We have a curated list of the most noteworthy articles from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy articles from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy articles from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy articles from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
1. Who among the following is one of the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize – 2011 ?(1) Ellen Johnson Sitleaf(2) Jules A. Hoffmann(3) Brude A. Beutler(4) Adam G. Riess(5) Tomas Transtromer2. The Food Security Bill-2011 which is in the process of becoming an Act, divides the entire population of the country into two groups. Which of die following are these two groups ?
(1) Below poverty line and above poverty line
(2) General population and excluded population
(3) Included households and excluded households
(4) Covered under PDS and not covered under PDS
(5) General households and priority households
3. RBI has recently deregulated the rates of interest to be provided by various Banks to their depositors/ customers with effect from 25-10-2011 on their accounts.
(1) Time deposit (2) Saving bank
(3) Loan (4) Fixed deposit
(5) Current
4. Which of the following is the main advantage of “ASBA” with the applicants for share allotment ?
(1) ASBA applicant has got secured allotment of shares
(2) ASBA applicant has got certain preference in allotment of shares as compared to general applicants
(3) ASBA applicant need not remit the fund for allotment of shares, he/she will do so after shares are allotted to him/her
(4) ASBA applicants deposit/OD account is not debited, only the
funds are blocked for the same and he/she continues to avail interest till the shares are allotted to him/her
(5) None of these
5. “Many people die in Deadly Games in Egypt”—was the news in almost all major newspapers in February 2012. Which of the following statements is the correct representation of ‘Deadly Game’ given in the headlines ?
(1) A riot broke out during a Football Match in Egypt in which many people were killed
(2) Police had to open fire on a me>b including some genuine ticket holders, who were not allowed to enter the stadium even after the start of the match
(3) Egypt is famous for its dangerous games of ‘Bull fight’ and ‘Martial Game’. Many participants die every year in such games
(4) Some terrorists opened fire during a football match. About 1,000 people were killed in the incident
(5) The defeat in the game is considered equivalent to death
6. Mullaperiyar Dam, which was recently in news, is located in which of the following States ?
(1) Maharashtra
(2) Karnataka
(3) Andhra Pradesh
(4) Kerala
(5) Tamil Nadu
7. Like telephone/Mobile number portability, the Ministry of Finance/RBI is now also considering to provide bank account number portability to bank customers. Which of the following would it mean ?
(1) Any customer/account holder can withdraw cash from any other
Bank through his/her own cheques drawn on other bank even without ATM
(2) Any borrower can draw funds from his/her loan account from any other bank also
(3) The account number of any account holder will remain the same even if he/she is getting his/ her account transferred to another bank also
(4) Bank customers would have the facility of mobile Banks to withdraw cash nearby his/her place
(5) None of these
8. The total number of Kissan Credit Card holder farmers in our country is
(1) 8 Crores (2) 10 Crores
(3) 5 Crores (4) 7.5 Crores
(5) 6 Crores
9. NRE deposit is
(1) Non Resident External deposit
(2) Non Resident Extra deposit
(3) Non Resident Exchange deposit
(4) Non Refundable External deposit
(5) Non Resident Extended deposit
10. What is offshore banking ?
(1) It is a bank located in the sea (i.e. island).
(2) It is a bank located in SEZ.
(3) It is a bank located in a neighbouring country.
(4) It is a bank located outside the country of residence of the depositor.
(5) Offshore banking is basically dealing in foreign exchange.
11. Maoists in which of the following countries recently decided to accept Govt’s offer of ‘Golden Handshake’ and enter into ‘civilian life’ or mainstream of the society ?
(1) Myanmar (2) India
(3) China (4) Nepal
(5) Bhutan
12. Which of the following is correct ?
(1) Illiterates cannot open any account in a bank
(2) Illiterate women cannot open any account in a bank
(3) Illiterates can open savings bank accounts in a bank
(4) Advance can be granted to a minor
(5) Advance can be granted to a
minor if he is of sound mind
13. As per newspaper reports western countries are going to impose sanctions on which of the following OPEC countries as it is said that it is trying to make a nuclear bomb ?
(1) Kuwait (2) Iraq
(3) Iran (4) Saudi Arabia
(5) Angola
14. “The Reliance Industries Ltd. has decided to return some ‘KG’ fields to the Government of India”—was the news in some major newspapers. What is the major production in KG fields owned by RIL ?
(1) Crude oil
(2) Gas
(3) Coal
(4) Iron ore
(5) Gold ore and Diamonds
15. Non-convertible debentures are *
(1) Debt instruments which acquire equity status at the issuers’ option.
(2) Debt instruments which acquire equity status at the investors’ option.
(3) Debt instruments which acquire equity status with the permission of Registrar of Companies.
(4) Debt instruments which acquire equity status on maturity.
(5) Debt instruments which retain their debt character and cannot acquire equity status.
16. India’s Dipika Pallikal and Sarah Cardwell of Australia recendy played an international match in Chennai. Both of them are
(1) Badminton players
(2) Golf players
(3) Chess players
(4) Squash players
(5) Table Tennis players
17. “IRDA norms will boost online distribution”—was the news in some major newspapers. This means online distribution of which of the following will boost up ?
(1) Bank products
(2) Insurance policies/products
(3) Licences to open new banks/ branches of existing banks
(4) Licences to operate 2G/3G spectrums
(5) Permits for export of iron ore
18. ‘Lajja’ is a book written by
(1) Salman Rushdie
(2) Taslima Nasreen
(3) Sunil Ganguli
(4) Rabindranath Tagore
(5) Bimal Mitra
19. To prevent frauds in multiple mortgage cases, under SARFAESI Act, 2002 one special thing has been created and made operative from 01.04.2011. Which one is that from the following ?
(1) Special Registrar Office at Lucknow
(2) Special Central Arbitration Bureau at Lucknow
(3) Central SARFAESI Tribunals at Six Centres
(4) Central Electronic Registry
(5) State Electronic Registries
20. SB[ has merged which of the following two associate banks with itself ?
(1) State Bank of Hyderabad & State Bank of Patiala
(2) State Bank of Hyderabad & State Bank of Travancore
(3) State Bank of Mysore & State Bank of Travancore
(4) State Bank of Indore & State Bank of Hyderabad
(5) State Bank of Indore & State Bank of Saurashtra
21. Assembly elections took place in which one of the following States recently ? (in January 2012)
(1) Madhya Pradesh
(2) Maharashtra
(3) Kerala
(4) Punjab
(5) Tamil Nadu
22. Which one of the following is not a salient feature of Debit Card ?
(1) No bad debts to banks and no suits for recovery
(2) No interest earning for banks
(3) Works Eke a normal withdrawal
(4) Can be used at ATM and POS
(5) 45 days credit is given to the card holder
23. Banks issue a letter to beneficiary on behalf of its constituents like guarantee for making payment on their behalf on fulfillment of its terms and conditions. What is this arrangement known in banking context ?
(1) Line of Credit
(2) Loan to Client
(3) Loan on Credit
(4) Loan against Credit
(5) Letter of Credit
24. As per Financial Inclusion drive one of the following Banks introduced Tiny Cards with Biometric identification. Which of the following is that Bank ?
(1) Central Bank of India
(2) Oriental Bank of Commerce
(3) Indian Bank
(4) State Bank of India
(5) Bank of Maharashtra
25. World leaders are to assemble in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). All nations are going to make some commitment towards the goal of the conference. As per the agenda circulated, what commitment do world leaders want from India in the Conference ?
(1) India should agree to double its energy efficiency under a global understanding
(2) India should suspend its nuclear pact with USA or at least should reduce it to 50% level of agreed capacity
(3) Nuclear power plants are highly risky as seen in japan recently. Hence, no new plant should be made
(4) India has a vast resource of coal. It must share its coal resources with other countries to enable them to produce thermal power which they are not doing so far due to lack of coal mines there
(5) None of these
26. Who among the following is the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan given in 2012 ?
(1) Late (Dr.) Bhupen Hazarika
(2) Sri Vanraj Bhatia
(3) Sri Javed Akhtar
(4) Sri Amitabh Bachchan
(5) Smt. Ambika Son!
27. Under the liberialised scheme of interest subsidy, Govt, of India provides interest subsidy on housing loan at the rate of
(1) 0.50%
(2) 1.00%
(3) 2.00%
(4) 2.00% + 1.00% for prompt repayment
(5) None of these
28. When a Bank provides a loan for purchase of white goods, it is categorised as
(1) Consumption loan
(2) White Goods loan
(3) Consumer Durable loan
(4) Working Capital
(5) Bridge loan
29. India has decided to acquire Rafale Fighter planes for its airforce wing. Which country is going to supply Rafale fighter planes ?
(1) Italy
(2) Britain
(3) Canada
(4) France
(5) Germany
30. Which of the following statements about contribution (approximately) of agriculture sector in GDP is correct ?
(1) Agriculture contributes 50% of total GDP
(2) Agriculture does not contribute significantly to India’s GDP as the share is less than 1%
(3) India’s GDP does not take agricultural sector into account
(4) Agricultural Sector is the part of Service Sector. Hence, it is not considered as an independent sector
(5) Agricultural Sector contributes 20% in India’s GDP
31. Banks are considered as ‘financial intermediaries’. Which of the following activity correctly and comprehensively explains this role of banks ?
(1) Accepting deposits of money for the purpose of lending and investment
(2) Granting loans to the weaker sections of the society
(3) Accepting money for remittance and issuing bank drafts
(4) Providing safe deposit services
(5) Opening accounts and accepting deposits dierein
32. The rate below which banks cannot generally lend is called as
(1) Base rate
(2) Floor rate
(3) Repo rate
(4) Call money rate
(5) Ceiling rate
33. As per the data released by the Union Health Ministry (of India) the infant mortality rate is lowest in
(1) Tamil Nadu (2) Maharashtra
(3) Goa (4) Uttar Pradesh
(5) Madhya Pradesh
34. Dada Saheb Phalke Awards are given by the Ministry of
(1) Social Welfare
(2) Corporate Affairs
(3) Home Affairs
(4) Human Resource Development
(5) Information & Broadcasting
35. Which of the following is not a type of Cheque ?
(1) Crossed cheque
(2) Blank cheque
(3) Speed cheque
(4) Bearer cheque
(5) Order cheque
36. Mr. John Key is the present
(1) Prime Minister of Canada
(2) Prime Minister of Australia
(3) Prime Minister of New Zealand
(4) President of Australia
(5) President of Canada
37. In relation to banking, what do you understand by “Ever-Greening of Loan Account” ?
(1) Full repayment of a loan account before maturity—Pre-payment
(2) Full repayment of a loan account exacdy at maturity
(3) Fresh loan sanctioned during the tenure of account for enhancement of limits
(4) Adjusting the NPA/Sticky account with fresh sanction of loans
(5) Loans provided for new projects to new customers
38. Which of the following is the name of an autonomous organisation for rural technology ?
(1) CAPART (2) MGNREGA
(3) PURA (4) IRDP
(5) NGAPS
39. With a view to facilitate payment of balance in deposit account of the person named by the depositor without any hassles in the event of death of the account holder, the following facility was introduced in bank accounts in our country.
(1) Will (2) Registration
(3) Nomination (4) Indemnity
(5) Guarantee
40. Which of the following countries is not a member of ASEAN ?
(1) Thailand (2) Myanmar
(3) Singapore (4) Vietnam
(5) Brazil
41. Which of the following is not a Negotiable Instrument ?
(1) Cheque
(2) Fixed Deposit Receipt
(3) Promissory Note
(4) Bill of Exchange »
(5) All (1) to (4) above are negotiable instruments
42. Which of the following Stock Exchanges in India recendy launched “Carbon Index” so that investors can assess risk and opportunities associated with climate change ?
(1) Delhi Stock Exchange
(2) National Stock Exchange
(3) Bombay Stock Exchange
(4) Kolkata Stock Exchange
(5) Ahmedabad Stock Exchange
43. Which of the following would be the venue of the World Athletic Championship 2013 ?
(1) New Delhi (2) Tokyo
(3) London (4) Paris
(5) Moscow
44. Who among the following represented India in 17th SAARC Summit held at Addu in Maldives in November 2011 ?
(1) Smt. Sonia Gandhi
(2) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(3) Shri Pranab Mukherjee
(4) Shri P. Chidambaram
(5) Shri Rahul Gandhi
45. What is the maximum balance amount that is eligible for earning interest in a normal savings bank account ?
(1) Rs. 1 lac
(2) Rs. 2 lacs
(3) Rs. 3 lacs
(4) Rs. 5 lacs
(5) No limit
46. When a customer opens a Deposit account with the Bank, which one of the following is the status of the Bank ?
(1) Debtor (2) Creditor
(3) Trustee (4) Beneficiary
(5) None of these
47. Which of the following states decided to give Khatedhari Rights to about 30,000 farmers occupying the custodian lands ?
(1) Gujarat
(2) Rajasthan
(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Uttar Pradesh
(5) Uttarakhand
48. Which of the following functions is not being performed by the Reserve Bank of India ?
(1) Regulation of Banks in India
(2) Regulation of Foreign Direct Investment in India
(3) Foreign Currency Management in India
(4) Control & Supervision of Money Supply
(5) Currency Management in India
49. A bank is called as ‘Scheduled Bank’ when
(1) its business has crossed Rs. 1,000 crore mark.
(2) its branch network is over 100
(3) it is included in the second Schedule of the RBI Act
(4) when it complies with all the three above
(5) None of these
50. Australian Govt, recently decided to sell Uranium to India. Uranium is used mainly for
China has been topping the list of most populated countries since long. A major factor contibtuing to its vast population is its huge area. In 2011, the country boasted to have a population of more than 1,336,718,015. However, powerful economy and continued government support has made it a tough competitor to some of the most advanced counties of the world and has also kept it away from unemployment, poverty and recession.
2. India
It is interesting to note that both the neighbours (China and India) occupy top two positions in this list. India is said to surpass China in terms of population by the year 2020. The country has got a mix of various religions, ethnic groups, and cultures. Last year, the population of this country was 1,189,172,906. However unlike China, a vast majority of the country’s population lives below the poverty line.
3. United States
Even though U.S. is the third most populated country in the world, the standard of living in this country is quite high. Considered as the most powerful country in the world, its population in the year 2011 was 313,232,044. A large land area inhabited by lots of corporate ensures that things remain in control in this country.
4. Indonesia
This is not only the fourth most populated country in the world but also the most populated Muslim country. The total population of Indonesia last year stood to around 245,613,043 with majority of them being Muslims. Also, majority of the population living in this country consist of immigrants that have settled from various other countries.
5. Brazil
Having won the FIFA World Cup several times Brazil is well known in the world of football. Apart from that, you will find some of the world’s most amazing beaches and valuable gold mines in this country. The population of the country in 2011 was counted as 203,429,773.
6. Pakistan
It is a neighbor of two most populated countries, i.e., China and India. In 2011, the population of this country was 187,342,721 and is increasing at a higher than average rate. Even though it is often marred by poverty and terrorism, the country boasts of having some valuable natural resources along the Baluchistan region.
7. Bangladesh
Once part of Pakistan, it is now an independent country. It is a developing nation with a vast section of its people live below the poverty line. The nation which is struggling with its economy is home to more than 158,570,535 people as counted last year.
8. Nigeria
It is amongst the most populated country in Africa and until recently was marred by riots and civil wars. However, things improved in last few years. Majority of the population in this country consist of Black Muslims. As counted in 2011, the population of Nigeria was 155,215,573.
9. Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world and there is absolutely no reason why it should not feature in this list. Its territory includes more than 40% of the European region. This is also amongst the few countries whose population declined over the last decade. In 2011, the population of Russia stood at 138,739,89
10. Japan
Even though Japan is a small country in terms of size, yet its name features in this list. The country’s population rose to 126,475,664 in 2011. However, a major tsunami hit it last year wiping off a large part of its population.
General Bikram Singh, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM,VSM is the 25th chief of the world’s second-largest army. He was commissioned on March 31, 1972, into the Sikh Light Infantry (SIKHLI) Regiment. His colleagues remember him as a bright cadet at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), where he held the appointment of Battalion Cadet Adjutant (BCA).
The affable cadet, known as ‘Bikki’ to his friends, topped the Young Officer’s course at the Infantry School and was adjudged the ‘Best Young Officer.’ He was also awarded the prestigious ‘Commando Dagger’ for being the best commando along with ‘Best in Tactics’ trophy.
It was during his tenure as an instructor at the Commando Wing of the Infantry School that General Singh met the woman he would marry. Then a young Captain, he met, Surjeet Kaur – popularly known as ‘Bubbles’ in army circles – at a family wedding. “It indeed was love at first sight,” the General recalled. “Within a week, things were arranged and we got engaged. However, I was not happy with the marriage being fixed after six months. So, I called her up from Belgaum and told her to be prepared for marriage within a month. Of course, this required convincing parents and family members on both sides.” Bubbles joined him at the Commando Wing of the Infantry School within the stated time-frame.
“During various demonstrations that used to be organised for the public, I ensured that Bubbles was present to see and appreciate our commando skills and techniques,” he shared.
“Bikki’s friends ensured that for nearly a month-and-half, I didn’t have to cook any meal after I joined him. Either we were invited to a friend’s house or they would send us meals at home,” says his wife. They have two sons.
After the ‘Higher Command Course’, he served his first tenure in the Military Operations (MO) Directorate. The tenure, as a Director, coincided with the Kargil war and he was assigned to brief the media on the daily progress of the conflict. Later, he was also made responsible for writing the official version of the war history.
He went on to serve four more important tenures at Army HQ which included one additional tenure in the MO Directorate as the Deputy Director General, thereafter, two tenures in the Perspective Planning Directorate, initially as the Deputy Director General of Perspective Planning (Strategy) and later, as the head of the Army’s ‘Think Tank’ as the Additional Director General (the appointment now has since been upgraded to the post of Director General). He would later return to Army HQ as a Lieutenant General to serve as the Director General Staff Duties (DGSD) that facilitates the overall functioning of various branches of Army HQ, and serves as an interface with other government agencies besides looking at the Indian Army’s training teams abroad and UN peacekeeping operations.
In between the ‘Staff’ roles, Gen Bikram Singh went on to command several other operational field formations. These include command of a Rashtriya Rifles Sector in South Kashmir, an Infantry Division in J&K and the prestigious 15 Corps at Srinagar. His tenure later as the Army Commander of Eastern Command was also marked by significant improvements in both the conventional and sub-conventional war-fighting arenas.
As a Brigadier, he was selected to attend the US Army War College, Pennsylvania, where besides excelling in academics he also won the International Toastmaster’s award in public speaking.
His international forays with peace-keeping missions include two assignments with the United Nations in Central America (ONUCA and ONUSAL) and as the Deputy Force Commander and GOC of Eastern Division in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Colleagues remember him for being a ‘soldier’s soldier’ for spending time and working hard with his troops on the ground.
Gifted with a razor-sharp memory for details, General Singh is known to often surprise old friends – even those he has not met in decades – with references to their family members and memories of time spent together.
The army chief as a young boy studied at Punjab Public School, Nabha. An avid sportsman, cricket, athletics and hockey were his favourite games in school. Singing and painting were his other talents that also fetched him awards in school. “Classical songs and ghazals are my favourites,” he reveals.
As a young student, the chief had considered becoming a doctor. He was an exceptional student of Zoology and Biology. But the wars of 1962 and 1965 motivated him to join the NDA in 1968. When asked whether he ever regrets the choice made, Gen Bikram says, “If I were ever to be born again, I would only join the Indian army.”
