding borrowing
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)

6. In the capital market , the term arbitrage is used with reference to ____
(A) purchase of securities to cover the sale
(B) sale of securities to reduce the loss on purchase
(C) simultaneous purchase and sale of securities to make profits from price
(D) variation in different markets
(E) Any of the above

Ans
(C)

7. The stance of RBI monetary policy is _____
(A) inflation control with adequate liquidity for growth
(B) improving credit quality of the Banks
(C) strengthening credit delivery mechanism
(D) supporting investment demand in the economy
(E) Any of the above

Ans
(E)

8. Currency Swap is an instrument to manage ___
(A) currency risk
(B) interest rate risk
(C) currency and interest rate risk
(D) cash flows in different currency
(E) All of the above

Ans
(D)

9. "Sub-prime" refers to_______
(A) lending done by banks at rates below PLR
(B) funds raised by the banks at sub - Libor Rates
(C) Group of banks which are not rate as prime banks as per Banker's Almanac
(D) lending done by financing institutions including banks to customers not not meeting with
normally required credit appraisal standards
(E) All of the above

Ans
(D)

10. Euro Bond is an instrument _____
(A) issued in the European market
(B) issued in Euro currency
(C) issued in a country other than the country of the currency of the Bond
(D) All of the above
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)

11. Money laundering normally involves _____
(A) placement of funds
(B) layering of funds
(C) integrating of funds
(D) All of (A), (B) & (C)
(E) None of (A), (B) & (C)

Ans
(D)


12. The IMF and the World Bank were conceived as institutions to ____
(A) strengthening international economic co-operation and to help create a more stable and
prosperous global economy
(B) IMF promotes international monetary cooperation
(C) The World Bank promotes long term economic development and poverty reduction
(D) All of (A),(B) & (C)
(E) None of (A),(B) & (C)

Ans
(D)


13. Capital Market Regulator is _____
(A) RBI
(B) IRDA
(C) NSE
(D) BSE
(E) SEBI

Ans
(e)


14. In the term BRICS , R stands for ______
(A) Romania
(B) Rajithan
(C) Russia
(D) Regulation
(E) Npne of these

Ans
(C)


15. FDI refers to _____
(A) Fixed Deposit Interest
(B) Fixed Deposit Investment
(C) Foreign Direct Investment
(D) Future Derivative Investment
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)


16. Which is the fist Indian company to be listed in NASDAQ?
(A) Reliance
(B) TCS
(C) HCL
(D) Infosys
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)


17. Which of the following is the Regulator of the credit rating agencies in India?
(A) RBI
(B) SBI
(C) SIDBI
(D) SEBI
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)


18. Who is Brand Endorsing Personality of Bank of Baroda?
(A) Juhi Chawala
(B) Kiran Bedi
(C) Amitabh Bachchan
(D) Kapil Dev
(E) None of these

Ans
(E)


19. The Branding Line of Bank of Baroda is ____
(A) International Bank of India
(B) India's International Bank
(C) India's Multinational Bank
(D) World's Local Bank
(E) None of these

Ans
(B)


20. The logo of Bank of Baroda is known as ___
(A) Sun of Bank of Baroda
(B) Baroda Sun
(C) Bank of Baroda's Rays
(D) Sunlight of Bank of Baroda
(E) None of these

Ans
(B)


21. One of the major challenges banking industries is facing these days is money laundering. Which of the following acts/ norms are launched by the banks by the banks to prevent money laundering in general ?
(A) Know your customer norms
(B) Banking Regulation Act
(C) Negotiable Instrument Act
(D) Narcotics and Psychotropic Substance Act
(E) None of these

Ans
(E)


22. Lot of Banks in India these days are offering M-Banking Facility to their customers . What is the full form of 'M' in 'M-Banking'?
(A) Money
(B) Marginal
(C) Message
(D) Mutual Fund
(E) Mobile Phone

Ans
(E)


23. Which of the following is/are true about the "Sub-Prime Crisis" ? (The term was very much in news recently.)
(1) It is a Mortage Crisis referring to Credit default by the borrowers
(2) Sub-Prime borrowers were those borrowers who were rated low and were high risk borrowers
(3) This crisis originated of negligence in credit rating of the borrowers
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1,2 & 3
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)


24. Which of the following is NOT the part of the structure of the financial System in India ?
(A) Industrial Finance
(B) Agricultural Finance
(C) Government Finance
(D) Development Finance
(E) Personal Finance

Ans
(E)


25. Which of the following is NOT the part of the Scheduled Banking structure in India ?
(A) Money Lenders
(B) Public Sector Banks
(C) Private Sector Banks
(D) Regional Rural Banks
(E) State Co-operative Banks

Ans
(A)


26. As we all know Govt. of India collects tax revenue on various activities in the country. Which of the following is a part of the tax revenue of the Govt. ?
(1) Tax on Income
(2) Tax on Expenditure
(3) Tax on property or Capital Asset
(4) Tax on Goods and Services
(A) Both 1 and 3 only
(B) Both 2 and 4 only
(C) All 1,2,3 & 4
(D) Only 2,3 and 4
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)


27. We very frequently read about Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in newspapers. These SEZs were established with which of the following objectives ?
(1) To attract foreign investment directly
(2) To protect domestic market from direct competition from multinationals
(3) To provide more capital to agriculture and allied activities
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1,2 & 3
(E) None of these

Ans
(A)


28. Which of the following groups of the countries has almost 50% share in Global emission of carbon every year ?
(A) US, China, India, South Africa
(B) India, china, Russia , Britain
(C) South Africa, Nepal , Myanmar
(D) US, Russia, China & India
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)


29. Many times we read about Future Trading in newspapers. What is Future Trading ?
(1) It is nothing but a trade between any two stock exchanges where in it is decided to purchase the stocks of each other on a fixed price throughout the year
(2) It is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell an underlying asset in the future at a predetermined price
(3) It is agreement between Stock Exchanges that they will not trade the stocks of each other under any circumstances in future or for a given period of time
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1,2 & 3
(E) None of these

Ans
(B)


30. Hillary Clinton formally suspended her campaign to ensure election of who amongst the following for the next President of USA?
(A) George Bush
(B) Barack Obama
(C) John McCain
(D) Boll Clinton
(E) None of these

Ans
(B)


31. Hugo Chavez whose name was recently in news is the _____
(A) President of Cango
(B) Prime Minister of Uganda
(C) President of Venezuela
(D) Prime Minister of Brazil
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)


32. The Govt. of India has raised the amount of the loan Waiver to the farmers by 20%. Now the amount is nearly _____
(A) Rs. 60,000 crores
(B) Rs. 65,000 crores
(C) Rs. 72,000 crores
(D) Rs. 76,000 crores
(E) Rs. 80,000 crores

Ans
(A)
33. Delimitation Commission has made a recommendation the next Census should be Panchayat-wise. When is the next Census due ?
(A) 2010
(B) 2011
(C) 2012
(D) 2013
(E) 2015

Ans
(B)


34. The world Health Organization has urged that advertisements of which of the following should be banned to protect youth from bad effects of the same ?
(A) Tobacco
(B) Alcoholic drinks
(C) Junk Food
(D) Soft drinks with chemical preservatives
(E) None of these

Ans
(A)


35. Which of the following countries has allocated a huge amount of US $ 10 billion to provide relief to its earthquake victims ?
(A) Japan
(B) South Korea
(C) China
(D) South Africa
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)


36. Which of the foloowing names is NOT closely associated with space Programme of India or any other country ?
(A) CARTOSAT
(B) NLS-5
(C) RUBIN-8
(D) GSLV
(E) SCOPE

Ans
(E)


37. Vijay Hazare Trophy is associated with game of _____
(A) Hockey
(B) Cricket
(C) Badminton
(D) Football
(E) Golf

Ans
(B)


38. Which of the following was theme of the Olympic Torch ?
(A) Journey of Harmony
(B) Green World Clean World
(C) Journey of Peace
(D) Jouney of Hunger-free World
(E) None of these

Ans
(A)
39. Which of the following schemes is NOT a social development Scheme ?
(A) Indira Awas Yojana
(B) Mid Day Meal
(C) Bharat Nirman Yojana
(D) Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
(E) All are Social Schemes

Ans
(C)


40. Which of the following is NOT a member of ASEAN ?
(A) Maleysia
(B) Indonesia
(C) Vietnam
(D) Britain
(E) Singapore

Ans
(D)


41. Which of the following awards are given for the excellence in the field of Sports ?
(A) Kalinga Prize
(B) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
(C) Arjun Award
(D) Pulitzer Award
(E) None of these

Ans
(C)


42. Inflation in India is measured on which of the following indexes/indicators ?
(A) Cost of Living Index (COLI)
(B) Consumer Price Index (CPI)
(C) Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
(D) Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
(E) None of these

Ans
(D)


51. As a policy to boost the agricultural sector in the country, the Govt. of India has taken several special measures over the years. Which of the following cannot be considered a measure/ measures which will have a direct impact(s) on the agricultural sector ?
1. Setting up of a National Food Processing Bank.
2. Opening irrigation, sanitation and water projects for development under public private participation.
3. Efforts to bring down fiscal deficit to 5.5 per cent level of GDP.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

Ans
: (C) 


52. The Govt. of India is plannning to bring a Second Green Revolution. This will be launched specifically for which of the following parts of the country ?
(A) North East and Eastern Regions
(B) Central India
(C) Jammu & Kashmir
(D) Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)


3. As we all know, the limit of exemption on personal income tax has been raised by Rs. 10,000. Whenever a relief in direct taxes is given, the underlying motive is always to make money available for which of the following purposes ?
1. Savings
2. Investment for High returns
3. Personal Consumption
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) Only 2 and 3
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


54. As we know, a special scheme ‘One Village One Project’ is in vogue in some parts of our country and has proved a good incentive to boost the rural economy and the agricultural sector. Now the Govt. has decided to develop 60,000 villages to produce which of the following single crops as a major crop ?
(A) Pulses or Oilseeds
(B) Wheat or Bajra
(C) Sugar or Jute
(D) Sunflower or Rose flower
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)
5. The Govt. of India has decided to bring down the fiscal deficit from 6.6 per cent to the level of 5.5 per cent of the GDP so that it can meet growth targets well in time. This target of 5.5 per cent is to be achieved by the end of—
(A) January 2011
(B) March 2011
(C) December 2010
(D) January 2012
(E) None of these

Ans
: (D)


56. Some economists and financial experts are of the opinion that the Finance Minister of India has done a good job by allocating a fairly good share of budget to ensure that the benefits of the growth also reach the poor and unorganized sectors of the society. What amount in terms of percentage has been allocated to various schemes of the social sector in the Union Budget 2010-11 ?
(A) 5%
(B) 7.5%
(C) 10%
(D) 12.5%
(E) None of these

Ans
: (E)


57. Many people talk about the roll back of stimulus packages provided last year by the Govt. of India to help certain sectors. If these stimulus packages are rolled back, this would mean that—
1. those who have availed these benefits would be required to return them to the Govt. of India.
2. no such incentive would be available henceforth to these sectors.
3. all such benefits/incentives would be available to all the people across the country and will not be
restricted to some selected few.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 3
(E) Only 2 and 3

Ans
: (C)


58. In order to develop infrastructure in the country at a faster pace, the Govt. of India has
fixed some targets. In order to achieve this target, at present, how many kilometers of
highway is required to be constructed per day ?
(A) 5 km
(B) 10 km
(C) 15 km
(D) 20 km
(E) None of these

Ans
: (D)


59. “South India will get K-G gas by 2012” was the news in a major financial newspaper. ‘K-G’ is the abbreviated name of which of the following ?
(A) Karnataka-Goa
(B) Kaveri-Ganga
(C) Krishna-Godavari
(D) Karnataka-Gulf
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


60. Many a times, we read in newspapers that some big banks have revised their lending rates to make them dearer or cheaper. Though the decision to raise the lending rates is always in the hands of the banks normally they announce this decision of theirs—
1. immediately after the Union Budget is presented in the Lok Sabha every year.
2. when the RBI makes changes in its policy rates.
3. when the Monetary and Credit Policy of the RBI is reviewed periodically.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 2 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

Ans
: (C)


61. How much amount in cash is the Govt. of India planning to infuse in public sector banks, to strengthen their capital base this year ?
(A) Rs. 10,000 crore
(B) Rs. 12,500 crore
(C) Rs. 14,000 crore
(D) Rs. 16,500 crore
(E) None of these

Ans
: (E)


62. As we all know, the rate of MAT has been increased from the present 15% to 18% with
effect from April 2010. What is the full form of MAT ?
(A) Maximum Alternate Tax
(B) Minimum Alternate Tax
(C) Minimum Affordable Tax
(D) Maximum Affordable Tax
(E) None of these

Ans
: (B)


63. One of the headlines in a major financial newspaper recently was “Is Spain the next Greece or Italy or Portugal ?” What is the actual meaning of this headline because of which the author has been comparing Spain with the other three countries ?
(A) All these three countries have abandoned the membership of the European Union. Spain is also planning to do so
(B) All these three countries were the first to come out of recent global recession and that too within a short span of time. Spain is next in queue to declare itself free from the trouble
(C) These three nations are badly trapped in a situation where their economy is proceeding from bad to worse condition. Spain also appears to be in the same situation
(D) Greece, Itlay and Portugal have signed some special agreements with US and are availing stimulus packages to promote their exports to US on some specific terms. Spain is also willing to do the same
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


64. Many times we read in newspapers that several companies are adopting the FCCBs route to raise capital. What is the full form of FCCBs ?
(A) Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds
(B) Foreign Convertible Credit Bonds
(C) Financial Consortium and Credit Bureau
(D) Future Credit and Currency Bureau
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)


65. The Govt. of India has asked all big companies and corporates to create a separate fund
for their ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Activities’. What is/are the purpose(s) of this
directive issued by the Govt. ?
1. To ensure that companies spend some money on social activities.
2. To bring tr
Ans
parency in matters of financial tr
Ans
actions and dealings by corporates.
3. To ensure that corporate entities do not get involved in non commercial activities in the name of social activities as they are required to spend money only on the welfare of the employees and their families.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

Ans
: (B)


66. Which of the following is an innovative mechanism adopted by banks to meet the targets fixed for lending to priority sector by the Banks ?
(A) Buying & Selling of Priority Sector Lending Certification
(B) Sale of Kisan Vikas Patra
(C) Inter Bank Participation Certificates
(D) Adoption of Core Banking Solution
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


67. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently announced a hike in some policy rates and also indicated that there may be another change in near future. Which of the following is/are considered a policy rate(s) in the hands of the RBI ?
1. Repo Rate
2. SLR
3. Inflation
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

Ans
: (D)


68. Zain, which was in news recently, is a company based in which of the following nations ?
(A) Kuwait
(B) South Africa
(C) UAE
(D) China
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)


69. Who amongst the following was awarded the prestigious ‘Moortidevi Award’ recently for his literary works ? (Awardee is a Minister in the Union Cabinet)
(A) Veerappa Moily
(B) Pranab Mukherjee
(C) P. Chidambaram
(D) Kapil Sibal
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)


70. The Indian Ministry of Agriculture has decided that despite good stocks of wheat and rice, India will not export the excess stocks. Which of the following may be the reason(s) owing to which the Ministry has taken this decision ?
1. Indian wheat and rice are not in much demand in foreign countries. Hence, very few are takers for the same.
2. The National Food Security Bill has a provision to provide 25 kg of wheat or rice to the families living below poverty line. A huge stock of grains will be needed for the same in near future.
3. Since most countries are still to recover from the global recession, a formula is being worked out where imports and exports will be compensated simply by exchange of commodities available with the countries. India is planning to use its food grain stocks for the same.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

Ans
: (B)


71. As per the reports published in various newspapers, RBI has asked banks to make a plan to provide banking services to all villages having a population of 2000. This directive issued by the RBI will fall in which of the following categories ?
(A) Plan for Financial Inclusion
(B) Efforts to meet the targets of Priority Sector Lending
(C) Extension of Relief Packages to the Farmers
(D) Extensions of Internal and Branchless Banking
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)


72. Which of the following is not a bank or finance company ?
(A) Barclays
(B) BNP Paribas
(C) Lufth
Ans
a
(D) HSBC
(E) All are banks/finance companies

Ans
: (C)


73. The Indian Railways is in the process of purchasing Bullet Train Technology from which of the following nations ?
(A) France
(B) China
(C) Japan
(D) Russia
(E) Spain

Ans
: (C)


74. Some State Govts. have started a project ‘Save Snow Leopards’. Snow Leopards are found mainly in—
(A) Jammu & Kashmir
(B) Rajasthan
(C) Kerala
(D) Punjab
(E) Tamil Nadu

Ans
: (A)


75. India recently signed an agreement for an ‘Action Plan to Advance Security Cooperation’ with which of the following nations ?
(A) China
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Pakistan
(D) Nepal
(E) Japan

Ans
: (E)


76. Sanya Richards who was named as the IAAF World Athlete of 2009 represents which of the following countries ?
(A) Jamaica
(B) Kenya
(C) France
(D) Britain
(E) USA

Ans
: (E)


77. Who amongst the following was adjudged the European Footballer of the year 2009 ?
(A) Roberto Baggio
(B) Edger Davids
(C) Xavi Hamandez
(D) Cristiano Ronaldo
(E) Lionel Messi

Ans
: (E)


78. The latest nuclear power reactor of India recently attained criticality at Rawatbhata. Rawatbhata is a place in—
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Uttarakhand
(D) Orissa
(E) Rajasthan

Ans
: (E)


79. Who amongst the following has recently received the Highest Civilian Honour of France ?
(A) Kareena Kappor
(B) A. R. Rahman
(C) Javed Akhtar
(D) Lata Mangeshkar
(E) None of these

Ans
: (D)


80. Who amongst the following represented India at the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 held in Copenhagen ?
(A) Smt. Sonia Gandhi
(B) Smt. Pratibha Patil
(C) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(D) Smt. Meira Kumar
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


81. Three Indian sportsmen, C. Raju Srither, I.R. Sanam and Ratan Singh recently went to Indonesia and won Gold Medals in one of the events. All three are associated with which of the following sports ?
(A) Weightlifting
(B) Rifle Shooting
(C) Swimming
(D) Golf
(E) Archery

Ans
: (E)
82. A two-day meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was organized recently in—
(A) Thimpu
(B) Islamabad
(C) Kabul
(D) Dhaka
(E) New Delhi

Ans
: (A)


83. By nominating its Ambassador to which of the following countries after a gap of five years has the USA established its diplomatic relation with it ?
(A) Syria
(B) Iran
(C) Iraq
(D) China
(E) None of these

Ans
: (A)


84. Which of the following organizations/ agencies is providing a US $ 850 million loan to India for the development of its infrastructure and Khadi industry ?
(A) World Bank
(B) European Union Finance Corporation
(C) Asian Development Bank
(D) Govt. of South Africa
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


86. The census in India is done after a gap of every—
(A) 5 years
(B) 10 years
(C) 12 years
(D) 15 years
(E) None of these

Ans
: (B)


87. Pankaj Advani won which of the following titles in the year 2009 ?
(A) Asian Games Gold Medal
(B) Asian Billiards Championship
(C) WSA Challenge Tour
(D) World Professional Billiards Championship
(E) None of these

Ans
: (D)
88. Which of the following awards is given for Excellence in the field of sports ?
(A) Kalinga Award
(B) Golden Pen Award
(C) Arjuna Award
(D) Bharat Ratna
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)


89. Which of the following states started ‘April Mandis’ project in all districts of the state to ensure the supply of vegetables and fruits at fair prices ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Haryana
(D) Delhi
(E) None of these

Ans
: (C)
90. Which of the following terms is not used in Economics ?
(A) Balanace of Trade
(B) Centrifugal force
(C) Break even
(D) Fiscal Deficit
(E) Capital Account

Ans
: (B)


91. The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2009 was given to the President of—
(A) Fiji
(B) Bhutan
(C) Nepal
(D) Bangladesh
(E) None of these

Ans
: (D)


92. The Govt. of India recently launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. This mission is one of the key missions on India’s National Action Plan on—
(A) Second Green Revolution
(B) Climate Change
(C) Recharging of Water bodies
(D) Electricity to all
(E) None of these

Ans
: (B)
93. Voting in local bodies elections is compulsory in which one of the following states ?
(A) Delhi
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Kerala
(D) Gujarat
(E) None of these

Ans
: (D)


94. India’s exports of which of the following to USA has been growing at a fast pace despite the global slowdown and recession ?
(A) Handicrafts and Carpets
(B) Textiles and Clothing
(C) Horticultural products
(D) Foodgrains
(E) Services

Ans
: (E)
95. Russia recently agreed to resume import of natural gas from which of the following countries after a gap of about a month following a dispute over prices of the same ?
(A) Iran
(B) Turkmenistan
(C) China
(D) Kazakhstan
(E) N. Korea

Ans
: (B)


96. India recently signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of nuclear power for civil purposes. This agreement is free from any restrictions on India. India signed this agreement with—
(A) France
(B) Germany
(C) USA
(D) Canada
(E) Russia

Ans
: (E)


97. ‘Between the Assassinations’ is a book written by—
(A) Chetan Bhagat
(B) Kiran Desai
(C) Shobha De
(D) Vikram Seth
(E) Arvind Adiga

Ans
: (E)
8. Which of the following prizes/ awards is not given for Excellence in the field of Literature ?
(A) Dronacharya Award
(B) Aga Khan Prize for Fiction
(C) Commonwealth Award
(D) Nobel Prize
(E) Man Booker Prize

Ans
: (A)


99. Which of the following terms is not used in the game of Hockey ?
(A) Centre
(B) Downswing
(C) Drop pass
(D) Goal line
(E) Blue line

Ans
: (B)


100. ‘Invisible’ is a novel written by—
(A) Vikram Seth
(B) Chetan Bhagat
(C) Anita Desai
(D) Meghnad Desai
(E) Paul Auster

Ans
: (E)