Pakistan agrees to expedite 26/11 trial; PM Modi to visit Pak in 2016 for Saarc summit
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UFA (Russia): India and Pakistan on Friday took a step forward in bilateral relations with both countries agreeing that they had a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development in the region.
In an hour-long meeting on the sidelines of SCO summit, PM Modi managed to extract a commitment from Nawaz Sharif to expedite the trial of Mumbai terror attack accused underway in Pakistan, while Pak PM sought to keep the focus on discussions over all outstanding issues, including J&K.
Pakistan also agreed to India's demand on voice samples of some of the accused in the Mumbai terror attacks case.
Raising the Mumbai terror attacks issue during the talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Nawaz Sharif to take action against 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for peaceful, and even friendly, relations between the two countries.
The bail to Lakhvi in April has become the biggest bone of contention between the two countries with India maintaining until now that no dialogue was going to be possible until he was brought to book.
As this paper had reported on Friday, Modi needed to initiate dialogue with Pakistan also in light of the fact that he may have to visit Islamabad in 2016 for the Saarc summit.
During the meeting, PM Modi confirmed that he was indeed going to visit Pakistan for the summit.
While the two countries are still far away from resumption of the composite dialogue process, they will make a small beginning with a meeting between the two NSAs in Delhi soon to discuss issues related to terrorism.
Another significant takeaway from the meeting was that the two countries agreed to an early meeting of DG BSF and chief of Pakistan Rangers which in turn would be followed by another meeting between the DGMOs.
The two countries will also release all fishermen in each other's custody, along with their boats, in the next 15 days, foreign secretary S Jaishankar and his counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary announced after the meeting.
The two officials, however, refused to take any question after they briefed the media about the outcome of the meeting.
During the joint briefing they also announced that India and Pakistan were also looking at a mechanism to facilitate religious tourism.
UFA (Russia): India and Pakistan on Friday took a step forward in bilateral relations with both countries agreeing that they had a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development in the region. In an hour-long meeting on the sidelines of SCO summit, PM Modi managed to extract a commitment from Nawaz Sharif to expedite the trial of Mumbai terror attack accused underway in Pakistan, while Pak PM sought to keep the focus on discussions over all outstanding issues, including J&K.
Pakistan also agreed to India's demand on voice samples of some of the accused in the Mumbai terror attacks case.
Raising the Mumbai terror attacks issue during the talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Nawaz Sharif to take action against 26/11 mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for peaceful, and even friendly, relations between the two countries.
The bail to Lakhvi in April has become the biggest bone of contention between the two countries with India maintaining until now that no dialogue was going to be possible until he was brought to book.
As this paper had reported on Friday, Modi needed to initiate dialogue with Pakistan also in light of the fact that he may have to visit Islamabad in 2016 for the Saarc summit.
During the meeting, PM Modi confirmed that he was indeed going to visit Pakistan for the summit.
While the two countries are still far away from resumption of the composite dialogue process, they will make a small beginning with a meeting between the two NSAs in Delhi soon to discuss issues related to terrorism.
Another significant takeaway from the meeting was that the two countries agreed to an early meeting of DG BSF and chief of Pakistan Rangers which in turn would be followed by another meeting between the DGMOs.
The two countries will also release all fishermen in each other's custody, along with their boats, in the next 15 days, foreign secretary S Jaishankar and his counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary announced after the meeting.
The two officials, however, refused to take any question after they briefed the media about the outcome of the meeting.
During the joint briefing they also announced that India and Pakistan were also looking at a mechanism to facilitate religious tourism.
GoAir aircraft damaged at Chennai airport, passengers safe
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CHENNAI: An aerobridge operator, reportedly talking on his mobile, hit a GoAir Airbus A-320 with the aerobridge while aligning the same with the aircraft at Chennai airport on Friday morning. The fuselage of the Airbus A-320 near the front door got punctured and the aircraft has been grounded.
There were 168 passengers on the G 8 305 flight. A statement from the Chennai airport said all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
"Passengers were not hurt as the plane was stationary at that time. They later alighted the aircraft from the rear door using a stepladder," said a senior officer of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Initial probe by DGCA Chennai office has shown that the aerobridge operator was talking on his mobile when he was trying to align that with the aircraft. "According to GoAir ground staff, the airline staff warned the aerobridge operator that he was moving it too fast and may hit the plane. However, whether the aerobridge operator was at fault or was the plane not aligned properly in its parking spot is something that an inquiry will reveal," said the officer.
The flight had touched down in Chennai at 6.22 am and reached its parking bay (number 28) at 6.32 am. Two minutes later the aerobridge alignment started happening and the plane was hit at 6.35 am, according to DGCA.
The GoAir aircraft was supposed to fly to Port Blair from Chennai but was grounded after this incident. "Passengers bound for Port Blair were sent by other airlines. GoAir now has has 18 aircraft operational in its fleet as the one hit in Chennai has been grounded. Its schedule is going to be affected," said the DGCA official.
CHENNAI: An aerobridge operator, reportedly talking on his mobile, hit a GoAir Airbus A-320 with the aerobridge while aligning the same with the aircraft at Chennai airport on Friday morning. The fuselage of the Airbus A-320 near the front door got punctured and the aircraft has been grounded.There were 168 passengers on the G 8 305 flight. A statement from the Chennai airport said all passengers and crew disembarked safely.
"Passengers were not hurt as the plane was stationary at that time. They later alighted the aircraft from the rear door using a stepladder," said a senior officer of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Initial probe by DGCA Chennai office has shown that the aerobridge operator was talking on his mobile when he was trying to align that with the aircraft. "According to GoAir ground staff, the airline staff warned the aerobridge operator that he was moving it too fast and may hit the plane. However, whether the aerobridge operator was at fault or was the plane not aligned properly in its parking spot is something that an inquiry will reveal," said the officer.
The flight had touched down in Chennai at 6.22 am and reached its parking bay (number 28) at 6.32 am. Two minutes later the aerobridge alignment started happening and the plane was hit at 6.35 am, according to DGCA.
The GoAir aircraft was supposed to fly to Port Blair from Chennai but was grounded after this incident. "Passengers bound for Port Blair were sent by other airlines. GoAir now has has 18 aircraft operational in its fleet as the one hit in Chennai has been grounded. Its schedule is going to be affected," said the DGCA official.
Delhi too hot? 56 IAS officers opt for states, just 4 come to Centre
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NEW DELHI: At least 56 IAS officers have left their central postings prematurely for their respective state cadres since May 2014 when the Narendra Modi-led BJP government took office.
Most of the officers who have opted for repatriation are senior - in the rank of joint secretary and above. This 'back-to-the-parent-state' movement is rare. According to details available on the department of personnel and training (DoPT) website, just three IAS officers left the Centre prematurely in 2013 and only one between August and December 2012. The numbers spiked to 13 between January and May 2014, in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha polls which resulted in a regime change.
A top DoPT official argued that the "exodus" did not necessarily signal an unwillingness to serve under the Modi regime which has sought to change the way the government functions. "It may have been to take up assignments at senior levels, including as chief secretary, in the state," he said.
An examination of DoPT's repatriation orders shows that seven officers went back to take up chief secretary's position in their respective states.
A source the defence ministry said at least four joint secretary-rank officers had left for their parent cadre because it had become difficult for them to put in the "hard work" required under the present dispensation.
Normally, after reaching a certain level of seniority, officers tend to stay in Delhi where there are more avenues of advancement.
The problem for the government is not about vacancies alone. Few from the states appear to be eager to take up senior openings being created in Delhi by the increase in repatriations. As against the 30 vacancies in the joint secretary rank this year, only four IAS officers have come forward; and of them one has picked Bengaluru as her preferred choice of posting.
Also, delays in empanelment - the threshold officers of all central services need to cross to be eligible for the rank of joint secretary and above - has shrunk the available pool. Non-IAS officers are usually reluctant to take up assignments at the Centre as they often have to work under IAS officers two to five batches their junior.
"Indian Telecom Service is the only significant catchment area left, that too because the government has been attempting to downsize their service and merge them in BSNL and MTNL," a non-IAS officer said.
A review of additional secretary rank posts in the central ministries show they are all occupied by IAS officers, despite the fact that 26 non-IAS officers have been empanelled in the last two years and have offered their services. It's the same at the joint secretary level. Out of the 30 slots available, 23 are occupied by IAS officers.
Non-IAS officers often complain about the "hegemony" of the IAS, saying it runs contrary to the emphasis periodically placed on having specialists helm positions requiring domain knowledge.
NEW DELHI: At least 56 IAS officers have left their central postings prematurely for their respective state cadres since May 2014 when the Narendra Modi-led BJP government took office.Most of the officers who have opted for repatriation are senior - in the rank of joint secretary and above. This 'back-to-the-parent-state' movement is rare. According to details available on the department of personnel and training (DoPT) website, just three IAS officers left the Centre prematurely in 2013 and only one between August and December 2012. The numbers spiked to 13 between January and May 2014, in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha polls which resulted in a regime change.
A top DoPT official argued that the "exodus" did not necessarily signal an unwillingness to serve under the Modi regime which has sought to change the way the government functions. "It may have been to take up assignments at senior levels, including as chief secretary, in the state," he said.
An examination of DoPT's repatriation orders shows that seven officers went back to take up chief secretary's position in their respective states.
A source the defence ministry said at least four joint secretary-rank officers had left for their parent cadre because it had become difficult for them to put in the "hard work" required under the present dispensation.
Normally, after reaching a certain level of seniority, officers tend to stay in Delhi where there are more avenues of advancement.
The problem for the government is not about vacancies alone. Few from the states appear to be eager to take up senior openings being created in Delhi by the increase in repatriations. As against the 30 vacancies in the joint secretary rank this year, only four IAS officers have come forward; and of them one has picked Bengaluru as her preferred choice of posting.
Also, delays in empanelment - the threshold officers of all central services need to cross to be eligible for the rank of joint secretary and above - has shrunk the available pool. Non-IAS officers are usually reluctant to take up assignments at the Centre as they often have to work under IAS officers two to five batches their junior.
"Indian Telecom Service is the only significant catchment area left, that too because the government has been attempting to downsize their service and merge them in BSNL and MTNL," a non-IAS officer said.
A review of additional secretary rank posts in the central ministries show they are all occupied by IAS officers, despite the fact that 26 non-IAS officers have been empanelled in the last two years and have offered their services. It's the same at the joint secretary level. Out of the 30 slots available, 23 are occupied by IAS officers.
Non-IAS officers often complain about the "hegemony" of the IAS, saying it runs contrary to the emphasis periodically placed on having specialists helm positions requiring domain knowledge.
Nitish vows to ban liquor in Bihar
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PATNA: Similarities between his arch rival Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar surfaced on Thursday when Kumar promised a ban on the sale of liquor in Bihar if voted back to office in the assembly elections due in September-October. Kumar was responding to a demand raised by 1,000-odd women who had come from far-flung villages to attend a workshop in Patna.
Modi, despite his pro-business outlook, stayed with prohibition in Gujarat, and it did not in the least affect his political hold on the state. Also, Kumar has retained the services of techie Prashant Kishore who had mounted a high-glitz campaign that was criticized by Kumar himself for being expensive and personality-oriented.
Now the same man has put in place a similar drive for Kumar, which is a resounding echo of Modi's 2014 campaign. Interestingly, Kumar's claims of having boosted Bihar's revenue were derived significantly from better excise collection through increased sale of liquor.
Other politicians who have gained politically from prohibition are Bansi Lal in Haryana and NT Rama Rao on Andhra Pradesh.
Nitish had returned to his seat after delivering a speech when the women, representatives of self-help groups in various villages, raised their demand for a ban on the sale of liquor. Nitish then went back to the dais. "Your demand is genuine. I promise you I'll ban liquor if voted back to power," he said to loud applause from the gathering at the S K Memorial Hall.
The workshop — 'Gram Vaarta' or village dialogue — was organized jointly by the state government and the UK government's Department for International Development to spread awareness about the importance of improving health and nutritional status.
Official sources said the state government would suffer a revenue loss of about Rs 4,000 crore each year if the sale of liquor was banned. "The state generated Rs 3,250 crore as excise duty from the sale of liquor in the past financial year and has fixed a target of raising Rs 4,000 crore as excise duty from liquor sale in the current financial year," a senior official said. He said the revenue generated from the sale of liquor accounted for 3.5% of the state budget of Rs 1,20,000 crore for 2015-16.
The sources said excise and registration were the two highest revenue-earning departments of the state government. "If the CM wants to implement a ban on liquor, he'll have to think of generating this amount of revenue from another source or curtail the government's expenditure," another official said.
PATNA: Similarities between his arch rival Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar surfaced on Thursday when Kumar promised a ban on the sale of liquor in Bihar if voted back to office in the assembly elections due in September-October. Kumar was responding to a demand raised by 1,000-odd women who had come from far-flung villages to attend a workshop in Patna.Modi, despite his pro-business outlook, stayed with prohibition in Gujarat, and it did not in the least affect his political hold on the state. Also, Kumar has retained the services of techie Prashant Kishore who had mounted a high-glitz campaign that was criticized by Kumar himself for being expensive and personality-oriented.
Now the same man has put in place a similar drive for Kumar, which is a resounding echo of Modi's 2014 campaign. Interestingly, Kumar's claims of having boosted Bihar's revenue were derived significantly from better excise collection through increased sale of liquor.
Other politicians who have gained politically from prohibition are Bansi Lal in Haryana and NT Rama Rao on Andhra Pradesh.
Nitish had returned to his seat after delivering a speech when the women, representatives of self-help groups in various villages, raised their demand for a ban on the sale of liquor. Nitish then went back to the dais. "Your demand is genuine. I promise you I'll ban liquor if voted back to power," he said to loud applause from the gathering at the S K Memorial Hall.
The workshop — 'Gram Vaarta' or village dialogue — was organized jointly by the state government and the UK government's Department for International Development to spread awareness about the importance of improving health and nutritional status.
Official sources said the state government would suffer a revenue loss of about Rs 4,000 crore each year if the sale of liquor was banned. "The state generated Rs 3,250 crore as excise duty from the sale of liquor in the past financial year and has fixed a target of raising Rs 4,000 crore as excise duty from liquor sale in the current financial year," a senior official said. He said the revenue generated from the sale of liquor accounted for 3.5% of the state budget of Rs 1,20,000 crore for 2015-16.
The sources said excise and registration were the two highest revenue-earning departments of the state government. "If the CM wants to implement a ban on liquor, he'll have to think of generating this amount of revenue from another source or curtail the government's expenditure," another official said.
With 1,000 Vyapam complaints pending, CBI has Herculean task on hand
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BHOPAL: It will be a Herculean task for the CBI to probe the Vyapam scam as over 1,000 complaints are still pending investigation with the special task force (STF).
Insiders claim at least 200 complaints have crucial information that can be converted into FIRs. Even the first FIR into the scam that was registered by the police in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district in 2000 is yet to be closed.
"CBI officers will have to spend at least three weeks with the STF to understand the status of investigations and then start from the beginning," said an STF officer.
After taking over investigations into the Vyapam scam, the STF was working on 55 different FIRs, of which chargesheets have been presented in 27 cases. More than 1,930 people were arrested while 550 others are on the run.
CBI officials said investigations would begin from the hard disks of Vyapam's chief principal analyst Nitin Mohindra's computers and the disputed excel sheet. Mohindra is one of the key accused.
Self-styled digital forensic expert Prashant Pandey, who moved court alleging that the excel sheet recovered from Mohindra's computer was tampered to save 'high profile' people, claimed that technical & legal aspect of mandatory procedures specified in the Electronic Evidence Act was not complied with.
"Why didn't they follow mandatory procedure in Section 15 of Electronic Evidence Act - securing exhibits with digital signatures to avoid possibility of tampering with data?" said Pandey.
Legal experts claimed that evidence based on excel sheet was weak and the CBI would have to dig more to unearth credible evidences that can stand in a trial court. Else, the Vyapam scam, they claimed, would meet the fate of Jain Hawala case of 1990s, which collapsed in court without convictions.
"What, for instance, are the STF's own independent investigations other than Mohindra's excel sheet?" said Deepesh Joshi, a senior lawyer, and added that the CBI would have to work harder to bring credible proofs.
Mohindra's excel sheet reveals name of several businessman, doctors and politicians, who worked as middleman on deals. Most entries in excel sheet are in codes, some of which the STF has decoded.
BHOPAL: It will be a Herculean task for the CBI to probe the Vyapam scam as over 1,000 complaints are still pending investigation with the special task force (STF).Insiders claim at least 200 complaints have crucial information that can be converted into FIRs. Even the first FIR into the scam that was registered by the police in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district in 2000 is yet to be closed.
"CBI officers will have to spend at least three weeks with the STF to understand the status of investigations and then start from the beginning," said an STF officer.
After taking over investigations into the Vyapam scam, the STF was working on 55 different FIRs, of which chargesheets have been presented in 27 cases. More than 1,930 people were arrested while 550 others are on the run.
CBI officials said investigations would begin from the hard disks of Vyapam's chief principal analyst Nitin Mohindra's computers and the disputed excel sheet. Mohindra is one of the key accused.
Self-styled digital forensic expert Prashant Pandey, who moved court alleging that the excel sheet recovered from Mohindra's computer was tampered to save 'high profile' people, claimed that technical & legal aspect of mandatory procedures specified in the Electronic Evidence Act was not complied with.
"Why didn't they follow mandatory procedure in Section 15 of Electronic Evidence Act - securing exhibits with digital signatures to avoid possibility of tampering with data?" said Pandey.
Legal experts claimed that evidence based on excel sheet was weak and the CBI would have to dig more to unearth credible evidences that can stand in a trial court. Else, the Vyapam scam, they claimed, would meet the fate of Jain Hawala case of 1990s, which collapsed in court without convictions.
"What, for instance, are the STF's own independent investigations other than Mohindra's excel sheet?" said Deepesh Joshi, a senior lawyer, and added that the CBI would have to work harder to bring credible proofs.
Mohindra's excel sheet reveals name of several businessman, doctors and politicians, who worked as middleman on deals. Most entries in excel sheet are in codes, some of which the STF has decoded.
Jayalalithaa announces financial aid to kin of BSF jawan killed in J&K
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CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Border Security Force (BSF) jawan T Anish who was killed by militants in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8.
In a statement, chief minister J Jayalalithaa condoled the death of the jawan, who hailed from Kanyakumari district. Anish, belonging to the Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles unit, succumbed to the injuries sustained during an operation against militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
She said it was a "brave sacrifice" on the part of the jawan and expressed her sympathies with his family. "I have directed to provide Rs 10 lakh to the family of Anish," she said in a statement.
Jayalalithaa also condoled the death of five policemen in the state who died recently and announced a total sum of Rs 15 lakh as relief to their families. Of the five policemen, one was killed in a road accident while others died of natural causes.
The families of the policemen would get Rs 3 lakh each from the Chief Minister's General Relief Fund, it said.
The chief minister also announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the family of Balan, who was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Nilgiris recently.
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to the family of Border Security Force (BSF) jawan T Anish who was killed by militants in Jammu and Kashmir on July 8. In a statement, chief minister J Jayalalithaa condoled the death of the jawan, who hailed from Kanyakumari district. Anish, belonging to the Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles unit, succumbed to the injuries sustained during an operation against militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
She said it was a "brave sacrifice" on the part of the jawan and expressed her sympathies with his family. "I have directed to provide Rs 10 lakh to the family of Anish," she said in a statement.
Jayalalithaa also condoled the death of five policemen in the state who died recently and announced a total sum of Rs 15 lakh as relief to their families. Of the five policemen, one was killed in a road accident while others died of natural causes.
The families of the policemen would get Rs 3 lakh each from the Chief Minister's General Relief Fund, it said.
The chief minister also announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the family of Balan, who was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Nilgiris recently.
Vyapam scam: Congress, BJP netas received kickbacks from accused
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NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh-based mining baron Sudhir Sharma, one of the key accused in the Vyapam scam, had provided payoffs and facilities such as flight tickets to many political figures and bureaucrats between 2010 and 2013, according to an income tax assessment report.
Among the recipients of Sharma's patronage were senior RSS functionary Suresh Soni, former Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Prabhat Jha and his sons, Congress MLA Veer Singh Bhuria, and many civil servants.
The report prepared in 2013 after a search on Sharma's SR Ferro Alloys also showed that the businessman had arranged an air ticket in 2010 for a BJP general secretary who is now a Union minister (who was not an MP then).
Sudhir Sharma later turned out to be one of the key figures in the Vyapam scam and was jailed along with former MP education minister Laxmikant Sharma and several others.
The I-T report detailed how Sudhir Sharma regularly received lakhs of rupees from promoters of a few major education groups; immediately after that, much of that money would be passed on to then education minister Laxmikant Sharma, who also held the mining portfolio.
Sudhir Sharma, who began life as a school teacher, went on to amass a fortune after he joined the personal staff of Laxmikant Sharma. The Special Task Force investigating the Vyapam scam has alleged that Sudhir Sharma played a crucial role in manipulating several recruitment examinations. After absconding for some time, Sharma surrendered before the STF in July 2014 and is in jail now.
"Various evidences collected during search operations and post-search enquiries clearly show that the assessee group is engaged in regular and systematic payment of illegal gratification to various public servants and politicians. Evidences show that not only the payments are being made in cash but the expenditure on air travel, taxi fare and stay of politicians is also being borne by the assessee group," the I-T report said.
The biggest beneficiary of Sudhir Sharma's kickbacks was Laxmikant Sharma. The I-T report also named ABVP leaders Umesh Sharma and Vishal Rajoria, BJP leaders Anil Dave (then collector of Jhabua), Brijesh Lunawat and Tapan Bhoumik, and officials of several departments as recipients of Sharma's favours. The report said the favours may have been extended for allegedly facilitating mining activities for Sharma's companies.
It did not comment on the regular payments he received from educational institutions, or its intended beneficiaries.
However, one of most striking aspects of the report, and which perhaps provides an indication of the extent of the Vyapam scam, is the details recovered from Sharma of the large sums he received from educational institutions, and which he and his wife kept depositing money with his secretary.
Usually a few lakhs at a time, these payments became a regular feature during most of the period covered in the assessment, between 2010 and 2013.
NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh-based mining baron Sudhir Sharma, one of the key accused in the Vyapam scam, had provided payoffs and facilities such as flight tickets to many political figures and bureaucrats between 2010 and 2013, according to an income tax assessment report. Among the recipients of Sharma's patronage were senior RSS functionary Suresh Soni, former Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Prabhat Jha and his sons, Congress MLA Veer Singh Bhuria, and many civil servants.
The report prepared in 2013 after a search on Sharma's SR Ferro Alloys also showed that the businessman had arranged an air ticket in 2010 for a BJP general secretary who is now a Union minister (who was not an MP then).
Sudhir Sharma later turned out to be one of the key figures in the Vyapam scam and was jailed along with former MP education minister Laxmikant Sharma and several others.
The I-T report detailed how Sudhir Sharma regularly received lakhs of rupees from promoters of a few major education groups; immediately after that, much of that money would be passed on to then education minister Laxmikant Sharma, who also held the mining portfolio.
Sudhir Sharma, who began life as a school teacher, went on to amass a fortune after he joined the personal staff of Laxmikant Sharma. The Special Task Force investigating the Vyapam scam has alleged that Sudhir Sharma played a crucial role in manipulating several recruitment examinations. After absconding for some time, Sharma surrendered before the STF in July 2014 and is in jail now.
"Various evidences collected during search operations and post-search enquiries clearly show that the assessee group is engaged in regular and systematic payment of illegal gratification to various public servants and politicians. Evidences show that not only the payments are being made in cash but the expenditure on air travel, taxi fare and stay of politicians is also being borne by the assessee group," the I-T report said.
The biggest beneficiary of Sudhir Sharma's kickbacks was Laxmikant Sharma. The I-T report also named ABVP leaders Umesh Sharma and Vishal Rajoria, BJP leaders Anil Dave (then collector of Jhabua), Brijesh Lunawat and Tapan Bhoumik, and officials of several departments as recipients of Sharma's favours. The report said the favours may have been extended for allegedly facilitating mining activities for Sharma's companies.
It did not comment on the regular payments he received from educational institutions, or its intended beneficiaries.
However, one of most striking aspects of the report, and which perhaps provides an indication of the extent of the Vyapam scam, is the details recovered from Sharma of the large sums he received from educational institutions, and which he and his wife kept depositing money with his secretary.
Usually a few lakhs at a time, these payments became a regular feature during most of the period covered in the assessment, between 2010 and 2013.
GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR UNITED INDIA INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED ASSISTANT EXAM 2015
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1. What is the aim of formulating Banking Ombudsman Scheme by RBI?
1) To promote the deposits in the unbanked areas as the part of financial inclusion.
2) To promote lending among the poor people, as they are depending on non-institutional sources.
3) To redress the grievances or complaints arising out of the deficiency in the banking services.
4) To universalize the discount of commercial bills issued.
5) To incorporate the list of scheduled banks in the RBI Act 1934.
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2. RBI introduced Banking Ombudsman Scheme as per Section 35 A of .............
1) Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
2) SARFAESI Act, 2002
3) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
4) FEMA, 1999
5) RBI Act, 1934
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3. Ombudsman scheme first introduced in ........
1) USA
2) India
3) Australia
4) France
5) UK
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4. Which bank covered under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme?
1) Scheduled Public Sector Banks
2) Scheduled Private Sector Banks
3) Regional Rural Banks
4) Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks
5) All of above
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5. Banking Ombudsman is a senior official appointed by ..........
1) Finance Minister
2) RBI
3) SEBI
4) FSDC
5) None
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6. Banking Ombudsman Scheme come into effect from .............
1) 2000
2) 1995
3) 1999
4) 2010
5) 1981
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7. As per the present rules, any person can file a compliant before the Banking Ombudsman, if the satisfied reply is not received from the bank within a period of ......
1) one month
2) three months
3) two months
4) six months
5) None
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8. When the Ombudsman rejects the compliant of the customer?
1) If the customer does not approach the bank first.
2) One has not made the complaint within one year from the date one has received the reply of the bank or if no reply is received if it is more than one year and one month from the date of representation to the bank.
3) Subject matter of the complaint is pending for disposal / has already been dealt with at any other forum like court of law, consumer court.
4) Complaint is frivolous or vexatious.
5) In all above cases, the ombudsman will not accept the compliant from customer.
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9. The fee collected by Ombudsman to take compliant from the customer .............
1) Rs.5
2) Rs.100
3) Rs.10
4) Fix by the bank
5) No fee collects by the Ombudsman
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10. The Ombudsman take the compliant and can take action if ..........
1) Non - payment or delay in payment of inward remittances.
2) Non - credit of proceeds to parties accounts, non - payment of deposit or non - observance of the Reserve Bank directives.
3) Not accepting the legal tender and or for charging of commission in respect thereof.
4) Inordinate delay in the payment or collection of cheques, drafts, bills.
5) In the all above cases the ombudsman take action against bank.
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11. When the Ombudsman take action against the bank?
1) Collecting charges without adequate prior notice to the customer.
2) Refusal to accept or delay in accepting payment towards taxes, as required by government.
3) Refusal to close or delay in closing the accounts.
4) Non-observance of Reserve Bank guidelines on engagement of recovery agents by banks.
5) In the above all cases, Ombudsman take action against the bank.
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12. On 24 May 2007, RBI framed a rule that any customer not satisfied with ombudsman decision, then the customer can put an appeal to ...........
1) Governor, RBI
2) Governor of that State
3) Finance Minister of India
4) President of India
5) Deputy Governor of RBI
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. RBI amended Banking Ombudsman Scheme includes complaints relating to Internet Banking and Non-adherence to BCSBI Code on 5 February 2009. BCSBI stands for ..........
1) Banking Core and Standards Board of India.
2) Banking Codes and State Board of India.
3) Banking Codes and Standards Board of India.
4) Business Codes and Standards Board of India.
5) Banking Codes and Standards Bureau of India.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. RBI constituted committee under the chairmanship of ........... to review the Ombudsman Scheme on 7 January 2013.
1) C. Rangarajan
2) Suma Chakrabarti
3) Suma Varma
4) Usha Thorat
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. Banking Ombudsman can grant compensation up to .........
1) Rs.50 Lakh
2) Rs.10 Lakh
3) Rs.35 Lakh
4) Rs.5 Lakh
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. For mental agony, the Ombudsman can grant compensation up to ..........
1) Rs.1 Lakh
2) Rs.2 Lakh
3) Rs.25 Lakh
4) Rs.10 Lakh
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. On 11 May 2015, RBI advised all public sector banks and some private and foreign banks to appoint an internal ombudsman. The internal ombudsman would be designated as CSSO. CSSO stands for ..........
1) Central Customer Service Officer
2) Chief Customs Service Officer
3) Core Customer Service Officer
4) Chief Customer Second Officer
5) Chief Customer Service Officer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. On how many grounds of complaints / deficiencies in bank services, the present Banking Ombudsman Scheme providing relief to bank customers?
1) 18
2) 75
3) 4
4) 11
5) 27
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. 41st G7 summit was held in Schloss Elmau, Krun, Bavaria in...
1) France
2) Canada
3) Japan
4) Germany
5) Italy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. What is the Theme of G7 Summit 2015?
1) Save the World from Recession
2) Right decision for Right Action
3) Think Ahead. Act Together
4) Together for a Nice future
5) None of above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21. Union Ministry of Roads Transport & Highways announced which project of linking borders and coastal areas with road network?
1) Bharat Mala
2) Bharat Sagar
3) Bharat Chandrika
4) Pradhanmanthri Grameena Sadak Yozana
5) Bharat Anubandh
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways is .........
1) Nitin Gadkari
2) Arun Jaitley
3) Smriti Irani
4) Suresh Prabhu
5) Sadananda Gowda
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23. Alandur to Koyabedu, the 10 - km stretch of Metro Rail service launched on 29 June 2015 launched in .........
1) Chennai
2) Mumbai
3) Delhi
4) Hyderabad
5) Kolkata
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. Which state became the largest Producer of Solar Power after installing 1167 MW solar power plant, demoting Gujarat to second position?
1) Tamilnadu
2) MP
3) Rajasthan
4) HP
5) Haryana
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. CTBT Stands for ..........
1) Combined Test Ban Treaty
2) Comprehensive Tool Ban Treaty
3) Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
4) Collective Test Ban Treaty
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26. Indo-Bangladesh ODI series won by Bangladesh. The man of the series is ........
1) Mashrafe Mortaza
2) Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahim
3) M.S. Dhoni
4) Mustafizur Rahman
5) Virat Kohli
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27. FIFA U-20 World Cup won by ..........
1) Serbia
2) Brazil
3) Argentina
4) South Africa
5) Uruguay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28. Which Indian scripted history by becoming the first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on 26 June 2015?
1) Narender Kumar
2) Joginder Singh
3) Satnam Singh Bhamara
4) Amit Pal Singh
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29. First Day - Night Cricket match will be played on 27th November 2015 at .......... between Australia and New Zealand.
1) Adelaide Oval Stadium (Aus)
2) Sydney Cricket Ground (Aus)
3) Brisbane Cricket Ground (Aus)
4) Eden Park (New Zealand)
5) Basin Reserve (New Zealand)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30. One of the oldest galaxies in the universe, CR7 (COSMOS Redshift 7) has been named after ........
1) Diego Maradona
2) Viswanathan Anand
3) Lionel Messi
4) Gerard Pique
5) Cristiano Ronaldo
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31. Bharti Airtel has become the 3rd largest telecom company in the world having 303 million subscribers. Which company is top in this list having 626.27 miilion subscribers?
1) Aircel
2) China Mobile
3) Vodafone
4) Unimobile
5) MTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32. 'Transcendence My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji' co-authored by A.P. J. Abdul Kalam and ..........
1) Manav Gupta
2) R. Narasimha
3) Sivathanu Pillai
4) YS Rajan
5) Arun Tiwari
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33. 16th World Sanskrit Conference hosted by .........
1) Thailand
2) Japan
3) USA
4) Sri Lanka
5) Nepal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
34. New president of ICC (International Cricket Council) is ........
1) Ravi Shastri
2) N. Srinivasan
3) Lalit Modi
4) Zaheer Abbas
5) Mustafa Kamal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35. ICC (International Cricket Council) headquarters located at ..........
1) Mumbai
2) Sydney
3) Lords
4) Dubai
5) New Delhi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36. Present chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?
1) Anita Kapur
2) Arun Jaitley
3) Rajiv Mehrishi
4) Raghuram Rajan
5) Chitra Ramkrishna
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
37. Tanzania president visited India. He is .......
1) Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
2) Mulatu Teshome
3) James Michel
4) Beji Caid Essebsi
5) Jakaya Kikwete
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
38. The capital of Tanzania ...........
1) Cairo
2) Addis Ababa
3) Victoria
4) Tunis
5) Dodoma
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39. The currency of Tanzania ...........
1) Pound
2) Birr
3) Rupee
4) Dinar
5) Shilling
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40. On whose memory, the National Statistics Day observes on 29th June every year on the eve of his birth day?
1) Chidambara Chandrasekaran
2) J.K. Ghosh
3) Pranab Kumar Sen
4) Samarendra Nath Roy
5) Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
41. Bimal Roy was removed as the chief of .....
1) DRDO
2) Indian Statistical Institute
3) Delhi Law minister
4) Chairman, National Human Rights Commission
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
42. Who has been appointed as the Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) recently?
1) G. Satish Reddy
2) S. Christopher
3) Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
4) R.C. Tayal
5) K.V. Chowdary
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
43. Election Commission of India suspended the recognition of ......
1) PDP
2) BSP
3) BJP
4) Congress (I)
5) NPP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS:
1-3, 2-3, 3-5, 4-5, 5-2, 6-2, 7-1, 8-5, 9-5, 10-5
11-5, 12-5, 13-3, 14-3, 15-2, 16-1, 17-5, 18-5, 19-4, 20-3
21-1, 22-1, 23-1, 24-3, 25-3, 26-4, 27-1, 28-3, 29-1, 30-5
31-2, 32-5, 33-1, 34-4, 35-4, 36-1, 37-5, 38-5, 39-5, 40-5, 41-2, 42-3, 43-5
1) To promote the deposits in the unbanked areas as the part of financial inclusion.
2) To promote lending among the poor people, as they are depending on non-institutional sources.
3) To redress the grievances or complaints arising out of the deficiency in the banking services.
4) To universalize the discount of commercial bills issued.
5) To incorporate the list of scheduled banks in the RBI Act 1934.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. RBI introduced Banking Ombudsman Scheme as per Section 35 A of .............
1) Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
2) SARFAESI Act, 2002
3) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
4) FEMA, 1999
5) RBI Act, 1934
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Ombudsman scheme first introduced in ........
1) USA
2) India
3) Australia
4) France
5) UK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Which bank covered under the Banking Ombudsman Scheme?
1) Scheduled Public Sector Banks
2) Scheduled Private Sector Banks
3) Regional Rural Banks
4) Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks
5) All of above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Banking Ombudsman is a senior official appointed by ..........
1) Finance Minister
2) RBI
3) SEBI
4) FSDC
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Banking Ombudsman Scheme come into effect from .............
1) 2000
2) 1995
3) 1999
4) 2010
5) 1981
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. As per the present rules, any person can file a compliant before the Banking Ombudsman, if the satisfied reply is not received from the bank within a period of ......
1) one month
2) three months
3) two months
4) six months
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. When the Ombudsman rejects the compliant of the customer?
1) If the customer does not approach the bank first.
2) One has not made the complaint within one year from the date one has received the reply of the bank or if no reply is received if it is more than one year and one month from the date of representation to the bank.
3) Subject matter of the complaint is pending for disposal / has already been dealt with at any other forum like court of law, consumer court.
4) Complaint is frivolous or vexatious.
5) In all above cases, the ombudsman will not accept the compliant from customer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. The fee collected by Ombudsman to take compliant from the customer .............
1) Rs.5
2) Rs.100
3) Rs.10
4) Fix by the bank
5) No fee collects by the Ombudsman
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. The Ombudsman take the compliant and can take action if ..........
1) Non - payment or delay in payment of inward remittances.
2) Non - credit of proceeds to parties accounts, non - payment of deposit or non - observance of the Reserve Bank directives.
3) Not accepting the legal tender and or for charging of commission in respect thereof.
4) Inordinate delay in the payment or collection of cheques, drafts, bills.
5) In the all above cases the ombudsman take action against bank.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. When the Ombudsman take action against the bank?
1) Collecting charges without adequate prior notice to the customer.
2) Refusal to accept or delay in accepting payment towards taxes, as required by government.
3) Refusal to close or delay in closing the accounts.
4) Non-observance of Reserve Bank guidelines on engagement of recovery agents by banks.
5) In the above all cases, Ombudsman take action against the bank.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. On 24 May 2007, RBI framed a rule that any customer not satisfied with ombudsman decision, then the customer can put an appeal to ...........
1) Governor, RBI
2) Governor of that State
3) Finance Minister of India
4) President of India
5) Deputy Governor of RBI
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13. RBI amended Banking Ombudsman Scheme includes complaints relating to Internet Banking and Non-adherence to BCSBI Code on 5 February 2009. BCSBI stands for ..........
1) Banking Core and Standards Board of India.
2) Banking Codes and State Board of India.
3) Banking Codes and Standards Board of India.
4) Business Codes and Standards Board of India.
5) Banking Codes and Standards Bureau of India.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14. RBI constituted committee under the chairmanship of ........... to review the Ombudsman Scheme on 7 January 2013.
1) C. Rangarajan
2) Suma Chakrabarti
3) Suma Varma
4) Usha Thorat
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15. Banking Ombudsman can grant compensation up to .........
1) Rs.50 Lakh
2) Rs.10 Lakh
3) Rs.35 Lakh
4) Rs.5 Lakh
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. For mental agony, the Ombudsman can grant compensation up to ..........
1) Rs.1 Lakh
2) Rs.2 Lakh
3) Rs.25 Lakh
4) Rs.10 Lakh
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17. On 11 May 2015, RBI advised all public sector banks and some private and foreign banks to appoint an internal ombudsman. The internal ombudsman would be designated as CSSO. CSSO stands for ..........
1) Central Customer Service Officer
2) Chief Customs Service Officer
3) Core Customer Service Officer
4) Chief Customer Second Officer
5) Chief Customer Service Officer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. On how many grounds of complaints / deficiencies in bank services, the present Banking Ombudsman Scheme providing relief to bank customers?
1) 18
2) 75
3) 4
4) 11
5) 27
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. 41st G7 summit was held in Schloss Elmau, Krun, Bavaria in...
1) France
2) Canada
3) Japan
4) Germany
5) Italy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. What is the Theme of G7 Summit 2015?
1) Save the World from Recession
2) Right decision for Right Action
3) Think Ahead. Act Together
4) Together for a Nice future
5) None of above
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21. Union Ministry of Roads Transport & Highways announced which project of linking borders and coastal areas with road network?
1) Bharat Mala
2) Bharat Sagar
3) Bharat Chandrika
4) Pradhanmanthri Grameena Sadak Yozana
5) Bharat Anubandh
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways is .........
1) Nitin Gadkari
2) Arun Jaitley
3) Smriti Irani
4) Suresh Prabhu
5) Sadananda Gowda
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23. Alandur to Koyabedu, the 10 - km stretch of Metro Rail service launched on 29 June 2015 launched in .........
1) Chennai
2) Mumbai
3) Delhi
4) Hyderabad
5) Kolkata
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24. Which state became the largest Producer of Solar Power after installing 1167 MW solar power plant, demoting Gujarat to second position?
1) Tamilnadu
2) MP
3) Rajasthan
4) HP
5) Haryana
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25. CTBT Stands for ..........
1) Combined Test Ban Treaty
2) Comprehensive Tool Ban Treaty
3) Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
4) Collective Test Ban Treaty
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26. Indo-Bangladesh ODI series won by Bangladesh. The man of the series is ........
1) Mashrafe Mortaza
2) Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahim
3) M.S. Dhoni
4) Mustafizur Rahman
5) Virat Kohli
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27. FIFA U-20 World Cup won by ..........
1) Serbia
2) Brazil
3) Argentina
4) South Africa
5) Uruguay
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28. Which Indian scripted history by becoming the first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on 26 June 2015?
1) Narender Kumar
2) Joginder Singh
3) Satnam Singh Bhamara
4) Amit Pal Singh
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29. First Day - Night Cricket match will be played on 27th November 2015 at .......... between Australia and New Zealand.
1) Adelaide Oval Stadium (Aus)
2) Sydney Cricket Ground (Aus)
3) Brisbane Cricket Ground (Aus)
4) Eden Park (New Zealand)
5) Basin Reserve (New Zealand)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30. One of the oldest galaxies in the universe, CR7 (COSMOS Redshift 7) has been named after ........
1) Diego Maradona
2) Viswanathan Anand
3) Lionel Messi
4) Gerard Pique
5) Cristiano Ronaldo
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31. Bharti Airtel has become the 3rd largest telecom company in the world having 303 million subscribers. Which company is top in this list having 626.27 miilion subscribers?
1) Aircel
2) China Mobile
3) Vodafone
4) Unimobile
5) MTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32. 'Transcendence My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji' co-authored by A.P. J. Abdul Kalam and ..........
1) Manav Gupta
2) R. Narasimha
3) Sivathanu Pillai
4) YS Rajan
5) Arun Tiwari
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33. 16th World Sanskrit Conference hosted by .........
1) Thailand
2) Japan
3) USA
4) Sri Lanka
5) Nepal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
34. New president of ICC (International Cricket Council) is ........
1) Ravi Shastri
2) N. Srinivasan
3) Lalit Modi
4) Zaheer Abbas
5) Mustafa Kamal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35. ICC (International Cricket Council) headquarters located at ..........
1) Mumbai
2) Sydney
3) Lords
4) Dubai
5) New Delhi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36. Present chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?
1) Anita Kapur
2) Arun Jaitley
3) Rajiv Mehrishi
4) Raghuram Rajan
5) Chitra Ramkrishna
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
37. Tanzania president visited India. He is .......
1) Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
2) Mulatu Teshome
3) James Michel
4) Beji Caid Essebsi
5) Jakaya Kikwete
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
38. The capital of Tanzania ...........
1) Cairo
2) Addis Ababa
3) Victoria
4) Tunis
5) Dodoma
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39. The currency of Tanzania ...........
1) Pound
2) Birr
3) Rupee
4) Dinar
5) Shilling
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40. On whose memory, the National Statistics Day observes on 29th June every year on the eve of his birth day?
1) Chidambara Chandrasekaran
2) J.K. Ghosh
3) Pranab Kumar Sen
4) Samarendra Nath Roy
5) Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
41. Bimal Roy was removed as the chief of .....
1) DRDO
2) Indian Statistical Institute
3) Delhi Law minister
4) Chairman, National Human Rights Commission
5) None
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
42. Who has been appointed as the Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) recently?
1) G. Satish Reddy
2) S. Christopher
3) Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay
4) R.C. Tayal
5) K.V. Chowdary
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
43. Election Commission of India suspended the recognition of ......
1) PDP
2) BSP
3) BJP
4) Congress (I)
5) NPP
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWERS:
1-3, 2-3, 3-5, 4-5, 5-2, 6-2, 7-1, 8-5, 9-5, 10-5
11-5, 12-5, 13-3, 14-3, 15-2, 16-1, 17-5, 18-5, 19-4, 20-3
21-1, 22-1, 23-1, 24-3, 25-3, 26-4, 27-1, 28-3, 29-1, 30-5
31-2, 32-5, 33-1, 34-4, 35-4, 36-1, 37-5, 38-5, 39-5, 40-5, 41-2, 42-3, 43-5
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