General Affairs
International Road Federation Calls For System To Reduce Accidents On Yamuna Expressway
-
The International Road Federation today pitched for the use of an Intelligent Transport System to curb increasing road accidents on the Yamuna Expressway.
Expressing concern over the rising number of road accidents, the Geneva-based body which is working for better and safer roads also called for creating awareness about conditions on the highways.
"The driving conditions on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Noida-Agra Expressway are different from other roads. For safe driving, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) along with strict enforcement of speed limits has to be implemented," said IRF Chairman KK Kapila. "Most users are not aware of the concrete construction of the Yamuna highway. For using such surface, vehicle tyres and condition has to be checked, along with driving conditions like weather and visibility," Mr Kapila said at a press meet held in connection with the World Road Meeting 2017 in Greater Noida from November 14 to 17.
He added that pre-warning about weather as well as road and driving conditions should be issued to drivers in advance by the highway concessionaires.
Expressing concern over the rising number of road accidents, the Geneva-based body which is working for better and safer roads also called for creating awareness about conditions on the highways.
"The driving conditions on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Noida-Agra Expressway are different from other roads. For safe driving, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) along with strict enforcement of speed limits has to be implemented," said IRF Chairman KK Kapila. "Most users are not aware of the concrete construction of the Yamuna highway. For using such surface, vehicle tyres and condition has to be checked, along with driving conditions like weather and visibility," Mr Kapila said at a press meet held in connection with the World Road Meeting 2017 in Greater Noida from November 14 to 17.
He added that pre-warning about weather as well as road and driving conditions should be issued to drivers in advance by the highway concessionaires.
Odd Even Rule Again In Delhi: Possible Impact On Surge Pricing
-
As Delhi pollution levels have outstripped those of China's capital Beijing, a number of measures are being taken up by the Delhi government to curb a further worsening of pollution levels. According to a US Embassy pollution measure, tiny particulate matter PM2.5 showed a reading of 608 at 10 AM, while the safe limit is at 50. PM2.5 particles, when inhaled, can cause heart attacks, lung cancer and many respiratory diseases. One of the measures announced by the Delhi government include re-introducing the odd-even scheme again this year, which has a direct effect on private app-based taxi services including Uber and Ola as also on their surge pricing policies.
What Is Surge Pricing?
Surge pricing is a policy implemented by private taxi companies Ola and Uber when the demand for taxis is high. When the demand for taxis is high, the regular price of the taxis increases by a 'surge' in the form of a multiplier. This results in a higher fare for the customer.
How Does Delhi Pollution Effect Surge Pricing?
As pollution levels in Delhi soar, the public is asked to use public transport more in order to have lesser vehicles ply on the roads. In order to have fewer vehicles on the roads, the state government will implement the Odd-Even rule in Delhi. According to the rule, cars with even number plates will run on the even number dates and cars with odd number plates will run on the odd dates. The implementation of the rule will occur from November 13 to 17. Thus, cars with odd number plates will be allowed to ply on the roads on November 13, 15 and 17, whereas cars with even number plates will be allowed on November 14 and 16.
Thus, because of the implementation of the Odd-Even scheme by the Delhi government, fewer vehicles will be on Delhi roads, including fewer private taxis. As a natural result of there being fewer taxis on the roads, Uber and Ola would increase their fares through surge pricing.
In order to rein in rising taxi fares, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, "We will ensure taxi companies will not have surge pricing. There will be a meeting will called for tomorrow to discuss the issue of surge pricing."
According to Delhi government sources, 2000 traffic police personnel will be deployed to enforce the odd-even rule this year. A challan of Rs. 2000 will be levied on those not complying with the odd-even rule and these challans will be cut between 8am and 8pm.
A measure of the same kind had been taken before, when air quality had dipped last year. When the Delhi government had called for strict action on surge pricing last year, Uber and Ola had said that they would comply with the government order, but that it would hurt their businesses.
What Is Surge Pricing?
How Does Delhi Pollution Effect Surge Pricing?
As pollution levels in Delhi soar, the public is asked to use public transport more in order to have lesser vehicles ply on the roads. In order to have fewer vehicles on the roads, the state government will implement the Odd-Even rule in Delhi. According to the rule, cars with even number plates will run on the even number dates and cars with odd number plates will run on the odd dates. The implementation of the rule will occur from November 13 to 17. Thus, cars with odd number plates will be allowed to ply on the roads on November 13, 15 and 17, whereas cars with even number plates will be allowed on November 14 and 16.
In order to rein in rising taxi fares, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, "We will ensure taxi companies will not have surge pricing. There will be a meeting will called for tomorrow to discuss the issue of surge pricing."
According to Delhi government sources, 2000 traffic police personnel will be deployed to enforce the odd-even rule this year. A challan of Rs. 2000 will be levied on those not complying with the odd-even rule and these challans will be cut between 8am and 8pm.
A measure of the same kind had been taken before, when air quality had dipped last year. When the Delhi government had called for strict action on surge pricing last year, Uber and Ola had said that they would comply with the government order, but that it would hurt their businesses.
Himachal Pradesh Records 74 Percent Voter Turnout, Highest Ever In State
-
Himachal Pradesh today recorded a voter turnout of 74 percent, highest ever in the state where the BJP is seeking to dislodge the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government on the issue of corruption while deflecting attacks by rivals on demonetisation and GST. It has a total of 50,25,941 voters.
Sixty sitting lawmakers were among the 337 candidates fighting for a seat in the 68-member legislative assembly, one of few states under Congress rule. The results along with those of the BJP-ruled Gujarat will be a bellwether of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
As many as 7,525 polling booths were set up and 37,605 personnel deputed for poll duty in the state. Voting for the assembly, which started at 8am, came to an end at 5pm, but continued in some booths were people were still waiting to cast their votes.
A total of 17,850 personnel of police and home guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force had also been deployed. To ensure free and fair polls, other officials, including 29 general, three police and 22 expenditure observers as well as 1,561 micro observers were believed to have been deployed across the state.
Chief Minister and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, 10 ministers, eight chief parliamentary secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those who have thrown their hat in the ring.
The ruling Congress and the BJP, led by Mr Dhumal, contested all 68 seats. The BSP fought for 42 seats, the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI three. There are also 112 independents in the fray.
Dharamsala has the maximum number of candidates at 12.
Both Virbhadra Singh and Dhumal have moved out of their old constituencies. While the Congress leader contested from Arki, the BJP leader chose Sujanpur. The 12-day high-voltage campaign, which ended on Tuesday, saw over 450 rallies by star campaigners of the BJP and the Congress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed seven rallies and BJP president Amit Shah, six. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed three rallies.
Corruption was the main focus of the BJP campaign with the party training its guns on the chief minister while the Congress hit out at the BJP over GST and demonetisation.
The election saw 19 women -- six from the BJP and three from the Congress. Seven rebels each from the two parties also contested the polls. At present, the Congress has 35 and the BJP 28 lawmakers in the House. There are four independents while one seat is vacant.
Web-casting was used in 2,307 polling stations for live monitoring of polling activities.
Officials said 7,525 electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT paper trail machines were used. The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines were used for the first time in this election.
An estimated 10 per cent of the total number of EVMs and VVPATs had been kept in reserve.
Sixty sitting lawmakers were among the 337 candidates fighting for a seat in the 68-member legislative assembly, one of few states under Congress rule. The results along with those of the BJP-ruled Gujarat will be a bellwether of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
As many as 7,525 polling booths were set up and 37,605 personnel deputed for poll duty in the state. Voting for the assembly, which started at 8am, came to an end at 5pm, but continued in some booths were people were still waiting to cast their votes.
A total of 17,850 personnel of police and home guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force had also been deployed. To ensure free and fair polls, other officials, including 29 general, three police and 22 expenditure observers as well as 1,561 micro observers were believed to have been deployed across the state.
Chief Minister and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, 10 ministers, eight chief parliamentary secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those who have thrown their hat in the ring.
The ruling Congress and the BJP, led by Mr Dhumal, contested all 68 seats. The BSP fought for 42 seats, the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI three. There are also 112 independents in the fray.
Dharamsala has the maximum number of candidates at 12.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed seven rallies and BJP president Amit Shah, six. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi addressed three rallies.
Corruption was the main focus of the BJP campaign with the party training its guns on the chief minister while the Congress hit out at the BJP over GST and demonetisation.
The election saw 19 women -- six from the BJP and three from the Congress. Seven rebels each from the two parties also contested the polls. At present, the Congress has 35 and the BJP 28 lawmakers in the House. There are four independents while one seat is vacant.
Web-casting was used in 2,307 polling stations for live monitoring of polling activities.
Officials said 7,525 electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT paper trail machines were used. The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines were used for the first time in this election.
An estimated 10 per cent of the total number of EVMs and VVPATs had been kept in reserve.
Part-Time Jobs Could Fix India's Farming Crisis, Say Experts
-
As farmers in India struggle with dwindling incomes and soaring costs, with huge debts triggering a wave of suicides, experts said one solution may be to only work part-time on the land.
About 60 percent of people in India make their living from the land, but earnings from agriculture have plunged to one-third of a farm family's income from two-thirds in the 1980s.
"There is a strong case for part-time farming: when opportunities arise elsewhere, they must go there. And when there are new opportunities on the farm, they can return there," said Michael Lipton, a development economist.
"That is what makes most sense, rather than have the farmer tied to his land all the time," the professor from Britain's University of Sussex told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on a visit to Hyderabad. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of farmers have killed themselves across India, with debt or bankruptcy cited as the main reason.
Problems usually stem from failed monsoon rains or low prices due to a supply glut in produce like lentils and cereals.
Deadly protests by farmers in states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, this year have led to assurances of debt write-offs of some defaulting farmers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to double farmers' incomes over the next five years amid growing discontent. Employment in agriculture shrank by 26 million jobs between 2011 and 2015, according to McKinsey Global Institute, the research arm of the consulting firm.
Seven out of 10 rural households in India are landless or own plots of less than 1 hectare or 2.5 acres.
Although landless farmers do not qualify for government loans or insurance to protect against crop losses, they earned more than land-owning farmers when there are other job opportunities, HSBC India said in a report earlier this year.
Common alternative sources of income are the government's rural jobs scheme, which is often road-building work, and earning daily wages in cities, such as on construction sites.
"After a good monsoon, there is increased demand for labour. As a result, real wages rise; this has largely benefited the landless class, given that a majority of their income comes from wages," HSBC India's chief economist Pranjul Bhandari said.
"On the other hand, the landed, who pay these wages and are more directly dependent on income from cultivation, have taken the brunt of falling food prices."
About 60 percent of people in India make their living from the land, but earnings from agriculture have plunged to one-third of a farm family's income from two-thirds in the 1980s.
"That is what makes most sense, rather than have the farmer tied to his land all the time," the professor from Britain's University of Sussex told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on a visit to Hyderabad. Over the past decade, tens of thousands of farmers have killed themselves across India, with debt or bankruptcy cited as the main reason.
Problems usually stem from failed monsoon rains or low prices due to a supply glut in produce like lentils and cereals.
Deadly protests by farmers in states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, this year have led to assurances of debt write-offs of some defaulting farmers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to double farmers' incomes over the next five years amid growing discontent. Employment in agriculture shrank by 26 million jobs between 2011 and 2015, according to McKinsey Global Institute, the research arm of the consulting firm.
Seven out of 10 rural households in India are landless or own plots of less than 1 hectare or 2.5 acres.
Although landless farmers do not qualify for government loans or insurance to protect against crop losses, they earned more than land-owning farmers when there are other job opportunities, HSBC India said in a report earlier this year.
Common alternative sources of income are the government's rural jobs scheme, which is often road-building work, and earning daily wages in cities, such as on construction sites.
"After a good monsoon, there is increased demand for labour. As a result, real wages rise; this has largely benefited the landless class, given that a majority of their income comes from wages," HSBC India's chief economist Pranjul Bhandari said.
"On the other hand, the landed, who pay these wages and are more directly dependent on income from cultivation, have taken the brunt of falling food prices."
PM Narendra Modi To Travel To Philippines For India-ASEAN Summit On November 14
-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to the Philippines on November 12 to attend the India-ASEAN and East Asia summits on November 14 during which bilateral trade and investments as well as other key issues will be discussed.
This was announced by the external affairs ministry in the national capital today.
Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) in the ministry, also said that during the India-ASEAN Summit, the two sides will review the bilateral trade and investments and discuss important regional issues as well.
Ministry officials also said the government is working on bilateral meetings between the prime minister and other leaders on the sidelines of these summits.
This was announced by the external affairs ministry in the national capital today.
Ministry officials also said the government is working on bilateral meetings between the prime minister and other leaders on the sidelines of these summits.
Business Affairs
India to see highest salary increase around Asia Pacific in 2018 at 10%, says Survey
-
Salaries in India are projected to rise at 10 per cent next year. This is same as the increase in salary in 2017, according to the 2017 Salary Budget Planning Report released by advisory company Willis Towers Watson. The last increase higher than the current figure was in 2015 when the salaries grew by 10.4 per cent.
What is positive is India's projected salary for 2018 is the highest in the Asia Pacific region. Indonesia is projected at 8.5 per cent, China at 7 per cent, the Philippines at 6 per cent, and Hong Kong and Singapore both at 4 per cent each.
"Indian employees could very well see a single-digit salary increase in 2018 for the first time since 2011... We are also seeing that progressive employers are beginning to leverage employee benefits as a strong lever in differentiating their employee value proposition and ensuring greater transparency in compensation and benefits related communication", said Sambhav Rakyan, Data Services Practice Leader, Asia Pacific at Willis Towers Watson.
Salary allocation for top performers in 2017 increased to 39 per cent up from last year's 38 per cent. On the other hand, the budget set aside for average performance budgets decreased by 1 per cent to 27 per cent.
Arvind Usretay, Director, Rewards, Willis Towers Watson India explained, "Now we see more companies relying on robust processes, governance and training at driving linkages between performance and pay. We expect this trend to gather greater momentum in the next couple of years as companies sharpen their pay for performance policies."
The report highlights that executive salaries have plateaued and in some cases show a downward trend. However, in the mid-management level, the salary increase range is wide - from a 2-3 per cent for average performers to 15 per cent for top performers.
Out of all the sectors, it is energy, FMCG, and retail sectors that will have the most notable projected salary increase is seen in the Survey. At 10.5 per cent, these sectors are expected to do better than the overall projected salary of 10 per cent. This is reflected in the focus on reforms in the renewable energy sector, and convergence in online and offline in the retail sector.
However, significant change is expected in the pharmaceutical sector (from 11 per cent in 2017 to 10.3 per cent projected for 2018). Also, financial services is the only sector where the projected salary is less than the overall projection at 9.1 per cent.
The survey for the 2017 Asia Pacific Salary Budget Planning Report was conducted in July 2017 where 300 companies participated from India and overall 4,000 sets of responses were received in Asia Pacific.
Salaries in India are projected to rise at 10 per cent next year. This is same as the increase in salary in 2017, according to the 2017 Salary Budget Planning Report released by advisory company Willis Towers Watson. The last increase higher than the current figure was in 2015 when the salaries grew by 10.4 per cent.
What is positive is India's projected salary for 2018 is the highest in the Asia Pacific region. Indonesia is projected at 8.5 per cent, China at 7 per cent, the Philippines at 6 per cent, and Hong Kong and Singapore both at 4 per cent each.
"Indian employees could very well see a single-digit salary increase in 2018 for the first time since 2011... We are also seeing that progressive employers are beginning to leverage employee benefits as a strong lever in differentiating their employee value proposition and ensuring greater transparency in compensation and benefits related communication", said Sambhav Rakyan, Data Services Practice Leader, Asia Pacific at Willis Towers Watson.
Salary allocation for top performers in 2017 increased to 39 per cent up from last year's 38 per cent. On the other hand, the budget set aside for average performance budgets decreased by 1 per cent to 27 per cent.
Arvind Usretay, Director, Rewards, Willis Towers Watson India explained, "Now we see more companies relying on robust processes, governance and training at driving linkages between performance and pay. We expect this trend to gather greater momentum in the next couple of years as companies sharpen their pay for performance policies."
The report highlights that executive salaries have plateaued and in some cases show a downward trend. However, in the mid-management level, the salary increase range is wide - from a 2-3 per cent for average performers to 15 per cent for top performers.
Out of all the sectors, it is energy, FMCG, and retail sectors that will have the most notable projected salary increase is seen in the Survey. At 10.5 per cent, these sectors are expected to do better than the overall projected salary of 10 per cent. This is reflected in the focus on reforms in the renewable energy sector, and convergence in online and offline in the retail sector.
However, significant change is expected in the pharmaceutical sector (from 11 per cent in 2017 to 10.3 per cent projected for 2018). Also, financial services is the only sector where the projected salary is less than the overall projection at 9.1 per cent.
The survey for the 2017 Asia Pacific Salary Budget Planning Report was conducted in July 2017 where 300 companies participated from India and overall 4,000 sets of responses were received in Asia Pacific.
GST, anti-money laundering law in India hit gold demand in third quarter of 2017, says WGC
-
The recently introduced Goods & Services Tax (GST) and measures like anti-money laundering legislation (AML) around jewellery retail transactions deterred Indian gold buyers in the third quarter of 2017. After three consecutive quarters of growth, gold demand in India was down 24 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 146 tonnes (192.8 tonnes in Q3 2016). Value wise, Q3 gold demand in 2017 was worth Rs 38,540 crore, down by 30 percent, revealed the data released today by the World Gold Council (WCG).
Jewellery demand fell by 25 percent to 115 tonnes in Q3 compared to 152.7 tonnes in the previous year. The value of jewellery demand was Rs 30,340 crores, down by 31% from Q3 2016 (Rs.43,880 crore). Bar and coin demand also fell by 23 percent to 31 tonnes.
"The drop can be attributed partly to some advance buying in Q2 to pre-empt the introduction of GST in Q3. However, with the industry's gradual transition to GST proceeding on expected lines, and the removal of AML legislation, demand during the festive season seems to show clear signs of recovery in the last quarter" said Somasundaram PR, Managing Director, India, World Gold Council.
The fall is also underpinned by the faster growth in imports ahead of demand, and price factors in the market, he said.
WGC, which tracks gold sales at wholesale level, said it expects full year demand in 2017 to be well below the 5-year average, likely between 650 to 750 tonnes; the lower end of the range being more likely.
In the first three quarters of this year, consumer demand for jewellery was 349.9 tonnes, an 8 percent growth over the previous year. Investment demand in gold also was high by 4.7 percent to 104.6 tonnes. In the January to June period of 2017, gold demand had increased 30 percent by volume and 28.6 percent by value terms to 298.4 tonnes worth Rs 43,600 crore, from 229.4 tonnes worth Rs 33,090 crore in the first six months of 2016.
For the second quarter of April to June, volume (126.7 tonnes) growth was 41 percent and 36 percent in terms of value for jewellery worth Rs 33,000 crore. Gold investment in the form of bars, coins etc. also grew by 21 percent in value terms during the quarter. Industry sources estimate the Akhstya Tritiya festival during the second quarter sales in this year were higher by a record 30 percent, coinciding with a dip in global gold prices.
The recently introduced Goods & Services Tax (GST) and measures like anti-money laundering legislation (AML) around jewellery retail transactions deterred Indian gold buyers in the third quarter of 2017. After three consecutive quarters of growth, gold demand in India was down 24 percent year-on-year (yoy) to 146 tonnes (192.8 tonnes in Q3 2016). Value wise, Q3 gold demand in 2017 was worth Rs 38,540 crore, down by 30 percent, revealed the data released today by the World Gold Council (WCG).
Jewellery demand fell by 25 percent to 115 tonnes in Q3 compared to 152.7 tonnes in the previous year. The value of jewellery demand was Rs 30,340 crores, down by 31% from Q3 2016 (Rs.43,880 crore). Bar and coin demand also fell by 23 percent to 31 tonnes.
"The drop can be attributed partly to some advance buying in Q2 to pre-empt the introduction of GST in Q3. However, with the industry's gradual transition to GST proceeding on expected lines, and the removal of AML legislation, demand during the festive season seems to show clear signs of recovery in the last quarter" said Somasundaram PR, Managing Director, India, World Gold Council.
The fall is also underpinned by the faster growth in imports ahead of demand, and price factors in the market, he said.
WGC, which tracks gold sales at wholesale level, said it expects full year demand in 2017 to be well below the 5-year average, likely between 650 to 750 tonnes; the lower end of the range being more likely.
In the first three quarters of this year, consumer demand for jewellery was 349.9 tonnes, an 8 percent growth over the previous year. Investment demand in gold also was high by 4.7 percent to 104.6 tonnes. In the January to June period of 2017, gold demand had increased 30 percent by volume and 28.6 percent by value terms to 298.4 tonnes worth Rs 43,600 crore, from 229.4 tonnes worth Rs 33,090 crore in the first six months of 2016.
For the second quarter of April to June, volume (126.7 tonnes) growth was 41 percent and 36 percent in terms of value for jewellery worth Rs 33,000 crore. Gold investment in the form of bars, coins etc. also grew by 21 percent in value terms during the quarter. Industry sources estimate the Akhstya Tritiya festival during the second quarter sales in this year were higher by a record 30 percent, coinciding with a dip in global gold prices.
Tata Motors Q2 net profit rises 195% on higher sales from Jaguar Land Rover business
-
Auto maker Tata Motors reported a nearly three-fold rise in quarterly profit on Thursday, beating estimates, with Jaguar Land Rover business clocking higher sales. Net profit for the quarter ended September 30 came in at Rs 2,502 crore against Rs 848 crore a year ago. Analysts on average expected a net profit of Rs 1499 crore, according to Thomson Reuters data.
The firm said strong customer demand for Range Rover Velar and other new models led to higher sales and higher profitability. Consolidated revenue (net of excise) stood at Rs 70,156 crore in Q2FY18 as against Rs 63,577 crore for the corresponding quarter last year. Income from operations for the quarter rose about 9 percent to Rs 70156 crore.
Guenter Butschek, MD & CEO Tata Motors, said, "After a challenging first quarter, Tata Motors has demonstrated impressive results with month-on-month growth in sales and market share, enabled by a slew of new product launches and customer centric initiatives. With our turnaround plan in full action, we are seeing encouraging results and we will continue to drive sustainable profitable growth to meet our future aspirations."
The sales (including exports) of commercial and passenger vehicles stood at 152,979 units in Q2FY18, a growth of 13.8%, as compared to Q2FY17, with an impressive growth across segments - 28% in MHCV, 35% in ILCV, 38% in SCV and pick-ups.
The passenger vehicles rose 14.4% against the corresponding quarter last year. The revenues (net of excise) for Q2FY18 stood at Rs 13,400 crore, as compared to Rs 10,311 crore for the corresponding quarter last year, a growth of 30%.
Operating profit (EBITDA) for Q2FY18 was Rs 971 crore against Rs 336 crore for Q2FY17, a growth of 189%, with operating margin for Q2FY18 at 7.2%. Loss before and after tax for the quarter was at Rs 266 crores and Rs 295 crore, against loss before and after tax of Rs 609 crores and Rs 631 crores, respectively, for the corresponding quarter last year. The Tata Motors stock closed 0.36 percent or 1.60 percent higher at 440 level on the BSE.
Auto maker Tata Motors reported a nearly three-fold rise in quarterly profit on Thursday, beating estimates, with Jaguar Land Rover business clocking higher sales. Net profit for the quarter ended September 30 came in at Rs 2,502 crore against Rs 848 crore a year ago. Analysts on average expected a net profit of Rs 1499 crore, according to Thomson Reuters data.
The firm said strong customer demand for Range Rover Velar and other new models led to higher sales and higher profitability. Consolidated revenue (net of excise) stood at Rs 70,156 crore in Q2FY18 as against Rs 63,577 crore for the corresponding quarter last year. Income from operations for the quarter rose about 9 percent to Rs 70156 crore.
Guenter Butschek, MD & CEO Tata Motors, said, "After a challenging first quarter, Tata Motors has demonstrated impressive results with month-on-month growth in sales and market share, enabled by a slew of new product launches and customer centric initiatives. With our turnaround plan in full action, we are seeing encouraging results and we will continue to drive sustainable profitable growth to meet our future aspirations."
The sales (including exports) of commercial and passenger vehicles stood at 152,979 units in Q2FY18, a growth of 13.8%, as compared to Q2FY17, with an impressive growth across segments - 28% in MHCV, 35% in ILCV, 38% in SCV and pick-ups.
The passenger vehicles rose 14.4% against the corresponding quarter last year. The revenues (net of excise) for Q2FY18 stood at Rs 13,400 crore, as compared to Rs 10,311 crore for the corresponding quarter last year, a growth of 30%.
Operating profit (EBITDA) for Q2FY18 was Rs 971 crore against Rs 336 crore for Q2FY17, a growth of 189%, with operating margin for Q2FY18 at 7.2%. Loss before and after tax for the quarter was at Rs 266 crores and Rs 295 crore, against loss before and after tax of Rs 609 crores and Rs 631 crores, respectively, for the corresponding quarter last year. The Tata Motors stock closed 0.36 percent or 1.60 percent higher at 440 level on the BSE.
Ball in SEBI's court after SAT sets aside penalty on Vijay Rupani's HUF in share trade case
-
Regulator Sebi will pass a fresh order in a case of alleged manipulative share trade involving Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Ramniklal Rupani's HUF and 21 others, after its Rs 6.91 crore penalty against them was set aside by the Securities Appellate Tribunal.
The tribunal has "set aside" the penalty order, dated October 27, after hearing an appeal filed by Akash Harishbhai Desai, one of the 22 entities penalised by the regulator for alleged manipulative trading in the shares of Saran Chemicals Ltd during the January-June 2011 period.
The individual penalty amount was varied for entities and was Rs 15 lakh in the case of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) of Rupani, who took over as the chief minister in August 2016 and is currently heading BJP's campaign for the state's two-phase assembly polls on December 9 and 14.
In a two-page order, dated November 8 and published on its website today, SAT said "Sebi shall pass fresh order after giving an opportunity of hearing to all the parties".
The appellant and other parties against whom the order was passed have been asked to submit their replies within three weeks from November 8, as per the SAT order.
Noting that the appeal was "taken up by the consent of both the parties", the tribunal said the appellant has submitted that the Sebi order was passed without giving them an opportunity to file their replies and without any personal hearing.
The Sebi counsel told the tribunal that the regulator was "ready and willing to pass appropriate order after giving an opportunity of hearing to the parties" provided they submit their replies within the stipulated time.
Soon after the SAT order was made public, Rupani tweeted, "after six years one officer of Sebi passed an order against 22 persons imposing penalty without even hearing anyone of them including Vijay Rupani HUF".
"In 2011, the share broker of Vijay Rupani HUF had carried out only one transaction which is a minuscule part of the total transactions done by several unconnected entities," he said in another tweet.
He also posted a copy of the SAT order on his Twitter page and said one of such persons against whom the ex parte order was passed approached the tribunal by filing an appeal.
"Having found that none of the persons against whom the Sebi officer has passed an order is even heard, the tribunal has quashed and set aside the said order," he tweeted.
However, the Sebi order mentioned that show cause notices were to all 22 entities, including Rupani (HUF), on May 6, 2016.
Sebi noted that there was no reply from Rupani (HUF) with regard to the show cause notice (SCN).
Citing various communications with Rupani (HUF), the order said the noticee through a letter dated June 13, 2016 had "requested for keeping in abeyance the proceedings till Vijay Rupani recovers".
The order also noted that medical certificates attached with the June 2016 letter "suggested for rest of 8 weeks to Vijay Rupani from May 18, 2016, however, no reply towards the SCN has been received from it/ him till date".
According to Sebi, Rupani (HUF) had informed it on May 13, 2016 that the CD attached to SCN was damaged.
Another CD was sent to him on May 25, 2016 and he was also informed that in case he was still unable to open the CD then an authorised person can collect the same from office of the Sebi's adjudicating officer with prior intimation.
In the order, dated October 27, Sebi's adjudicating officer Rachna Anand directed the 22 entities to pay the penalties within 45 days of receiving the order.
Rupani (HUF) is among the entities that were found by Anand to have indulged in creating artificial volume rise in the company's shares.
Among the 22, two -- Akash Harishbhai Desai and Ashwinbhai Prabhudas Ruparel -- had indulged in price manipulation while 19 others, including Rupani (HUF) had indulged in "artificial volume rise/ creating misleading appearance of market/ getting unlawful or unfair gain," the order said.
SAT's ruling came on the appeal filed by Akash Harishbhai Desai.
Regulator Sebi will pass a fresh order in a case of alleged manipulative share trade involving Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Ramniklal Rupani's HUF and 21 others, after its Rs 6.91 crore penalty against them was set aside by the Securities Appellate Tribunal.
The tribunal has "set aside" the penalty order, dated October 27, after hearing an appeal filed by Akash Harishbhai Desai, one of the 22 entities penalised by the regulator for alleged manipulative trading in the shares of Saran Chemicals Ltd during the January-June 2011 period.
The individual penalty amount was varied for entities and was Rs 15 lakh in the case of Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) of Rupani, who took over as the chief minister in August 2016 and is currently heading BJP's campaign for the state's two-phase assembly polls on December 9 and 14.
In a two-page order, dated November 8 and published on its website today, SAT said "Sebi shall pass fresh order after giving an opportunity of hearing to all the parties".
The appellant and other parties against whom the order was passed have been asked to submit their replies within three weeks from November 8, as per the SAT order.
Noting that the appeal was "taken up by the consent of both the parties", the tribunal said the appellant has submitted that the Sebi order was passed without giving them an opportunity to file their replies and without any personal hearing.
The Sebi counsel told the tribunal that the regulator was "ready and willing to pass appropriate order after giving an opportunity of hearing to the parties" provided they submit their replies within the stipulated time.
Soon after the SAT order was made public, Rupani tweeted, "after six years one officer of Sebi passed an order against 22 persons imposing penalty without even hearing anyone of them including Vijay Rupani HUF".
"In 2011, the share broker of Vijay Rupani HUF had carried out only one transaction which is a minuscule part of the total transactions done by several unconnected entities," he said in another tweet.
He also posted a copy of the SAT order on his Twitter page and said one of such persons against whom the ex parte order was passed approached the tribunal by filing an appeal.
"Having found that none of the persons against whom the Sebi officer has passed an order is even heard, the tribunal has quashed and set aside the said order," he tweeted.
However, the Sebi order mentioned that show cause notices were to all 22 entities, including Rupani (HUF), on May 6, 2016.
Sebi noted that there was no reply from Rupani (HUF) with regard to the show cause notice (SCN).
Citing various communications with Rupani (HUF), the order said the noticee through a letter dated June 13, 2016 had "requested for keeping in abeyance the proceedings till Vijay Rupani recovers".
The order also noted that medical certificates attached with the June 2016 letter "suggested for rest of 8 weeks to Vijay Rupani from May 18, 2016, however, no reply towards the SCN has been received from it/ him till date".
According to Sebi, Rupani (HUF) had informed it on May 13, 2016 that the CD attached to SCN was damaged.
Another CD was sent to him on May 25, 2016 and he was also informed that in case he was still unable to open the CD then an authorised person can collect the same from office of the Sebi's adjudicating officer with prior intimation.
In the order, dated October 27, Sebi's adjudicating officer Rachna Anand directed the 22 entities to pay the penalties within 45 days of receiving the order.
Rupani (HUF) is among the entities that were found by Anand to have indulged in creating artificial volume rise in the company's shares.
Among the 22, two -- Akash Harishbhai Desai and Ashwinbhai Prabhudas Ruparel -- had indulged in price manipulation while 19 others, including Rupani (HUF) had indulged in "artificial volume rise/ creating misleading appearance of market/ getting unlawful or unfair gain," the order said.
SAT's ruling came on the appeal filed by Akash Harishbhai Desai.
Farmers stand to lose Rs 35,000 crore in Kharif season unless Modi government ensures minimum support price, says union
-
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), a nationwide coalition of more than 180 farmer organizations, has alleged that the farmers will lose over Rs 35,000 crore during this crop season (Kharif) as they have not been able to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) assured by the government.
"All major crops are selling below the government's own MSP, considering the average of official APMC market prices across hundreds of mandis over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Just considering the top 7 crops (paddy, maize, soybean, cotton, bajra, groundnut and urad), the arrivals in mandis so far and the actual market prices, farmers have lost Rs 6,283 crores compared to the MSP. Considering the total crop that would be sold by farmers this season (Marketable Surplus), the estimated loss of farmers compared to MSP is Rs.35,968 crores", a statement from AIKSCC says.
The coalition leaders termed this as the most conservative estimates as the actual prices obtained by the farmers in many cases are much below the official APMC market prices used in these estimates.
"The millions of farmers who voted in the 2014 elections did so based on PM Modi's promise about the MSP. However, after coming to power, his government denied this on the floor of the Parliament and in Supreme Court affidavit. The farmers will not tolerate this betrayal. Now the government is talking about doubling farmers' incomes. This is another 'joomla' because there is absolutely no mention of the promise related to remunerative prices, which is the most direct way of raising farmers' incomes," said AIKSCC.
The difference between the actual price realised by the farmers and the amount they would have got if the electoral promise of the BJP had materialised is even bigger, they estimate.
"Prime Minister Modi and the BJP manifesto promised in the 2014 elections that the Minimum Support Price will be fixed at 50 per cent margin above the Cost of Production. However, among the 14 crops of Kharif 2017-18, the MSPs for 7 crops have been fixed less than the C2 Cost of Production. In the other 7 crops, the margin above Cost of Production is merely 2-19 per cent. Considering C2+50 per cent as the fair remunerative price promised by the government, the loss faced by farmers is more than Rs 2.03 lakh crores," the union pointed out.
The coalition announced the launch of a "Kisan Ki Loot" campaign in Delhi on Thursday. The protest is to culminate in a mega farmers' protest that will witness farmer representatives from all over the country converging in Delhi on 20th November.
"This is a campaign that intends to showcase to the nation how farmers are being denied remunerative prices after all the hardships and risks that they face in producing food for the nation. In this campaign, AIKSCC volunteers are capturing the stories of hundreds of farmers across the country, and across different crops, through info-pics of farmers, to present the real picture of how farmers are unable to recover even their cost of production," they explained.
In the last three months, AIKSCC had organised a Kisan Mukti Yatra that covered 10,000 km through 18 states, holding 500 meetings and making contact with 50 lakh farmers.
"It is to address this loot of farmers that we are congregating in large numbers in Delhi on November 20th 2017 in a Kisan Mukti Sansad (a farmers' freedom parliament) to be organised on Parliament Street. Full remunerative prices as a legal entitlement with correct cost estimations and at least a 50% profit margin over the cost of production, for all farmers and commodities, is our main demand, in addition to a demand for freedom from debt, that includes a comprehensive immediate loan waiver as well as statutory institutional mechanism that addresses farmers' indebtedness on an ongoing basis," said AIKSCC representatives.
AIKSCC leaders who addressed the press conference included its convenor VM Singh, Raju Shetty of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathan, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan, Hannan Mollah of All India Kisan Sabha, Medha Patkar of National Alliance of People's Movements, Dr.Sunilam of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Ashish Mitttal of All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, Avik Saha of Jai Kisan Andolan, Kirankumar Vissa of Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Prem Singh Gehlawat of All India Kisan Mahasabha, Satyawan of All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sabha, Prem Singh of All India Kisan Federation and Jagmohan Singh Patiala of Bharatiya Kissan Union (Dakaunda).
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), a nationwide coalition of more than 180 farmer organizations, has alleged that the farmers will lose over Rs 35,000 crore during this crop season (Kharif) as they have not been able to sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) assured by the government.
"All major crops are selling below the government's own MSP, considering the average of official APMC market prices across hundreds of mandis over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Just considering the top 7 crops (paddy, maize, soybean, cotton, bajra, groundnut and urad), the arrivals in mandis so far and the actual market prices, farmers have lost Rs 6,283 crores compared to the MSP. Considering the total crop that would be sold by farmers this season (Marketable Surplus), the estimated loss of farmers compared to MSP is Rs.35,968 crores", a statement from AIKSCC says.
The coalition leaders termed this as the most conservative estimates as the actual prices obtained by the farmers in many cases are much below the official APMC market prices used in these estimates.
"The millions of farmers who voted in the 2014 elections did so based on PM Modi's promise about the MSP. However, after coming to power, his government denied this on the floor of the Parliament and in Supreme Court affidavit. The farmers will not tolerate this betrayal. Now the government is talking about doubling farmers' incomes. This is another 'joomla' because there is absolutely no mention of the promise related to remunerative prices, which is the most direct way of raising farmers' incomes," said AIKSCC.
The difference between the actual price realised by the farmers and the amount they would have got if the electoral promise of the BJP had materialised is even bigger, they estimate.
"Prime Minister Modi and the BJP manifesto promised in the 2014 elections that the Minimum Support Price will be fixed at 50 per cent margin above the Cost of Production. However, among the 14 crops of Kharif 2017-18, the MSPs for 7 crops have been fixed less than the C2 Cost of Production. In the other 7 crops, the margin above Cost of Production is merely 2-19 per cent. Considering C2+50 per cent as the fair remunerative price promised by the government, the loss faced by farmers is more than Rs 2.03 lakh crores," the union pointed out.
The coalition announced the launch of a "Kisan Ki Loot" campaign in Delhi on Thursday. The protest is to culminate in a mega farmers' protest that will witness farmer representatives from all over the country converging in Delhi on 20th November.
"This is a campaign that intends to showcase to the nation how farmers are being denied remunerative prices after all the hardships and risks that they face in producing food for the nation. In this campaign, AIKSCC volunteers are capturing the stories of hundreds of farmers across the country, and across different crops, through info-pics of farmers, to present the real picture of how farmers are unable to recover even their cost of production," they explained.
In the last three months, AIKSCC had organised a Kisan Mukti Yatra that covered 10,000 km through 18 states, holding 500 meetings and making contact with 50 lakh farmers.
"It is to address this loot of farmers that we are congregating in large numbers in Delhi on November 20th 2017 in a Kisan Mukti Sansad (a farmers' freedom parliament) to be organised on Parliament Street. Full remunerative prices as a legal entitlement with correct cost estimations and at least a 50% profit margin over the cost of production, for all farmers and commodities, is our main demand, in addition to a demand for freedom from debt, that includes a comprehensive immediate loan waiver as well as statutory institutional mechanism that addresses farmers' indebtedness on an ongoing basis," said AIKSCC representatives.
AIKSCC leaders who addressed the press conference included its convenor VM Singh, Raju Shetty of Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathan, Yogendra Yadav of Swaraj Abhiyan, Hannan Mollah of All India Kisan Sabha, Medha Patkar of National Alliance of People's Movements, Dr.Sunilam of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Ashish Mitttal of All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, Avik Saha of Jai Kisan Andolan, Kirankumar Vissa of Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Prem Singh Gehlawat of All India Kisan Mahasabha, Satyawan of All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sabha, Prem Singh of All India Kisan Federation and Jagmohan Singh Patiala of Bharatiya Kissan Union (Dakaunda).
General Awareness
GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs FOR IBPS EXAM
-
1. Who received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015-16 on October 31,
2017?
1) Bezwada Wilson
2) A.R. Rahman
3) T.M. Krishna
4) Gulzar
5) Shyam Benegal
2. What is India's rank in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index 2018?
1) 130
2) 100
3) 101
4) 131
5) 123
3. Paolo Gentiloni visited India in October 2017. He is the Prime Minister of which of the following countries?
1) France
2) Portugal
3) Italy
4) Spain
5) Netherlands
4. Where are the headquarters of the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) located?
1) Copenhagen, Denmark
2) Oslo, Norway
3) Stockholm, Sweden
4) Helsinki, Finland
5) Riga, Latvia
5. The proposed Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant will be built in which of the following States?
1) Uttar Pradesh
2) Rajasthan
3) Haryana
4) Jharkhand
5) Uttarakhand
6. World Day for International Justice is celebrated every year on:
1) July 17
2) August 17
3) September 17
4) October 17
5) November 17
7. Who is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest from China side?
1) Anshu Jamsenpa
2) Anita Kundu
3) Arunima Sinha
4) Santosh Yadav
5) Premlata Agarwal
8. Which private sector bank was previously a microfinance institution?
1) IDFC Bank
2) Yes bank
3) Axis Bank
4) Bandhan Bank
5) IndusInd Bank
9. In which Indian State is the City Union Bank headquartered?
1) Karnataka
2) Kerala
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Andhra Pradesh
5) Maharashtra
10. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held annually in which of the following countries?
1) Czech Republic
2) Bulgaria
3) France
4) Poland
5) Austria
11. Which city hosted the India- ASEAN Youth Summit in August 2017?
1) Bhopal
2) New Delhi
3) Hyderabad
4) Mumbai
5) Jaipur
12. Who is the Chairman of the committee constituted to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers'
income by 2022?
1) Ramesh Chand
2) Ashok Dalwai
3) Bibek Debroy
4) M.S. Swaminathan
5) None of these
13. Prasoon Joshi is the present Chairperson of which of the following?
1) FTII
2) NSD
3) CBFC
4) IIMC
5) SRFTI
14. Who was appointed as Executive Director in World Bank in August 2017?
1) Soumya Swaminathan
2) Ruchira Kamboj
3) Meira Shankar
4) S. Aparna
5) Eenam Gambhir
15. Which of the following statements about the 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI) is not correct?
1) GRI is published by French asset management company Natixis Global
2) It ranked 43 countries
3) India is ranked 43rd
4) Norway topped the list
5) Eight of the top ten countries are located in Asia
16. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will allow
Union Government to increase capital of NABARD from Rs.5,000 crore to?
1) Rs. 10,000 crore
2) Rs. 20,000 crore
3) Rs. 25,000 crore
4) Rs. 30,000 crore
5) None of these
17. Who was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in August 2017?
1) Ashwani Lohani
2) Mohammad Mustafa
3) E. Sankara Rao
4) Santosh Sharma
5) None of these
18. Which State declared Dailong village as a Biodiversity Heritage Site recently?
1) Mizoram
2) Meghalaya
3) Manipur
4) Tripura
5) Assam
19. In which State is Almatti Dam located?
1) Telangana
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Karnataka
5) None of these
20. In a "banking outlet" services are provided for a minimum of how many hours per day for at least five days a week?
1) 2 hours
2) 4 hours
3) 5 hours
4) 6 hours
5) None of these
21. Who is the author of the recently released book "India 2017 Yearbook"?
1) Rajiv Mehrishi
2) Amitabh Kant
3) Bibek Debroy
4) V.K. Saraswat
5) None of these
22. In which State are the Bhimbetka rock shelters located?
1) Maharashtra
2) Madhya Pradesh
3) Punjab
4) Haryana
5) Rajasthan
23. Where is the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex situated?
1) Mumbai
2) Nagpur
3) Pune
4) Nanded
5) Nashik
24. Which of the following regulates credit rating agencies in India?
1) RBI
2) SEBI
3) IRDA
4) PFRDA
5) None of these
25. In which State is Ghatampur Thermal Power Station located?
1) Bihar
2) Chhattisgarh
3) West Bengal
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) Uttar Pradesh
26. Abu Dhabi is the capital of which of the following countries?
1) Qatar
2) Saudi Arabia
3) UAE
4) Jordan
5) Lebanon
27. Y-20 is a large military transport aircraft developed by which of the following countries?
1) Russia
2) USA
3) Japan
4) China
5) North Korea
28. The Reserve Bank of India published report of the Household Finance Committee in August
2017. The Committee was chaired by:
1) Bimal Jalan
2) Tarun Ramadorai
3) Raghuram Rajan
4) Nachiket Mor
5) None of these
29. The Bandodkar Gold Trophy is associated with which of the following sports?
1) Kabaddi
2) Cricket
3) Football
4) Hockey
5) Wrestling
30. Who is the first Indian to scale Mount Everest six times?
1) N. Jagoi
2) Rahul Jarngal
3) Loveraj Singh
4) Yogender Garbiyal
5) None of these
31. The Capital Small Finance Bank (CSFB) is India's first Small Finance Bank. It is headquartered in:
1) Jalandhar
2) Jaipur
3) Jaisalmer
4) Bangalore
5) Mangalore
32. Which of the following is the capital city of Spain?
1) Barcelona
2) Bratislava
3) Stockholm
4) Madrid
5) Lisbon
33. The India Aspiration Fund (IAF) would invest in venture capital funds for meeting the equity requirement of:
1) Agriculture
2) Housing
3) MSME start-ups
4) IT sector
5) None of these
34. Which bank has executed India's first transaction on block chain technology?
1) Yes Bank
2) Axis Bank
3) HDFC Bank
4) ICICI Bank
5) None of these
35. Where are the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
1) Shanghai
2) Hong Kong
3) Beijing
4) Singapore
5) None of these
36. In which State is Mathikettan Shola National Park located?
1) Tamil Nadu
2) Karnataka
3) Odisha
4) Kerala
5) None of these
37. Which city hosted the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Athletics in July 2017?
1) Nairobi, Kenya
2) Lille, France
3) Donetsk, Ukraine
4) Cali, Colombia
5) Marrakech, Morocco
38. Vijender Singh of India won the unified WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super Middleweight
title in Mumbai by defeating Zulpikar Maimaitiali of:
1) Pakistan
2) China
3) Kazakhstan
4) Tajikistan
5) Malaysia
39. Who won the men's singles title in Rogers Cup tennis played in Montreal, Canada in August 2017?
1) Alexander Zverev
2) Roger Federer
3) Dominic Thiem
4) Kei Nishikori
5) Rafael Nadal
40. Who clinched the women's singles title in Rogers Cup tennis played in Toronto, Canada in August 2017?
1) Simona Halep
2) Elina Svitolina
3) Angelique Kerber
4) Johanna Konta
5) Petra Kvitova
ANSWERS:
1) 3 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 3 6) 1 7) 2 8) 4 9) 3 10) 1
11) 1 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 4 17) 2 18) 3 19) 4 20) 2
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 2 25) 5 26) 3 27) 4 28) 2 29) 3 30) 3
31) 1 32) 4 33) 3 34) 4 35) 3 36) 4 37) 1 38) 2 39) 1 40) 2
1. Who received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015-16 on October 31,
2017?
1) Bezwada Wilson
2) A.R. Rahman
3) T.M. Krishna
4) Gulzar
5) Shyam Benegal
2. What is India's rank in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index 2018?
1) 130
2) 100
3) 101
4) 131
5) 123
3. Paolo Gentiloni visited India in October 2017. He is the Prime Minister of which of the following countries?
1) France
2) Portugal
3) Italy
4) Spain
5) Netherlands
4. Where are the headquarters of the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) located?
1) Copenhagen, Denmark
2) Oslo, Norway
3) Stockholm, Sweden
4) Helsinki, Finland
5) Riga, Latvia
5. The proposed Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant will be built in which of the following States?
1) Uttar Pradesh
2) Rajasthan
3) Haryana
4) Jharkhand
5) Uttarakhand
6. World Day for International Justice is celebrated every year on:
1) July 17
2) August 17
3) September 17
4) October 17
5) November 17
7. Who is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest from China side?
1) Anshu Jamsenpa
2) Anita Kundu
3) Arunima Sinha
4) Santosh Yadav
5) Premlata Agarwal
8. Which private sector bank was previously a microfinance institution?
1) IDFC Bank
2) Yes bank
3) Axis Bank
4) Bandhan Bank
5) IndusInd Bank
9. In which Indian State is the City Union Bank headquartered?
1) Karnataka
2) Kerala
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Andhra Pradesh
5) Maharashtra
10. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held annually in which of the following countries?
1) Czech Republic
2) Bulgaria
3) France
4) Poland
5) Austria
11. Which city hosted the India- ASEAN Youth Summit in August 2017?
1) Bhopal
2) New Delhi
3) Hyderabad
4) Mumbai
5) Jaipur
12. Who is the Chairman of the committee constituted to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers'
income by 2022?
1) Ramesh Chand
2) Ashok Dalwai
3) Bibek Debroy
4) M.S. Swaminathan
5) None of these
13. Prasoon Joshi is the present Chairperson of which of the following?
1) FTII
2) NSD
3) CBFC
4) IIMC
5) SRFTI
14. Who was appointed as Executive Director in World Bank in August 2017?
1) Soumya Swaminathan
2) Ruchira Kamboj
3) Meira Shankar
4) S. Aparna
5) Eenam Gambhir
15. Which of the following statements about the 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI) is not correct?
1) GRI is published by French asset management company Natixis Global
2) It ranked 43 countries
3) India is ranked 43rd
4) Norway topped the list
5) Eight of the top ten countries are located in Asia
16. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will allow
Union Government to increase capital of NABARD from Rs.5,000 crore to?
1) Rs. 10,000 crore
2) Rs. 20,000 crore
3) Rs. 25,000 crore
4) Rs. 30,000 crore
5) None of these
17. Who was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in August 2017?
1) Ashwani Lohani
2) Mohammad Mustafa
3) E. Sankara Rao
4) Santosh Sharma
5) None of these
18. Which State declared Dailong village as a Biodiversity Heritage Site recently?
1) Mizoram
2) Meghalaya
3) Manipur
4) Tripura
5) Assam
19. In which State is Almatti Dam located?
1) Telangana
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Karnataka
5) None of these
20. In a "banking outlet" services are provided for a minimum of how many hours per day for at least five days a week?
1) 2 hours
2) 4 hours
3) 5 hours
4) 6 hours
5) None of these
21. Who is the author of the recently released book "India 2017 Yearbook"?
1) Rajiv Mehrishi
2) Amitabh Kant
3) Bibek Debroy
4) V.K. Saraswat
5) None of these
22. In which State are the Bhimbetka rock shelters located?
1) Maharashtra
2) Madhya Pradesh
3) Punjab
4) Haryana
5) Rajasthan
23. Where is the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex situated?
1) Mumbai
2) Nagpur
3) Pune
4) Nanded
5) Nashik
24. Which of the following regulates credit rating agencies in India?
1) RBI
2) SEBI
3) IRDA
4) PFRDA
5) None of these
25. In which State is Ghatampur Thermal Power Station located?
1) Bihar
2) Chhattisgarh
3) West Bengal
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) Uttar Pradesh
26. Abu Dhabi is the capital of which of the following countries?
1) Qatar
2) Saudi Arabia
3) UAE
4) Jordan
5) Lebanon
27. Y-20 is a large military transport aircraft developed by which of the following countries?
1) Russia
2) USA
3) Japan
4) China
5) North Korea
28. The Reserve Bank of India published report of the Household Finance Committee in August
2017. The Committee was chaired by:
1) Bimal Jalan
2) Tarun Ramadorai
3) Raghuram Rajan
4) Nachiket Mor
5) None of these
29. The Bandodkar Gold Trophy is associated with which of the following sports?
1) Kabaddi
2) Cricket
3) Football
4) Hockey
5) Wrestling
30. Who is the first Indian to scale Mount Everest six times?
1) N. Jagoi
2) Rahul Jarngal
3) Loveraj Singh
4) Yogender Garbiyal
5) None of these
31. The Capital Small Finance Bank (CSFB) is India's first Small Finance Bank. It is headquartered in:
1) Jalandhar
2) Jaipur
3) Jaisalmer
4) Bangalore
5) Mangalore
32. Which of the following is the capital city of Spain?
1) Barcelona
2) Bratislava
3) Stockholm
4) Madrid
5) Lisbon
33. The India Aspiration Fund (IAF) would invest in venture capital funds for meeting the equity requirement of:
1) Agriculture
2) Housing
3) MSME start-ups
4) IT sector
5) None of these
34. Which bank has executed India's first transaction on block chain technology?
1) Yes Bank
2) Axis Bank
3) HDFC Bank
4) ICICI Bank
5) None of these
35. Where are the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
1) Shanghai
2) Hong Kong
3) Beijing
4) Singapore
5) None of these
36. In which State is Mathikettan Shola National Park located?
1) Tamil Nadu
2) Karnataka
3) Odisha
4) Kerala
5) None of these
37. Which city hosted the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Athletics in July 2017?
1) Nairobi, Kenya
2) Lille, France
3) Donetsk, Ukraine
4) Cali, Colombia
5) Marrakech, Morocco
38. Vijender Singh of India won the unified WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super Middleweight
title in Mumbai by defeating Zulpikar Maimaitiali of:
1) Pakistan
2) China
3) Kazakhstan
4) Tajikistan
5) Malaysia
39. Who won the men's singles title in Rogers Cup tennis played in Montreal, Canada in August 2017?
1) Alexander Zverev
2) Roger Federer
3) Dominic Thiem
4) Kei Nishikori
5) Rafael Nadal
40. Who clinched the women's singles title in Rogers Cup tennis played in Toronto, Canada in August 2017?
1) Simona Halep
2) Elina Svitolina
3) Angelique Kerber
4) Johanna Konta
5) Petra Kvitova
ANSWERS:
1) 3 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 3 6) 1 7) 2 8) 4 9) 3 10) 1
11) 1 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 4 17) 2 18) 3 19) 4 20) 2
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 2 25) 5 26) 3 27) 4 28) 2 29) 3 30) 3
31) 1 32) 4 33) 3 34) 4 35) 3 36) 4 37) 1 38) 2 39) 1 40) 2
2017?
1) Bezwada Wilson
2) A.R. Rahman
3) T.M. Krishna
4) Gulzar
5) Shyam Benegal
2. What is India's rank in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index 2018?
1) 130
2) 100
3) 101
4) 131
5) 123
3. Paolo Gentiloni visited India in October 2017. He is the Prime Minister of which of the following countries?
1) France
2) Portugal
3) Italy
4) Spain
5) Netherlands
4. Where are the headquarters of the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) located?
1) Copenhagen, Denmark
2) Oslo, Norway
3) Stockholm, Sweden
4) Helsinki, Finland
5) Riga, Latvia
5. The proposed Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant will be built in which of the following States?
1) Uttar Pradesh
2) Rajasthan
3) Haryana
4) Jharkhand
5) Uttarakhand
6. World Day for International Justice is celebrated every year on:
1) July 17
2) August 17
3) September 17
4) October 17
5) November 17
7. Who is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest from China side?
1) Anshu Jamsenpa
2) Anita Kundu
3) Arunima Sinha
4) Santosh Yadav
5) Premlata Agarwal
8. Which private sector bank was previously a microfinance institution?
1) IDFC Bank
2) Yes bank
3) Axis Bank
4) Bandhan Bank
5) IndusInd Bank
9. In which Indian State is the City Union Bank headquartered?
1) Karnataka
2) Kerala
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Andhra Pradesh
5) Maharashtra
10. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held annually in which of the following countries?
1) Czech Republic
2) Bulgaria
3) France
4) Poland
5) Austria
11. Which city hosted the India- ASEAN Youth Summit in August 2017?
1) Bhopal
2) New Delhi
3) Hyderabad
4) Mumbai
5) Jaipur
12. Who is the Chairman of the committee constituted to prepare a blueprint for doubling farmers'
income by 2022?
1) Ramesh Chand
2) Ashok Dalwai
3) Bibek Debroy
4) M.S. Swaminathan
5) None of these
13. Prasoon Joshi is the present Chairperson of which of the following?
1) FTII
2) NSD
3) CBFC
4) IIMC
5) SRFTI
14. Who was appointed as Executive Director in World Bank in August 2017?
1) Soumya Swaminathan
2) Ruchira Kamboj
3) Meira Shankar
4) S. Aparna
5) Eenam Gambhir
15. Which of the following statements about the 2017 Global Retirement Index (GRI) is not correct?
1) GRI is published by French asset management company Natixis Global
2) It ranked 43 countries
3) India is ranked 43rd
4) Norway topped the list
5) Eight of the top ten countries are located in Asia
16. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will allow
Union Government to increase capital of NABARD from Rs.5,000 crore to?
1) Rs. 10,000 crore
2) Rs. 20,000 crore
3) Rs. 25,000 crore
4) Rs. 30,000 crore
5) None of these
17. Who was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in August 2017?
1) Ashwani Lohani
2) Mohammad Mustafa
3) E. Sankara Rao
4) Santosh Sharma
5) None of these
18. Which State declared Dailong village as a Biodiversity Heritage Site recently?
1) Mizoram
2) Meghalaya
3) Manipur
4) Tripura
5) Assam
19. In which State is Almatti Dam located?
1) Telangana
2) Andhra Pradesh
3) Tamil Nadu
4) Karnataka
5) None of these
20. In a "banking outlet" services are provided for a minimum of how many hours per day for at least five days a week?
1) 2 hours
2) 4 hours
3) 5 hours
4) 6 hours
5) None of these
21. Who is the author of the recently released book "India 2017 Yearbook"?
1) Rajiv Mehrishi
2) Amitabh Kant
3) Bibek Debroy
4) V.K. Saraswat
5) None of these
22. In which State are the Bhimbetka rock shelters located?
1) Maharashtra
2) Madhya Pradesh
3) Punjab
4) Haryana
5) Rajasthan
23. Where is the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex situated?
1) Mumbai
2) Nagpur
3) Pune
4) Nanded
5) Nashik
24. Which of the following regulates credit rating agencies in India?
1) RBI
2) SEBI
3) IRDA
4) PFRDA
5) None of these
25. In which State is Ghatampur Thermal Power Station located?
1) Bihar
2) Chhattisgarh
3) West Bengal
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) Uttar Pradesh
26. Abu Dhabi is the capital of which of the following countries?
1) Qatar
2) Saudi Arabia
3) UAE
4) Jordan
5) Lebanon
27. Y-20 is a large military transport aircraft developed by which of the following countries?
1) Russia
2) USA
3) Japan
4) China
5) North Korea
28. The Reserve Bank of India published report of the Household Finance Committee in August
2017. The Committee was chaired by:
1) Bimal Jalan
2) Tarun Ramadorai
3) Raghuram Rajan
4) Nachiket Mor
5) None of these
29. The Bandodkar Gold Trophy is associated with which of the following sports?
1) Kabaddi
2) Cricket
3) Football
4) Hockey
5) Wrestling
30. Who is the first Indian to scale Mount Everest six times?
1) N. Jagoi
2) Rahul Jarngal
3) Loveraj Singh
4) Yogender Garbiyal
5) None of these
31. The Capital Small Finance Bank (CSFB) is India's first Small Finance Bank. It is headquartered in:
1) Jalandhar
2) Jaipur
3) Jaisalmer
4) Bangalore
5) Mangalore
32. Which of the following is the capital city of Spain?
1) Barcelona
2) Bratislava
3) Stockholm
4) Madrid
5) Lisbon
33. The India Aspiration Fund (IAF) would invest in venture capital funds for meeting the equity requirement of:
1) Agriculture
2) Housing
3) MSME start-ups
4) IT sector
5) None of these
34. Which bank has executed India's first transaction on block chain technology?
1) Yes Bank
2) Axis Bank
3) HDFC Bank
4) ICICI Bank
5) None of these
35. Where are the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
1) Shanghai
2) Hong Kong
3) Beijing
4) Singapore
5) None of these
36. In which State is Mathikettan Shola National Park located?
1) Tamil Nadu
2) Karnataka
3) Odisha
4) Kerala
5) None of these
37. Which city hosted the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Athletics in July 2017?
1) Nairobi, Kenya
2) Lille, France
3) Donetsk, Ukraine
4) Cali, Colombia
5) Marrakech, Morocco
38. Vijender Singh of India won the unified WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super Middleweight
title in Mumbai by defeating Zulpikar Maimaitiali of:
1) Pakistan
2) China
3) Kazakhstan
4) Tajikistan
5) Malaysia
39. Who won the men's singles title in Rogers Cup tennis played in Montreal, Canada in August 2017?
1) Alexander Zverev
2) Roger Federer
3) Dominic Thiem
4) Kei Nishikori
5) Rafael Nadal
40. Who clinched the women's singles title in Rogers Cup tennis played in Toronto, Canada in August 2017?
1) Simona Halep
2) Elina Svitolina
3) Angelique Kerber
4) Johanna Konta
5) Petra Kvitova
ANSWERS:
1) 3 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 3 6) 1 7) 2 8) 4 9) 3 10) 1
11) 1 12) 2 13) 3 14) 4 15) 5 16) 4 17) 2 18) 3 19) 4 20) 2
21) 1 22) 2 23) 3 24) 2 25) 5 26) 3 27) 4 28) 2 29) 3 30) 3
31) 1 32) 4 33) 3 34) 4 35) 3 36) 4 37) 1 38) 2 39) 1 40) 2
No comments:
Post a Comment