General Affairs
Indian Ambassador To US Navtej Sarna Gets A Year's Extension
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The term of Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, was extended on Saturday. According to sources, the term of Mr Sarna, a 1980 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, who was supposed to retire November end, has been extended by a year.
He was named India's envoy in Washington in September last year ahead of the US presidential election and after serving just eight months as Indian High Commissioner to Britain.
With Mr Sarna as the Ambassador, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a highly successful first-time meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington this year.
Both Mr Sarna and his predecessor, Arun Kumar Singh, are former Indian Ambassadors to Israel, underlying the importance of a posting in Tel Aviv which is one of Washington's closest allies.
Mr Sarna has had a previous posting in Washington when he was Minister for Press, Information and Culture between 1998 and 2002.
He was among the longest-serving spokespersons of the ministry between 2002 and 2008. He has also had postings in Moscow, Warsaw, Tehran, Geneva and Thimphu.
This is the second high-level extension this year after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's term was also extended by a year. MrJaishankar is set to retire in January 2018, but South Block is speculating whether he would get another extension from PM Modi.
He was named India's envoy in Washington in September last year ahead of the US presidential election and after serving just eight months as Indian High Commissioner to Britain.
With Mr Sarna as the Ambassador, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a highly successful first-time meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington this year.
Both Mr Sarna and his predecessor, Arun Kumar Singh, are former Indian Ambassadors to Israel, underlying the importance of a posting in Tel Aviv which is one of Washington's closest allies.
Mr Sarna has had a previous posting in Washington when he was Minister for Press, Information and Culture between 1998 and 2002.
He was among the longest-serving spokespersons of the ministry between 2002 and 2008. He has also had postings in Moscow, Warsaw, Tehran, Geneva and Thimphu.
This is the second high-level extension this year after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's term was also extended by a year. MrJaishankar is set to retire in January 2018, but South Block is speculating whether he would get another extension from PM Modi.
Rahul Trains Guns On Modi Over Rafale Deal, Jay Shah Issue
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Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poll-bound Gujarat today and alleged that the latter did not want the "truth" behind the multi-crore Rafale deal and Jay Shah issue to come out before the Assembly election in his home state.
He also alleged that the NDA government was delaying the Winter Session of Parliament as Modi was not ready to discuss the Rafale and Jay Shah issues in the House before the Gujarat polls.
"I would ask Modiji three questions (on the Rafale deal). First, is there a difference in the cost of planes in the first and the second contract (signed with a French firm) and did India pay more or less money as per the second contract?
"And, has the industrialist (whose company has formed a joint venture with the French firm), who was given the contract, ever manufactured planes?," he asked while addressing a public gathering here in Gandhinagar district.
The Congress leader also sought to know if the due procedure was followed while inking the deal with France last year to procure the Rafale fighter jets.
"And a more important question, did you follow the due government procedure? Why the (then) defence minister was seen catching fish in Goa? And, was an approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security taken (for the mega deal)?," he asked.
Gandhi alleged that the prime minister was avoiding answering these questions due to the fear that the "truth" would come out before the crucial polls in his home state. "Narendra Modiji is not replying to these questions because he wants that the truth of Rafale and Jay Shah should not come before the public ahead of the Gujarat elections," he said.
"Rafale is a matter related to the Indian Air Force, national security, martyrs. Modiji will have to answer these questions before the people of the country and Gujarat," he said.
The 47-year-old Amethi MP said while the mediapersons asked him a lot of questions, they did not do the same with the prime minister over the Rafale and Jay Shah issues.
"Modiji will make many tours of Gujarat. Press reporters ask me various questions. Why don't you ask Modi about the Rafale deal and Jay Shah? The people should also ask Modiji about Rafale and Jay Shah when he comes to Gujarat," he said.
The prime minister is scheduled to address a series of poll rallies in Gujarat in support of the BJP candidates next week. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases -- on December 9 and 14. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 18.
"Generally, Parliament's (Winter) session is held every year in November and discussions (on crucial issues) take place in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But, due to two reasons, Parliament is opening after the Gujarat polls this time.
"First, (BJP chief) Amit Shah's son (Jay) converted Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80 crore in three months. Second, and a more important reason, is the Rafale deal. The entire procedure went on for the purchase of the planes and after all the discussions were over, Narendra Modi himself went to France to change the contract," he alleged.
In September last year, India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore. The Congress had recently raised questions over the deal and accused the Modi-led BJP government of compromising on national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer.
However, the BJP had rubbished the allegations. In an article published on news portal The Wire, it was alleged that the turnover of a company owned by Jay Shah grew exponentially from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 8 crore after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.
Both Amit Shah and his son have denied any wrongdoing by the company. Jay Shah has filed a criminal defamation case against the news portal.
"I would ask Modiji three questions (on the Rafale deal). First, is there a difference in the cost of planes in the first and the second contract (signed with a French firm) and did India pay more or less money as per the second contract?
"And, has the industrialist (whose company has formed a joint venture with the French firm), who was given the contract, ever manufactured planes?," he asked while addressing a public gathering here in Gandhinagar district.
The Congress leader also sought to know if the due procedure was followed while inking the deal with France last year to procure the Rafale fighter jets.
"And a more important question, did you follow the due government procedure? Why the (then) defence minister was seen catching fish in Goa? And, was an approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security taken (for the mega deal)?," he asked.
Gandhi alleged that the prime minister was avoiding answering these questions due to the fear that the "truth" would come out before the crucial polls in his home state. "Narendra Modiji is not replying to these questions because he wants that the truth of Rafale and Jay Shah should not come before the public ahead of the Gujarat elections," he said.
"Rafale is a matter related to the Indian Air Force, national security, martyrs. Modiji will have to answer these questions before the people of the country and Gujarat," he said.
The 47-year-old Amethi MP said while the mediapersons asked him a lot of questions, they did not do the same with the prime minister over the Rafale and Jay Shah issues.
The prime minister is scheduled to address a series of poll rallies in Gujarat in support of the BJP candidates next week. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases -- on December 9 and 14. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 18.
"Generally, Parliament's (Winter) session is held every year in November and discussions (on crucial issues) take place in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But, due to two reasons, Parliament is opening after the Gujarat polls this time.
"First, (BJP chief) Amit Shah's son (Jay) converted Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80 crore in three months. Second, and a more important reason, is the Rafale deal. The entire procedure went on for the purchase of the planes and after all the discussions were over, Narendra Modi himself went to France to change the contract," he alleged.
In September last year, India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore. The Congress had recently raised questions over the deal and accused the Modi-led BJP government of compromising on national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer.
However, the BJP had rubbished the allegations. In an article published on news portal The Wire, it was alleged that the turnover of a company owned by Jay Shah grew exponentially from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 8 crore after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.
Both Amit Shah and his son have denied any wrongdoing by the company. Jay Shah has filed a criminal defamation case against the news portal.
Weaker Sections Not Adequately Represented In Higher Judiciary: President
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President Ram Nath Kovind today expressed concern over the "unacceptably low" representation of women, OBCs, SC/STs in the higher judiciary and called for steps to remedy the situation.
"There is unacceptably low representation of traditionally weaker sections such as OBCs, SCs and STs especially in the higher judiciary," President Kovind said, adding that one in four judges is a woman.
Asking the judiciary to walk in pace with other public institutions in being truly representatives of society's diversity, the President said: "Like our other public institutions, our judiciary too has to be judicious in being representative of the diversity of our country, and the depth and breadth of our society.
"Of the 17,000 judges in our subordinate courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court, only about 4,700 - roughly one in four - are women," he said.
Telling the higher judiciary that it was its "sacred duty" to "groom" district and sessions judges and raise their skill so that more and more of them can be elevated to High Courts, President Kovind said "We need to take long-term measures to remedy this situation."
"This will also enhance trust in our lower courts and their judgments and serve to declog our High Courts," the President said.
However, in a caveat, he made it clear that the long-term solutions would be "without in any manner compromising on quality" of the judges and the judicial system.
The President was speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day meet organised jointly by the Law Commission of India and NITI Aayog on the National Law Day.
"There is unacceptably low representation of traditionally weaker sections such as OBCs, SCs and STs especially in the higher judiciary," President Kovind said, adding that one in four judges is a woman.
"Of the 17,000 judges in our subordinate courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court, only about 4,700 - roughly one in four - are women," he said.
Telling the higher judiciary that it was its "sacred duty" to "groom" district and sessions judges and raise their skill so that more and more of them can be elevated to High Courts, President Kovind said "We need to take long-term measures to remedy this situation."
"This will also enhance trust in our lower courts and their judgments and serve to declog our High Courts," the President said.
However, in a caveat, he made it clear that the long-term solutions would be "without in any manner compromising on quality" of the judges and the judicial system.
The President was speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day meet organised jointly by the Law Commission of India and NITI Aayog on the National Law Day.
To Counter Chai-Wala Jibe, BJP Prepares For Massive Showdown In Gujarat
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set for a massive showdown in poll-bound Gujarat days after a meme was put out on the official Twitter handle of "Yuva Desh", Indian Youth Congress's online magazine, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'Chai-Wala'.
Gujarat BJP is organising a statewide programme, "Mann Ki Baat, Chai Ke Saath," on Sunday in a bid to counter the grand old party. A dozen odd union ministers, along with 30 top ranking BJP functionaries, and over 150 state leaders would be descending in Gujarat to participate in the events that would be organised at the polling booths across the state.
"On the morning of November 26 (Sunday), we have organised 'Mann ki Baat, Chai ke Saath', wherein our workers would listen to PM Modi's radio programme at all the 50,000 (polling) booths while having tea with people. This exercise is aimed at establishing a direct dialogue with the people," Bhupinder Yadav, state unit in-charge of the BJP.
PM Modi talks about national issues in his monthly radio address "Mann Ki Baat," which is broadcast on All India Radio.
BJP National President Amit Shah will participate in the "Mann Ki Baat, Chai Ke Saath" programme in Dariyapur. "It's considered a sensitive area," said a senior BJP party worker.
While Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will attend the event in Sabarmati, Railway Minister Piyush Goel will mark his presence in Porbandar. Information and Broadcast Minister Smriti Irani will attend the event in Junagarh, and BJP MP Paresh Rawal will register his attendance in Rajkot. The party aims to encash the sentiment of "Gujarat pride" through the programme.
"Our PM has earned respect not just in India, but across the globe. Congress leaders do not understand the strength of the common man and make fun of him. The Congress leaders are misusing the social media because they are desperate," Mr Yadav said.
Youth Congress' online magazine "Yuva Desh" kicked up a row earlier this week when a meme, mocking PM Modi, was shared on its official Twitter handle. The picture showed PM Modi standing with British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump. As Mr Trump corrected PM Modi's pronunciation of "meme," Ms May mocked him further saying "Tu chai bech" (you're better off at selling tea).
However, after the meme triggered controversy, the Youth Congress tendered an apology and removed the tweet.
Senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad also admitted it was a mistake to share such a meme. "We are very humble people. If we make a mistake, we say sorry. But when BJP abuses or their ministers abuse, they never say sorry.
"They abuse democracy and also our leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru day in and day out but they never say sorry," Mr Azad, who is also in-charge of Gujarat Congress, said.
Gujarat BJP is organising a statewide programme, "Mann Ki Baat, Chai Ke Saath," on Sunday in a bid to counter the grand old party. A dozen odd union ministers, along with 30 top ranking BJP functionaries, and over 150 state leaders would be descending in Gujarat to participate in the events that would be organised at the polling booths across the state.
PM Modi talks about national issues in his monthly radio address "Mann Ki Baat," which is broadcast on All India Radio.
BJP National President Amit Shah will participate in the "Mann Ki Baat, Chai Ke Saath" programme in Dariyapur. "It's considered a sensitive area," said a senior BJP party worker.
While Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will attend the event in Sabarmati, Railway Minister Piyush Goel will mark his presence in Porbandar. Information and Broadcast Minister Smriti Irani will attend the event in Junagarh, and BJP MP Paresh Rawal will register his attendance in Rajkot. The party aims to encash the sentiment of "Gujarat pride" through the programme.
"Our PM has earned respect not just in India, but across the globe. Congress leaders do not understand the strength of the common man and make fun of him. The Congress leaders are misusing the social media because they are desperate," Mr Yadav said.
Youth Congress' online magazine "Yuva Desh" kicked up a row earlier this week when a meme, mocking PM Modi, was shared on its official Twitter handle. The picture showed PM Modi standing with British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump. As Mr Trump corrected PM Modi's pronunciation of "meme," Ms May mocked him further saying "Tu chai bech" (you're better off at selling tea).
However, after the meme triggered controversy, the Youth Congress tendered an apology and removed the tweet.
Senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad also admitted it was a mistake to share such a meme. "We are very humble people. If we make a mistake, we say sorry. But when BJP abuses or their ministers abuse, they never say sorry.
"They abuse democracy and also our leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru day in and day out but they never say sorry," Mr Azad, who is also in-charge of Gujarat Congress, said.
In Egypt's Deadliest Attack, 305 Killed At Mosque In ISIS Hotbed
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Terrorists killed 305 people, including 27 children, at a mosque in North Sinai on Friday, detonating a bomb and gunning down fleeing worshipers in the deadliest such attack in Egypt's modern history, state media and witnesses said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the mosque in Egypt, but since 2013, Egyptian security forces have battled an ISIS affiliate in the mainly desert region, and terrorists have killed hundreds of police and soldiers.
State media showed images of bloodied victims and bodies covered in blankets inside the Al Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, west of El Arish, the main city in North Sinai.
Worshippers were finishing Friday prayers at the mosque when a bomb exploded, witnesses said. Around 40 gunmen set up positions outside the mosque with jeeps and opened fire from different directions as people tried to escape. "Four groups of armed men attacked the worshippers inside the mosque after Friday noon prayers. Two groups were firing at ambulances to deter them, said Mohamed, a witness.
The death toll has risen to 305 and 128 more wounded, MENA state news agency reported.
Hours after the attack, Egypt's military launched air strikes on targets in mountainous areas around Bir al-Abed, destroying vehicles and hideouts associated with the attack, the army said without giving numbers of terrorists killed.
"The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force," Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a televised address.
"What is happening is an attempt to stop us from our efforts in the fight against terrorism, to destroy our efforts to stop the terrible criminal plan that aims to destroy what is left of our region."
Striking at a mosque would be a shift in tactics for the Sinai terrorists, who have usually attacked troops and police and Christian churches.
Arabiya news channel and some local sources said some of the worshippers were Sufis, whom groups such as ISIS consider targets because they revere saints and shrines, which for Islamists is tantamount to idolatry.
The jihadists have also attacked local tribes and their militias for working with the army and police, branding them traitors.
ISIS earlier this year posted a video of the beheading of two Sufis in northern Sinai, accusing them of practicing "sorcery".
SINAI BRANCH
The Sinai branch is one of ISIS's surviving branches following the collapse of its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq after military defeats by US-backed forces.
Sisi, a former armed forces commander who presents himself as a bulwark against Islamist terrorism, convened an emergency meeting with his defence and interior ministers and intelligence chief soon after the attack.
Security has long been one of the key sources of public support for the former general, who is expected to run for re-election early next year for another four-year term.
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Twitter on Friday, called the assault a "horrible and cowardly terrorist attack".
"The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence," he added.
Trump later called Sisi to express his condolences and said the United States "stands by Egypt's side in its fight against terrorism and is ready to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in this field," according to a statement from Sisi's office.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Egypt.
SINAI STRUGGLE
Egypt later said it would delay the opening of the Rafah border crossing to Gaza after the attack due to security concerns. The crossing had been due to open for three days beginning on Saturday.
North Sinai, which stretches from the Suez Canal eastwards to the Gaza Strip and Israel, has long been a security headache for Egyptian security forces because of smuggling.
Sisi has support from some Bedouin tribal leaders, who have helped the army locate weapon-smuggling routes used by jihadi groups, security officials said.
Local terrorist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, once allied to al Qaeda, split from it and declared allegiance to ISIS in 2014.
Bloodshed in the Sinai worsened after 2013 when Sisi led the overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
In July this year, at least 23 soldiers were killed when suicide car bombs hit two military checkpoints in the Sinai, in an attack claimed by ISIS.
Terrorists have tried to expand their operations into Egypt's heavily populated mainland, hitting Coptic Christian churches and pilgrims. In May, gunmen attacked a Coptic group travelling to a monastery in southern Egypt, killing 29.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the mosque in Egypt, but since 2013, Egyptian security forces have battled an ISIS affiliate in the mainly desert region, and terrorists have killed hundreds of police and soldiers.
State media showed images of bloodied victims and bodies covered in blankets inside the Al Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, west of El Arish, the main city in North Sinai.
The death toll has risen to 305 and 128 more wounded, MENA state news agency reported.
Hours after the attack, Egypt's military launched air strikes on targets in mountainous areas around Bir al-Abed, destroying vehicles and hideouts associated with the attack, the army said without giving numbers of terrorists killed.
"The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force," Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a televised address.
"What is happening is an attempt to stop us from our efforts in the fight against terrorism, to destroy our efforts to stop the terrible criminal plan that aims to destroy what is left of our region."
Striking at a mosque would be a shift in tactics for the Sinai terrorists, who have usually attacked troops and police and Christian churches.
Arabiya news channel and some local sources said some of the worshippers were Sufis, whom groups such as ISIS consider targets because they revere saints and shrines, which for Islamists is tantamount to idolatry.
The jihadists have also attacked local tribes and their militias for working with the army and police, branding them traitors.
ISIS earlier this year posted a video of the beheading of two Sufis in northern Sinai, accusing them of practicing "sorcery".
SINAI BRANCH
The Sinai branch is one of ISIS's surviving branches following the collapse of its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq after military defeats by US-backed forces.
Security has long been one of the key sources of public support for the former general, who is expected to run for re-election early next year for another four-year term.
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Twitter on Friday, called the assault a "horrible and cowardly terrorist attack".
"The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence," he added.
Trump later called Sisi to express his condolences and said the United States "stands by Egypt's side in its fight against terrorism and is ready to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in this field," according to a statement from Sisi's office.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Egypt.
SINAI STRUGGLE
Egypt later said it would delay the opening of the Rafah border crossing to Gaza after the attack due to security concerns. The crossing had been due to open for three days beginning on Saturday.
North Sinai, which stretches from the Suez Canal eastwards to the Gaza Strip and Israel, has long been a security headache for Egyptian security forces because of smuggling.
Sisi has support from some Bedouin tribal leaders, who have helped the army locate weapon-smuggling routes used by jihadi groups, security officials said.
Local terrorist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, once allied to al Qaeda, split from it and declared allegiance to ISIS in 2014.
Bloodshed in the Sinai worsened after 2013 when Sisi led the overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
In July this year, at least 23 soldiers were killed when suicide car bombs hit two military checkpoints in the Sinai, in an attack claimed by ISIS.
Terrorists have tried to expand their operations into Egypt's heavily populated mainland, hitting Coptic Christian churches and pilgrims. In May, gunmen attacked a Coptic group travelling to a monastery in southern Egypt, killing 29.
Business Affairs
Demonetisation, GST, anti-dumping norms cut into tyre imports from China
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The note ban in 2016, introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and anti-dumping structure have resulted in a decline in import of Chinese tyres, the chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association said.
"Now you can say the Chinese imports have become less than half. During the demonetisation month (November 2016), it dropped by 20 per cent. GST coupled with anti-dumping duty, it has started to sink further," ATMA chairman Satish Sharma told reporters here today.
Noting that import of Chinese tyres has started to 'decline', he said, "the imports of Chinese tyres stood at 1,50,000 units in May 2016. Today it is 50,000 units and still going down."
Tyre dealers have become "confident" of not purchasing Chinese tyres as their "profitability" has also crashed, he said.
To a query on the growth of the tyre industry, he said it was pegged at "high single" digit during the current financial year and would be "high double digit" in FY18-19.
"My guess is that the industry this year would see a high single digit (growth) and then it should be in the double digit (as turnover)," he said.
Referring to the recent interaction of ATMA's top office-bearers with Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, he said the Minister assured to take care of which can be done and also asked them to discuss again in "board rooms" the difficulties.
"There have been restrictive trade practices which actually spoilt the case even further. They restricted the imports (raw materials) to a few ports. You can bring in through JNPT only. So we expect these things can be taken care of," he said.
He said India signing free trade agreements would also give support to the industry.
Stating that India was not producing radial tyres when the world was looking for radial tyres a decade ago, Sharma said, "now we are producing radial tyres, we are re-entering the world market and the world has taken note of this".
The note ban in 2016, introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and anti-dumping structure have resulted in a decline in import of Chinese tyres, the chairman of Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association said.
"Now you can say the Chinese imports have become less than half. During the demonetisation month (November 2016), it dropped by 20 per cent. GST coupled with anti-dumping duty, it has started to sink further," ATMA chairman Satish Sharma told reporters here today.
Noting that import of Chinese tyres has started to 'decline', he said, "the imports of Chinese tyres stood at 1,50,000 units in May 2016. Today it is 50,000 units and still going down."
Tyre dealers have become "confident" of not purchasing Chinese tyres as their "profitability" has also crashed, he said.
To a query on the growth of the tyre industry, he said it was pegged at "high single" digit during the current financial year and would be "high double digit" in FY18-19.
"My guess is that the industry this year would see a high single digit (growth) and then it should be in the double digit (as turnover)," he said.
Referring to the recent interaction of ATMA's top office-bearers with Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, he said the Minister assured to take care of which can be done and also asked them to discuss again in "board rooms" the difficulties.
"There have been restrictive trade practices which actually spoilt the case even further. They restricted the imports (raw materials) to a few ports. You can bring in through JNPT only. So we expect these things can be taken care of," he said.
He said India signing free trade agreements would also give support to the industry.
Stating that India was not producing radial tyres when the world was looking for radial tyres a decade ago, Sharma said, "now we are producing radial tyres, we are re-entering the world market and the world has taken note of this".
GST will stabilise, have fewer tax slabs in future, says CEA Arvind Subramanian
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Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian said going forward the Goods and Services Tax (GST) may "probably" have fewer rates by "collapsing" 12 per cent and 18 per cent tax slabs into one.
He said the new tax regime, rolled out from July 1, will stabilise in the next six to nine months and become a "model" for other countries.
"I am confident that over the next six to nine months the system will stabilise. It will also be a model for other countries to emulate... Then over time, the 12 per cent and 18 per cent rate can probably be collapsed into one rate. So over time we will see fewer rates. We would not ever have one rate because that is too difficult to achieve," he said.
The CEA was delivering a lecture at the ICFAI Institute of Higher Learning here.
Admitting there were some technical glitches in the filing systems under the regime, he said the new system is a bit "complicated" as states have different IT systems and these issues are being addressed by the GST Council.
Subramanian described the GST implementation as a "transformational fiscal reform" that the country had not seen in the past.
"The Centre and every state has its own tax officials and own IT system. I can't tell you how complicated the system is. So the fact is the transitional glitches, I think, is not surprising. Perhaps I think we could have done better," the CEA said
"But the most important thing for the GST Council is to decide all these things and take corrective action," he further added when asked about technical glitches the taxpayers were facing.
Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian said going forward the Goods and Services Tax (GST) may "probably" have fewer rates by "collapsing" 12 per cent and 18 per cent tax slabs into one.
He said the new tax regime, rolled out from July 1, will stabilise in the next six to nine months and become a "model" for other countries.
"I am confident that over the next six to nine months the system will stabilise. It will also be a model for other countries to emulate... Then over time, the 12 per cent and 18 per cent rate can probably be collapsed into one rate. So over time we will see fewer rates. We would not ever have one rate because that is too difficult to achieve," he said.
The CEA was delivering a lecture at the ICFAI Institute of Higher Learning here.
Admitting there were some technical glitches in the filing systems under the regime, he said the new system is a bit "complicated" as states have different IT systems and these issues are being addressed by the GST Council.
Subramanian described the GST implementation as a "transformational fiscal reform" that the country had not seen in the past.
"The Centre and every state has its own tax officials and own IT system. I can't tell you how complicated the system is. So the fact is the transitional glitches, I think, is not surprising. Perhaps I think we could have done better," the CEA said
"But the most important thing for the GST Council is to decide all these things and take corrective action," he further added when asked about technical glitches the taxpayers were facing.
Rationale behind S&P's 'conservative' but Moody's 'better' credit ratings to India
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While credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) on Friday retained India's ratings at the lowest investment grade of BBB-, keepings its outlook stable, another US-based credit rating giant Moody's had last week upgraded the government's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3. Moody's also changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive after a gap of 13 years. Though both the credit rating agencies appreciated India's strong GDP, S&P raised concern over increasing fiscal deficit and debt burden, saying the country's fiscal challenges coupled with low per capita income and high debt also reflect the country's underperformance. Here are the bases on which these top rating agencies measured India's growth story.
Gross Domestic Product
Moody's: The agency said most reforms by the current Indian government will take time for their impact to be seen, and some, such as the GST and demonetisation, have undermined growth over the near term. The agency said it expected the real GDP growth to rise to 7.5% in FY2018. In the longer run, India's growth potential seems significantly higher than most other Baa-rated sovereigns, said Moody's.
S&P: The ratings on India reflect the country's strong GDP growth, sound external profile, and improving monetary credibility. However, confidence and GDP growth in 2017 appear to be hit by demonetisation and the introduction of the GST. That said, India's GDP growth rate is among the fastest of all investment-grade sovereigns, and we expect real GDP to average 7.6% over 2017-2020 (6.5% in per capita terms).
Structural Reforms
Moody's: Government efforts to reduce corruption, formalise economic activity and improve tax collection and administration, including through demonetisation and GST, both illustrate and should contribute to the further strengthening of India's institutions. However, much remains to be done. Moody's expects that over time at least some of these issues will be addressed.
S&P: The coalition government has also managed to pass a number of reforms to address long-standing impediments to the country's growth. Upward pressure on the ratings could build if the government's reforms markedly improve its net general government fiscal out-turns and so reduce the level of net general government debt. Upward pressure could also build if India's external accounts strengthen significantly.
Public and Private Sector Banks
Moody's: Recent announcements of a comprehensive recapitalisation of public sector banks (PSBs) and signs of proactive steps towards a resolution of high NPLs through the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act 2016 are beginning to address a key weakness in India's sovereign credit profile. Over the medium term, if met by rising demand for investment and loans, the measures will help foster more robust growth.
S&P: Recapitalisation of state-owned banks is likely to pave the way for some improvement in credit expansion from 2018. Given their weaker profitability, we estimate that public-sector banks will need a capital infusion of about US$30 billion to make large haircuts on loans to viable stressed projects and meet the rising requirement of Basel III capital norms.
Overall Outlook
Moody's: The stable outlook reflects Moody's view that, at the Baa2 level, the risks to India's credit profile are broadly balanced. The relatively fast pace of growth in incomes will continue to bolster the economy's shock absorption capacity. And even in periods of relatively slower growth, as seen recently, stable financing will mitigate the risk of a sharp deterioration in fiscal metrics. However, the high public debt burden remains an important constraint on India's credit profile relative to peers, notwithstanding the mitigating factors which support fiscal sustainability.
S&P: The stable outlook reflects our view that, over the next two years, growth will remain strong, India will maintain its sound external accounts position, and fiscal deficits will remain broadly in line with our forecasts. Upward pressure on the ratings could build if the government's reforms markedly improve its net general government fiscal out-turns and so reduce the level of net general government debt. Downward pressure on the ratings could emerge if GDP growth disappoints, causing us to reassess our view of trend growth.
While credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) on Friday retained India's ratings at the lowest investment grade of BBB-, keepings its outlook stable, another US-based credit rating giant Moody's had last week upgraded the government's local and foreign currency issuer ratings to Baa2 from Baa3. Moody's also changed the outlook on the rating to stable from positive after a gap of 13 years. Though both the credit rating agencies appreciated India's strong GDP, S&P raised concern over increasing fiscal deficit and debt burden, saying the country's fiscal challenges coupled with low per capita income and high debt also reflect the country's underperformance. Here are the bases on which these top rating agencies measured India's growth story.
Gross Domestic Product
Moody's: The agency said most reforms by the current Indian government will take time for their impact to be seen, and some, such as the GST and demonetisation, have undermined growth over the near term. The agency said it expected the real GDP growth to rise to 7.5% in FY2018. In the longer run, India's growth potential seems significantly higher than most other Baa-rated sovereigns, said Moody's.
Moody's: The agency said most reforms by the current Indian government will take time for their impact to be seen, and some, such as the GST and demonetisation, have undermined growth over the near term. The agency said it expected the real GDP growth to rise to 7.5% in FY2018. In the longer run, India's growth potential seems significantly higher than most other Baa-rated sovereigns, said Moody's.
S&P: The ratings on India reflect the country's strong GDP growth, sound external profile, and improving monetary credibility. However, confidence and GDP growth in 2017 appear to be hit by demonetisation and the introduction of the GST. That said, India's GDP growth rate is among the fastest of all investment-grade sovereigns, and we expect real GDP to average 7.6% over 2017-2020 (6.5% in per capita terms).
Structural Reforms
Moody's: Government efforts to reduce corruption, formalise economic activity and improve tax collection and administration, including through demonetisation and GST, both illustrate and should contribute to the further strengthening of India's institutions. However, much remains to be done. Moody's expects that over time at least some of these issues will be addressed.
S&P: The coalition government has also managed to pass a number of reforms to address long-standing impediments to the country's growth. Upward pressure on the ratings could build if the government's reforms markedly improve its net general government fiscal out-turns and so reduce the level of net general government debt. Upward pressure could also build if India's external accounts strengthen significantly.
Public and Private Sector Banks
Moody's: Recent announcements of a comprehensive recapitalisation of public sector banks (PSBs) and signs of proactive steps towards a resolution of high NPLs through the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act 2016 are beginning to address a key weakness in India's sovereign credit profile. Over the medium term, if met by rising demand for investment and loans, the measures will help foster more robust growth.
S&P: Recapitalisation of state-owned banks is likely to pave the way for some improvement in credit expansion from 2018. Given their weaker profitability, we estimate that public-sector banks will need a capital infusion of about US$30 billion to make large haircuts on loans to viable stressed projects and meet the rising requirement of Basel III capital norms.
Overall Outlook
Moody's: The stable outlook reflects Moody's view that, at the Baa2 level, the risks to India's credit profile are broadly balanced. The relatively fast pace of growth in incomes will continue to bolster the economy's shock absorption capacity. And even in periods of relatively slower growth, as seen recently, stable financing will mitigate the risk of a sharp deterioration in fiscal metrics. However, the high public debt burden remains an important constraint on India's credit profile relative to peers, notwithstanding the mitigating factors which support fiscal sustainability.
S&P: The stable outlook reflects our view that, over the next two years, growth will remain strong, India will maintain its sound external accounts position, and fiscal deficits will remain broadly in line with our forecasts. Upward pressure on the ratings could build if the government's reforms markedly improve its net general government fiscal out-turns and so reduce the level of net general government debt. Downward pressure on the ratings could emerge if GDP growth disappoints, causing us to reassess our view of trend growth.
Sovereign gold bonds fixed at Rs 2,961/gram with discounts on online purchase
-
Government has decided the issue price for the next offering of sovereign gold bond scheme to be Rs 2,961 per gram, as per a statement by the Ministry of Finance. The new round of scheme will begin from November 27 and will continue till November 29.
For the SBG subscription during November 27-29, the issue price has been fixed at Rs 2,961 per gram, with settlement on December 4, the statement said. Government has been offering sovereign gold bond for public subscription under SBG 2017-18 - Series-III scheme from October 9 to December 27, 2017. The subscription opens every week on Monday and closes on Wednesday. The bonds are issued on the following Monday after every subscription period.
Moreover, the government has announced that a discount will be awarded to those who subscribe to the sovereign gold bond digitally. "The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to allow discount of Rs 50 per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode," the government statement said.
The sovereign gold bonds under the SGB 2017-18 - Series-III scheme bring in an interest of 2.50 every year which is payable every six months on the initial investment. Interested investors can proccure the bonds from banks, post offices, Stock Holding Corporation of India, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or National Stock Exchange (NSE). The bonds come with a tenure of eight years, with an exit option from five years.
Sovereign gold bonds are denominated in multiples of gram of gold, with a smallest unit of one gram. They could also be held in demat form for easier trading. Centre launched this scheme back in 2015 as an alternative way to buy gold and put the gold lying unused in Indian households and institutions to some use.
Government has decided the issue price for the next offering of sovereign gold bond scheme to be Rs 2,961 per gram, as per a statement by the Ministry of Finance. The new round of scheme will begin from November 27 and will continue till November 29.
For the SBG subscription during November 27-29, the issue price has been fixed at Rs 2,961 per gram, with settlement on December 4, the statement said. Government has been offering sovereign gold bond for public subscription under SBG 2017-18 - Series-III scheme from October 9 to December 27, 2017. The subscription opens every week on Monday and closes on Wednesday. The bonds are issued on the following Monday after every subscription period.
Moreover, the government has announced that a discount will be awarded to those who subscribe to the sovereign gold bond digitally. "The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to allow discount of Rs 50 per gram from the issue price to those investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode," the government statement said.
The sovereign gold bonds under the SGB 2017-18 - Series-III scheme bring in an interest of 2.50 every year which is payable every six months on the initial investment. Interested investors can proccure the bonds from banks, post offices, Stock Holding Corporation of India, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or National Stock Exchange (NSE). The bonds come with a tenure of eight years, with an exit option from five years.
Sovereign gold bonds are denominated in multiples of gram of gold, with a smallest unit of one gram. They could also be held in demat form for easier trading. Centre launched this scheme back in 2015 as an alternative way to buy gold and put the gold lying unused in Indian households and institutions to some use.
Billion dollar charity
-
Sunil Bharti Mittal & family's pledge of giving away one tenth of their wealth, or Rs 7000 crore, makes him this year's most generous.
For the previous three years, Azim Premji had been the most generous, with his 2015 charity amount of Rs 27,514 crore, still the highest amount pledged for donation by a single individual in a year.
Mittal's announcement comes close on the heels of the recent announcement by Nandan & Rohini Nilekani pledging half of their $1.7 billion wealth - roughly Rs 5,500 crore - to The Giving Pledge, founded by billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates & his wife Melinda.
Of course, in line with the general trend, Mittals' charity will focus on education, by setting up the Satya Bharti University offering free science & technology education to the poor. Education, in fact was the top charitable cause last year in India, with the highest amount donated for it, at Rs 818 crore.
India, whose ranking in The Giving Index improved 10 places, from 91 to 81 in 2016, also tops the list of countries with the highest number of people - 265 million - donating money.
According to Bain, Indian philanthropic activity, while still lagging behind global peers, has seen a six-fold increase in 5 years - from Rs 6,000 crore in 2011 to Rs 36,000 crore in 2016. Hurun India, which considers Rs 10 crore as the minimum qualifying amount as a charitable donation, pegs the total philanthropic amount for 2016 at Rs 2,334 crore.
Sunil Bharti Mittal & family's pledge of giving away one tenth of their wealth, or Rs 7000 crore, makes him this year's most generous.
For the previous three years, Azim Premji had been the most generous, with his 2015 charity amount of Rs 27,514 crore, still the highest amount pledged for donation by a single individual in a year.
Mittal's announcement comes close on the heels of the recent announcement by Nandan & Rohini Nilekani pledging half of their $1.7 billion wealth - roughly Rs 5,500 crore - to The Giving Pledge, founded by billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates & his wife Melinda.
Of course, in line with the general trend, Mittals' charity will focus on education, by setting up the Satya Bharti University offering free science & technology education to the poor. Education, in fact was the top charitable cause last year in India, with the highest amount donated for it, at Rs 818 crore.
India, whose ranking in The Giving Index improved 10 places, from 91 to 81 in 2016, also tops the list of countries with the highest number of people - 265 million - donating money.
According to Bain, Indian philanthropic activity, while still lagging behind global peers, has seen a six-fold increase in 5 years - from Rs 6,000 crore in 2011 to Rs 36,000 crore in 2016. Hurun India, which considers Rs 10 crore as the minimum qualifying amount as a charitable donation, pegs the total philanthropic amount for 2016 at Rs 2,334 crore.
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
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