Allahabad Bank Agriculture Officers Exam, 2009 : Solved Paper

Allahabad Bank Agriculture Officers Exam., 2009
(Held on 1-3-2009)
General Awareness : Solved Paper

1. According to the World Economic Forum which of the following groups of countries have the most developed financial system in the world ?
(A) USA–France
(B) France–Britain
(C) India–USA
(D) Britain–Australia
(E) USA–Britain
Ans : (E)

2. Which of the following sectors of US economy were passing through a phase of slow down recently and wanted US Govt. to provide bail out packages to them ?
1. Agricultural sector
2. Auto sector
3. Banking and Financial Services Sector
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)

3. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true about the buy back of the Foreign Convertible Bonds (FCBs), which were in news recently ?
1. Govt. has put a ban on the buy back of the Foreign convertible Bonds.
2. Govt. has now allowed the buy back of the Foreign convertible Bonds.
3. Companies can now pre pay the foreign convertible bonds from their Indian rupee resources and/or through their foreign currency accruals.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

4. Which of the following countries has decided to issue a currency note equivalent to that of US$ 200 million as it is struggling with the world's highest inflation rate of 231 million per cent ?
(A) Somalia
(B) Ethiopea
(C) Sudan
(D) Uganda
(E) Zimbabwe
Ans : (E)

5. The Reserve Bank of India in its mid term review of the monetary policy in October 2008 had said that the inflation would be around 7% by the year-end.
Which of the following is/are indications on the basis of which RBI gave this statement ?
1. Headline inflation as measured by the wholesale price index has started declining
2. Commodity prices are coming down
3. Domestic Demand is also slowing down
4. Fuel prices are lowered down recently
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 1 and 4 only
(C) All 1, 2, 3 and 4
(D) Only 4
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

6. As we all noticed in the recent past almost all major banks were offering loans at cheaper rates. Which was/were the major event(s) that took place in the financial sector, which prompted banks to do so ?
1. RBI frequently announced a cut in various rates and ratios
2. Govt. provided Rs. 7000 crore refinance to SIDBI to help SSIs
3. Housing loans upto Rs. 20 lakhs will now be treated as loan to priority sector
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 & 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

7. Which of the following statements is/are TRUE about the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
which was in news sometimes back ?
1. The US Govt. provided a US $ 7000 million bail out package to the company
2. The company filed for bankruptcy in a court in New York
3. The company is now out of financial crisis and is busy in its restructuring so that it can start afresh.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

8. Which of the following States became the first State in India to reserve a Govt. job for HIV + candidates ?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Kerala
(C) Karnataka
(D) Delhi
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

9. The Govt. of India recently decided to allow Currency Futures in India. In addition to Ministry of Finance which is/are the other organization(s) whose permission/approval is needed for such operations in India ?
1. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
2. Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
3. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 1 and 2
(E) Only 2 and 3
Ans : (E)

10. The Reserve Bank of India has decided to help banks, as a temporary measure, by providing additional liquidity support under LAF. What is the full form of LAF ?
(A) Loan Adjustment Fund
(B) Liquidity Adjustment Facility
(C) Long Awaited Funds
(D) Loan Against Funds
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

11. As per the report being published in media now the economy of Asia is fast approaching at the saturation point while the growth prospects for Europe and US appear to be bleak. Hence Chinese, Americans and others are now looking towards—
(A) Africa
(B) South East Asia
(C) Latin America
(D) Gulf countries
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

12. The formal or institutional credit delivery system in rural India comprises of which of the following ?
1. Cooperative Credit Institutions
2. Commercial Banks
3. Regional Rural Banks
4. Self Help Groups
(A) Only 1 and 2
(B) Only 3 and 4
(C) Only 1, 2 and 3
(D) All 1, 2, 3 and 4
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

13. As per the reports published recently in the newspapers/magazines the Current Account Deficit of India's Balance of Payment during 2007-08 was at a very high level. When compared to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the percentage of the Current Account Deficit of 2007-08 was about what per cent of the GDP at that time ?
(A) 0•5%
(B) 0•75%
(C) 1%
(D) 1•25%
(E) 1•5%
Ans : (E)

14. The FDIC a USA based financial sector organization's name was in news recently. What is the full form of FDIC ?
(A) Federal Insurance Deposit Corporation
(B) Financial Insurance and Deposits Company
(C) Federal Income and Deposits Corporation
(D) Financial Instruments and Development Company
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

15. The Reserve Bank of India has recently issued guidelines to banks on Pillar 2 of Basel II framework. Pillar 2 deals with which of the following ?
1. Better human resource management
2. Adequate capital to support risks
3. Better profitability with minimum number of employees
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

16. Which of the following countries recently signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and became the 179th country to do the same ?
(A) India
(B) Pakistan
(C) Sudan
(D) Iraq
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

17. A State Mission on Urban Poverty is formed by which of the following States in India ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Kerala
(E) Tamil Nadu
Ans : (D)

18. The Govt. of India these days is trying to implement new projects/schemes for the development of North Eastern Region (NER) of our country. Which of the following statement (s) is/are True about the North Eastern Region of our country ?
1. The NE Region comprising eight States has a high literacy level and is rich in ethnic cultural heritage with linguistic diversity.
2. The region has very good educational institutions and facilities as each and every district has a very good school/college and one or two institutes for higher learning.
3. The Govt. of India is trying to open few model central schools in the Region so that children of the Region can compete with the children of other zones/regions as entire education in the NE Region is given in local languages at present.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (E)

19. India has recently signed an agreement with which of the following to form a Free Trade Area from January, 2009 ?
(A) ASEAN
(B) SAARC
(C) EU
(D) Latin America
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

20. Which of the following States has decided to modernize Godavari Delta by investing a huge sum of Rs. 3,361 crores ?
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Kerala
(D) Andhra Pradesh
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

21. Which of the following State Govts. has decided to request the Govt. of India to provide 33.3% reservation for the backward classes in State Assemblies and in the Lok Sabha ?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Bihar
(D) Tamil Nadu
(E) Andhra Pradesh
Ans : (D)

22. Which of the following is not a department of the Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India ?
(A) Department of Economic Affairs
(B) Department of Expenditure
(C) Department of Revenue
(D) Department of Foreign Investments
(E) Department of Disinvestments
Ans : (D)

23. Which of the following countries recently signed a security cooperation agreement with India when our Prime Minister visited that country recently ?
(A) North Korea
(B) South Korea
(C) China
(D) Japan
(E) Nepal
Ans : (D)

24. Which of the following two countries decided to approach International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support them in their efforts to avoid financial turmoil which engulfed some big nations ?
(A) Hungary and Ukrain
(B) Croatia and Russia
(C) Russia and China
(D) USA and Russia
(E) Australia and China
Ans : (A)

25. As we all know a B. K. Chaturvedi Committee was set up by the Govt. of India to give recommendations on oil and natural gas sector. Which of the following is/are not amongst its recommendations ?
1. Special taxes to be imposed on all oil products in the country
2. Excise duties on petrol to be reduced to Rs. 10 per litre till March 2009
3. Subsidy on LPG should be increased from present 25% to 40%
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) Only 1 and 2
Ans : (D)

26. Which of the following is not a social sector programme being run by the Govt. of India ?
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(B) National Rural Health Mission
(C) National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
(D) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(E) Mid Day Meal Scheme
Ans : (C)

27. Under the Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, the Govt. of India recently gave the first instalment of credit to the banks. What was the amount of the1st instalment ?
(A) Rs. 10,000 crore
(B) Rs. 15,000 crore
(C) Rs. 20,000 crore
(D) Rs. 25,000 crore
(E) None of these
Ans : (D)

28. As per the newspaper reports how many bank branches India has at present ? (all the banks put together) About—
(A) 25,000
(B) 30,000
(C) 50,000
(D) 60,000
(E) 70,000
Ans : (C)

29. As per the reports published in various newspapers/magazines in several nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America more people have mobile phones than bank accounts. What is the position in India in regard to these two facilities ? [Pick up the correct statement(s)]
1. In India about 260 million people have mobile phones.
2. At present about 34% of Indian population is enjoying the formal banking facilities.
3. RBI has recently approved mobile Banking (m–Banking) and favours SMS based small ticket payments upto Rs. 15,000.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

30. The World Investment Report 2008 was released in September 2008. This report is published every year by—
(A) Govt. of India
(B) World Trade Organization (WTO)
(C) Asian Development Bank (ADB)
(D) World Bank
(E) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Ans : (E)

31. The National Illness Assistance Fund (NIAF) which was set up in 1997 is now known with a new name as—
(A) Rastriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)
(B) National Health Mission (NHM)
(C) Pulse Polio Abhiyan (PPA)
(D) Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP)
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

32. Bhimsen Joshi who was chosen for India's highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ is a famous—
(A) Sitarist
(B) Tabla Player
(C) Classical Singer
(D) Classical Dancer
(E) Cine Actor
Ans : (C)

33. As we all know the UN Security Council and IAEA want Iran to stop enrichment of Uranium as they fear that Iran may produce nuclear armaments. What is Irans’ view on the issue ?
1. Iran says it is doing enrichment for civilian purposes only
2. Iran is of the view that in the present scenario of the building tension in gulf region it needs a nuclear bomb to protect its interests.
3. Iran has signed Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and it is doing whatever is allowed to do under NPT's terms and conditions
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 1 and 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

34. As we all know some new initiatives were introduced in the area of Fiscal Management by the Govt. of India. Which of the following acts was passed a few years back to keep a check on the fiscal indiscipline on macro economic parameters ?
(A) FERA
(B) FRBMA
(C) FEMA
(D) Public Debt Act
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

35. As we all know the Govt. of India has launched a massive infrastructure development programme known as Bharat Nirman. What is/are the goal(s) of this programme ?
1. To bring at least one crore hectares additional land under assured irrigation
2. To provide internet connections to all 1,25,000 villages by 2012.
3. To provide road connectivity to all villages with a population of 1000 in plains and 500 in hilly areas.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 2 and 3 only
(E) All 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)

36. Some members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have raised objections on India's decision to give export subsidies on which of the following commodities ?
(A) Wheat
(B) Sugar
(C) Rice
(D) Steel
(E) Cement
Ans : (C)

37. Who among the following is the author of the book entitled, “To a Hunger-free World” ?
(A) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) M. S. Swaminathan
(C) Jaswant Singh
(D) Nelson Mandela
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

38. National Games and Sports 2011 will be organised in which of the following states ?
(A) Goa
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Delhi
(D) Rajasthan
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

39. ‘Jakumi’ is the mascot of which of the following events ?
(A) Commonwealth Games 2009
(B) SAARC Games 2010
(C) National Games 2009
(D) European Union Games 2012
(E) FIFA World Cup 2010
Ans : (E)

40. Nobel Laureate (2008) Jean-Marie Gustave le Clezio writes in which of the following languages ?
(A) French
(B) Spanish
(C) Japanese
(D) German
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

41. Shiva Narayan Chandrapol, who was honoured with “Cricketer of the Year, 2008” by ICC, belongs to—
(A) India
(B) South Africa
(C) West Indies
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) None of these
Ans : (C)

42. ……… was the only Indian to win a gold medal in Olympic 2008.
(A) Saina Nehwal
(B) Sudesh Kumar
(C) Pankaj Advani
(D) Mahesh Bhupati
(E) Abhinav Bindra
Ans : (E)

43. The name of Jigme Khesar N. Wangchuk was in news, since he was enthroned as the…… of the following country.
(A) President of Bhutan
(B) King of Bhutan
(C) Prime Minister of Thailand
(D) King of Cambodia
(E) Prime Minister of Cambodia
Ans : (B)

44. Irani Cup is associated with which of the following games ?
(A) Hockey
(B) Cricket
(C) Badminton
(D) Golf
(E) Lawn Tennis
Ans : (B)

45. Recently Govt. of India has decided to increase the direct foreign investment, from present 26 per cent to—
(A) 40%
(B) 45%
(C) 49%
(D) 74%
(E) 100%
Ans : (C)

46. Third summit of IBSA was organised in October 2008 in—
(A) New Delhi
(B) Salvador
(C) Durban
(D) Mumbai
(E) None of these
Ans : (A)

47. Recently, who of the following was awarded National Amity Prize 2008 ?
(A) Shekhar Gupta
(B) Kiran Desai
(C) Vikram Seth
(D) Anita Desai
(E) Khushwant Singh
Ans : (E)

48. As per news in the newspapers, the President of country is Mr. Mugabo who has signed an agreement with the opposition leader Morgan Swanariroy to share to rule the country. What is the name of the country ?
(A) Zimbabwe
(B) Croatia
(C) Sudan
(D) Ethiopia
(E) Egypt
Ans : (A)

49. Dronacharya Prize is awarded in the field of…… for excellence in coaching.
(A) Literature
(B) Games and Sports
(C) Cinema
(D) Classical Dance
(E) None of these
Ans : (B)

50. Which of the following rate/ratio is not fixed by Reserve Bank of India ?
(A) Rapo rate
(B) SLR
(C) CRR
(D) Inflation
(E) RBI fixes all the above
Ans : (D)

UPSC CPF Assistant Commandants Exam, 2008 : General Awareness

UPSC C.P.F. Assistant Commandants Exam., 2008
(Held on 5-10-2008)
General Awareness : Solved Paper

1. In which one of the following animals is respiration done by skin ?
(A) Flying fish
(B) Sea horse
(C) Frog
(D) Chameleon
Ans : (C)

2. “Foot and Mouth Disease” is found in—
(A) Cats and Dogs
(B) Cattle
(C) Poultry
(D) Humans
Ans : (B)

3. Who of the following recognized that large quantity of energy is released as a result of the fusion of hydrogen nuclei to form deuterium ?
(A) Enrico Fermi
(B) Glenn Seaborg
(C) Hans Bethe
(D) Werner Heisenberg
Ans : (C)

4. Brass is an alloy of which of the following pairs of metals ?
(A) Aluminium and Copper
(B) Chromium and Tin
(C) Copper and Tin
(D) Copper and Zinc
Ans : (D)

5. Which one of the following bacteria helps in improving the soil fertility ?
(A) Clostridium
(B) Rhizobium
(C) Salmonella
(D) Staphylococcus
Ans : (B)

6. Consider the following statements :
1. In a person suffering from myopia, the image of a distant object is formed behind the retina.
2. Myopia can be corrected by using a concave lens.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (B)

7. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Theory/Law/Principle)
(a) Electromagnetism
(b) Principles of Inheritance
(c) Laws of Inertia
(d) Theory of Natural Selection
List-II (Scientist)
1. Darwin
2. Faraday
3. Mendel
4. Newton
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 4 3 2
(B) 2 3 4 1
(C) 1 3 4 2
(D) 2 4 3 1
Ans : (B)

8. Which one of the following is a vitamin ?
(A) Citric acid
(B) Folic acid
(C) Glutamic acid
(D) Linoleic acid
Ans : (B)

9. Which one of the following varieties of coal is considered the best quality ?
(A) Anthracite
(B) Bituminous
(C) Lignite
(D) Peat
Ans : (A)

10. Who of the following discovered the laws of planetary orbits ?
(A) Galileo Galilei
(B) Nicholas Copernicus
(C) Johannes Kepler
(D) Isaac Newton
Ans : (C)

11. Consider the following statements—
1. The main constituent of LPG is Butane.
2. The main constituent of Biogas is Methane.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (C)

12. Through which one among the following materials does sound travel slowest ?
(A) Air
(B) Glass
(C) Water
(D) Wood
Ans : (A)

13. Which one of the following is used in preparing match sticks ?
(A) Chile saltpetre
(B) Indian saltpetre
(C) Red phosphorus
(D) Sodium bicarbonate
Ans : (C)

14. Consider the following pairs :
1. Rewalsar lake—Himachal Pradesh
2. Nakki lake—Madhya Pradesh
3. Renuka lake—Uttarakhand
Which of the above pairs is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (A)

15. Which National Highway connects Chennai and Visakhapatnam ?
(A) NH 4
(B) NH 5
(C) NH 6
(D) NH 8
Ans : (B)

16. Among A, B, C, D and E, E is shorter than D but taller than B who is taller than C. A is taller than E. If all are standing according to their heights and we start counting from the tallest who would be fourth ?
(A) C
(B) B
(C) E
(D) Cannot be determined as the data is insufficient.
Ans : (B)

17. A man is facing south. He turns 135° in the anticlockwise direction and then 180° in the clockwise direction. The direction he is facing now is—
(A) North-east
(B) North-west
(C) South-east
(D) South-west
Ans : (D)

18. The average score of three boys in Mathematics is 30. When the score of a fourth boy is added to the total score of the three boys, the average is lowered to 25. What is the score of the fourth boy ?
(A) 10
(B) 15
(C) 20
(D) 25
Ans : (A)

19. Among five friends—
Mangla is taller than Neela but as tall as Pushpa.
Asha is taller than Sapna but not as tall as Neela.
In this group who is the shortest ?
(A) Mangla
(B) Sapna
(C) Pushpa
(D) Asha
Ans : (B)

20. The sum of income of A and B is more than that of C and D taken together. The sum of income of A and C is the same as that of B and D taken together. Moreover, A earns half as much as the sum of the income of B and D. The highest income is of—
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
Ans : (B)

21. In a class of 60 students, where the girls are twice that of boys, Kamal ranked seventeenth from the top. If there are 9 girls ahead of Kamal, the number of boys in rank after him is—
(A) 3
(B) 7
(C) 12
(D) 13
Ans : (C)

22. A walks 10 metre in front and 10 metre to the right. Then every time turning to his left, he walks 5, 15 and 15 metre respectively. What is the distance from his initial point ?
(A) 5 metre
(B) 10 metre
(C) 15 metre
(D) 23 metre
Ans : (A)

23. The number of terms between 11 and 200 which are divisible by 7 but not by 3 are—
(A) 18
(B) 19
(C) 27
(D) 28
Ans : (A)

24. What is the 6th term in the sequence of 2, 3, 6, 11, 18 ?
(A) 25
(B) 27
(C) 29
(D) 31
Ans : (B)

25. Let a number of three digits have for its middle digit the sum of the other two digits. Then it is a multiple of—
(A) 11
(B) 10
(C) 18
(D) 50
Ans : (A)

26. If X and Y are brothers; Z is sister of X; P is brother of Q; and Q is daughter of Y. Then who is the uncle of P ?
(A) Z
(B) X
(C) Q
(D) Y
Ans : (B)

27. A set of figures carrying certain numbers is given. Assuming that the numbers in each figure follow a similar pattern, the missing number is—

(A) 19
(B) 23
(C) 25
(D) 31
Ans : (D)

28. Some positions of dice are shown below :
What is the number opposite to 4 ?

(A) 6
(B) 5
(C) 2
(D) 1
Ans : (D)

29. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Scientists)
(a) Birbal Sahni
(b) Ramanujan Srinivasa
(c) Sir C.V. Raman
(d) Sir J.C. Bose
List-II (Well known as)
1. Mathematician
2. Paleobotanist
3. Physicist-Botanist
4. Physicist
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 3 1 4 2
(B) 2 1 4 3
(C) 3 4 1 2
(D) 2 4 1 3
Ans : (B)

30. The phenomenon of “total internal reflection” is observed in which one of the following ?
(A) Glowing tube light
(B) Light passing through lens
(C) Sparkling diamond
(D) Twinkling star
Ans : (C)

31. From which year did Saka era begin ?
(A) 78 B.C.
(B) 78 A.D.
(C) 178 A.D.
(D) 278 A.D.
Ans : (B)

32. Among the following elements, which one is not present in a pure sugar ?
(A) Carbon
(B) Hydrogen
(C) Nitrogen
(D) Oxygen
Ans : (C)

33. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Organisation)
(a) UNESCO
(b) IMF
(c) ILO
(d) UNIDO
List-II (Headquarters)
1. Geneva
2. Paris
3. Vienna
4. Washington , D.C.
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 2 4 1 3
(C) 3 1 4 2
(D) 3 4 1 2
Ans : (B)

34. By convention, who of the following is the Chairman of Press Council of India ?
(A) An eminent journalist of India
(B) A senior Civil Services Officer
(C) A retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India
(D) The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Ans : (C)

35. Consider the following statements :
1. No money bill can be introduced in the Parliament without the recommendation of the President of India.
2. The Prime Minister appoints Finance Commission for distribution of taxes between the Union and the States.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (A)

36. Five-Year Plans in India are finally approved by the—
(A) Union Cabinet
(B) President on the advice of Prime Minister
(C) National Development Council
(D) Planning Commission
Ans : (C)

37. In India, the power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court lies with—
(A) The President of India
(B) The Chief Justice of India
(C) The Union Ministry of Law
(D) The Parliament of India
Ans : (D)

38. In the Constitution of India, promotion of international peace and security is mentioned in the—
(A) Preamble to the Constitution
(B) Directive Principles of State Policy
(C) Fundamental Duties
(D) Ninth Schedule
Ans : (B)

39. Consider the following statements :
1. The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Planning Commission.
2. The Union Finance Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the Finance Commission.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (A)

40. Consider the following statements :
1. When Vice-President acts as President of India, he ceases to perform the function of the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
2. The President of India can promulgate Ordinances at any time except when both Houses of Parliament are in session.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (C)

41. The maximum number of members that the Legislative Assembly of a State in India can have is—
(A) 400
(B) 450
(C) 500
(D) 550
Ans : (C)

42. Bank rate is the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India provides loans to—
(A) Public Sector Undertakings
(B) Scheduled Commercial Banks
(C) Private Corporate Sector
(D) Non-Banking Financial Institutions
Ans : (B)

43. Who is empowered by the Constitution of India to dissolve the Lok Sabha before expiry of its terms ?
(A) The Prime Minister of India on the advice of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
(B) The President of India
(C) The President of India on the advice of the Prime Minister of India
(D) The Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Ans : (C)

44. In which year was “Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana” launched ?
(A) 2004
(B) 2005
(C) 2006
(D) 2007
Ans : (B)

45. The ‘Uruguay Round’ negotiations resulted in the establishment of—
(A) NATO
(B) OECD
(C) WHO
(D) WTO
Ans : (D)

46. With reference to Union Government, which one of the following does undertake the country-wide Economic Census ?
(A) Department of Expenditure
(B) The National Sample Survey Organization
(C) Planning Commission
(D) The Central Statistical Organization
Ans : (B)

47. Geeta Chandran is well known as a/an—
(A) Bharatnatyam dancer
(B) Classical Carnatic vocalist
(C) Film director
(D) Exponent of Violin
Ans : (A)

48. With reference to Indian Freedom Struggle, consider the following statements :
1. P.C. Ray founded the Bengal Chemical Works.
2. V.O. Chidambaram Pillai set up the Steam Navigation Company.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (C)

49. Who of the following was the first speaker of the Lok Sabha ?
(A) G. S. Dhillon
(B) G. V. Mavalankar
(C) Hukam Singh
(D) K. S. Hegde
Ans : (B)

50. Who of the following is associated with Tashkent agreement ?
(A) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
(B) Lal Bahadur Shastri
(C) Indira Gandhi
(D) Morarji Desai
Ans : (B)

51. Simon Commission was appointed to look into the working of the—
(A) Indian Councils Act, 1892
(B) Government of India Act, 1909
(C) Government of India Act, 1919
(D) Government of India Act, 1935
Ans : (C)

52. Which one of the following is a primate ?
(A) Bear
(B) Loris
(C) Pangolin
(D) Otter
Ans : (B)

53. Consider the following :
1. Potato
2. Radish
3. Turnip
4. Yam
In which of the above are roots used as vegetables ?
(A) 1, 2 and 3
(B) 2, 3 and 4
(C) 2 and 4 only
(D) 1 and 3 only
Ans : (B)

54. Which one of the following metals is found in ‘Plaster of Paris’ ?
(A) Calcium
(B) Magnesium
(C) Potassium
(D) Sodium
Ans : (A)

55. Which one of the following is an enzyme ?
(A) Glucagon
(B) Insulin
(C) Somatotropin
(D) Trypsin
Ans : (D)

56. International Date Line passes through which of the following ?
(A) Atlantic ocean
(B) Black sea
(C) Mediterranean sea
(D) Pacific ocean
Ans : (D)

57. The deficiency of which one of the following causes a disease called Pellagra ?
(A) Ascorbic acid
(B) Folic acid
(C) Nicotinic acid
(D) Pantothenic acid
Ans : (D)

58. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Disease)
(a) Filaria
(b) Influenza
(c) Ringworm
(d) Typhoid
List-II (Type of causative organism)
1. Bacteria
2. Fungus
3. Nematode
4. Virus
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 2 4 3
(B) 1 4 2 3
(C) 3 2 4 1
(D) 3 4 2 1
Ans : (D)

59. From the evolutionary point of view, which one of the following is closer to man ?
(A) Dolphin
(B) Flying fish
(C) Shark
(D) Tortoise
Ans : (A)

60. Who of the following is known as Lokahitavadi ?
(A) G. H. Deshmukh
(B) G. K. Gokhale
(C) J. G. Phule
(D) M. G. Ranade
Ans : (A)

61. With reference to Indian freedom struggle which one among the following events occurred earliest ?
(A) Gandhi-Irwin Pact
(B) Lucknow Pact
(C) Cripps Mission Proposals
(D) August offer
Ans : (B)

62. During India’s freedom struggle, which one of the following led to the first ‘All India Hartal’ ?
(A) Protest against Rowlatt Act
(B) Protest against Jallianwalla Bagh massacre
(C) Trial of Mahatma Gandhi
(D) Arrival of Simon Commission
Ans : (D)

63. The Non-Cooperation movement was called off as a result of agitation at which one of the following places ?
(A) Calcutta
(B) Champaran
(C) Chauri Chaura
(D) Meerut
Ans : (C)

64. Consider the following pairs :
1. Ilbert Bill —Lord Hastings
2. August Offer —Lord Ripon
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (D)

65. Who of the following founded the ‘East India Association’ ?
(A) C.R. Das
(B) Dadabhai Naoroji
(C) Devendra Nath Tagore
(D) V.D. Savarkar
Ans : (B)

66. Who of the following started the newspaper ‘Bande Mataram’ ?
(A) Barindra Kumar Ghose
(B) Bipin Chandra Pal
(C) Devendra Nath Tagore
(D) Surendra Nath Banerjee
Ans : (B)

67. Consider the following famous historical persons :
1. Ashvaghosha
2. Bhavabhuti
3. Nagarjuna
4. Nagasena
Who of the above are Buddhist scholars ?
(A) 1 and 3 only
(B) 2, 3 and 4
(C) 1, 3 and 4
(D) 1, 2 and 4
Ans : (C)

68. Which one among the following types of forests exhibits highest bio-diversity ?
(A) Dry deciduous forest
(B) Tropical rain forest
(C) Moist deciduous forest
(D) Mangrove forest
Ans : (B)

69. Among the following rivers, which one is the longest ?
(A) Godavari
(B) Krishna
(C) Mahanadi
(D) Narmada
Ans : (A)

70. Where is the headquarters of Asian Development Bank ?
(A) Jakarta
(B) Manila
(C) Singapore
(D) Bangkok
Ans : (B)

71. The National River Conservation Directorate is under—
(A) Ministry of Agriculture
(B) Ministry of Environment and Forests
(C) Ministry of Earth Sciences
(D) Ministry of Water Resources
Ans : (B)

72. Consider the following statements :
1. Mikhail Gorbachev was the first President of Russian Federation.
2. Dmitry Medvedev is the fifth President of Russian Federation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (B)

73. Who of the following is the author of the book ‘My Country, My Life’ ?
(A) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) Atal Behari Vajpayee
(C) L.K. Advani
(D) Shashi Tharoor
Ans : (C)

74. Which one of the following beaches is visited by Olive Ridley turtles annually for mass nesting ?
(A) Chandipur
(B) Gahirmatha
(C) Gopalpur
(D) Paradwip
Ans : (B)

75. The administration of the English East India Company in India came to an end in—
(A) 1857
(B) 1858
(C) 1862
(D) 1892
Ans : (B)

76. Who of the following is not a sports-person ?
(A) C. B. Bhave
(B) P. T. Raghunath
(C) Samaresh Jung
(D) Suma Shirur
Ans : (A)

77. The famous name Vikram Pandit is associated with—
(A) Cairn Energy
(B) Citigroup
(C) PepsiCo
(D) Vodafone
Ans : (B)

78. What is H5N1 in the news in recent times ?
(A) A new multi-purpose helicopter of Indian Army
(B) A virus causing Bird Flu
(C) The nearest galaxy to our own Milkyway
(D) A genetically modified rice plant
Ans : (B)

79. The Jarawa tribe lives in which one of the following States/Union Territories ?
(A) Arunachal Pradesh
(B) Assam
(C) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(D) Lakshadweep Islands
Ans : (C)

80. A very young sportsperson of India, Virdhawal Khade is a—
(A) Boxer
(B) Chess player
(C) Golfer
(D) Swimmer
Ans : (D)

81. Which one among the following is a water soluble vitamin ?
(A) Vitamin A
(B) Vitamin C
(C) Vitamin E
(D) Vitamin K
Ans : (B)

82. Which one of the following is a pigment ?
(A) Albumin
(B) Elastin
(C) Keratin
(D) Melanin
Ans : (D)

83. On which one of the following dates did Jawaharlal Nehru unfurl the tri-color national flag on the banks of the Ravi as the clock struck the midnight ?
(A) 31st December, 1929
(B) 26th January, 1930
(C) 31st December, 1931
(D) 26th January, 1933
Ans : (A)

84. Tipu Sultan died fighting the English forces under—
(A) Lord Cornwallis
(B) Lord Wellesley
(C) Lord Dalhousie
(D) Lord Hastings
Ans : (B)

85. The battle of Wandiwash was fought between—
(A) Marathas and Portuguese
(B) The English and the French
(C) The English and Portuguese
(D) Marathas and the English
Ans : (B)

86. The author of ‘Nildarpan’ was—
(A) Dinabandhu Mitra
(B) Sivnath Sastri
(C) Devendra Nath Tagore
(D) Harishchandra Mukherjee
Ans : (A)

87. The firstly weekly Bengali newspaper ‘Samachar Darpan’ was published by—
(A) Harish Chandra Mukherjee
(B) Dinabandhu Mitra
(C) Marshman
(D) Vidyasagar
Ans : (C)

88. Who among the following Peshwas was popularly known as Nana-Saheb ?
(A) Balaji Vishwanath
(B) Baji Rao
(C) Balaji Baji Rao
(D) Madhav Rao I
Ans : (C)

89. Who was responsible for the introduction of the Vernacular Press Act of 1878 ?
(A) Lord Mayo
(B) Lord Lytton
(C) Lord Ripon
(D) Lord Curzon
Ans : (B)

90. Alauddin Khalji captured the Delhi throne after securing fabulous wealth from—
(A) Chanderi
(B) Gujarat
(C) Devagiri
(D) Madurai
Ans : (C)

91. Who of the following was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha ?
(A) Bhadrabahu
(B) Chandragupta Maurya
(C) Parsvanatha
(D) Vardhamana Mahavira
Ans : (D)

92. When Babur invaded India who was the ruler of Vijayanagara empire in south India ?
(A) Saluva Narasimha
(B) Devaraya II
(C) Krishna Deva Raya
(D) Sadasiva Raya
Ans : (C)

93. Who of the following was a contemporary of Chingiz Khan ?
(A) Mahmud of Ghazni
(B) Iltutmish
(C) Alauddin Khalji
(D) Mohammad bin-Tughlaq
Ans : (B)

94. Dara Shikoh finally lost the war of succession to Aurangzeb in the battle of—
(A) Dharmat
(B) Samugarh
(C) Deorai
(D) Khanua
Ans : (B)

95. Who is the author of the book ‘Glimpses of World History’ ?
(A) Abul Kalam Azad
(B) Jawaharlal Nehru
(C) S. Gopalan
(D) S. Radhakrishnan
Ans : (B)

96. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Reservoir)
(a) Stanley Reservoir
(b) Koyna Reservoir
(c) Jalaput Reservoir
(d) Bhadra Reservoir
List-II (State)
1. Karnataka
2. Maharashtra
3. Orissa
4. Tamil Nadu
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 2 3 4
(B) 1 3 2 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 4 2 3 1
Ans : (D)

97. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Irrigation/Power Projects)
(a) Malprabha
(b) Kakrapara
(c) Srisailam
(d) Bhima
List-II (Location)
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Karnataka
3. Gujarat
4. Maharashtra
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 4 1 3 2
(B) 2 1 3 4
(C) 4 3 1 2
(D) 2 3 1 4
Ans : (D)

98. Which one among the following countries is the largest producer of Bauxite ?
(A) Australia
(B) Brazil
(C) West Indies
(D) India
Ans : (A)

99. The busy port of Rotterdam is situated in—
(A) The Netherlands
(B) Belgium
(C) Denmark
(D) Germany
Ans : (A)

100. Which one of the following descriptions denotes the phenomenon of E1 Nino ?
(A) A violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground
(B) The deflection of the ocean currents in the northern and southern hemispheres due to the rotation of Earth
(C) The Anomalous widespread warming of the sea surface of the tropical east and central Pacific Ocean
(D) The revolving tropical storms of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico
Ans : (C)

101. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Country)
(a) Argentina
(b) Brazil
(c) Peru
(d) Venezuela
List-II (Capital City)
1. Buenos Aires
2. Caracas
3. Lima
4. Sao Paulo
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 3 4 2
(B) 1 4 3 2
(C) 2 3 4 1
(D) 2 4 3 1
Ans : (B)

102. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Sea)
(a) Adriatic Sea
(b) Baltic Sea
(c) North Sea
(d) Black Sea
List-II (Country)
1. Bulgaria
2. Italy
3. Poland
4. United Kingdom
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 4 3 1
(B) 2 3 4 1
(C) 1 2 4 3
(D) 1 4 2 3
Ans : (B)

103. Among the following States, which one has the highest amount of Nickel Ore resources ?
(A) Chhattisgarh
(B) Jharkhand
(C) Karnataka
(D) Orissa
Ans : (D)

104. What is the name of the highest summit of Nilgiri Hills ?
(A) Coonoor-betta
(B) Anaimudi
(C) Doda-betta
(D) Vellangiri
Ans : (C)

105. Recently, which one of the following lost the status of a planet ?
(A) Mercury
(B) Neptune
(C) Pluto
(D) Uranus
Ans : (C)

106. Which one of the following countries was hit by the cyclone Nargis recently causing a great destruction and loss of life ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Myanmar
(C) Sri Lanka
(D) Pakistan
Ans : (B)

107. Which one among the following is nearest to Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research ?
(A) Chidambaram
(B) Mahabalipuram
(C) Madurai
(D) Tanjavur
Ans : (B)

108. Which of the following are connected by over 1700 km-long BTC oil pipe-line ?
(A) Arabian sea and Mediterranean sea
(B) Aral sea and Caspian sea
(C) Black sea and Mediterranean sea
(D) Caspian sea and Mediterranean sea
Ans : (D)

109. Where is the old and over 2 km-long ‘Pamban Railway Bridge’ which attracts tourists from all over the country ?
(A) Nilgiris
(B) Krishna delta
(C) Palk straits
(D) Malabar coast
Ans : (C)

110. Consider the following statements :
1. The monsoon climate is found in Northern Australia.
2. The China type climate is found in Argentina.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (A)

111. At which one of the following places is the monkey called Liontailed macaque naturally found ?
(A) Shivaliks
(B) Pachmarhi
(C) Annamalai Sanctuary
(D) Nilgiris
Ans : (C)

112. Among the following places, which one receives comparatively lowest average monsoon rainfall from June to September ?
(A) Eastern Uttar Pradesh
(B) Southern West Bengal
(C) Punjab
(D) Western Uttar Pradesh
Ans : (C)

113. Consider the following statements :
1. Baking soda is used in fire extinguishers.
2. Quick lime is used in the manufacture of glass.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (C)

114. Consider the following statements :
1. Ian Wilmut produced the first portable computer.
2. Adam Osborne created the first cloned sheep.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (D)

115. Which one of the following is the first multipurpose river valley project of independent India ?
(A) Bhakra-Nangal Project
(B) Damodar Valley Corporation
(C) Hirakud Multipurpose Project
(D) Tungabhadra Multipurpose Project
Ans : (B)

116. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Fertilizer Industry)
(a) Aluva
(b) Namrup
(c) Nangal
(d) Sindri
List-II (State)
1. Assam
2. Jharkhand
3. Kerala
4. Punjab
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 1 4 3
(B) 2 4 1 3
(C) 3 1 4 2
(D) 3 4 1 2
Ans : (C)

117. The famous Petronas Twin Towers are located in—
(A) China
(B) Japan
(C) Malaysia
(D) Indonesia
Ans : (C)

118. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Famous place)
(a) Bhimbhetka
(b) Bhiterkanika
(c) Pattadakal
(d) Srikalahasti
List-II (State)
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Karnataka
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Orissa
Codes :
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 2 4 3
(B) 3 2 4 1
(C) 1 4 2 3
(D) 3 4 2 1
Ans : (D)

119. Bokaro Steel Limited was established with the assistance of—
(A) Germany
(B) Soviet Union
(C) UK
(D) USA
Ans : (B)

120. Which one of the following is not a member of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ?
(A) Algeria
(B) Brazil
(C) Ecuador
(D) Nigeria
Ans : (B)

121. Consider the following cities :
1. Bhatinda
2. Jamnagar
3. Mangalore
Which of the above has/have oil refineries ?
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 3 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Ans : (C)

122. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
List-I (Person)
(a) K. V. Kamath
(b) G. M. Rao
(c) Rajendra Pachauri
List-II (Well known as)
1. Banker
2. Environmentalist
3. Industrialist
Code
(a) (b) (c)
(A) 1 2 3
(B) 1 3 2
(C) 2 3 1
(D) 3 1 2
Ans : (B)

123. Consider the following statements :
1. The Shivaliks have tropical moist deciduous flora.
2. The Bundelkhand plateau has thorn and scrub forest type of vegetation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (B)

124. Which one among the following rivers is the longest ?
(A) Amazon
(B) Amur
(C) Congo
(D) Volga
Ans : (A)

125. Consider the following statements :
1. Rainfall in the doldrums is of convectional nature.
2. Convectional rainfall is highly localized and is associated with minimum cloudiness.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans : (C)

Oriental Bank of Commerce Probationary Officers Exam, 2008 : General Awareness

Oriental Bank of Commerce Probationary Officers Exam., 2008

(Held on 21-12-2008)

General Awareness : Solved Paper

1. Which of the following crops cannot be called a Plantation Crop ?
(A) Wheat
(B) Oil Palm
(C) Rubber
(D) Coffee
(E) Coconut

2. Which of the following is the name of the spacecraft launched by India as a part of Mission to Moon ?
(A) Moon-1
(B) Chandrayaan-1
(C) Kalpana
(D) RADOM
(E) None of these

3. As per the reports published by the World Bank what percentage of Indian population lives below the new International Poverty Line ?
(A) 30%
(B) 62%
(C) 52%
(D) 42%
(E) 68%

4. Which of the following is not a ‘Social Sector Programme’ run by the Govt. of India ?
(A) National Rural Health Mission
(B) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(C) Mid-Day Meal Scheme
(D) Integrated Child Development Services
(E) Bharat Nirman

5. In order to augment Credit flow to small and poor borrowers, commercial banks are required to provide how much percentage of their priority sector advances to weaker sections of the society ?
(A) 15%
(B) 20%
(C) 30%
(D) 25%
(E) 35%

6. As reported in some newspapers/magazines a large number of children/infants are falling sick because of the use of melamine contaminated dairy products in the world. Due to this many countries like Africa, Japan, Singapore, etc. have stopped import of these products. Which of the following countries was the main exporter of such products ?
(A) China
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Pakistan
(D) Iran
(E) None of these

7. Which of the following is the abbreviated name of the programme launched in India for the economic empowerment of persons with severe to profound disabilities ?
(A) ARUNIM
(B) NREGA
(C) GCMMF
(D) UNCTAD
(E) SCOPE

8. As per the recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission, what will be the share of the State Govts. in total shareable proceeds of Central taxes ?
(A) 15%
(B) 20·5%
(C) 22%
(D) 30·5%
(E) 35·5%

9. Which of the following is/are objective(s) of the ‘Rural Drinking water supply Programme’ launched by the Govt. of India ?
1. Supply safe drinking water to all villages.
2. Assisting local communities to maintain sources of safe drinking water in good condition.
3. Giving special attention for water supply to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

10. Which of the following is not a Source of Tax Revenue collected by the Govt. of India ?
(A) Custom Duty
(B) Excise Duty
(C) Income Tax
(D) Service Tax
(E) Dividends and Profits

11. Asif Ali Zardari who has taken over as the new President of Pakistan is from which of the following political Parties ?
(A) Pakistan Muslim League
(B) Awami League
(C) Pakistan People’s Party
(D) Pakistan National Congress
(E) None of these

12. India is now out of the nuclear sanction imposed on it about 16 years back. This sanction was imposed by which of the following organisations ?
(A) Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
(B) Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
(C) INTERPOL
(D) UN Security Council
(E) None of these

13. Very often we read in newspapers about the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Through Automatic Route. What is meant by Automatic Route ?
1. It is a process which allows foreign investors to trade shares of any Indian Company on day-to-day basis openly in stock markets.
2. It is a process by which Indian Companies are allowed to issue shares to any foreign investor as a part of their paid up Capital in the project in which they have made an investment.
3. It is a process in which all foreign investors are asked to make all their investments in Indian projects in rupee currency only and that too in cash only. Technical knowhow or any other type of participation is not allowed as a part of investment.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

14. The Govt. of India is planning to introduce a ‘National Security Exception Act’ in the Parliament, which will work on the lines of Exxon-Florio provision prevalent in the USA. What is the purpose of the proposed Act ?
1. The Act is a part of Indo-US Nuclear Pact as this only will allow India to start building nuclear facilities in the country.
2. The Act will empower the Govt. of India to stall any foreign Company from acquiring any local asset (FDI) if it is found to be compromising with national security.
3. The Act will empower the Govt. of India to control terrorism in a better way as all e-services will be under thorough scrutiny by security agencies.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

15. Which of the following is not included in the list of UN Millennium Goals ?
(A) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
(B) Develop a global partnership for development
(C) Promote Gender equality
(D) Reduce Child Mortality
(E) Make World Nuclear free

16. Which of the following agencies/bodies has asked all foreign funds to come forward and register itself as Foreign Institutional Investments (FIIs) prior to any investment in India ?
(A) RBI
(B) SEBI
(C) IBA
(D) Registrar of Companies
(E) None of these

17. Who amongst the following Indian players could not win any medal in Beijing Olympic 2008 ?
(A) Sushil Kumar
(B) Abhinav Bindra
(C) Anjali Bhagwat
(D) Jitendra Kumar
(E) Saina Nehwal

18. India recently signed an agreement in the field of hydrocarbon with which of the following countries for which Hernan Martinez Torres, Minister of Energy of that country was in India ?
(A) Zambia
(B) Ukraine
(C) Colombia
(D) Turkey
(E) None of these

19. Which of the following countries has asked India to scrap Kosi River Pact, the river which created a havoc in Bihar recently ?
(A) Bangladesh
(B) Pakistan
(C) China
(D) Nepal
(E) Bhutan

20. Which of the following is the amount of the relief package announced by the Prime Minister of India for Flood-hit Bihar ?
(A) Rs. 1000 crore
(B) Rs. 1010 crore
(C) Rs. 1050 crore
(D) Rs. 1100 crore
(E) Rs. 1120 crore

21. As reported in the newspapers some people are of the opinion that India may not be able to achieve its export targets set for the year 2008-09. Which of the following is/are the reason(s) of their worry ?
1. There was a major flood in some parts of Bihar, Orissa, Gujarat and some other States recently, owing to which fruit/horticultural crop has not reached export markets in sufficient quantity.
2. Rupee is frequently getting depreciated against US dollar.
3. Some major economies of the world are passing through the phase of economic recession. Hence many export orders are cancelled.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 3 only
(E) None of these

22. While talking to the Press/Media/Group of experts in Singapore the former Governor of RBI, Dr. Y. V. Reddy, said that the impact of global financial turmoil will be less on Asia. What in opinion of the people like Dr. Reddy are the strengths of Asian Financial System which will help it to sustain the turmoil ? (Pick-up correct statement(s) as your answer.)
1. Banks in Asia are better capitalized and are not much exposed to sophisticated derivatives.
2. Asian economies were in a high growth mode and hence they have better ability to withstand the crisis.
3. Most of the Asian countries used to enjoy a strong fiscal position and current account surpluses in the past. This has given them an ability to bail out a failing financial institution in case it appeared.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

23. Subsequent to the RBI’s move of reducing the CRR, the industry Chambers in India are demanding for softened interest rates. How will this demand of softened interest rates help the industry ?
1. It will give a push-up to new investments and augment the demand of new proposals for more credits.
2. The move will help in creation of many new employment opportunities.
3. It will strengthen the position of the Stock Markets in India.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

24. The recent decision of the RBI to cut Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 150 basis points (October 2008) will be able to infuse how much liquidity into the market ?
(A) Rs. 10,000 crore
(B) Rs. 30,000 crore
(C) Rs. 40,000 crore
(D) Rs. 50,000 crore
(E) None of these

25. As per the reports published in the newspapers recently Indian Rupee was on depreciation and there was a time when the depreciation was about 17% in six months. Which of the following was/were the main cause(s) of this continuous fall ?
1. Foreign fund flow was very low.
2. There was heavy demand for the US dollar in the local forex market.
3. RBI all of a sudden decided to lower the CRR.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2 only
(D) Only 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

26. The issues related to the Land Acquisition for setting-up ‘Special Economic Zones (SEZs)’ is frequently seen in the newspapers these days. As per existing laws maximum how much area is allowed to be acquired for a SEZ ?
(A) 1000 hectares
(B) 2000 hectares
(C) 3000 hectares
(D) 5000 hectares
(E) None of these

27. Shibu Soren took over as the new Chief Minister of—
(A) Bihar
(B) Chhattisgarh
(C) Jharkhand
(D) Uttarakhand
(E) None of these

28. Which of the following was one of the major point of disagreement between various countries over which the talks at World Trade Organisation (WTO) got collapsed recently ?
(A) Subsidy to farmers
(B) Providing special status to India
(C) Drafting a new constitution for WTO
(D) Drafting a common Trade Policy for next 5 years
(E) None of these

29. Who amongst the following is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th National Film Award Ceremony ?
(A) Dilip Kumar
(B) Shashi Kapoor
(C) Rekha
(D) Hema Malini
(E) Mrinal Sen

30. The support price of which of the following commodities was raised by 33%-40% recently to make it Rs. 2,500 per quintal ?
(A) Cotton
(B) Sugarcane
(C) Wheat
(D) Palm Oil
(E) None of these

31. Who amongst the following cricketers made a World Record of 12 Sixes in a One Day International Match recently ?
(A) Sachin Tendulkar
(B) Xavier Marshall
(C) Muttiah Muralitharan
(D) Mike Hussey
(E) None of these

32. Which of the following cities became the first 100% e-literate city of India ?
(A) Pune
(B) Hyderabad
(C) Kozhikode
(D) Jaipur
(E) Bangalore

33. As we all know India will continue to be a net importer of steel as the demand of the same is likely to increase by about 11% in days to come. What is the percentage growth in inland production of steel ?
(A) 3%
(B) 5%
(C) 7%
(D) 8%
(E) 10%

34. International Literacy Day is observed on which of the following days ?
(A) September 18
(B) September 8
(C) October 18
(D) October 8
(E) None of these

35. Which of the following teams won the Durand Cup Football played in New Delhi in September 2008 ?
(A) Tata Motors
(B) Indian Railways
(C) Churchill Brothers
(D) Mahindra United
(E) None of these

36. Which of the following is/are part of New National Biofuel Policy 2008 launched by the Govt. of India ?
1. Minimum Support Price with a provision of periodic revision.
2. No duties or taxes would be levied on Biodiesel.
3. Biodiesel production to be taken up from non-edible oil seeds in waste/marginal lands.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

37. Who amongst the following was given the Mahatma Gandhi Award for Reconciliation and Peace 2008 ?
(A) Akio Ishii
(B) Bill Gates
(C) Nelson Mandela
(D) Prince Charles
(E) None of these

38. Which of the following is/are some of the recommendations of the Raghurajan Committee on financial sector reforms ?
1. Target inflation control rather than controlling money supply.
2. Open Corporate and Govt. Bond markets.
3. Provide liberal regulations for mergers and acquisitions.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

39. Which of the following countries is passing through a crisis called as ‘Darfur Humanitarian Crisis’ ?
(A) `Uganda
(B) Somalia
(C) Sudan
(D) Sierra Leone
(E) None of these

40. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘Inside Third World’ ?
(A) Amit Choudhury
(B) William Goldings
(C) V. Harrison
(D) Nana Palkiwala
(E) None of these

41. The ‘18th Safety Olympics’ was organised in—
(A) Seoul
(B) Berlin
(C) London
(D) Moscow
(E) New York

42. Mahendra Kapoor who died recently was a famous—
(A) Politician
(B) Social Worker
(C) Journalist
(D) Sportsman
(E) Playback Singer

43. The Prime Minister of India recently released the Economic Outlook for 2008-09. According to the document Indian economy will grow at what rate during the period of the review ?
(A) 7·7%
(B) 8%
(C) 8·33%
(D) 9·7%
(E) None of these

44. The 48th National Open Athletics Championship was held at—
(A) Kochi
(B) Delhi
(C) Jaipur
(D) Lucknow
(E) Panaji

45. Which of the following countries refused to ratify the ‘Lisbon Treaty’, a very crucial agreement for reforms in the constitution of the European Union ?
(A) Russia
(B) Poland
(C) Germany
(D) France
(E) Italy

46. Which of the following is not an Employment Generating Programme of the Govt. of India ?
(A) NREGA
(B) SGRY
(C) SGSY
(D) TRYSEM
(E) CAMELS

47. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘The Other Side of Midnight’ ?
(A) Salman Rushdie
(B) Katherine Mayo
(C) Ernest Hamingway
(D) H. G. Wells
(E) Sydney Sheldon

48. China recently resolved its border dispute with which of the following countries ?
(As per agreement Yinlong island will be handed over to China.)
(A) Mongolia
(B) Japan
(C) India
(D) Taiwan
(E) Russia

49. Agha Khan Trophy is associated with the game of—
(A) Cricket
(B) Football
(C) Badminton
(D) Golf
(E) Hockey

50. Two new countries recently signed the protocols to become the member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
These countries are—
(A) Ukraine–Croatia
(B) Croatia–Albania
(C) Georgia–Russia
(D) Georgia–Croatia
(E) None of these

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

Union Bank of India P.O. Exam, 2008 : General Awareness

Union Bank of India Probationary Officers Exam., 2008
General Awareness : Solved Paper
(Held on 7-8-2008)

1. As reported in various newspapers many banks have revised their interest rates on home loans, car loans and other such loans. Which of the following phenomenon prompted these banks to make such an upward revision in their interest rates ?

1. RBI has revised the CRR and other such rates upwardly, which has created a liquidity crunch in the market.
2. Stock markets in the country are showing very high fluctuations as visible through their indexes. As a result banks have lost a huge amount of money in trading. Banks now want to recover that money by increasing their interest rates.
3. Banks are in need of a huge amount of money, as they have to give revised pay to all its employees.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

2. Who amongst the following was the chairman of the sixth pay commission for Central Govt. Employees, which submitted its report to the Govt., a few months back ?
(A) Justice K. G. Balakrishnan
(B) Justice B. N. Srikrishna
(C) Justice A. M. Ahmadi
(D) Justice R. C. Lahoti
(E) None of these

3. As reported in some newspapers/magazines the Govt. of India is planning to create a database of ‘Traditional Indian Drugs’. Which of the following is the main objective of creating such database ?

1. To prevent wrong patenting of drugs by other nations.
2. To create awareness that India has vast resource of natural drugs/medicinal plants.
3. Govt. of India is planning to set up a plant, which will produce drugs from herbs and medicinal plants only.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

4. As reported in various newspapers/magazines, India has doubled its credit to Africa for five years from next fiscal year. This decision was taken in which of the following forums ?
(A) Meeting of the G-8 nations
(B) Meeting of the World Trade Organization 2008
(C) India-Africa Forum Summit-2008
(D) Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the SAARC
(E) None of these

5. As reported in various newspapers India exports a good amount of wheat and other commodities to Afghanistan. But the transaction of the same is very troublesome, as one country does not allow such consignments to pass through its territories. Which is this country ?
(A) China
(B) Nepal
(C) Myanmar
(D) Pakistan
(E) Bangladesh

6. As per the reports published in the newspapers about 36 countries are in the grip of food crisis and are dependent on other nations for the same. Most of these countries are in which of the following parts of the globe ?
(A) Africa
(B) Asia
(C) Europe
(D) South East Asia
(E) None of these

7. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true about the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) 2008, which is now extended to all the districts of India ?

1. NREGA was initiated by the Govt. of India in the year 1998 under its Bharat Nirman programme.
2. The programme was launched only in two districts of each state of the country in the beginning.
3. NREGA now provides a guaranteed 130 days of employment to each individual who wants to have a job under the scheme.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

8. The constitution of India mandates that the elections of the Panchayat Raj should be held regularly after a gap of ………
(A) 2 years
(B) 3 years
(C) 4 years
(D) 5 years
(E) 7 years

9. As per the reports published in various newspapers the Govt. of India has decided to set up a strategic reserve of the foodgrain in India. How much will be the quantity of grain in this Strategic Reserve ?
(A) 1 million tonne
(B) 2 million tonnes
(C) 4 million tonnes
(D) 5 million tonnes
(E) None of these

10. The Govt. of India is planning to set up a “Farmers Debt Relief Fund” with an initial corpus of Rs. ………
(A) 5000 crore
(B) 10,000 crore
(C) 30,000 crore
(D) 60,000 crore
(E) 75,000 crore

11. As per the reports published in the newspapers the External Debt of India has increased substantially in the recent past. Which of the following is/are the major reasons for the same ?

1. Increase in overseas borrowings by the corporates.
2. Fluctuations in the currency rates.
3. Rise in inflation in India.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

12. Which of the following statement(s) is/are True about the Grameen Pushti Yojana of the Govt. of India ?

1. Scheme is aimed to provide nutritional food to children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. Scheme will be implemented in the state of Chhattisgarh only.
3. The finance for the scheme would be provided by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

13. Who amongst the following was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade of India 2008 ?
(A) Hu Jinto of China
(B) Gordon Brown of Britain
(C) Nicolas Sarkozy of France
(D) Abdullah Dardari of Syria
(E) None of these

14. Who amongst the following is elected as the Chairperson of the “Conference of the Speakers and Presiding officers of the commonwealth” for the next two years ?
(A) Somnath Chatterjee
(B) Manmohan Singh
(C) Manohar Joshi
(D) L. K. Advani
(E) None of these

15. Ferenc Gyurcsany who was on a visit to India in January 2008 is the………
(A) Prime Minister of Yemen
(B) Prime Minister of Hungary
(C) President of Ukraine
(D) Prime Minister of Turkey
(E) None of these

16. Which of the following teams won the ‘Ranji Trophy-2008’ ?
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Delhi
(D) Punjab
(E) None of these

17. Very often we read in the newspapers about various measures taken up to control the flow of the capital in the Indian markets. Who amongst the following is/are the Regulators who can control the flow of the same in India ?

1. Indian Bank’s Association
2. RBI
3. SEBI

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 2 and 3
(E) Both 1 and 2

18. Many times we read a term ‘Hot Money’ in newspapers. What is/are the characteristics of Hot money ?

1. The term is used for fresh currency notes issued by the RBI.
2. It is the fund which flows in the market to take advantage of high interest rates.
3. It is the fund which is thrown in the market to create imbalance in the stock markets.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

19. India’s largest overseas investment in the UK is Tata Corus deal. What is UK’s largest investment in India ?
(A) Vodafone
(B) Idea
(C) Tetley
(D) Allianz
(E) None of these

20. India is one of the largest export market of UK amongst the developing world. Which is one major export to India from UK ?
(A) Wheat
(B) Vegetable
(C) Newsprint
(D) Industrial Machinery
(E) Fertilizers

21. Which of the following is/are correct statement(s) pertaining to India’s relation with China ?

1. China is the focal point of India’s ‘Look East Policy’
2. India is one of the largest investigators of anti-dumping investigations against China.
3. India is China’s most preferred nation for export of minerals and chemicals.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Only 3
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

22. As per the estimates of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC) headed by Dr. C. Rangarajan the Indian Economy will grow at which of the following rates in 2008-09 ?
(A) 7%
(B) 7•5%
(C) 8%
(D) 8•5%
(E) 10%

23. Which of the following is/are included in ‘Deficit Financing’ in India ?
(The term is used frequently in economic planning)

1. Borrowing from the Reserve Bank of India.
2. Issue of New Currency Notes.
3. Withdrawal of past balances/surpluses etc.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

24. ‘Barclays’ is planning to set up Private Bank of India was the news in some major financial newspapers recently. Barclays is a company based in………
(A) Britain
(B) France
(C) Germany
(D) Italy
(E) Hong Kong

25. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ ?
(A) Meera Nair
(B) Jhumpa Lahiri
(C) Dalai Lama
(D) Salman Rushdie
(E) None of these

26. Which of the following is/are correct about the ‘Operational Risk’ as used in the field of banking ?

1. Risk of loss due to inadequate or failed internal process.
2. Risk of loss due to natural calamities.
3. Loss occurred due to noncompliance of legal procedures.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

27. Naresh Goyal who was honoured by ‘Man of the Year Award’ is closely associated with which of the following businesses ?
(A) Banking
(B) Textile industry
(C) Aviation
(D) Film production
(E) None of these

28. Who amongst the following Indians was selected as the ‘Man of the Series’ in the series India played with South Africa in April 2008 ?
(A) Harbhajan Singh
(B) Sourav Ganguly
(C) Anil Kumble
(D) M. S. Dhoni
(E) None of these

29. As per the news reports which of the following countries is going to celebrate 2009 as ‘Year of India’ in that country ?
(A) USA
(B) Britain
(C) France
(D) Japan
(E) Russia

30. Which of the following India based organization (NGO) has been approached by the Govt. of Afghanistan and the World Bank to launch a micro credit programme there ?
(A) Bandhan
(B) SEWA
(C) Arunodaya
(D) ASA
(E) None of these

31. The military government of which of the following countries has announced that general elections in that country will be held in the year 2010 ?
(A) Israel
(B) Uganda
(C) Ethiopia
(D) Myanmar
(E) None of these

32. As per the news published in various newspapers ‘SEPA’ has come into force throughout European Union’s 27 Member countries. What is the full form the ‘SEPA’ ?
(A) SAARC and European Provinces Association
(B) South Europe Province Area
(C) Single Euro Payments Area
(D) Senegal and Ecuador Protection Act
(E) None of these

33. Which of the following countries will organize women’s and men’s championship Trophy Hockey-2009 ?
(A) England
(B) India
(C) Australia
(D) China
(E) None of these

34. Anand Pawar of India won the “Austrian Open Men’s singles Trophy 2008”, the matches for which were organized in Vienna. The trophy is associated with the game of ………
(A) Tennis
(B) Badminton
(C) Table Tennis
(D) Golf
(E) None of these

35. India’s first National Defence University is being established in ………
(A) Gurgaon
(B) Hissar
(C) Panipat
(D) Ambala
(E) Jalandhar

36. Under the immunization programme Govt. of India is providing vaccination to prevent some vaccine preventable diseases. Which of the following is not one of them ?
(A) Tuberculosis
(B) Diphtheria
(C) Tetanus
(D) Plague
(E) Measles

37. Which of the following schemes is designed and launched to improve the living standards of urban poors ?

1. Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA)
2. Janani Suraksha Yojana
3. Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY)

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

38. Which of the following is not a social sector programme of the Govt. of India ?
(A) Mid Day Meal scheme
(B) Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
(C) National Rural Health Mission
(D) Integrated Child Development Services
(E) Look East Policy

39. Rahul Dravid recently made a record of earning 10000 runs in test cricket. He made this record while playing against which of the following countries ?
(A) New Zealand
(B) England
(C) Australia
(D) South Africa
(E) Bangladesh

40. Tiger Woods, who won the Arnold Palmer International Golf Tournament, is from which country ?
(A) Australia
(B) Canada
(C) England
(D) New Zealand
(E) U.S.A.

41. Who amongst the following is adjudged as the “WTA Tour Player of the Year” award for 2008 ?
(A) Serena Williams
(B) Justine Henin
(C) Ana Ivanovic
(D) Svetlana Kuznetsova
(E) None of these

42. Manipur State won the 16th Senior National Women’s Football championship held in March 2008 by defeating which of the following teams ?
(A) Orissa
(B) West Bengal
(C) Uttar Pradesh
(D) Maharashtra
(E) Karnataka

43. Which of the following books is written by Aung San Suu kyi ?
(A) The Power and the glory
(B) My childhood Days
(C) Against the grain
(D) Living History
(E) Freedom from fear

44. Tsegaye Kebede who won the men’s title of the Paris Marathon-2008 is from which of the following countries ?
(A) Kenya
(B) Ethiopia
(C) Uganda
(D) Russia
(E) None of these

45. India is largest tea producing country in the world. It is grown in which of the following states mainly ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Haryana
(C) Bihar
(D) Orissa
(E) Assam

46. Which of the following cannot be called as a Rubber producing state ?
(A) Kerala
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Karnataka
(E) All are rubber producing states

47. Which of the following cups/trophies is not associated with the game of Hockey ?
(A) Nehru Trophy
(B) Agha Khan Cup
(C) Bombay Gold Cup
(D) Dhyan Chand Trophy
(E) Duleep Trophy

48. Nobel Prizes are not given for contribution in the field of………
(A) Economics
(B) Literature
(C) Physics
(D) Chemistry
(E) Music

49. Which of the following prizes is given by UNESCO ?
(A) Magsaysay Award
(B) Kalinga Prize
(C) Pulitzer Prize
(D) Booker Prize
(E) None of these

50. Who has written the famous book ‘The Enchantress of Florence’ ?
(A) Kiran Desai
(B) Shobha De
(C) Arundhati Roy
(D) Anita Desai
(E) Salman Rushdie

Answers with Hints
1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (D) 4. (C) 5. (D)
6. (A) According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’ of the 36 countries that are in the grip of a severe food security crisis. Out of 36 countries 21 are in Africa.
7. (E) 8. (D) 9. (D)
10. (D) As per current year budget, the initial corpus of Rs. 60,000 crore was provided for Farmers Debt Relief Fund but the actual amount was Rs. 71680 crore.
11. (A) 12. (C) 13. (C) 14. (E) 15. (B)
16. (C) 17. (B) 18. (B) 19. (A) 20. (D) 21. (A)
22. (D) In January 2008, it was predicted to be 8•5% while in August 2008 Prime Ministers Advisory Council predicted it to be 7•7%.
23. (D) 24. (A) 25. (B) 26. (A) 27. (C) 28. (A) 29. (E)
30. (A) 31. (D) 32. (C) 33. (C) 34. (B) 35. (A) 36. (D)
37. (C) This scheme was started on December 2, 2001. It is operated on the pattern of Indira Avas Yojana meant for rural areas.
38. (E) 39. (D) 40. (E) 41. (E) 42. (A)
43. (E) 44. (B) 45. (E) 46. (B) 47. (E)
48. (E) 49. (B) 50. (E)

Nabard Bank Officers Exam. 2008 : General Awareness (Solved)

Nabard Bank Officers Exam., 2008
General Awareness : Solved Paper
(Held on 30-3-2008)

1. Which of the following was the reason owing to which public unrest broke out in Pakistan and an Emergency was declared a few months back ?

1. Sudden death of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
2. Announcement of General Elections.
3. Appointment of a new Chief of Army in place of Gen. Pervez Musharraf who was very popular leader there.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

2. India, Brazil and South Africa made a forum in 2003 which is playing a very significant role in dealing with the issues of common interest of all the three in general and their foreign policies in particular. What is the name of the forum ? (The Second Summit of the forum was organized in October 2007 in Pretoria)
(A) SAGU
(B) BRIC
(C) G-20
(D) IBSA
(E) None of these

3. Read the following three statements carefully and answer the question asked immediately after that—

1. Hu Jintao has been reelected the General Secretary of the ruling CPC for the second term till 2012.
2. Vice President of the country Zeng Quinghing was removed from the powerful Central Committee of the party.
3. Country is now likely to proceed on a new agenda of progress and development as Jintao is a man of modern and scientific outlook.

All these three statements are about the political development in the country known as—
(A) South Korea
(B) North Korea
(C) Singapore
(D) China
(E) Thailand

4. The mid term review of the Monetary and Credit Policy of the RBI (for 2007-08) took place in January 2008. Which of the following is true about the same ?

1. CRR hiked by 0.5 per cent to make it 7.5% w.e.f. 10th February, 2008.
2. GDP growth outlook at 8.5% for 2007-08.
3. Call and put options are now allowed in imports and exports.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 2 and 3
(E) None of these

5. An International Organization with Robert B. Zoellick as its President sanctioned a loan of US$ 944 million to India so that it can strengthen its rural finance system, vocational training and improve its water management projects. Which of the following is the name of that organization ?
(A) International Monetary Fund
(B) Asian Development Bank
(C) UNESCO
(D) World Bank
(E) None of these

6. As per the news which appeared in some newspapers/magazines the police with the help of some NGOs rescued some children who had been forced in child labour illegally. Such children are protected under which of the following acts in India ?
1. Juvenile Justice Act.
2. Child Labour Act.
3. Immoral Trafficking Act.
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

7. As per the news published in the media, India, China and some other countries are trying to grapple with money flooding the economy from a record trade surplus, and swelling of foreign exchange reserves of the country. Why do the Central Banks of such countries have to make special efforts to check the flooding of money and foreign exchange in economy whereas for an ordinary man more money means richness and prosperity ?

1. It generates artificial inflation in economy.
2. It makes the Govt. of that country to revaluate its currency.
3. It creates a situation where rate of interest on loans and advances starts coming down sharply.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) All 1, 2 and 3
(D) Both 1 and 3
(E) None of these

8. The Govt. of India recently established a fund known as National Investment Fund (NIF). Which of the following statement(s) is/are true in this regard ?

1. This fund is generated through the money received from the sale of equity in State run companies.
2. The fund will help in revival of sick units of the public sector companies of the Govt. of India.
3. The money deposited in the fund will be used for social welfare schemes.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

9. The Govt. of India is making special efforts to help the farmer community in the country as they are in distress and demand special attention from all of us.
Which of the following is correct in this regard ?

1. Govt. of India has announced a substantial hike in minimum support price of wheat for Rabi season.
2. A relief package is announced for the Sugar Industry.
3. All farmers are being given a cash assistance of Rs. 5 lakhs to make them comfortable financially.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Only 3
(E) None of these

10. Which of the following taxes is collected by the Govt. on sale of goods and services in the country ?
(A) NAT
(B) GET
(C) SAT
(D) VAT
(E) None of these

11. The N. D. Kumaraswamy Govt. came into minority in Karnataka because one segment of the coalition
government withdrew its support from it in October 2007.
Which of the following was that segment ?
(A) SP
(B) Congress
(C) BSP
(D) Telugu Desam
(E) None of these

12. The newly elected President of which of the following countries took over the charge from her husband who was the President of the country immediately prior to the general presidential elections there ?
(A) Pakistan
(B) Sri Lanka
(C) Romania
(D) Peru
(E) Argentina

13. The latest European Union Summit took place in which of the following cities in October 2007 ?
(A) Brussels
(B) Paris
(C) Luxembourg
(D) Lisbon
(E) None of these

14. The UN Climate change Conference 2007 was organized in which of the following places ?
(A) Manila
(B) London
(C) Brussels
(D) Lisbon
(E) Bali

15. India ranks 128 in the recently published Human Development Index (HDI). The index measures
which of the following to decide the rank of a country ?
1. Life expectancy
2. Literacy and Education
3. Forex reserves as a percentage of total GDP
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) All 1, 2 and 3
(E) None of these

16. Kevin Rudd recently took over as the Prime Minister of Australia from John Howard. Which of the following policies of John Howard went wrong and against him who otherwise was holding the post since last four terms of four years each ?
1. Refusal to ratify Kyoto protocol
2. Policy of hiring and firing workers any time
3. Support to non-democratic govt. in some countries
(A) Only 1
(B) Both 1 and 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Only 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

17. Many a time we read a term ‘PPP’ in financial newspapers. What is the full form of the same as used in financial world ?
(A) Public Per Capita Power
(B) Per Capita Potential Purchases
(C) Purchasing Power Parity
(D) Present Purchasing Power
(E) None of these

18. ‘Cryogenic Engines’ are being developed indigenously by an Indian organization. These engines are normally used for which of the following purposes ?
(A) Used for space programme
(B) Used for generating nuclear power
(C) Used by Railways as they are very fast and fuel efficient
(D) Used in fighter planes
(E) None of these

19. The UN has revealed that the emergency phase is now over in Chernobyl where a disastrous accident had taken place in 1986. The affected people there will now be treated as normal and not as victims. What had happened in Chernobyl in 1986 ?
(A) A train accident in which about 1000 people had died
(B) A bomb blast in which around 500 people died and 5000 were injured
(C) A nuclear plant exploded and the entire city became a radioactive zone
(D) A powerful earthquake rocked the entire city leaving thousands dead and several thousands injured
(E) None of these

20. Who amongst the following is the Chairman of the 13th Finance Commission constituted recently ?
(A) Vijay Kelkar
(B) B. K. Chaturvedi
(C) K. V. Kamath
(D) A. K. Purwar
(E) None of these

21. Many a time we read in newspapers about the “Doha Round” of talks. It was related with the talks of which of the following organizations ?
(A) European Union
(B) World Trade Organization (WTO)
(C) International Atomic Energy Agencies (IAEA)
(D) G-8 talks
(E) None of these

22. Dinar is the currency of which of the following countries ?
(A) Sudan
(B) Myanmar
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Pakistan
(E) None of these

23. The former President of Mozambique Joaquim Chissano was honoured by the first ever international prize to an African leader, the prestigious “Mo Ibrahim Leadership Prize”. The Prize was given to him in 2007 October. What was the contribution of Chissano owing to which he was selected for the same ?
(Pick up the correct statement)

1. He was instrumental in bringing peace, reconciliation, stable democracy and economic progress to Mozambique.
2. He played a crucial role in diffusing tension between Iran and IAEA over the issue of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
3. He played a crucial role in diffusing conflict between India and some western countries over the issue of subsidy to agriculture in WTO conference held in 2007.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

24. Who amongst the following Indian leaders became the second World Leader to receive the British Royal Society’s prestigious King Charles II Medal ?
(Given in October 2007)
(A) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(B) Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
(C) Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
(D) Dr. M. S. Swaminathan
(E) None of these

25. The “Outstanding Business Leader Award–2007” was given to whom amongst the following in October 2007 ?
(A) Lakshmi Mittal
(B) Sunil Bharti Mittal
(C) Rahul Bajaj
(D) Kumar Mangalam Birla
(E) None of these

26. The Doing Business Report, an international publication, is published every year by which of the following organization(s) ?
1. World Bank
2. WTO
3. Reserve Bank of India
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

27. The fourth Military World Games–2007 were organized in which of the following places in India ?
(A) New Delhi
(B) Hyderabad
(C) Jaipur
(D) Bangalore
(E) Cochin

28. The 47th Open National Athletic Championship 2007 was organized in which of the following places ?
(A) Jamshedpur
(B) New Delhi
(C) Lucknow
(D) Bangalore
(E) None of these

29. Who amongst the following is not a famous Lawn tennis player ?
(A) Roger Federer
(B) Leander Paes
(C) Svetlana Kuznetsova
(D) Justin Henin
(E) Kimi Raikkonen

30. Lot of discussion is going on these days on the issue of ‘Participatory Note’ (P Notes) used in financial sector/money market. What is Participatory Note ?
[Pick up the correct statement(s)]

1. It is nothing but another name of the banking operation by which banks exchange Indian Rupees into US Dollars without depositing a single rupee in the account of the party who are NRIs. The entire operation is carried out by the banks solely on the basis of the credit and goodwill of the NRI party.
2. It is an offshore derivative instrument used by overseas buyers/investors who buy shares of Indian companies listed in Indian Stock Exchange anonymously.
3. It is nothing but a type of undertaking given to the banks that they should continue investing money in stock markets on behalf of the NRIs and in case the market crashes NRI’s will make the losses good without delay.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

31. As we all see every now and then many countries are in the race of launching space shuttles or rockets or satellites. What exactly are the benefits of space programmes which otherwise are very costly affairs for the countries ?

1. It is nothing but a fun to have a visit to space. It has no real benefit as such.
2. Humanity can be served/benefited by getting data on weather, disaster alerts and/or resource centres connected through satellites.
3. Since earth is no longer a place to live we have to find out a place where in the next few years we can shift and survive. Such programmes help us in all this.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) None of these

32. As we all see oil prices have a special place in economic folklore. Almost all countries keep an eagle eye on the oil prices in the international market. Why is oil so important for the countries and their economies to survive ?
[Pick up the correct statement(s)]

1. Two nastiest global recessions of the recent decades were preceded by huge and sudden rises in prices of oil, first in 1973 and then in 1979. Leaders are scared of their repetition.
2. What makes oil so special is that it is a uniquely dense and portable form of energy. It is not easy to switch to alternatives very quickly, hence any disruptions to supply are damaging for economies.
3. Oil exporting countries are most powerful and violent nations. Countries do not want to invite trouble with them.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

33. Which of the following is the name of Tata’s small car launched recently ?
(A) Micro
(B) Sapna
(C) Nano
(D) Lakhtakia
(E) None of these

34. The House of Representatives of USA recently approved a US$ 50 billion War Funding Bill. If passed it would require President Bush to start withdrawing troops from—
(A) Iraq
(B) Pakistan
(C) Sudan
(D) China
(E) South Africa

35. The public protest on which of the following issues recently brought the whole of the France to a near standstill for the second time in a month ?
1. Irregularities in Presidential elections held in 2007.
2. President Sarkozy’s plan to reform public sector pensions.
3. France’s support to USA on Iraq’s rebuilding
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 3
(C) Only 2
(D) Both 1 and 3
(E) None of these

36. Who amongst the following was adjudged as Miss Earth-Air 2007 ?
(A) Pooja Chitgopekar
(B) Pooja Gupta
(C) Amruta Patki
(D) Sarah Jane Dias
(E) None of these

37. As per the news which appeared in newspapers/magazines thousands of civilians have to flee the fighting in North Kivu province as there is a war going on between the army of the country and rebels of General Laurent Nkunda. This is the story of which of the following countries ?
(A) Congo
(B) Sudan
(C) Mozambique
(D) Argentina
(E) None of these

38. About 20,000 students demonstrated against plans to President Hugo Chavez to change the constitution
of the country. Chavez is the President of—
(A) Sudan
(B) Congo
(C) Venezuela
(D) Poland
(E) None of these

39. Govt. of India recently announced its action plan on Sachchar Committee Report. What actions are being taken on the report ?

1. Govt. to bear all expenses of poor students who get into top institutions on merit basis.
2. Revision of Madarsa Modernization programme.
3. Special Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for minority population.

(A) Only 1 is correct
(B) Only 2 is correct
(C) Both 1 and 2 are correct
(D) Only 3 is correct
(E) All 1, 2 and 3 are correct

40. As we read in the newspapers the 123 Agreement with USA will have strategic implications on India. Which of the following is/are these implications ?

1. India will get recognition as a state with advanced nuclear technology.
2. The deal will not be offered to Pakistan.
3. India will be free to develop nuclear weapon for its military purposes.

(A) Only 1 is correct
(B) Only 2 is correct
(C) Both 1 and 2 are correct
(D) Only 3 is correct
(E) None is correct

41. The Govt. of India recently gave its clearance to the new Agriculture scheme which will provide additional central assistance to the agri. sector. What is/are the main points of this scheme ?

1. Public Investment in agriculture sector will be banned.
2. Govt. will help state govts. to achieve the targeted growth rates in agri. sector.
3. State Govt. will get Rs. 40,000 crores to provide subsidy to agri. sector.

(A) Only 1 is correct
(B) Only 2 is correct
(C) Only 3 is correct
(D) Both 1 and 2 are correct
(E) None is correct

42. Who amongst the following are the members of BRIC the summit of which was organized recently ?
1. India
2. Indonesia
3. Brazil
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) Both 1 and 3

43. Abuja Declaration was in news a few months back. This is the pact signed between which of the following two nations ?
(A) India-Sudan
(B) Sudan-China
(C) India-China
(D) Nigeria-Nepal
(E) India-Nigeria

44. USA recently decided to slap few sanctions against Iran which include ouster of Iranian military and banking institutions from US financial system. Why did US resort to such harsh steps against Iran ?

1. Iran’s alleged support to Pakistan’s military rule.
2. Iran’s support to terrorism and nuclear programme.
3. Iran is against any financial help to Iraq as both are old enemies.

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 and 2
(E) All 1, 2 and 3

45. As reported in the newspapers Aung San Suu Kyi has agreed to cooperate with the military ruler of her country. She is a citizen of—
(A) Nepal
(B) Myanmar
(C) Brazil
(D) Indonesia
(E) Hong Kong

46. India won Future Cup Twenty-20 cricket match held in October 2007 in Mumbai. The match was played against—
(A) Pakistan
(B) England
(C) South Africa
(D) New Zealand
(E) Australia

47. Who amongst the following is not one of the Nobel Prize Winners of 2007 ?
(A) Ms. Doris Lessing
(B) Albert Fert
(C) Roger B. Myerson
(D) Al Gore
(E) Yulia Sindzeyeva

48. Who amongst the following won the Man Booker Prize 2007 ?
(A) K. Narayana Kurup
(B) Eric S. Maskin
(C) Mario R. Capecchi
(D) Anne Enright
(E) None of these

49. Who amongst the following was made the Chairman/Chairperson of the National Land Reforms Commission ?
(A) Somnath Chatterjee
(B) Manmohan Singh
(C) Smt. Sonia Gandhi
(D) Murli Deora
(E) None of these

50. The prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2006 was recently conferred upon—
(A) Prof. Wangari Maathai
(B) Mr. Kevin Rudd
(C) Mr. Ratan Tata
(D) Mr. Mahmoud Abbas
(E) None of these

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