General Affairs
Disagreement Should Be Expressed Through Debate, Discussion: President
Skill Qualification to be Made Mandatory After 3 Years: Rajiv Pratap Rudy
Over 13,000 Delegates from 26 Nations Attend G20 Summit
Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Offers Atta Noodles 'Cheaper Than Rivals'
Paris Attacks: 23 Arrested in Series of Raids by French Police
Sensex ends 149 points up; Nifty above 7,800-mark; GAIL top gainer
GDP to exceed 7.3% in this fiscal, to go higher next yr: FM Jaitley
WPI inflation at (-)3.81% in Oct; pulses, onion expensive
India for global efforts on return of illicit overseas funds
India should be able to end coal imports by 2017: Piyush Goyal
Disagreement Should Be Expressed Through Debate, Discussion: President
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NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of 'intolerance' debate, President Pranab Mukherjee today said disagreement should be expressed through debate and discussion without letting emotions "overrun reason".
Observing that "sensitive minds" sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in the society, he advocated a "balanced" expression of concern over such events.
"Sensitive minds sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in society. But, expression of concern over such events should be balanced. Emotions should not overrun reason, and disagreement should be expressed through debate and discussion," the president said addressing an event organised by the Press Council of India (PCI) on the occasion of National Press Day in New Delhi.
"We must, as proud Indians, have confidence in the idea of India and the values and principles enshrined in our Constitution. India has always been able to self-correct whenever such a need has arisen," he added while speaking on the topic 'The impact and import of cartooning and caricatures as a medium of expression of opinion'.
Although the president did not refer to any particular incident, his comments assume significance as these came against the backdrop of certain cases which were seen as reflection of 'intolerance'.
At the function, he paid tributes to legendary cartoonists like RK Laxman and Rajinder Puri. He also referred to Jawaharlal Nehru and said he used to repeatedly tell cartoonist V Shankar to not spare him in his work.
"This open mindedness and appreciation of genuine criticism is one of the lovable traditions of our great nation, which we must preserve and strengthen," Mr Mukherjee said.
The president also said that freedom of the press in India forms part of the freedom of expression which is guaranteed by the Constitution as a fundamental right.
In a democracy, he said, various challenges will emerge from time to time and these should be addressed collectively.
"We must ensure that the letter and spirit of the law always remains a living reality," he said.
Speaking at the event where Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore and PCI chairman Justice (retd) CK Prasad were present, Mr Mukherjee also said that the growth of newspapers and agencies in the country has its roots in our freedom struggle.
NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of 'intolerance' debate, President Pranab Mukherjee today said disagreement should be expressed through debate and discussion without letting emotions "overrun reason".Observing that "sensitive minds" sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in the society, he advocated a "balanced" expression of concern over such events.
"Sensitive minds sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in society. But, expression of concern over such events should be balanced. Emotions should not overrun reason, and disagreement should be expressed through debate and discussion," the president said addressing an event organised by the Press Council of India (PCI) on the occasion of National Press Day in New Delhi.
"We must, as proud Indians, have confidence in the idea of India and the values and principles enshrined in our Constitution. India has always been able to self-correct whenever such a need has arisen," he added while speaking on the topic 'The impact and import of cartooning and caricatures as a medium of expression of opinion'.
Although the president did not refer to any particular incident, his comments assume significance as these came against the backdrop of certain cases which were seen as reflection of 'intolerance'.
At the function, he paid tributes to legendary cartoonists like RK Laxman and Rajinder Puri. He also referred to Jawaharlal Nehru and said he used to repeatedly tell cartoonist V Shankar to not spare him in his work.
"This open mindedness and appreciation of genuine criticism is one of the lovable traditions of our great nation, which we must preserve and strengthen," Mr Mukherjee said.
The president also said that freedom of the press in India forms part of the freedom of expression which is guaranteed by the Constitution as a fundamental right.
In a democracy, he said, various challenges will emerge from time to time and these should be addressed collectively.
"We must ensure that the letter and spirit of the law always remains a living reality," he said.
Speaking at the event where Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore and PCI chairman Justice (retd) CK Prasad were present, Mr Mukherjee also said that the growth of newspapers and agencies in the country has its roots in our freedom struggle.
Skill Qualification to be Made Mandatory After 3 Years: Rajiv Pratap Rudy
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NEW DELHI: Government institutions imparting education and training programmes will have to comply with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) after three years to get grants.
"NSQF is going to be mandatory after three years... no funds will flow after 2017 to all organisations which are undertaking skill (training programmes), if they do not comply with the NSQF," Union Minister for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy said at a Nasscom function.
The NSQF organises qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude. These levels are defined in terms of learning outcomes which the learner must possess.
The qualification framework is beneficial to schools, vocational education and training providers, higher education institutes, accrediting authorities as well as industry and its representative bodies.
Emphasising on the importance of NSQF, Mr Rudy said that no one in the world would recognise "your skill unless and until you put in the structure of NSQF which comes from Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Labour".
The minister also said that India is still not familiar with the job roles and so far "we have identified 6,500 to 7,000 job roles".
Talking about entrepreneurship, Mr Rudy said it is important to ensure digital connectivity across the country.
"Roads is what made US a super power in the world and if India has to become a super power, we have to lay the roads of digital connectivity right across very village in this country and you will find thousands of entrepreneurs coming from there and that's the strength that we have," he added.
NEW DELHI: Government institutions imparting education and training programmes will have to comply with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) after three years to get grants."NSQF is going to be mandatory after three years... no funds will flow after 2017 to all organisations which are undertaking skill (training programmes), if they do not comply with the NSQF," Union Minister for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy said at a Nasscom function.
The qualification framework is beneficial to schools, vocational education and training providers, higher education institutes, accrediting authorities as well as industry and its representative bodies.
Emphasising on the importance of NSQF, Mr Rudy said that no one in the world would recognise "your skill unless and until you put in the structure of NSQF which comes from Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Labour".
The minister also said that India is still not familiar with the job roles and so far "we have identified 6,500 to 7,000 job roles".
Talking about entrepreneurship, Mr Rudy said it is important to ensure digital connectivity across the country.
"Roads is what made US a super power in the world and if India has to become a super power, we have to lay the roads of digital connectivity right across very village in this country and you will find thousands of entrepreneurs coming from there and that's the strength that we have," he added.
Over 13,000 Delegates from 26 Nations Attend G20 Summit
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ANTALYA, TURKEY: The two-day G20 Summit at the picturesque Turkish coastal resort town is being attended by more than 13,000 delegates from as many as 26 countries and seven international organisations.
Top global leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who have congregated here for the Summit are being provided security by over 12,000 personnel.
As many as 20 hotels, including the Main Summit Meeting Salon and the International Press Centre, have been booked for the international delegates attending the G20 Summit. Five hotels for Turkish delegations have also been booked, according to G20 Antalya statistics.
In addition to eight medical motorcycles in the region, 68 ambulances have been kept in readiness for any eventuality.
Some 13,000 delegates and 3,000 journalists from across the world have converged here for the 10th G-20 Summit, being held at the Regnum Carya Hotel Convention Centre in the Belek town of Antalya's Serik district. Besides, there is a strong army of 40,000 support staff to assist the delegates.
The heightened security measures, including over 12,000 security personnel, drone detection equipment, 350 mobile cameras with license-plate recording and face-recognition systems, follow the audacious terror attacks in Paris on Friday night.
French President Francois Hollande had to cancel his visit at the last moment following the deadly terror attack in Paris, which killed 129 people, leaving over 352 injured.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia's King Salman and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, among others, are attending the Summit.
Besides PM Modi, India is being represented by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das.
The G-20 brings the 19 largest economic powers and the EU together, representing 85 per cent of the world's economy, 75 per cent of trades and two-thirds of the world's population.
ANTALYA, TURKEY: The two-day G20 Summit at the picturesque Turkish coastal resort town is being attended by more than 13,000 delegates from as many as 26 countries and seven international organisations.Top global leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who have congregated here for the Summit are being provided security by over 12,000 personnel.
In addition to eight medical motorcycles in the region, 68 ambulances have been kept in readiness for any eventuality.
Some 13,000 delegates and 3,000 journalists from across the world have converged here for the 10th G-20 Summit, being held at the Regnum Carya Hotel Convention Centre in the Belek town of Antalya's Serik district. Besides, there is a strong army of 40,000 support staff to assist the delegates.
The heightened security measures, including over 12,000 security personnel, drone detection equipment, 350 mobile cameras with license-plate recording and face-recognition systems, follow the audacious terror attacks in Paris on Friday night.
French President Francois Hollande had to cancel his visit at the last moment following the deadly terror attack in Paris, which killed 129 people, leaving over 352 injured.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia's King Salman and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, among others, are attending the Summit.
Besides PM Modi, India is being represented by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das.
The G-20 brings the 19 largest economic powers and the EU together, representing 85 per cent of the world's economy, 75 per cent of trades and two-thirds of the world's population.
Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Offers Atta Noodles 'Cheaper Than Rivals'
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NEW DELHI: Patanajali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, today launched noodles aiming to take on Nestle's Maggi which has returned to the market after a 5-month ban.
The venture plans to set up six manufacturing plants for 'Patanjali Atta Noodles' to add to the existing unit based in Haridwar as looks to cater to more states.
"By the end of December, our noodles will hit one million stores. We are ramping our production capacity," Ramdev told reporters in Delhi.
In next one year, Patanajali Ayurved will set up noodles manufacturing plants in the NCR, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, he said without specifying investment details.
Patanajali has priced its noodles of 70 gram pack at Rs 15, claiming it to be cheaper from competitors.
"It is Rs 10 cheaper from our rivals noodles, which are selling atta noodles at Rs 25," he said.
Nestle India had relaunched its Maggi noodles in the market last week after Bombay High Court had lifted ban on it imposed by FSSAI and Maharathstra FDA.
Ramdev said the company Patanajali Ayurved would also foray in childcare, cosmetics products and health supplement by the end of this year.
"We will launch baby care under 'Shishu Care' brand, beauty care products under 'Saundrya' brand and health supplement powder under 'Power Vita' brand by the end of December," he said.
The company had sales turnover of Rs 2,007 crore in 2014-15 and expects to reach Rs 5,000 crore this year.
NEW DELHI: Patanajali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, today launched noodles aiming to take on Nestle's Maggi which has returned to the market after a 5-month ban.The venture plans to set up six manufacturing plants for 'Patanjali Atta Noodles' to add to the existing unit based in Haridwar as looks to cater to more states.
"By the end of December, our noodles will hit one million stores. We are ramping our production capacity," Ramdev told reporters in Delhi.
Patanajali has priced its noodles of 70 gram pack at Rs 15, claiming it to be cheaper from competitors.
"It is Rs 10 cheaper from our rivals noodles, which are selling atta noodles at Rs 25," he said.
Nestle India had relaunched its Maggi noodles in the market last week after Bombay High Court had lifted ban on it imposed by FSSAI and Maharathstra FDA.
Ramdev said the company Patanajali Ayurved would also foray in childcare, cosmetics products and health supplement by the end of this year.
"We will launch baby care under 'Shishu Care' brand, beauty care products under 'Saundrya' brand and health supplement powder under 'Power Vita' brand by the end of December," he said.
The company had sales turnover of Rs 2,007 crore in 2014-15 and expects to reach Rs 5,000 crore this year.
Paris Attacks: 23 Arrested in Series of Raids by French Police
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PARIS: French police have arrested 23 people and seized arms including rocket launchers during wave of overnight raids as part of an investigation into the attacks on Paris, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said today.
Over the last 48 hours, 104 people were put under house arrest and police conducted 168 raids last night, Cazeneuve told journalists.
"Let this be clear to everyone, this is just the beginning, these actions are going to continue," Cazeneuve said.
PARIS: French police have arrested 23 people and seized arms including rocket launchers during wave of overnight raids as part of an investigation into the attacks on Paris, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said today.Over the last 48 hours, 104 people were put under house arrest and police conducted 168 raids last night, Cazeneuve told journalists.
"Let this be clear to everyone, this is just the beginning, these actions are going to continue," Cazeneuve said.
Business Affairs
Sensex ends 149 points up; Nifty above 7,800-mark; GAIL top gainer
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The domestic markets ended higher, rebounding from near seven-week lows hit earlier on Monday after Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation dropped for a 12th straight month in October and came in at negative 3.81 per cent as compared to negative 4.54 per cent in September.
The S&P BSE Sensex settled 149.57 points up at 25,760.10, while CNX Nifty ended the day above its key 7,800-mark at 7,806.60, up 44.35 points, although sentiment remained jittery after the attacks in Paris by suspected Islamist militants.
Market breadth turned positive with 23 of the 30 Sensex components ending the day in green.
The gains in benchmark indices were led by banking and consumer durables stocks. The BSE bankex was the top sectoral gainer, and ended the day 1.51 per cent up. Federal Bank and SBI contributed most of the gains in the index.
The attacks in Paris come as domestic markets have fallen for three consecutive weeks on the back of disappointing earnings results and heavy foreign selling. Foreign investors have sold about $380 million in November according to regulatory data.
"There is no positive macro-economic data and global cues are negative. What we are seeing today is a dead-cat bounce, it doesn't mean the market is very positive," Alex Mathews, head of research at Geojit BNP Paribas said.
GAIL was the top gainer on the Sensex and ended the day 4.2 per cent up.
Tata Steel added 3.44 per cent after the steel major received green clearance for mining of mineral sand, used in coal production, from the riverbed of Gowai in Purulia District, West Bengal.
SH Kelkar, which marked its market debut on Monday, ended the day 15.16 per cent up after hitting an intraday high of Rs 222.70, up 23.72 per cent against the issue price.
Asian peers skidded in the wake of deadly attacks in Paris. Japan's Nikkei tumbled 1.04 per cent at close after latest economic data showed Japan's economy slipped back into recession in the July-September quarter, contracting at a 0.8 per cent annualised rate, while China's Shanghai Composite ended with an uptick of 0.73 per cent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled 1.72 per cent lower.
On Friday, Wall Street posted steep losses and capped off its worst week since the dark days of August. The Dow lost 3.7 per cent for the week, the S&P 500 shed 3.6 per cent and the Nasdaq declined 4.3 per cent.
Lowdown on markets today
02:46 pm
Sensex at 25,848.49, up 237.96 points
Nifty at 7,833.90, up 71.65 points
01:03 pm
Sensex at 25,708.11, up 97.58 points
Nifty at 7,786.95, up 24.70 points
11:13 am
Sensex at 25,629.21, up 18.68 points
Nifty at 7,763.65, up 1.40 points
9:24 am
Sensex at 25,543.69, down 66.84 points
Nifty at 7,741.85, down 20.40 points
The domestic markets ended higher, rebounding from near seven-week lows hit earlier on Monday after Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation dropped for a 12th straight month in October and came in at negative 3.81 per cent as compared to negative 4.54 per cent in September.
The S&P BSE Sensex settled 149.57 points up at 25,760.10, while CNX Nifty ended the day above its key 7,800-mark at 7,806.60, up 44.35 points, although sentiment remained jittery after the attacks in Paris by suspected Islamist militants.
Market breadth turned positive with 23 of the 30 Sensex components ending the day in green.
The gains in benchmark indices were led by banking and consumer durables stocks. The BSE bankex was the top sectoral gainer, and ended the day 1.51 per cent up. Federal Bank and SBI contributed most of the gains in the index.
The attacks in Paris come as domestic markets have fallen for three consecutive weeks on the back of disappointing earnings results and heavy foreign selling. Foreign investors have sold about $380 million in November according to regulatory data.
"There is no positive macro-economic data and global cues are negative. What we are seeing today is a dead-cat bounce, it doesn't mean the market is very positive," Alex Mathews, head of research at Geojit BNP Paribas said.
GAIL was the top gainer on the Sensex and ended the day 4.2 per cent up.
Tata Steel added 3.44 per cent after the steel major received green clearance for mining of mineral sand, used in coal production, from the riverbed of Gowai in Purulia District, West Bengal.
SH Kelkar, which marked its market debut on Monday, ended the day 15.16 per cent up after hitting an intraday high of Rs 222.70, up 23.72 per cent against the issue price.
SH Kelkar, which marked its market debut on Monday, ended the day 15.16 per cent up after hitting an intraday high of Rs 222.70, up 23.72 per cent against the issue price.
Asian peers skidded in the wake of deadly attacks in Paris. Japan's Nikkei tumbled 1.04 per cent at close after latest economic data showed Japan's economy slipped back into recession in the July-September quarter, contracting at a 0.8 per cent annualised rate, while China's Shanghai Composite ended with an uptick of 0.73 per cent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled 1.72 per cent lower.
On Friday, Wall Street posted steep losses and capped off its worst week since the dark days of August. The Dow lost 3.7 per cent for the week, the S&P 500 shed 3.6 per cent and the Nasdaq declined 4.3 per cent.
Lowdown on markets today
02:46 pm
Sensex at 25,848.49, up 237.96 points
Nifty at 7,833.90, up 71.65 points
01:03 pm
Sensex at 25,708.11, up 97.58 points
Nifty at 7,786.95, up 24.70 points
11:13 am
Sensex at 25,629.21, up 18.68 points
Nifty at 7,763.65, up 1.40 points
9:24 am
Sensex at 25,543.69, down 66.84 points
Nifty at 7,741.85, down 20.40 points
GDP to exceed 7.3% in this fiscal, to go higher next yr: FM Jaitley
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The economic growth is expected to exceed 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal year and go higher still in the next one, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday.
"(The) Indian economy is expected to grow better than 7.3 per cent - the level achieved last fiscal year - and at an even higher level next year," Jaitley told an investment forum in Dubai.
The growth would come despite Jaitley noting that rural demand had been impacted by lower rains in the last two years.
The economic growth is expected to exceed 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal year and go higher still in the next one, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Monday.
"(The) Indian economy is expected to grow better than 7.3 per cent - the level achieved last fiscal year - and at an even higher level next year," Jaitley told an investment forum in Dubai.
The growth would come despite Jaitley noting that rural demand had been impacted by lower rains in the last two years.
WPI inflation at (-)3.81% in Oct; pulses, onion expensive
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Deflationary pressure eased a bit with inflation rate moving up slightly to (-)3.81 per cent in October as pulses, vegetables and onion turned costlier.
This is 12 month in a row when the inflation at wholesale level remained in the negative territory. It has been in the negative zone since November last year.
The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation was (-)4.54 per cent in September. In October last year, it was 1.66 per cent.
Pulses and onion among the food items category turned costlier with inflation at 52.98 per cent and 85.66 per cent respectively during October.
The rate of price rise in case of vegetables was at 2.56 per cent as against (-)19.37 per cent in the same month last year, as per official data released on Monday.
Besides pulses and onion, the food items which became dearer during the month were milk (1.75 per cent) and wheat (4.68 per cent). However, inflation rate in case of potato was in the negative zone, (-)58.95 per cent.
Inflation rate in fuel and power segment was (-)16.32 per cent, while that in manufactured products was (-)1.67 per cent in September.
Inflation for August has been revised to (-)5.06 per cent, from the provisional estimate of (-)4.95 per cent.
The Reserve Bank of India would take into account WPI number for October while deciding on policy rate in its December 1 monetary policy review. RBI mostly tracks the Consumer Price Index-based retail inflation for its monetary policy decisions.
Rising for the third straight month, retail inflation has climbed to 5 per cent in October, as against 4.62 per cent in the same month a year ago due to costlier pulses and other food items.
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan earlier this month had said that the central bank is comfortable with the current rate of interest till further room is available.
In September, RBI had reduced interest rates by more than expected 0.50 per cent and said it expects CPI inflation to reach 5.8 per cent in January 2016.
Deflationary pressure eased a bit with inflation rate moving up slightly to (-)3.81 per cent in October as pulses, vegetables and onion turned costlier.
This is 12 month in a row when the inflation at wholesale level remained in the negative territory. It has been in the negative zone since November last year.
The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation was (-)4.54 per cent in September. In October last year, it was 1.66 per cent.
Pulses and onion among the food items category turned costlier with inflation at 52.98 per cent and 85.66 per cent respectively during October.
The rate of price rise in case of vegetables was at 2.56 per cent as against (-)19.37 per cent in the same month last year, as per official data released on Monday.
Besides pulses and onion, the food items which became dearer during the month were milk (1.75 per cent) and wheat (4.68 per cent). However, inflation rate in case of potato was in the negative zone, (-)58.95 per cent.
Inflation rate in fuel and power segment was (-)16.32 per cent, while that in manufactured products was (-)1.67 per cent in September.
Inflation for August has been revised to (-)5.06 per cent, from the provisional estimate of (-)4.95 per cent.
The Reserve Bank of India would take into account WPI number for October while deciding on policy rate in its December 1 monetary policy review. RBI mostly tracks the Consumer Price Index-based retail inflation for its monetary policy decisions.
Rising for the third straight month, retail inflation has climbed to 5 per cent in October, as against 4.62 per cent in the same month a year ago due to costlier pulses and other food items.
RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan earlier this month had said that the central bank is comfortable with the current rate of interest till further room is available.
In September, RBI had reduced interest rates by more than expected 0.50 per cent and said it expects CPI inflation to reach 5.8 per cent in January 2016.
India for global efforts on return of illicit overseas funds
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The government will soon bring a new law on public procurement to check corruption and domestic black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday while seeking greater global cooperation for return of illicit money stashed abroad.
He also said the barriers of excessive banking secrecy must be removed and all countries should implement a Common Reporting Standard based on Automatic Exchange of Tax Information for better cooperation on such matters.
Modi said India has "zero tolerance for corruption and black money" and listed out efforts including a new law to deal with the undisclosed assets kept abroad and the newly launched drive against domestic illicit wealth.
"We need greater international cooperation for return of illicit money to the country of origin. We must address the barriers of excessive banking secrecy, and complex legal and regulatory frameworks," he said in his intervention at a working session at G20 Summit on 'Enhancing Resilience'.
"We have also launched an effective drive against domestic unaccounted money. We will soon bring out a legislation on public procurement," Modi said.
Appreciating the G20 for its successful efforts to build a more resilient and open global financial system, he said "it is an essential foundation of growth and stability in the global economy."
In India, he said the government and the Central Bank, are taking steps to further strengthen the financial and banking sector.
The government will soon bring a new law on public procurement to check corruption and domestic black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday while seeking greater global cooperation for return of illicit money stashed abroad.
He also said the barriers of excessive banking secrecy must be removed and all countries should implement a Common Reporting Standard based on Automatic Exchange of Tax Information for better cooperation on such matters.
Modi said India has "zero tolerance for corruption and black money" and listed out efforts including a new law to deal with the undisclosed assets kept abroad and the newly launched drive against domestic illicit wealth.
"We need greater international cooperation for return of illicit money to the country of origin. We must address the barriers of excessive banking secrecy, and complex legal and regulatory frameworks," he said in his intervention at a working session at G20 Summit on 'Enhancing Resilience'.
"We have also launched an effective drive against domestic unaccounted money. We will soon bring out a legislation on public procurement," Modi said.
Appreciating the G20 for its successful efforts to build a more resilient and open global financial system, he said "it is an essential foundation of growth and stability in the global economy."
In India, he said the government and the Central Bank, are taking steps to further strengthen the financial and banking sector.
India should be able to end coal imports by 2017: Piyush Goyal
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India should be able to end coal import by 2017, thereby saving precious foreign exchange, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.
"By 2017, India need not import coal, except for a few power plants on the coast where it is difficult to transport fuel," Goyal said at an energy conference organised by international accounting firm KPMG.
"It will be the end of the era of shortages," he added.
Noting that India imported 215 million tonnes of coal last year, the minister said it was the "band-aid" kind of approach to energy problems in the past that led to this situation despite the country having the third largest coal reserves in the world.
India should be able to end coal import by 2017, thereby saving precious foreign exchange, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.
"By 2017, India need not import coal, except for a few power plants on the coast where it is difficult to transport fuel," Goyal said at an energy conference organised by international accounting firm KPMG.
"It will be the end of the era of shortages," he added.
Noting that India imported 215 million tonnes of coal last year, the minister said it was the "band-aid" kind of approach to energy problems in the past that led to this situation despite the country having the third largest coal reserves in the world.
General Awareness
GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR ALL BANK EXAMS
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1. Justice and Development Party (AKP) has won majority seats in the Parliament elections in?
1) Turkey
2) Iran
3) Iraq
4) Syria
5) Yemen
2. Which country won the 2015 Rugby World Cup?
1) Australia
2) New Zealand
3) England
4) South Africa
5) Ireland
3. Which country hosted the eighth Rugby World Cup from September 18 to October 31, 2015?
1) South Africa
2) Argentina
3) England
4) Romania
5) Italy
4. Who is the first woman President of Nepal?
1) Amrita Thapa Magar
2) Basantidevi Jha
3) Binda Pandey
4) Bidhya Devi Bhandari
5) Minakshi Jha
5. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete visited India in June 2015. He is the President of?
1) Nigeria
2) Lesotho
3) Algeria
4) Kenya
5) Tanzania
6. Who is the present Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways?
1) Ravi Shankar Prasad
2) Kalraj Mishra
3) Nitin Gadkari
4) Suresh Prabhu
5) P. Ashok Gajpathi Raju
7. Surendra Singh Negi was bestowed with HQ's World No Tobacco Day Award 2015 for south
Asian region by World Health Organization in May 2015. He is the Health Minister of?
1) Uttarakhand
2) Himachal Pradesh
3) Haryana
4) Punjab
5) Rajasthan
8. Mikheil Saakashvili has been appointed the governor of Ukraine's southern Odessa region. He served as the President of which of the following countries from January 2004 to November 2013?
1) Armenia
2) Belarus
3) Georgia
4) Latvia
5) Azerbaijan
9. Nek Chand died on June 12, 2015. He is known for building the Rock Garden of?
1) Mumbai
2) Chandigarh
3) Jaipur
4) Udaipur
5) Bhopal
10. Irwin Rose of USA died on June 2, 2015. He was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in?
1) Literature
2) Physics
3) Chemistry
4) Peace
5) Medicine
11. Nikesh Arora is the President and Chief Operating Officer of?
1) Deutsche Bank
2) Adobe Systems
3) Soft Bank
4) Google
5) Nokia
12. World Quality Day takes place every year on the?
1) Second Thursday of October
2) Second Thursday of November
3) Second Friday of October
4) Second Friday of November
5) Second Friday of December
13. Ways and Means Advances (WMA) is a temporary loan given by the Reserve Bank of India to the?
1) Public sector banks
2) Private sector banks
3) Regional rural banks
4) General insurance companies
5) Government
14. India and which of the following countries have signed a new strategically important 10 year
defense framework agreement in June 2015?
1) UK
2) USA
3) Israel
4) UAE
5) Russia
15. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified which of the following pesticides /herbicides as carcinogenic to humans?
1) Lindane
2) DDT
3) 2, 4-D
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
16. Who was appointed as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in June 2015?
1) K. Sivan
2) M.Y.S Prasad
3) S. Somanath
4) P. Kunhikrishnan
5) None of these
17. A Global Depository Receipt (GDR) is also known as?
1) National Depository Receipt
2) International Depository Receipt
3) Commercial Depository Receipt
4) Intercontinental Depository Receipt
5) None of these
18. Gramin Gaurav Path is a major road construction project under which about 2,048 km of roads
would be built in 33 districts in which of the following States?
1) Madhya Pradesh
2) Chhattisgarh
3) Rajasthan
4) Bihar
5) Jharkhand
19. Which of the following is the apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of bio medical research?
1) National Institute of Epidemiology
2) National Institute of Virology
3) Indian Medical Association
4) Indian Council of Medical Research
5) All India Institute of Medical Sciences
20. International Agency for Research on Cancer is a specialized cancer agency of the?
1) FAO
2) UNICEF
3) WHO
4) UNESCO
5) UNDP
21. NDMA stands for?
1) National Defense Management Academy
2) National Dairy Management Academy
3) National Dairy Management Authority
4) National Disaster Management Authority
5) National Dam Management Authority
22. The International Court of Justice is based in?
1) Glasgow
2) Geneva
3) Rome
4) Zurich
5) The Hague
23. Who is the brand ambassador for the Government of India's campaign against Hepatitis B?
1) Vidya Balan
2) Aishwarya Rai
3) Amitabh Bachchan
4) Aamir Khan
5) Priyanka Chopra
24. Which country leads the world in production and export of the cocoa beans used in the manufacture of chocolate?
1) Ivory Coast
2) Ghana
3) Nigeria
4) Cameroon
5) Brazil
25. Which one of the following full forms is not correct?
1) QIB - Qualified Institutional Buyers
2) MSP - Minimum Support Price
3) IPO - Initial Public Offering
4) FPO - Final Public Offering
5) ITP - Institutional Trading Platform
26. Which is the largest carbon emitter in the world in terms of per capita emission?
1) China
2) USA
3) European Union
4) Russia
5) Japan
27. SBI Life Insurance is a joint venture between State Bank of India and?
1) Life Insurance Corporation of India
2) BNP Paribas Cardif
3) New York Life Insurance Company
4) Prudential Life Insurance Company
5) None of these
28. What is the currency of Czech Republic?
1) Koruna
2) Krona
3) Kyat
4) Kuna
5) Euro
29. Which of the following is a newspaper published from Moscow?
1) Straitstimes
2) The Times
3) Dawn
4) Pravda
5) The Sun
30. Which is the fourth largest carbon emitter in the world as per World Resources Institute (WRI) analysis?
1) Brazil
2) Russia
3) Indonesia
4) Mexico
5) India
31. Which is the number one State in India in terms of total installed capacity of solar energy?
1) Rajasthan
2) Gujarat
3) Madhya Pradesh
4) Maharashtra
5) Andhra Pradesh
32. Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which of the following States?
1) Kerala
2) Tamil Nadu
3) Karnataka
4) Andhra Pradesh
5) Telangana
33. What is the annual investment limit under the Public Provident Fund (PPF) scheme?
1) Rs 1,00,000
2) Rs 1,50,000
3) Rs 2,00,000
4) Rs 2,50,000
5) Rs 3,00,000
34. The Public Provident Fund account is valid for how many years?
1) 5 years
2) 10 years
3) 15 years
4) 20 years
5) None of these
35. Keenan Stadium is located in which of the following cities?
1) Mohali
2) Cuttack
3) Mumbai
4) Jamshedpur
5) Bhubaneswar
36. President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Punyabhushan Award on?
1) Munishwar Jha
2) Charu Chandra Panda
3) Prataprao Pawar
4) Pankaja Munde
5) None of these
37. Who won the 2015 French Open men's singles tennis title on June 7, 2015?
1) Novak Djokovic
2) Andy Murray
3) Roger Federer
4) Stanislas Wawrinka
5) David Ferrer
38. Which team won the I-League football title on June 7, 2015?
1) Mohun Bagan
2) Bengaluru FC
3) Dempo
4) Churchill Brothers
5) Salgaocar
39. The 21st Asian Athletics Championships were held in June 2015 in?
1) Incheon
2) Hong Kong
3) Wuhan
4) Tokyo
5) Jakarta
40. Who was honored with the Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award in June 2015?
1) Narendra Modi
2) L.K. Advani
3) Murli Manohar Joshi
4) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
5) None of these
ANSWERS:
1) 1; 2) 2; 3) 3; 4) 4; 5) 5; 6) 3; 7) 1; 8) 3; 9) 2; 10) 3;
11) 3; 12) 2; 13) 5; 14) 2; 15) 5; 16) 1; 17) 2; 18) 3; 19) 4; 20) 3;
21) 4; 22) 5; 23) 3; 24) 1; 25) 4; 26) 1; 27) 2; 28) 1; 29) 4; 30) 5;
31) 1; 32) 5; 33) 2; 34) 3; 35) 4; 36) 3; 37) 4; 38) 1; 39) 3; 40) 4.
- 1. Justice and Development Party (AKP) has won majority seats in the Parliament elections in?
1) Turkey
2) Iran
3) Iraq
4) Syria
5) Yemen
2. Which country won the 2015 Rugby World Cup?
1) Australia
2) New Zealand
3) England
4) South Africa
5) Ireland
3. Which country hosted the eighth Rugby World Cup from September 18 to October 31, 2015?
1) South Africa
2) Argentina
3) England
4) Romania
5) Italy
4. Who is the first woman President of Nepal?
1) Amrita Thapa Magar
2) Basantidevi Jha
3) Binda Pandey
4) Bidhya Devi Bhandari
5) Minakshi Jha
5. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete visited India in June 2015. He is the President of?
1) Nigeria
2) Lesotho
3) Algeria
4) Kenya
5) Tanzania
6. Who is the present Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways?
1) Ravi Shankar Prasad
2) Kalraj Mishra
3) Nitin Gadkari
4) Suresh Prabhu
5) P. Ashok Gajpathi Raju
7. Surendra Singh Negi was bestowed with HQ's World No Tobacco Day Award 2015 for south
Asian region by World Health Organization in May 2015. He is the Health Minister of?
1) Uttarakhand
2) Himachal Pradesh
3) Haryana
4) Punjab
5) Rajasthan
8. Mikheil Saakashvili has been appointed the governor of Ukraine's southern Odessa region. He served as the President of which of the following countries from January 2004 to November 2013?
1) Armenia
2) Belarus
3) Georgia
4) Latvia
5) Azerbaijan
9. Nek Chand died on June 12, 2015. He is known for building the Rock Garden of?
1) Mumbai
2) Chandigarh
3) Jaipur
4) Udaipur
5) Bhopal
10. Irwin Rose of USA died on June 2, 2015. He was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in?
1) Literature
2) Physics
3) Chemistry
4) Peace
5) Medicine
11. Nikesh Arora is the President and Chief Operating Officer of?
1) Deutsche Bank
2) Adobe Systems
3) Soft Bank
4) Google
5) Nokia
12. World Quality Day takes place every year on the?
1) Second Thursday of October
2) Second Thursday of November
3) Second Friday of October
4) Second Friday of November
5) Second Friday of December
13. Ways and Means Advances (WMA) is a temporary loan given by the Reserve Bank of India to the?
1) Public sector banks
2) Private sector banks
3) Regional rural banks
4) General insurance companies
5) Government
14. India and which of the following countries have signed a new strategically important 10 year
defense framework agreement in June 2015?
1) UK
2) USA
3) Israel
4) UAE
5) Russia
15. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified which of the following pesticides /herbicides as carcinogenic to humans?
1) Lindane
2) DDT
3) 2, 4-D
4) Both 1 and 2
5) All 1, 2 and 3
16. Who was appointed as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) in June 2015?
1) K. Sivan
2) M.Y.S Prasad
3) S. Somanath
4) P. Kunhikrishnan
5) None of these
17. A Global Depository Receipt (GDR) is also known as?
1) National Depository Receipt
2) International Depository Receipt
3) Commercial Depository Receipt
4) Intercontinental Depository Receipt
5) None of these
18. Gramin Gaurav Path is a major road construction project under which about 2,048 km of roads
would be built in 33 districts in which of the following States?
1) Madhya Pradesh
2) Chhattisgarh
3) Rajasthan
4) Bihar
5) Jharkhand
19. Which of the following is the apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of bio medical research?
1) National Institute of Epidemiology
2) National Institute of Virology
3) Indian Medical Association
4) Indian Council of Medical Research
5) All India Institute of Medical Sciences
20. International Agency for Research on Cancer is a specialized cancer agency of the?
1) FAO
2) UNICEF
3) WHO
4) UNESCO
5) UNDP
21. NDMA stands for?
1) National Defense Management Academy
2) National Dairy Management Academy
3) National Dairy Management Authority
4) National Disaster Management Authority
5) National Dam Management Authority
22. The International Court of Justice is based in?
1) Glasgow
2) Geneva
3) Rome
4) Zurich
5) The Hague
23. Who is the brand ambassador for the Government of India's campaign against Hepatitis B?
1) Vidya Balan
2) Aishwarya Rai
3) Amitabh Bachchan
4) Aamir Khan
5) Priyanka Chopra
24. Which country leads the world in production and export of the cocoa beans used in the manufacture of chocolate?
1) Ivory Coast
2) Ghana
3) Nigeria
4) Cameroon
5) Brazil
25. Which one of the following full forms is not correct?
1) QIB - Qualified Institutional Buyers
2) MSP - Minimum Support Price
3) IPO - Initial Public Offering
4) FPO - Final Public Offering
5) ITP - Institutional Trading Platform
26. Which is the largest carbon emitter in the world in terms of per capita emission?
1) China
2) USA
3) European Union
4) Russia
5) Japan
27. SBI Life Insurance is a joint venture between State Bank of India and?
1) Life Insurance Corporation of India
2) BNP Paribas Cardif
3) New York Life Insurance Company
4) Prudential Life Insurance Company
5) None of these
28. What is the currency of Czech Republic?
1) Koruna
2) Krona
3) Kyat
4) Kuna
5) Euro
29. Which of the following is a newspaper published from Moscow?
1) Straitstimes
2) The Times
3) Dawn
4) Pravda
5) The Sun
30. Which is the fourth largest carbon emitter in the world as per World Resources Institute (WRI) analysis?
1) Brazil
2) Russia
3) Indonesia
4) Mexico
5) India
31. Which is the number one State in India in terms of total installed capacity of solar energy?
1) Rajasthan
2) Gujarat
3) Madhya Pradesh
4) Maharashtra
5) Andhra Pradesh
32. Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary is located in which of the following States?
1) Kerala
2) Tamil Nadu
3) Karnataka
4) Andhra Pradesh
5) Telangana
33. What is the annual investment limit under the Public Provident Fund (PPF) scheme?
1) Rs 1,00,000
2) Rs 1,50,000
3) Rs 2,00,000
4) Rs 2,50,000
5) Rs 3,00,000
34. The Public Provident Fund account is valid for how many years?
1) 5 years
2) 10 years
3) 15 years
4) 20 years
5) None of these
35. Keenan Stadium is located in which of the following cities?
1) Mohali
2) Cuttack
3) Mumbai
4) Jamshedpur
5) Bhubaneswar
36. President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Punyabhushan Award on?
1) Munishwar Jha
2) Charu Chandra Panda
3) Prataprao Pawar
4) Pankaja Munde
5) None of these
37. Who won the 2015 French Open men's singles tennis title on June 7, 2015?
1) Novak Djokovic
2) Andy Murray
3) Roger Federer
4) Stanislas Wawrinka
5) David Ferrer
38. Which team won the I-League football title on June 7, 2015?
1) Mohun Bagan
2) Bengaluru FC
3) Dempo
4) Churchill Brothers
5) Salgaocar
39. The 21st Asian Athletics Championships were held in June 2015 in?
1) Incheon
2) Hong Kong
3) Wuhan
4) Tokyo
5) Jakarta
40. Who was honored with the Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award in June 2015?
1) Narendra Modi
2) L.K. Advani
3) Murli Manohar Joshi
4) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
5) None of these
ANSWERS:
1) 1; 2) 2; 3) 3; 4) 4; 5) 5; 6) 3; 7) 1; 8) 3; 9) 2; 10) 3;
11) 3; 12) 2; 13) 5; 14) 2; 15) 5; 16) 1; 17) 2; 18) 3; 19) 4; 20) 3;
21) 4; 22) 5; 23) 3; 24) 1; 25) 4; 26) 1; 27) 2; 28) 1; 29) 4; 30) 5;
31) 1; 32) 5; 33) 2; 34) 3; 35) 4; 36) 3; 37) 4; 38) 1; 39) 3; 40) 4.
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