Vice-Presidents of India

Name                     Tenure
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975)     1952-1962
Dr Zakir Hussain (1897-1969)     1962-1967
Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884-1980)     1967-1969
Gopal Swarup Pathak (1896-1982)     1969-1974
B.D. Jatti (1913-2002)     1974-1979
Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah (1905-1992)     1979-1984
R. Venkataraman (B-1910)     1984-1987
Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999)     1987-1992
K.R. Narayanan (1920-1925)     1992-1997
Krishan Kant (1927-2002)     1997-2002
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat(b-1923)     2002-2007
Mohammad Hamid Ansari (B - 1937)     11 August 2007 - Incumbent

Chief Election Commissioners of India

Name                     Tenure
Sukumar Sen     21 March 1950-19 December 1958
K.V.K. Sundaram     20 December 1958-30 September 1967
S.P. Sen Verma     01 October 1967-30 September 1972
Dr Nagendra Singh     01 October 1972-6 February 1973
T. Swaminathan     07 February 1973-17 June 1977
S.L. Shakdhar     18 June 1977-17 June 1982
R.K. Trivedi     18 June 1982-31 December 1985
R.V.S. Peri Sastri     01 January 1986-25 November 1990
Smt V.S. Rama Devi     26 November 1990-11 December 1990
T.N. Seshan     12 December 1990-11 December 1996
M.S. Gill     12 December 1996-13 June 2001
J.M. Lyngdoh     14 June 2001 - 7 February 2004
T.S. Krishna Murthy     08 February 2004 - 15 May 2005
B.B. Tandon     16 May 2005 - 29 June 2006
N. Gopalaswamy     30 June 2006 - 20 April 2009
Navin Chawla     21 April 2009 - 29 July 2010
S.Y. Qureshi     30 July - Incumbent

IMPORTANT DAYS

January 9 NRI Day
January 10 World Laughter Day
January 12 National Youth Day
January 15 Army Day
January 26 India’s Republic Day, International Customs Day
January 30 Martyrs’ Day; World Leprosy Eradication Day
2nd Sunday of February World Marriage Day
February 24 Central Excise Day
February 28 National Science Day
Second Monday March Commonwealth Day
March 8 International Women’s Day; Intl. literacy Day
March 15 World Disabled Day; World Consumer Rights Day
March 18 Ordnance Factories Day (India)
March 21 World Forestry Day; International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22 World Day for Water
March 23 World Meteorological Day
March 24 World TB Day
April 5 International Day for Mine Awareness; National Maritime Day
April 7 World Health Day
April 17 World Haemophilia Day
April 18 World Heritage Day
April 21 Secretaries’ Day
April 22 Earth Day
April 23 World Book and Copyright Day
May 1 Workers’ Day (International Labor Day)
May 3 Press Freedom Day; World Asthma Day
May 2nd Sunday Mother’s Day
May 4 Coal Miners’ Day
May 8 World Red Cross Day
May 9 World Thalassaemia Day
May 11 National Technology Day
May 12 World Hypertension Day; International Nurses Day
May 15 International Day of the Family
May 17 World Telecommunication Day
May 24 Commonwealth Day
May 31 Anti-tobacco Day
June 4 International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
June 5 World Environment Day
June 3rd Sunday Father’s Day
June 14 World Blood Donor Day
June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
July 1 Doctor’s Day
July 6 World Zoonoses Day
July 11 World Population Day
August 3 International Friendship Day
August 6 Hiroshima Day
August 8 World Senior Citizen’s Day
August 9 Quit India Day, Nagasaki Day
August 15 Indian Independence Day
August 18 IntI. Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
August 19 Photography Day
August 29 National Sports Day
September 2 Coconut Day
September 5 Teachers’ Day; Sanskrit Day
September 8 World Literacy Day (UNESCO)
September 15 Engineers’ Day
September 16 World Ozone Day
September 21 Alzheimer’s Day; Day for Peace & Non-violence (UN)
September 22 Rose Day (Welfare of cancer patients)
September 26 Day of the Deaf
September 27 World Tourism Day
October 1 International Day for the Elderly
October 2 Gandhi Jayanthi
October 3 World Habitat Day
October 4 World Animal Welfare Day
October 8 Indian Air Force Day
October 9 World Post Office Day
October 10 National Post Day
October 2nd Thursday World Sight Day
October 13 UN International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
October 14 World Standards Day
October 15 World White Cane Day (guiding the blind)
October 16 World Food Day
October 24 UN Day; World Development Information Day
October 30 World Thrift Day
November 9 Legal Services Day
November 14 Children’s Day; Diabetes Day
November 17 National Epilepsy Day
November 20 Africa Industrialisation Day
November 29 International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People
December 1 World AIDS Day
December 3 World Day of the Handicapped
December 4 Indian Navy Day
December 7 Indian Armed Forces Flag Day
December 10 Human Rights Day; IntI. Children’s Day of Broadcasting
December 18 Minorities Rights Day (India)
December 23 Kisan Divas (Farmer’s Day) (India)

Important Battles And Wars In India

Battle of Hydaspes 326 B.C.—Alexander the Great, defeated Porus, the Paurava king. Impressed by the valour of Porus, ultimately Alexander returned his kingdom to him.

Battle of Kalinga 261 B.C.—Ashoka defeated the king of Kalinga. Ashoka embraced Buddhism and preached it during the rest of his life after this war.

First Battle of Tarain or Thaneswar A.D. 1191  Prithvi Raj Chauhan defeated Mohammed Ghori. Second Battle of Tarain A.D. 1192—Mohammed Ghori defeated Prithvi Raj Chauhan. Ghori’s victory paved the way for the establishment of Muslim rule in India.

First Battle of Panipat 1526—Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi. This laid the foundation of the Mughal rule in India.

Battle of Khanwah 1527— Babar defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar. This battle resulted in the defeat of the powerful Rajput confederacy.

Second Battle of Panipat 1556—Bairam Khan (Akbar’s General) defeated Hemu (the Hindu General and right-hand man of Mohd. Adil Shah). It also ended the Afghan Rule and Mughal Rule began instead.

Battle of Talikota 1564- 65—United alliance between Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmednagar and Golkonda under Hussain Nizam Shah defeated Ram Raja of Vijayanagar. It destroyed the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar.

Battle of Haldighati 1576—Akbar’s forces headed by Raja Man Singh defeated Rana Pratap, the brave Rajput king. Though defeated, Rana Pratap refused to accept Mughal authority and carried on warfare till his death.

Battle of Plassey 1757— The English under Lord Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah.It brought Muslim Rule in Bengal to an end and laid foundations of the British Rule in India.

Battle of Wandiwash 1760—The English defeated the French. The battle sealed the fate of the French in India and paved the way for English rule in India.

Third Battle of Panipat 1761—Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated Marathas. It gave a terrible blow to the Maratha power. It made the field clear for the English.

Battle of Buxar 1764— Fought in 1764 between the forces of the English and the combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah (Nawab of Oudh) and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam. The English victory at Buxar finally riveted the shackles of the Company’s rule upon Bengal.

First Mysore War (1767- 68)—In 1768, Haider Ali was defeated by the English relinquishing all his rights over Mysore in favour of the English.

Second Mysore War 1780— A grand alliance between Haider Ali, the Nizam and the Marathas was formed and Haider Ali. He defeated the English and took possession of Arcot and became the undisputed master of the Carnatic.

Third Mysore War 1790- 92—Fought between the English and Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan had to submit and was compelled to sign the Treaty of Seringapattam stripped him of half his territory.

Fourth Mysore War 1799— The British forces under Arthur Wellesley defeated Tipu Sultan, which brought the end of the Tipu Sultan. Maratha War 1803-05—It weakened the Maratha power. The English annexed Tanjore, Surat and Carnatic.

Fourth Maratha War 1817- 18—The British forces defeated Marathas and this campaign finally extinguished the Maratha Empire.

Battle of Cheelianwala 1849—Forces of the East India Company under Lord Hugh Gough defeated the Sikhs under Sher Singh.

Burmese War 1885—As a result of this War, the whole of Burma was occupied by the English and made a part of India.

Afghan War III 1919—As a result of this War, Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed by which Afghanistan was recognised as an independent State.

lndo-Pak War 1965—This was Pakistan’s second attack on India. While India had the upper hand, the fighting was brought to a stop by a call for ceasefire issued by the Security Council. Later on, Tashkent accord was signed between the two nations. lndo-

Pak War Dec 1971— Pakistan started the war attacking India on Dec 3. India defeated Pakistan on all fronts. Pakistani occupation forces, numbering about one lakh, in East Bengal (Bangladesh) surrendered. Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation.

Countries that have Dollar as currency

Sl.No.	Countries that have Dollar as currency
1	Antigua and Barbuda
2	Australia
3	Bahamas
4	Barbados
5	Belize
6	Brunei
7	Canada
8	Dominica
9	East Timor
10	Ecuador
11	El Salvador
12	Fiji
13	Grenada
14	Guyana
15	Jamaica
16	Kiribati
17	Liberia
18	Marshal Islands
19	Federated States of Micronesia
20	Namibia
21	Nauru
22	New Zealand
23	Palau
24	Panama
25	Saint Kitts and Nevis
26	Saint Lucia
27	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
28	Singapore
29	Solomon Islands
30	Surinam
31	Taiwan
32	Trinidad and Tobago
33	Tuvalu
34	United States
35	Zimbabwe

Countries that have Rupee as currency

Sl.No.	Countries That Have Rupee as currency
1	India
2	Indonesia
3	Mauritius
4	Nepal
5	Pakistan
6	Seychelles
7	Sri Lanka

FIGURES AT A GLANCE

FIGURES AT A GLANCE - INDIA
POPULATION	Persons	1,21,01,93,422
	Males	62,37,24,248
	Females	58,64,69,174
DECADAL POPULATION GROWTH 2001-2011		Absolute	Percentage
	Persons	18,14,55,986	17.64
	Males	9,15,01,158	17.19
	Females	8,99,54,828	18.12
DENSITY OF POPULATION (per sq. km.)		382
SEX RATIO (females per 1000 males)		940
POPULATION IN THE AGE GROUP 0-6		Absolute	Percentage to total population
	Persons	15,87,89,287	13.12
	Males	8,29,52,135	13.30
	Females	7,58,37,152	12.93
LITERATES		Absolute	Literacy rate
	Persons	77,84,54,120	74.04
	Males	44,42,03,762	82.14
	Females	33,42,50,358	65.46

BEL GENERAL APTITUDE QUESTION PAPER 2010

1. In which of the following movements ‘Vande Mataram’ was adotped for the first time as a slogan for agitation?
   (A) Revolt of 1857
   (B) Partition of Bengal in 1905
   (C) Non-cooperation Movement in 1922
   (D) Quit India Movement in 1942
   
   2. Who warned Gandhiji not to encourage fanaticism of Muslim religious leaders and their followers?
   (A) Agha Khan
   (B) AjmaI Khan
   (C) Hasan Imam
   (D) Mohammad Ali Jinnah
   
   3. Which one of the following is not correct about the Congress Session.of Lucknow, 1916?
   (A) Ambika Charan Majumdar was not the president of this session
   (B) In this session the reunion between the liberal and the extremist was established
   (C) Mahatma was apprised the problems of the peasants Champaran for the first time
   (D) None of the above
   
   4. Kanpur conspiracy case was against the leaders of?
   (A) Khilafat Movement
   (B) Non-cooperation Movement
   (C) Communist Movement
   (D) Revolutionary Movement
   
   5. In India “Currency Notes issue system” is based on?
   (A) Minimum reserve system
   (B) Proportional reserve system
   (C) Fixed exchange rate system
   (D) Full convertibility system
   
   6. ‘Disguised’ unemployment means?
   (A) Persons with no jobs
   (B) Unemployment among house wives
   (C) Unemployment among per sons above 60 years pf age
   (D) Employment of more persons in a job which lesser number of persons can perform
   
   7. Which of the following statements are true about the income tax in India?
   1. It is a progressive tax,
   2. It is a direct tax.
   3. It is collected by the Government.
   4. It is a proportional tax Select the correct answer from the code given below
   Codes:
   (A) 1 only
   (B) 1 and 2 only
   (C) 1,2and3only
   (D) 2, 3 and 4 only
   
   8. ‘SIDBI’ has been established to
   (A) Finance small scale industries
   (B) Finance cottage industries
   (C) Finance large scale industries
   (D) Finance public sector under takings
   
   9. Gangubai Hangal, who died a few months ago, was a?
   (A) Classical singer
   (B) Dancer
   (C) Painter
   (D) Sitar player
   
   10. Deep Joshi has recently been given Raman Magsaysay Award in the category of?
   (A) Government service
   (B) Public service
   (C) Community leadership
   (D) Emergent leadership
   
   11. The missing number in the following series:
   5,10,13,26,29, 58, 61,…
   Is?
   (A) 122
   (C) 128
   (B) 125
   (D) 131
   
   12. If 2 jeans and 3 shirts cost Rs. 4,000 and jeans and 2 shirts cost Rs. 3,500, how much does a jeans cost?
   (A) Rs. 1,500
   (B) Rs 1,000
   (C)Rs. 500
   (D) Rs. 2,000
   
   13. Which one of the following expresses error in computer data?
   (A) chip
   (B) byte
   (C) bug
   (D) bit
   
   14.Assertion (A) Graphite is a good lubricant.
   Reason (R) Graphite is good conductor of electricity.
   Select the correct answer from the codes given below
   Codes:
   (A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (A) is the correct explanation of (A)
   (B) Both (A) and (A) are true but (H) is not the correct explanation of (A)
   (C) (A) is true but (R) is false
   (D) (A) is false but (A) is true
   
   15. Acid rain is caused by pollution ot environment by?
   (A) Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen
   (B) Carbon monoxide and Carbon dioxide
   (C) Ozone and Carbon dioxide
   (D) Nitrous oxide and Sulphur dioxide
   
   16.Which one of the following is called the ‘metal of future’?
   (A)Copper
   (B) Iron
   (C)Titanium
   (D) Aluminum
   
   17. The earliest coins of India were made of ?
   (A)Copper
   (B) Gold
   (C)Lead
   (D) Silver
   
   18. The Mongols appeared for the first time on the banks of Indus during the reign of?
   (A) Balban
   (B) Iltutrnish
   (C) Qutubuddin Aibak
   (D) Razia
   
   19. The first woman ruler of medieval India was?
   (A) Chand Bibi
   (B) Durgavati
   (C) Noorjahan
   (D) Razia
   
   20. The Moplah Rebellion (1921) took place in?
   (A) Malabar
   (B) Marathawada
   (C) Telengana
   (D) Vidarbha
   
   21. Which part of the Constitutions of India has been described as the:
   Soul of the Constitution ?
   (A) Directive principles of State policy
   (B) Fundamental rights
   (C) Preamble
   (D) Right to constitutional remedies
   
   22. The first state to implement the Panchayati Raj System in India was?
   (A) Uttar Pradesh
   (B) Rajasthan
   (C) Gujarat
   (D) Karnataka
   
   23. Who has the right to seek advisory opinion of the Supreme Court on any question of law?
   (A) Prime Minister
   (B) President
   (C) Any High Court
   (D) All of the above
   
   24. Consider the following statements about the Governor of a State
   1. He is appointed by the President.
   2. He holds office at the pleasure of the President.
   3. The executive power of the: State vests in him.
   4. Normally he holds office for five years.
   Select the correct answer from the codes given below
   (A) l and 2
   (B) 1,2 and 3
   (C) 1,2 and 4
   (D) All the four
   
   25. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?
   (A)Ahmedabad—Sabarmati
   (B) Lucknow —Gomti
   (C) Bhubaneshwar—Mahanadi
   (D) Ujjain-Shipra
   
   26.Dilwara Jain temple is situated at?
   (A)Palitana
   (B) Mount Abu
   (C)Sonagiri
   (D) Girinarji
   
   27. Which one of the following is the biggest shipping canal in the world?
   (A) Kiel Canal
   (B) Panama Canal
   (C) Soo Canal
   (D) Suez Canal
   
   28. Where was the battle of Plassey fought?
   (A)Karnal
   (B) Haldighati
   (C)Mysore
   (D) Bengal
   
   29. Who was the first Vice-President of India?
   (A)Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
   (B)Dr. Rajendra Prasad
   (C)C. V. Raman
   (D)Jawahar Lal Nehru
   
   30.. What was the reason behind the mutiny of 1857?
   (A) Cartridge containing fat
   (B) Frustration in soldiers
   (C) Failure of British Government
   (D) Administrative research
   
   31.. Which of the following is UHF?
   (A) 40MHz
   (C) 400 KHz
   (B) 400 MHz
   (D) 40 KHz
   
   32.. Mass of a particle is m and its momentum is p. Its kinetic energy will be?
   (A)mp
   (B) ppm
   (C) pp/m
   (D) pp/2m
   
   33. SI . unit of power is ‘watt. It is equivalent to which of the follow ing?
   (A) Kgms-2
   (B)Kgm-2s-2
   (C) Kgm-2s-3
   (D) None of these
   
   34. Who among the following cricketers scored the highest runs?
   (A) Brien Lara
   (B) Sanat Jaysurya
   (C) Sachin Tendulkar
   (D) Virendra Sehwag
   
   35. Which is the oldest Veda?
   (A) Samveda
   (B) Rigveda
   (C) Yajurveda
   (D) Atharvaveda
   
   36. Who was the founder of Pakistan ?
   (A) Mohammad Ali Jinna
   (B) Liyaquat AIi Khan
   (C) Gaffar Khan
   (D) Benazir Bhutto
   
   37. Who invented television?
   (A)J. L. Baird
   (B) Lawrance -
   (C) Frederick Trechithic
   (D) King Gillette
   
   38. Who invented wireless?
   (A)Marconi
   (B)Charles Caterin
   (C)George Cayley
   (D)Zenobe Gramme
   
   39 Which of the following was the battle strategy of Shivaji against Mughals?
   (A) Alert army
   (B) Large army
   (C) Political monopoly
   (D) Guerilla warfare
   
   40. Find out the next term of the series?
   1,2,4,7,11,………
   (A)16
   (B) 12
   (C) 9
   (D) 4
   
   41. Which of the following cities is termed as the Pink city?
   
   (A) Jaipur
   (B) Jodhpur
   (C) Ajrner
   (D) Delhi
   
   42. Who wrote the Meghdoot?
   (A)Kalidas
   (B) Vatsyayan
   (C) Chanakya
   (D) Premchand
   
   43. Which of the following is a creation of Maithili-Sharan Gupta?
   (A)Saket
   (B) Urvashi
   (C) Prempachisi
   (D) Gatha
   
   44. Which is the longest railway line of the world?
   (A) Trans-Siberian
   (B) Trans-Canadian
   (C) Orient Railway line
   (D) Railway line from London to Paris
   
   45. Which of the following states has the highest number of voters?
   (A) Uttar Pradesh
   (B) Bihar
   (C) Rajasthan
   (D) Gujarat

ANSWERS1 B 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 A 6 D 7 B 8 A 9 A 10 C 11 A 12 C 13 C 14 B 15 D 16 C 17 A 18 B 19 D 20 A 
21 D 22 B 23 B 24 D 25 C 26 B 27 D 28 D 29 A 30 B 31 B 32 D 33 C 34 C 35 B 36 A 37 A 38 A 
39 D 40 A 41 A 42 A 43 A 44 A 45 A

ADVANTAGE INDIA

• World's largest democracy with 1.2 billion people.
• Stable political environment and responsive administrative set up.
• Well established judiciary to enforce rule of law.
• Land of abundant natural resources and diverse climatic conditions.
• Rapid economic growth: GDP to grow by 8.5% in 2010-11* and 9.0% in 2011-12.
• India's growth will start to outpace China's within three to five years and hence will become the fastest large economy with 9-10% growth over the next 20-25 years (Morgan Stanley).
• Investor friendly policies and incentive based schemes.
• Second most attractive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) location in the world: India received a total of US$ 25.9 billion of FDI in 2009-10.
• Healthy macro-economic fundamentals: Investment rate is expected to be 37% in 2010-11 and 38.4% in 2011-12 while Domestic Savings rate is expected to be 34% in 2010-11 and 36% in 2011-12.
• India's economy will grow fivefold in the next 20 years (McKinsey).
• Cost competitiveness; low labour costs.
• Total labour force of nearly 530 million.
• Large pool of skilled manpower; strong knowledge base with significant English speaking population.
• Young country with a median age of 30 years by 2025: India's economy will benefit from this "demographic dividend".
• The proportion of population in the working age group (15-59 years) is likely to increase from approximately 58% in 2001 to more than 64% by 2021.
• Huge untapped market potential.
• The urban population of India will double from the 2001 census figure of 290m to approximately 590m by 2030 (McKinsey).
• Progressive simplification and rationalization of direct and indirect tax structures.
• Reduction in import tariffs.
• Full current account convertibility.
• Compliance with WTO norms.
• Robust banking and financial institutions.

"* India's financial year is from April to March. 2010-11 above means April 2010-March 2011." 

Indian Economy

India has undergone a paradigm shift owing to its competitive stand in the world. The Indian economy is on a robust growth trajectory and boasts of a stable annual growth rate, rising foreign exchange reserves and booming capital markets among others.
Indian economy is estimated to grow at 8.6 percent in 2010-11 as compared to the growth rate of 8.0 percent in 2009-10. These GDP figures are based at factor cost at constant (2004-05) prices in the year 2010-11.The growth rate of 8.6 per cent in GDP during 2010-11 has been due to the robust growth rates of over 8 per cent in the sectors of manufacturing, construction, trade, hotels, transport and communication, financing, insurance, and, real estate and business services. Agriculture sector registered a growth rate of 5.4 percent in 2009-10. A growth rate of 18.3 percent is estimated for GDP at current prices in the year 2010-11.

Agriculture Sector

The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector is likely to show a growth of 5.4 per cent in its GDP during 2010-11, as against the previous year’s growth rate of 0.4 per cent.The estimate of GDP from agriculture in 2010-11,according to the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC),production of foodgrains and oilseeds is expected to grow by 6.5 per cent and 11.9 per cent, respectively, as compared to the previous agriculture year. The production of cotton and sugarcane is also expected to rise by 41.2 per cent and 15.2 per cent, respectively, in 2010-11. Among the horticultural crops, production of fruits and vegetables is expected to increase by 4.1 per cent and 3.8 per cent, respectively, during the year 2010-11.

Industry Sector

The growth in GDP for mining and quarrying and manufacturing sectors during 2010-11 is expected to be 6.2 and 8.8 percent respectively over previous year. According to the latest estimates available on the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), the index of mining and manufacturing registered growth rates of 8.0 per cent and 10.0 per cent during April-November, 2010. The estimated growth rate for construction sector is 8.0 percent in 2010-11. The key indicators of construction sector, namely, cement production and steel consumption have registered growth rates of 4.4 per cent and 8.8 per cent, respectively during April- December, 2010.

Services Sector

The estimated growth in GDP for the trade, hotels, transport and communication sectors during 2010-11 is placed at 11.0 per cent, mainly on account of growth during April- November, 2010-11 of 14.9 per cent in passengers handled in civil aviation , 21.3 per cent in air cargo handled and 40.9 per cent in stock of telephone connections. The sales of commercial vehicles witnessed an increase of 34.1 per cent per cent in April-December, 2010. The financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector is expected to show a growth rate of 10.6 per cent during 2010-11, on account of 14.0 per cent growth in aggregate deposits and 22.6 per cent growth in bank credit during April- November 2010 (against the respective growth rates of 18.6 per cent and 10.1 per cent in the corresponding period of previous year). The growth rate of community, social and personal services during 2010-11 is estimated to be 5.7 per cent.

India: An Attractive Destination for FDI

The Indian growth story seems to be on a roll and India has emerged as the fourth largest economy in the world on a purchasing power parity basis. The quality of business environment in India has improved manifolds in the recent years. The strong fundamentals underlying the Indian economy make it an obvious choice for investors all over the world.
There is ample reason for India's viability as a destination for foreign investment. In addition to the above-mentioned macroeconomic indicators, higher disposable incomes, emerging middle class, low cost competitive workforce, investment friendly policies and progressive reform process all contribute towards India being an appropriate choice for investors.
The government of India has put in place a liberal and transparent FDI policy. In the post liberalization era, a number of initiatives have been taken to attract FDI in several sectors. This includes opening of many new sectors to FDI, raising FDI equity caps in sectors already opened and procedural simplification. Today, the FDI policy in India is widely reckoned to be among the most liberal in the emerging economies and FDI up to 100% is allowed under the automatic route in most sectors and activities.
The Indian Government is committed in its efforts to maintain a healthy growth rate and provide a conducive policy environment to the enterprises, both public and private, to invest and grow their business in the country. To this end, the Government has liberalized the foreign investment regime substantially over the last decade. Today, foreign direct investment is allowed in almost all sectors barring a few sensitive areas such as defence. Further, FDI is allowed in most of the sectors under the automatic route, except a few, where approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is required. India's foreign trade policy has been formulated with a view to invite and encourage FDI in India. The process of regulation and approval has been substantially liberalized. The Reserve Bank of India has prescribed the administrative and compliance aspects of FDI.
FDI can be divided into two broad categories: investment under automatic route and investment through prior approval of Government. The pickup in FDI inflows further reflects growing investor interest in the Indian economy on the back of strong fundamentals and simplified procedures.
The FDI policy rationalization and liberalization measures taken by the Government have resulted in increased inflows of FDI over the years. FDI equity inflow in the month of February 2011, stood at US$ 1.3 billion.During the financial year 2010-11 (April 2010 to February 2011), FDI worth US$ 18.3 billion was attracted in India. Cumulative amount of FDI from (August 1991 to February 2011) registered in India stood at US$ 145.2 billion.

Sectors with large FDI inflows in India
During 2010-11 (April 2010-February 2011), services sector attracted 21 percent of the total FDI equity inflow into India,while computer software and hardware attracted second largest amount of FDI with 8 percent share during the same period.Telecommunications was the third highest sector attracting FDI with 8 percent of total inflows followed by housing and real estate and construction activities which garnered 7 percent shares each.

Sources of FDI in India

During 2010-11 (April 2010-February 2011), Mauritius was the top investing country for India with 42 per cent of the total inflows. Singapore was second with 9 per cent share, U.S.A stood third with 7 per cent share.U.K and Netherlands were on fourth and fifth places with 5 per cent and 4 per cent shares respectively.
FDI can be divided into two broad categories: investment under automatic route and investment through prior approval of Government. The pickup in FDI inflows further reflects growing investor interest in the Indian economy on the back of strong fundamentals and simplified procedures.

Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) in India

In addition to FDI, Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) is also flowing into India. Qualified foreign entities (other than those predominantly owned by non resident Indians) seeking to undertake portfolio investments in India are regarded as Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs). Eligible institutional investors that can register as FIIs include asset management companies, pension funds, mutual funds, banks, investment trusts, nominee companies, incorporated/institutional portfolio managers, power of attorney holders, university funds, endowment foundations, charitable trusts and charitable societies.

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Indian States and Union Territories

The country houses 28 states and 7 union territories. Each of the Indian state and union territory of India is blessed with several investment opportunities depending on their geographical location and availability of natural resources. These opportunities are further enhanced by the rapid technological advancements taking place in almost all states that enhance the ability to innovate and grow. There exists plethora of diversified investment opportunities across India and the respective state Governments are taking progressive steps such as development of powerful infrastructure and formulating conducive and stable policies to harness the same. The state Governments have devised investor friendly policies in terms of incentives and concessions offered for several sectors such as biotechnology, infrastructure and information technology among others to promote FDI into their respective states. A healthy competition has emerged among states to attract investment in their states and this has proved to be beneficial for the potential investor.

States of India

A small brief of the investment opportunities available in some of the Indian states is given here:

Andaman and Nicobar: Tourism, I.T., Handicrafts, High value added Agro Products, Fisheries, Coir, Hydro Carbon Energy, Shipping Sectors including Transshipment ports and Service Industry.

Andhra Pradesh: Biotechnology, tourism, food and agro based industries, and information technology.

Arunachal Pradesh: art and craft industries, tourism and educational services.

Assam: IT Sector, Tourism, Agro- Horti & Food Processing Sector, Bamboo Industries and Bio Technology Sector.

Bihar:Agro based industries, sericulture, chemical industry, tourism, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, etc.
Chhattisgarh: Processing of medicinal, aromatic and dye plants, Automobile, auto components, spares and cycle industries, Manufacturing of plant, machinery & engineering spares, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Delhi: computer software, IT enabled services, electronics and high tech industries and small-scale industry.
Goa: Pharmaceuticals, Drugs and Biotech Industries, Food processing and Agro based Industries, IT and IT-enabled services, Eco tourism/Heritage tourism/Adventure tourism/Event tourism/Medical, Tourism and Entertainment Industry.
Gujarat: Agro Based and Food Processing Industry, Chemical and Allied Industry, Information Technology, Mineral Based and Allied Industries, Plastic and Allied Industries, Port Related activities and infrastructure and Textile Industry.
Haryana: Agro based and Food Processing Industry., Electronics and Information & Communication Technology, Automobiles & Automotive Components., Handloom, Hosiery, Textile and Garments Manufacturing., Export- Oriented Units, Footwear, leather garments and accessories.
Himachal Pradesh: units based directly on horticulture produce, mineral water bottling, automobile manufacturing units, cold storage units, electronic units, floriculture, handicrafts, precision industries, etc.
Jammu and Kashmir: food processing, agro based industries, floriculture, information technology, sports goods industry, etc.
Jharkhand: mining and mineral based industry, agro based industries, sericulture, engineering, auto components, tourism, ceramics, sports goods, etc.
Karnataka: informatics, computer software, IT enabled services, telecom, auto and auto components, food processing, floriculture, biotechnology, tourism, infrastructure projects, etc.
Kerala: Mineral and Clay based products, Agriculture and Horticulture Produce, Traditional Industries, Tourism, Auto Components, Marine Products and Agro Processing industries.
Madhya Pradesh: agro- processing industries, cement, textiles and apparels, tourism, power, education, information technology, etc.
Maharashtra: auto industry, biotechnology, floriculture, food processing, textiles and leather.
Manipur: agro based industries, handicraft industries, sericulture, tourism, telecommunications, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Meghalaya: Minerals based industries, Horticulture and agro based industry, Power Generation, Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP), Tourism, Biotechnology- based units, Electronics and information technology and Tissue culture and orchid units.
Mizoram: bamboo and timber based industries, food processing, agro-horticulture sector, mines and minerals, handloom, handicrafts, tourism, etc.
Nagaland: food-processing industry, agro based industry, tourism, mineral based industry, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Orissa: mineral and mineral based industries, agro and food processing industries, Information technology, tourism, biotech, pharma, handicrafts, handlooms, chemicals and fertilizers, etc.
Punjab: agriculture, dairy and poultry products, meat processing, leather industry, sports goods, textiles, light engineering goods, etc.
Rajasthan: IT and ITeS, biotechnology, agro based industries, power sector, education, urban infrastructure, tourism, gems and Jewellery, etc.
Sikkim: eco-tourism, handicrafts and handlooms, floriculture, biotechnology, etc.
Tamil Nadu: engineering, automobiles and components, software and ITeS, biotechnology, health care, pharma, tourism, textiles, etc.
Tripura: natural gas, food processing, rubber, tea, handicraft, bamboo, handloom, tourism, information technology, etc.
Uttar Pradesh: power, food processing, agro based industries, animal husbandry, engineering, horticulture, etc.
Uttarakhand: hydropower, floriculture, horticulture, agro based and food processing industries, information and communication technology, etc.
West Bengal: agri business, tourism, information technology, metals, petrochemicals, leather, food processing, etc.

Union Territories of India

Delhi: computer software, IT enabled services, electronics and high tech industries and small-scale industry.

Andaman and Nicobar: Tourism, I.T., Handicrafts, High value added Agro Products, Fisheries, Coir, Hydro Carbon Energy, Shipping Sectors including Transhipment ports and Service Industry.

Puducherry: information technology and software development, electronics, agro processing, textiles, leather products, light engineering and tourism.

Sectoral Opportunities

Vast investment potential exists in sectors such as biotechnology, retail, real estate, roads and highways, power, telecommunications, civil aviation, special economic zones, healthcare among others.
These investments are encouraged by the facts that India has a large pool of skilled and competitive manpower, huge research and development base, Government support and conducive policies, growth in the Indian domestic market owing to higher disposable incomes, abundant natural resources required to set up industries, etc.

INDIA AT A GLANCE

General Profile

Area : 3.3 Million sq. km
Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent.
Geographic Coordinates: Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8° 4' and 37° 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 68°7' and 97°25' longitudes east of it.
Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30
Telephone Country Code: +91
Capital: New Delhi
Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Coastline : 7517 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November)
Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.
Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc.

Political Profile

Country Name: Republic of India ; Bharat Ganrajya
Government Type: Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.
Administrative Divisions : 28 States and 7 Union Territories.
Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950. The Constitution of India is the fountain source of the legal system in the Country.
Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who forms the Cabinet.
Legislative Branch: The Federal Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts.

National Days:

• 26 th January (Republic Day)
• 15 th August (Independence Day)
• 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday)

Demographic Profile
Population (Census 2011): 1210.19 Million
Males: 623.72 Million,
Females: 586.46 Million)
Birth Rate (2001 census): 24.8 Percent
Death Rate (2001 census): 8.9 Percent
Density of Population (Census 2011) : 382 Persons per square kilometer

Life expectancy at Birth (As of September 2005) :

Males : 63.9 Years,
Females : 66.9 Years
Ethnic Groups: All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India.
Religions: According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1,028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5%, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others.
Languages: There are 22 different languages that have been recognised by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is an Official Language. English has by law been designated the language for official purposes.
Literacy Rate (Census 2011): 74.04 Percent
Males: 31.98 Percent,
Females: 49.10 Percent

Economic Profile
Gross Domestic Product during 2010-11: US$ 1597.5 billion (Rs 72.6 trillion)
Per capita income during 2010-11: US$ 1020.3 (Rs 36,003)
Forex Reserves (April 2011): US$ 303.5 billion
Exports (2009-10): US$ 182.2 billion
Exports (April-March 2010-11): US$ 245.9 billion
Imports (2009-2010): US$ 299.5 billion
Imports (April-March 2010-11): US$ 350.7 billion
Amount of FDI inflows during 2009-10: US$ 25.9 billion
Amount of FDI inflows during 2010-11 (April 2010-February 2011): US$ 18.3 billion
Cumulative amount of FDI Inflows (August 1991-February 2011): US$ 145.2 billion
Sectors attracting highest FDI inflows: Services Sector, Computer Software & Hardware, Telecommunications, Housing & Real Estate, Construction Activities (Including Roads & Highways), Automobile Industry,Power, Metallurgical Industries, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Chemicals (other than fertilizers).
Top Investing Countries: Mauritius, Singapore, U.S.A, U.K, Netherlands, Japan, Cyprus, Germany, France, U.A.E.

Census Of India 2011

The Indian Census is a credible source of statistical information on different characteristics of the citizens since 1872. This was conducted at different points of time in different parts of the country. In 1881 a Census was taken for the entire country simultaneously. Since then, Census has been conducted every ten years, without a break. The Census provides a snapshot of the country's population and housing at a given point of time. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal authority for conducting decennial Census in the country. Census 2011 is the 15^th National Census of the country since 1872 and the 7^th after Independence.

Importance of Census:

Census provides detailed and authentic information on demography, economic activity, literacy and education, housing & household amenities, urbanisation, fertility and mortality, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, language, religion, migration, disability and many other socio-cultural and demographic data. This information helps the Central and State Governments in planning and formulation of various policies. Besides, the delimitation or reservation of constituencies-Parliamentary/Assembly/Panchayats and other local bodies- is also based on demographic data.

Census of India 2011:

Census 2011 was conducted in two phases. The first phase, called the House Listing or Housing Census was conducted between April and September last year across the country, depending on the convenience of different States/UTs. The second phase, Population Enumeration, began simultaneously all over the country from February 9, 2011 and continued up to February 28, 2011.

 New Features of Census 2011:

Fresh Categories

The following fresh categories have been incorporated for comprehensive and better data:

• Gender: New category "Other" introduced in addition to Male and Female.
• Date of Birth question introduced along with Age.
• Current Marital Status: Separate codes Assigned for Separated and Divorced.
• New filter Question on SC/ST Introduced - "Is this person SC/ST?"
• Disability: Household Schedule of Census 2011 attempts to collect information on eight types of disabilities as against five included in the Household Schedule of Census of India 2001. The information is being collected on disabilities namely, disability 'In Seeing', 'In Hearing', 'In Speech', 'In Movement', 'Mental retardation', 'Mental Illness', 'Any Other' and 'Multiple Disability'.
• Literacy Status for "Other" sex added in addition to existing Male and Female.
• New Codes under Status of Attendance in Educational Institutions introduced for Not Attending viz., (i) Attended before and (ii) Never attended.
• Work: Marginal workers have been classified into two categories viz., (i) worked for 3 months or more but less than 6 months (ii) worked for less than 3 months. The definition of 'Main worker' remains the same.
• A separate code-5 has been included under Non-economic activity for renters.
• Migration - Provision to specify the present name of the Village/Town of the Birth Place as well as the Place of Last Residence introduced.
• Name of the Institutional Household is also being recorded.

Census in Schools Census 2011 has taken initiatives to sensitise school students about census operations. The Census Organization is implementing "Census in School' programme across the country. This is specifically designed for the active participation of children in ensuring authenticity of census data of their families.
The programme covers about 60 to 80 schools in each of the 640 Districts in the country.

Mascot of an Enumerator

The mascot of an enumerator has been created for Census 2011 to make the process more people-friendly. The mascot helps people relate with the Census process and elucidates the key role of enumerators in the process. A toll free number 1800-345-0111 and services of call centre have been introduced for addressing public grievances.

Census Data

According to provisional results, India's population grew to 1.21 billion. The absolute number of children in the 0-6 age group recorded decline from 163 million in the 2001 census to 158 million in 2011. For detailed information click on the links given below:

• Provisional Population Totals
• Data Products
• Provisional Population Totals (States/UTs)

Number of Administrative Units in Census 2011

• State/Union Territories: 35
• Districts: 640
• Sub-districts: 5,924
• Towns: 7,938
• Villages: 6.41 Lakh

The cost of Census 2011 has been estimated at Rs 22,000 million, which works out to a per person cost of Rs.18.19. A total of 2.7 million functionaries worked in the conduct of the census. The census schedules were canvassed in 16 languages. A total of 340 million schedules were printed.

National Population Register (NPR) A milestone of Census 2011 is the creation of National Population Register (NPR). The National Population Register (NPR) will build up a comprehensive identity database of usual residents of the country. It would have the biometric data and UID Number of every person (15 years and above).
National Identity Cards will be given in a phased manner to all usual residents by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India.
The NPR is being introduced for the first time in the country. More on National Population Register

General Information about Census:

According to Article 246, population Census is a Union Subject in India. But, the State Governments provide administrative support in conducting the Census process.
The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, headed by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, plans and implements Census. There are field offices, headed by Directors of Census Operations, in all the States and Union Territories (except Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Union Territory of Daman and Diu), which are attached to the office at Gujarat.
Directors of Census Operations are responsible for the conduct of Census in their respective jurisdiction.
The first step towards executing Census process involves preparation of a complete and unduplicated list of all geographical entities in the country, which include States, Districts, Tehsils/Taluks/ Community Development (CD) Blocks and Villages/Town at a particular point of time. More on Census Jurisdiction
The enumerators, supervisors and other field functionaries visit each and every household and ask questions to filling up Census forms. The information collected about individuals is kept absolutely confidential.
After the field work, the Census forms are transported to data processing centres located at 15 cities across the country. For faster data processing, the Intelligent Character Recognition Software (ICR) is used which saves a huge amount of manual labour and cost. The ICR technology with advanced features scans the Census Forms at high speed and extracts the data automatically. The Census is a statutory exercise conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948 and Census Rules, 1990.
With a history of more than 130 years, this reliable, time tested exercise has been bringing out a veritable wealth of statistics. To scholars and researchers in demography, economics, anthropology, sociology, statistics and many other disciplines, the Indian Census has been a fascinating source of data. The rich diversity of the people of India is truly brought out by the decennial census which has become one of the tools to understand and study India.

Indian Bank Probationary Officers Exam. 2011 Solved Paper

General Awareness
(Exam Held on 2-1-2011)


1. On which one of the following ‘Head of Expenses’, the expenses of the Government of India are highest ?
(A) Food subsidy
(B) Fertilizer subsidy
(C) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(D) Maintenance of national highways
(E) Oil subsidy
Ans : (A)

2. Which one of the following foreign agencies will assist the municipal agencies to improve quality of municipal schools through its School Excellence Programmes (SEP) ?
(A) IMF
(B) UNDP
(C) UNICEF
(D) ADB
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

3. Which of the following carries out ‘Open Market Operations’ ?
(A) Finance Ministry
(B) External Affairs Ministry
(C) Reserve Bank of India
(D) Planning Commission
(E) Ministry of Commerce
Ans : (C)


4. Who among the following Ministers will hold telecom portfolio in addition to his own portfolio till next reallotment ?
(A) Kamal Nath
(B) Kapil Sibal
(C) Pranab Mukherjee
(D) Mamta Banerjee
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

5. Under provisions of which one of the following Acts, the RBI issues directives to the Banks in India ?
(A) RBI Act
(B) Banking Regulation Act
(C) Essential Commodities Act
(D) RBI and Banking Regulation Act
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

6. Which one of the following tools is used by RBI for selective credit control ?
(A) It advises banks to lend against certain commodities
(B) It advises banks to recall the loans for advances against certain commodities
(C) It advises banks to charge higher rate of interest for advance against certain commodities
(D) It discourages certain kinds of lending by assigning higher risk weights to loans it deems undesirable
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

7. For which one of the following Loan Products ‘teaser loans’ are offered by Banks ?
(A) Education Loans
(B) Commercial Loans
(C) Loans against security of gold
(D) Retail Trade Loans
(E) Home Loans
Ans : (E)

8. The Commonwealth Games 2010 were held in Delhi from October 3 to 14, 2010. Who amongst the following picked up the Game’s first gold medal ?
(A) Augustina Nwaokolo
(B) Ravinder Singh
(C) Azhar Hussain
(D) Carol Huynh
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

9. In which one of the following cities was the recent meet of G–20 Countries organised ?
(A) Tokyo
(B) Seoul
(C) London
(D) Beijing
(E) Singapore
Ans : (B)

10. As per recent newspaper reports, which one of the following countries (among the given) has highest literacy rate ?
(A) India
(B) Sri Lanka
(C) China
(D) Vietnam
(E) Bangladesh
Ans : (D)

11. Which one of the following has decided to give guarantee for infra loans ?
(A) IDBI
(B) SBI
(C) IIFCL
(D) SIDBI
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

12. In which one of the following States is the uranium project proposed to be set up ?
(A) Manipur
(B) Meghalaya
(C) Orissa
(D) Assam
(E) Nagaland
Ans : (C)

13. Amongst 169 countries on Human Development Index which one of the following is India’s rank ?
(A) 89
(B) 91
(C) 119
(D) 129
(E) 138
Ans : (C)

14. What is ‘Kaveri’ ?
(A) India’s indigeneous aircraft engine
(B) India’s low cost laptop
(C) India’s Air to Air Missile
(D) India’s guided Surface to Air Missile
(E) Unmanned Aircraft acquired from Israel
Ans : (A)

15. An increasing finished good stock as % to sales of a manufacturing Company indicates that ……….
1. the market is getting competitive
2. the quality of the goods is not upto the mark
3. the production cost has increased
4. the production has decreased
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) Only 2 and 3
(C) Only 3 and 4
(D) Only 3
(E) Only 4 and 1
Ans : (A)

16. Which one of the following has got RBI nod to issue prepaid cards to its clients ?
(A) LIC
(B) GIC
(C) SIDBI
(D) NABARD
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

17. For which one of the following reasons is an amendment in Companies Bill 2009 proposed ?
(A) To provide more powers to Department of Company Affairs
(B) To provide regulatory powers to Department of Company Affairs
(C) To make Indian Accounting Standards applicable with effect from 1.4.2011
(D) To ensure smooth convergence of the Indian Accounting Standards with IFRS
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

18. As per recent newspaper reports, India’s public debt rises 2•8 per cent to Rs. 28 lakh crore. Which one of the following is the reason that has forced commercial banks to buy Government securities ?
(A) Lack of credit growth
(B) Increase in credit growth
(C) Raising of repo rate
(D) Raising of reverse repo rate
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

19. In which one of the following States Sariska Tiger Reserve is located ?
(A) M. P.
(B) U. P.
(C) Orissa
(D) Gujarat
(E) Rajasthan
Ans : (E)

20. On which one of the following characters, Biometric security is based ?
(A) Finger prints and palm recognition only
(B) Face recognition and voice recognition only
(C) Hand writing and manual recognition only
(D) Only (A) and (B)
(E) All (A), (B) and (C)
Ans : (D)

21. Which one of the following may be the consequence of buying forex in the marked by the RBI ?
(A) It leads to inflation
(B) It leads to control over inflation
(C) It does not affect inflation
(D) It results into deflation
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

22. Under provisions of which one of the following Acts, the Reserve Bank of India has the power to regulate, supervise and control the banking sector ?
(A) RBI Act
(B) Banking Regulation Act
(C) Negotiable Instrument Act
(D) RBI and Banking Regulation Act
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

23. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘The God of Small Things’ ?
(A) Chetan Bhagat
(B) V. S. Naipul
(C) Namita Gokhale
(D) Kiran Desai
(E) Arundhati Roy
Ans : (E)

24. Which one of the following has proposed $ 11 billion infrastructure debt fund ?
(A) NABARD
(B) SBI
(C) RBI
(D) Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India
(E) Planning Commission
Ans : (D)

25. Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi is a ……….
(A) 42 years old politician
(B) Bharat Ratna
(C) Military General
(D) Nobel Prize winner
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

26. Which one of the following factors influence working capital of a unit ?
(A) Seasonality of operations only
(B) Production Policy only
(C) Suppliers Term only
(D) Only (A) and (B)
(E) All (A), (B) and (C)
Ans : (E)

27. One of the following states is a major producer of spices ……….
(A) Karnataka
(B) Tamil Nadu
(C) Kerala
(D) Gujarat
(E) Manipur
Ans : (C)

28. The NAV of a mutual fund ……
(A) Is always constant
(B) Keeps going up at a steady rate
(C) Fluctuates with market price movements
(D) Cannot go down at all
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

29. The expansion of TRAI is …….
(A) Telecom Regulations and Inspection
(B) Transport Regulatory Authority of India
(C) Train Regulatory Authority of India
(D) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(E) Transfer Regulations Act of India
Ans : (D)

30. ASBA, a facility while applying / submitting an application for purchase of shares under a public issue, is ……….
(A) Applications Simple Balance Amount
(B) Amount Saved and Balance in Account
(C) Already Savings Blocked Amount
(D) Applications Supported by Blocked Amount
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

31. A Saving Bank Deposit Account is one where ……….
(A) Amounts are deposited and are withdrawn as per requirement of the customers
(B) The deposits are made only once in a year
(C) Periodical Fixed amount are deposited month wise and withdrawals are allowed after a fixed period
(D) All the above
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

32. Who is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra at present ?
(A) Ashok Chavan
(B) R. R. Patil
(C) Vilasrao Deshmukh
(D) Sushil Kumar Shinde
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

33. The expansion of CDMA is …….
(A) Calculated Division of Many Applications
(B) Computer Divided Multiple Access
(C) Code Diversified Memory Applications
(D) Code Division Multiple Access
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

34. ‘Merdeka Cup’ is associated with the game of ……….
(A) Tennis
(B) Hockey
(C) Badminton
(D) Cricket
(E) Football
Ans : (E)

35. Which of the following is a financial asset ?
(A) Gold
(B) Silver
(C) Shares in a demat account
(D) Land & buildings
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

36. Zero balance account is generally allowed to be opened for ……….
(A) Salaried class
(B) businessmen
(C) foreign customers
(D) children
(E) Senior Citizens
Ans : (A)

37. In Deposits Account ‘KYC’ (Know Your Customer) has been implemented in 2002 as per directive of ……….
(A) IBA
(B) RBI
(C) Ministry of Finance
(D) SEBI
(E) IRDA
Ans : (B)

38. The regulator of the banking system in India is………
(A) AMFI
(B) Finance Minister
(C) SEBI
(D) IBA
(E) RBI
Ans : (E)

39. Ten Rupee notes contain the signature of………
(A) Finance Secretary, GOI
(B) Chairman, State Bank of India
(C) Governor, Reserve Bank of India
(D) Finance Minister, GOI
(E) Prime Minister
Ans : (C)

40. Statue of Liberty is the national monument of ……….
(A) Italy
(B) Australia
(C) France
(D) Denmark
(E) USA
Ans : (E)

41. Loan against the security of immovable property is by executing an agreement of ……….
(A) Assignment
(B) Pledge
(C) Transfer
(D) Mortgage
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

42. Credit Rating ……….
(A) is used to rate the borrowers while giving advances
(B) is used to work out performance of the employees
(C) is used to calculate the number of excellent audit rated branches
(D) is NOT used in any Bank
(E) is necessary before giving promotion to employees
Ans : (A)

43. Who amongst the following is the recipient of the ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2010’ ?
(A) Javed Akhtar
(B) Amitabh Bachchan
(C) Gulzar
(D) Hema Malini
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

44. In Corporate Hedging, which one of the following types of risks can be covered ?
(A) Liquidity risk
(B) Currency risk
(C) Credit risk
(D) Transaction risk
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

45. Bank of Rajasthan is now merged with which of the following banks ?
(A) AXIS Bank
(B) IDBI Bank
(C) ICICI Bank
(D) HDFC Bank
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

46. As per GDP figures on calendar year basis, according to World Bank, which one of the following economies will have highest GDP growth in the year 2011 ?
(A) US
(B) China
(C) Japan
(D) India
(E) Brazil
Ans : (B)

47. In respect of infrastructure bonds issued under provisions of Section 80 CCF of the Income Tax Act, what is the maximum amount (Rs. in thousands), upto which these bonds can be covered ?
(A) 30
(B) 20
(C) 40
(D) 50
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

48. Which of the following is the full form of the abbreviation ‘IFRS’ as used in corporate / finance sector ?
(A) Indian Financial Reconciliation Standards
(B) Interpretation and Formal Reporting System
(C) International Financial Reporting Standards
(D) International Financial Reporting System
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

49. As per the new guidelines issued by SEBI, companies are required to list shares within how many days of the closure of the Initial Public Offers (IPOs) ?
(A) 60 days
(B) 12 days
(C) 30 days
(D) 45 days
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

50. RTGS stands for ……….
(A) Real Time Gross Settlements
(B) Reduced Time Gross Settlements
(C) Relative Time Gross Settlements
(D) Real Total Gross Securities
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)