(1) The central government will sell 15% of its stake in RVNL , through an offer for sale (OFS) to raise around ?800 crore. What is RVNL ?

Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd .

(2) At present, government has how much stake in RVNL ?

87.84%

87.84%

The rest 12.16% is with the public.

(3) Why is the govt selling the stake ?

After selling 15% stake, RVNL will meet the minimum 25% public shareholding norm set by the market regulator SEBI.

The floor price has been fixed at ?27.50 a share at a discount to the closing price of ?30.40

(4) For FY21, finance ministry has slashed its disinvestment target to how much ?

?32,000 crore (from ?2.1 trillion)

(5) Why ?

Due to the disruptions caused by the covid pandemic.

(6) DIPAM has so far mopped up ?31,006 crore, with its latest exit from whom ?

Tata Communications Ltd (TCL).

(7) What is the disinvestment target of for FY22 ? ?1.75 trillion

(8) Disinvestment is expected in ?

BPCL, Air India and initial public offer of Life Insurance Corporation.

(9) RVNL was incorporated as an 100% owned PSU of Ministry of Railways in 2003 with the twin objectives of ?

raising extra-budgetary resources and implementation of projects relating to creation and augmentation of capacity of rail infrastructure on fast track basis. RVNL became fully functional by March 2005.

(10) The government to divest 10 per cent equity in RVNL and another 5 per cent with green shoe option. What is Green Shoe Option ?

(11) DIPAM = Department of Investment and Public Asset Management

(1) What is the Ken-Betwa Link Project; which regions will benefit from it ?

The Ken-Betwa Link Project lies in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

UP and MP

Ken and Betwa are rivers.

KBLP = Ken-Betwa Link Project

(2) What is the Ken Betwa Link Project?

The Ken-Betwa Link Project is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers. Under this project, water from the Ken river will be transferred to the Betwa river. Both these rivers are tributaries of river Yamuna.

Interlinking of rivers.

(3) What are the apprehensions about this project ?

The linking of the Ken and Betwa rivers project will play havoc with the famed Panna Tiger Reserve located in Madhya Pradesh.

(4) Making an exception from the norm, India conferred the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize to two statesmen posthumously. Who are they ?

The 2019 Prize was conferred on Late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman.

The 2020 Prize was conferred on ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the late founder of Bangladesh.

(5) The year is also being celebrated as what in both Bangladesh and India ?

Mujib Barsho

(6) Bangladesh's father of the nation ~ Rahman ( see above )

(7) Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence

(8) Year 2020 ~ the birth centenary of Bangabandhu.

(9) Prime Minister will attend the National Day programme of Bangladesh on ____ as the guest of honour.

March 26

Current affairs . March 15, 2021 (1) India's foreign-exchange reserves become world’s fourth-largest. India’s reserves, enough to cover roughly 18 months of imports, have been bolstered by a rare current-account surplus, rising inflows into the local stock market and foreign direct investment

(2) surpassed Russia’s

(3) China has the largest reserves, followed by Japan and Switzerland on the International Monetary Fund table.

(4) Govt. reconstitutes panel for studying Sarasvati river. The committee would continue to be chaired by the Culture Minister . Who is the Union Culture Minister ?

Prahlad Singh Patel

(5) What is ODOP ?

One District One Product (ODOP) initiative ~ providing incentives and support to items with export potential from identified districts.

(6) 25 districts

(7) What is FTP ?

Foreign Trade Policy.

The five year FTP, which got delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is likely to be announced on April 1.

(8) The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Department of Commerce, has already started the process of engaging with State and Central government agencies to promote the initiative of ODOP after its merger with the ‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative.

(9) The objective of ODOP is to convert each district of the country into an export hub by identifying products with export potential in the district, addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products, supporting local exporters/manufacturers to scale up manufacturing, and finding potential buyers outside India with the aim of promoting exports, promoting manufacturing and services industry in the district and generating local employment, according to the Commerce Department.

(10) MoFPI = Ministry of Food Processing Industries .

(11) Based on ODOP, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), in partnership with States, launched an all India Centrally Sponsored PM Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME Scheme) recently.

(1) What is " Aap Ke Dwar Ayushman” ?

Campaign of the National Health Authority (NHA) . To enable the beneficiaries to avail themselves of free healthcare services under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme.

(2) What is AB PM - JAY ?

See the answer to question number one , above .

(3) " Aap Ke Dwar Ayushman” campaign was launched on which date ? .

February1

(4) The aim is to create largescale awareness about the AB PM-JAY health insurance scheme especially in rural and interior parts about cashless healthcare benefit of up to how much amount , per family per year ?

Rs 5 lacs

(5) What is Core inflation ?

Inflation that excludes food and fuel inflation, because they are volatile.

(6) What is the latest on Core inflation ?

Core inflation, for February 2021, stood at 6%. This is the highest since June 2018, when core inflation stood at 6.1%

(7) Core inflation is at its second-highest level in the last five years the bond market is clearly not happy and is demanding a higher return from government bonds. The yield or the return on the 10-year government bond crossed 6.27% on 10 March.

(8) China has disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. In the East China Sea, Japan has maritime disputes with China.

(9) Who becomes first woman cricketer to complete 7,000 ODI runs ?

Mithali Raj

in her 213th match

against South Africa

(10) Who had become the first Indian player and only the second internationally to complete 10,000 runs across all formats ?

(1) FDI in Insurance The union cabinet cleared a proposal for raising the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap on the insurance sector from 49% to 74%...

(2) Insurance Act has to be amended for this . Insurance act of which year ?

1938

(3) What are the safeguards ?

Majority of directors on the Board and key management persons in health and general insurance companies would be resident Indians, with at least 50% of directors being independent directors. The government will also specify a particular percentage of profits to be retained as general reserve.

(4) What are the benefits of increasing the FDI ?

Improve life insurance penetration in the country.

Improve capital availability .

Develop the insurance industry as a big channel for generating durable funds for creation of long-term assets

Aid the process of economic development.

Insurance companies will be able to introduce a broader range of products at affordable prices. This will help increase penetration, which is just 3.71% of the GDP.

3.71 % ~ Important figure

Higher investments will help increase penetration of products in an underserved market.

It will also bring in global best practices.

Lower the cost of products due to greater competition.

(5) India's Biggest Floating Solar Power Plant To Be Commissioned By May 2021 , in which place ?

Ramagundam in Telangana

(6) It is being developed by which company ?

NTPC = National Thermal Power Corporation.

(7) It's a 100 mega-watt project.

(8) This floating solar photo-voltaic project would be on the water surface of which reservoir ?

Sri Ram Sagar Project reservoir.

(9) Which are the other renewable energy plants that are likely to be commissioned this year ?

Kayamkulam gas plant in Kerala and Simhadri power plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra.

(10) Quad

The first summit meeting of the Quad — India, US, Japan and Australia — will take place virtually , tomorrow.

PM Narendra Modi, President Joe Biden, PM Yoshihide Suga and PM Scott Morrison

(11) The Quad, which used to be known as the quadrilateral security dialogue, is now known as what ?

The quadrilateral framework

(to indicate it has gone beyond a narrow security dialogue).

(12) This will be the first Quad summit meeting since 2007.

(13) In March 2021 , the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) removed which Bank from its prompt corrective action (PCA) list ?

IDBI Bank

(14) This follows a review of IDBI Bank Limited, by the BFS . BFS = ?

Board for Financial Supervision .

(15) As per published results for the quarter ending December 31, 2020 , IDBI bank is not in breach of the three out of four PCA parameters. What are those three ?

Regulatory capital, Net NPA and Leverage ratio

(16) Government of India holds how much stake in IDBI Bank ?

45.48 per cent

(17) Life Insurance Corporation of India ( LIC ) holds how much stake in IDBI Bank ?

49.24 per cent

(18) IDBI Bank was put under the central bank’s PCA framework in which year ?

2017

(19) What is the PCA mechanism ?

The RBI had introduced the PCA mechanism in 2002 that forced banks to follow pre-set guidelines if their performance in terms of capital adequacy ratio, net non-performing assets (NPA) and return on assets fell below a desired threshold.

(20) With the exit of IDBI Bank, how many PSU banks are still under PCA ?

3

(21) What are they ?

Indian Overseas Bank, Central Bank of India and Uco Bank.

(22) When is PCA invoked ?

If a bank’s capital adequacy ratio falls at least 250 basis points below the minimum prescription of 10.25 per cent and its net NPAs are over 6 per cent. The other two criteria are negative RoA for two consecutive years and leverage ratio — the percentage of capital to exposure — falls to four per cent.

(1) India is world's ___ biggest oil consumer .

Third

(2) Who are the first two ?

USA and China

(3) India imports how much percentage of it's oil needs ?

84 %

(4) India imports how much percentage of it's oil needs , from West Asia ?

60 %

(5) Who are the two biggest suppliers of oil to India ?

Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

(6) Who has launched 'world's first coronavirus passport' ?

China

(7) What is that ?

A digital certificate, which shows a user's vaccination status and virus test results.

(8) Who is Asia's richest man ?

Chinese water tycoon Zhong Shanshan

(9) He is famous for what ?

Nongfu Spring mineral water and pharma company Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise.

(10) He is the seventh-richest person on the planet.

(1) March 8 Women's day.

Current affairs . March 8, 2021 (2) Why is IDBI Bank in news ? Who owns IDBI ?

LIC to sell stake in IDBI Bank to ease process of disinvestment

LIC holds 49.24 per cent of stake in IDBI Bank , while 45.48 per cent is with the Central Government ( As on December 30, 2020)

(2) The regulations restrict IRDAI's holding at 15 per cent stake in a single firm. Also, an insurer cannot have ownership in any non-insurance company. The Reserve Bank of India does not allow non-banking entities to have more than 10 per cent stake in a bank. How was then , LIC able to have a stake in IDBI Bank ?

Note the points ....15 % , 10 %

On account of special relaxation provided by the insurance regulator, The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)

(152) The Centre offloaded 20% stake in IRCTC through OFS in December 2020, at a floor price of Rs1,367 per equity share. OFS = Offer For Sale.

(153) Unlike a follow-on public offering (FPO), where companies can raise funds by issuing fresh shares or promoters can sell their existing stakes, or both, the OFS mechanism is used only when existing shares are put on the block. Only promoters or shareholders holding more than 10 per cent of the share capital in a company can come up with such an issue. The mechanism is available to 200 top companies in terms of market capitalisation. In an OFS, a minimum of 25 per cent of the shares offered, are reserved for mutual funds (MFs) and insurance companies. At any point, no single bidder other than these two institutional categories is allocated more than 25 per cent of the size of the offering. A minimum of 10 per cent of the offer size is reserved for retail investors.

(154) BEAM = ? The BSE launched an electronic spot platform for agricultural commodities—BSE E-Agricultural Markets Ltd. (BEAM)—through its subsidiary BSE Investments Ltd.

(155) In line with the Prime Minister's vision to create a single market, the platform facilitates spot agricultural commodities transactions across the value chain, consisting of producers, intermediaries, ancillary services and consumers.

(156) The National Stock Exchange exchange has launched its first agricultural commodity futures contract on crude degummed soybean oil (CDSO Futures).

(157) Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), hailed as the largest health assurance programme in the world, covers more than 50 crore poor Indians for hospital expenses upto Rs 5 lakh per annum.

(158) The government has pegged the disinvestment target for FY22 at Rs 1.75 lakh crore.

(159) DIPAM = Department of Investment and Public Asset Management

(160) The new policy focuses on privatisation in non-core sectors, while shutting down loss making state-run enterprises.

(161) The budget has made it absolutely clear there will be only four key strategic sectors and in these key segments, there will be a maximum of three or four public sector units.

(162) Govt committed to privatising all PSUs except bare minimum in 4 strategic sectors — PM Modi

(163) Nearly 70 per cent of expenditure on health has to be borne by the patients and this pushes about 60 million Indians into poverty each year, the Finance Commission has said.

(164) Seventy per cent of public expenditure on health is by the states and only 30 per cent is by the Centre.

(164) Seventy per cent of public expenditure on health is by the states and only 30 per cent is by the Centre.

(165) The Commission recommended that public health expenditure of the union and the states together should be increased in a progressive manner to reach 2.5 per cent of the GDP by 2025.

(137) Vehicle Scrappage Policy announced in the Budget. Under the new scrappage policy, personal vehicles and commercial vehicles which fail fitness tests after 20 years and 15 years will not be allowed to ply.... to reduce urban pollution levels and galvanise automotive sales

(138) 2021 budget allocation for healthcare sector: The budget, which allocated Rs 2,23,846 crore for health and wellbeing , launched a new centrally sponsored scheme, PM AtmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, with an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crores over 6 years

(139) Budget 2021 news: In order to incentivise setting up of more startups, the Centre has proposed to extend tax holiday by one more year till March 31, 2022

(140) Agri infra cess of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and Rs 4 per litre on diesel proposed

(141) No need for senior citizens above 75 years with only pension, interest income to file ITR

(142) Global foreign direct investment (FDI) collapsed in 2020, falling how much ? 42% from $1.5 trillion in 2019 to an estimated $859 billion, according to an UNCTAD Investment Trends Monitor published in January 2021

(143) China was the world’s largest FDI recipient, with flows to the Asian giant rising by 4% to $163 billion.

(144) India witnessed a 13% rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) to $57 billion in 2020 compared to the previous year. ____ The domestic figure was boosted by investments in the digital economy, while China overtook the US as the largest recipient of FDI globally,

(145) India and China were the only two countries which saw FDI rising in 2020, while the rest of the world, including developed economies such as the UK and the US, saw sharp declines

(146) Acquisition of nearly 10% of Jio Platforms by Jaadhu — owned by Facebook — for $5.7 billion.

(147) Global FDI collapsed in 2020, falling by 42%

(148) India witnessed a 13% year-on-year rise, the highest among key nations, in FDI inflows in 2020, China’s rose 4%. Of course, in absolute term, China remained way ahead, with an inflow of as much as $163 billion, while India’s stood at $57 billion. Inflows into India were boosted by those into the digital sector, the report said. Analysts have pointed out that a sizable chunk of these was drawn by Reliance Jio alone.

(149) What is a PE ratio and what are the different types of PE ratios? A PE ratio or price-to-earnings multiple for a company is one of the most popular measures used to select a company while investing. It is estimated by dividing the current market price of a company’s share by the company’s 12-month earnings per share.

(150) Bengaluru only Indian city in FDI global list It was placed 13 in the top 30 global cities of the future ranking

(151) Singapore topped the list , followed by London and Dubai.

(94) The cabinet approved the merger of Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children's Film Society, India with whom ?

National Film Development Corporation

(95) DTH ~ Union Cabinet approved the revision in guidelines for obtaining license for providing Direct-To-Home (DTH) broadcasting service in India. The DTH license will be used for 20 years. The license fee will be collected quarterly

(96) SC students ~ Cabinet approved changes in the centrally sponsored Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme to benefit more than four crore Scheduled Caste students in the next five years and approved a total investment of over ?59,000 crore for the purpose.

(97) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently pegged the contraction in India's economy at what per cent in 2020-21 ?

8 % ( It expects a growth rate of 11.5 per cent in 2021-22 before a decline to 6.8 per cent in 2022-23 and that India will regain the tag of the fastest-growing large economy in the world in both years)

(98) Crisis-hit private lender Lakshmi Vilas Bank was merged with whom ?

DBS Bank India

(99) The merger came into effect on November 27

Rs 2,500 crores

(100) DBS Bank India infused fresh capital of how much into Lakshmi Vilas Bank ?

Rs 2,500 crore

(101) The Union Cabinet approved equity infusion of how much in NIIF Debt Platform ,sponsored by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund ?

Rs 6,000 crore

(102) To support the funding of the National Infrastructure Pipeline of _______ , Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech this year had said that about Rs 22,000 crore has already been provided

Rs 111 lakh crore This would be towards equity support to infrastructure finance companies such as India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) and a subsidiary of NIIF.

(103) What is Mission Karmayogi ?

Mission Karmayogi for civil servants ~ post-recruitment reforms in government . Mission Karmayogi has been dubbed as the biggest bureaucratic reform initiative, aimed at capacity building of government employees.

(104) What is India's rank in Human Development Index ?

131 India slipped two spots to rank 131 among 189 countries .

(105) Who released the report ?

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

(106) What is HDI ?

Measure of a nation’s health, education, and standards of living.

(107) Who topped the index ?

Norway topped the index, followed by Ireland, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Iceland.

(108) Life expectancy of Indians at birth in 2019 was ?

69.7 years

(109) India’s gross national income per capita fell to how much in 2019 ?

USD 6,681 in 2019 { on purchasing power parity (PPP) basis}

(110) What is Purchasing power parity or PPP ?

It is a measurement of prices in different countries using the prices of specific goods to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries’ currencies.

(111) Under the Paris Agreement, what did India commit ?

India pledged to cut down the emission intensity of carbon from the 2005 level by 33-35 per cent by 2030 and to obtain 40 per cent of electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.

(112) Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown dies at 99... Who is he ?

American cardiologist who invented 1st reliable heart defibrillator, dies from heart failure.

(113) Who got the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2020 ?

The Nobel Peace Prize 2020 was awarded to World Food Programme (WFP) "for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."

(114) OPEC = ?

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

(115) Headquarters of OPEC ?

Vienna , Austria.

(116) As of 2018, OPEC member countries held 79.4% of the world's proven oil reserves and produced about 40% of the world's oil output

(117) U.S. was the world's largest oil-producing country in 2019 with nearly 19.5 million barrels per day.

(118) Saudi Arabia is the global leader in exporting oil followed by Russia and Iraq.

(119) OPEC's oil exports represent about 60% of the total oil that is traded internationally.

(120) In November 2020, which country threatened to leave OPEC ?

UAE

(121) The Banking Ombudsman Scheme (BOS) was first notified by the Reserve Bank in which year ? Under which section ?

1995 under Section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. (It is administered by the Reserve Bank through 22 Offices of Banking Ombudsman (OBOs))

(122) What are the three Ombudsman schemes ?

The Banking Ombudsman Scheme (BOS), (2) the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies (OSNBFC) and (3) the Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions (OSDT)

(123) As announced in the Monetary Policy Statement on February 5, 2021, the three Ombudsman Schemes are being merged and integrated into a single scheme which will be rolled out starting from which date ?

June 2021.

(124) IESH = ?

The Reserve Bank of India has been regularly conducting Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH).

(125) The survey aims at capturing subjective assessments on price movements and inflation, of approximately 6,000 households, based on their individual consumption baskets, across how many cities ?

18

(126) CCS =

The Reserve Bank of India has been regularly conducting Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS).

(127) The survey seeks qualitative responses from households, regarding their sentiments on general economic situation, employment scenario, price level, households’ income and spending. The survey is conducted regularly in ___ cities

13

(128) RBI's Report on Currency and Finance (RCF) for the year 2020-21 released. First published in 1937, the RCF adopted a theme-based approach from 1998-99. What is the theme of this year's Report ?

Reviewing the Monetary Policy Framework

(129) All-India credit-deposit (C-D) ratio improved marginally to 72.5 per cent in December 2020 from 72.0 per cent in the previous quarter; C-D ratio of metropolitan branches, which account for over half of the banking business in India, stood at 87.5 per cent.

(130) When was the last monetary policy held ?

Feb 5, 2021

(131) What was decided ?

To keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 4.0 per cent.

LAF =

(132) What happened to the Reverse Repo rate and MSF rate ?

Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF remains unchanged at 3.35 per cent and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 4.25 per cent.

(133) Inflation targeting by RBI

Medium-term target for consumer price index (CPI) inflation of 4 per cent within a band of +/- 2 per cent

(134) The next meeting of the MPC is scheduled during ____

April 5 to 7, 2021.

(135) In India, why there is a wide gap between WPI and CPI inflation ?

For the last so many years manufacturing inflation has been low in India.

Manufacturing inflation means , inflation in respect of products that are manufactured . Their weightage in WPI is high. But in CPI low. That's why WPI inflation is low .

(136) Jnanpith award The prestigious Jnanpith award was conferred on poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham

(43) Stock index of which country rose to a 30 - year high , this month ? ( Feb 2021) Japan.

(44) Why ? Shares of Japanese banks and insurers, big investors in US debt, are highly correlated with US bond yields and were boosted by moves in the Treasury market.

(45) What is the name of the share market index in Japan ? Nikkei

(46) The Nikkei index went above 30,000

(47) The number of subscribers under the Atal Pension Yojana has crossed the 4-crore mark with the scheme adding 62 lakh subscribers in the last 12 months — an increase of 31%

(48) The Atal Pension Yojana was introduced to replace which scheme ? The Swavalamban Yojana, or NPS Lite, which is closed for a subscription.

(49) The government started Atal Pension Yojana for whom ? unorganised sector people.

(50) According to the Economic Survey for fiscal 2020-21, the overall contribution under NPS grew by more than what percentage ? 30 per cent

(51) Atal Pension Yojana is a periodic contribution-based pension plan and provides guaranteed pension of how much to subscribers ? ?1,000-5,000 .

(52) India-US joint military exercise was held in Rajasthan in February 2021 . What is the name of the exercise ? ~~~Yudh Abhyas Held in which state ? ### Rajasthan.

(53) India and France held a five-day joint exercise in Rajasthan in January 2021

(54) India’s equities markets gained the most since January 2021, after which country , among the world’s top 10 markets ? Hong Kong

(55) Why ? Sentiment is bullish ,after the budget. BSE Sensex crosed the 50,000-mark, while the Nifty crossed the 15,000-mark.

(56) What is the fundamental factor supporting India’s outperformance in February, in share markets ? December quarter results, which have beaten expectations by an impressive margin, across industries.

(57) What is PE ? Price Earnings Multiple.

(58) The benchmark Nifty currently trades at how many times its estimated 12-month forward earnings, compared to the 10-year average of 15.87 times ? 22.36

(59) Nifty = National Stock Exchange Index . Calculated on the basis of the share price of fifty companies.

(60) BSE ( Bombay Stock Exchange ) . Index of BSE is known as Sensex ( = Sensitive Index ). Share prices of 30 companies.

(61) What is Bitcoin ?

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that has been around since 2009. It was supposedly invented by someone known as Satoshi Nakamoto but whose real identity or identities (given that it could even be a group of people), is/are not known.

(62) Which is the world's largest Cryptocurrency ?

Bitcoin

(63) OTT = ?

OTT stands for 'over-the-top'

(64) OTT platforms are the offsprings of the internet.

(65) OTT services ~ They stream movies and TV shows on smart devices.

(66) Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar are among the popular OTT platforms available in India

(67) What is Renewable Energy ?

Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished. ~~~ For example, sunlight or wind , keep shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather

(68) What is Nonrenewable, or “dirty,” energy ?

Fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal.

(69) The Economic Survey 2020-21 , was authored by whom ?

A team led by Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Venkata Subramanian.

(70) Economic Survey predicts a V shaped recovery.

(71) Economic Survey says that India to become the fastest growing economy in next two years as per whom ?

IMF

(72) As per Economic Survey , India’s GDP is estimated to contract by what percentage in FY2020-21 ?

7.7%

(73) As per Economic Survey , Agriculture to clock 3.4% Growth, while industry and services to contract by 9.6% and 8.8% respectively this year

(74) As per Economic Survey, India to have a Current Account Surplus of 2% of GDP in FY21, A historic high after 17 years

(75) As per Economic Survey , Net FPI Inflows recorded an all-time monthly high of how much ?

9.8 Billion Dollars in November 2020

(76) As per Economic Survey , It takes a company 1570 days to close its businesses in India, even if all their paperwork is clean. This is what happens in the case of excessive regulation. In Singapore, it takes 120 days

(77) Global economic output estimated to fall by how much in 2020 (IMF January 2021 estimates) ?

3.5 %

(78) India adopted a four-pillar strategy. What are they ? Containment, fiscal, financial, and long-term structural reforms:

(79) As per Economic Survey , India’s real GDP to record a 11.0% growth in FY2021-22 and nominal GDP to grow by how much percentage ?

15.4% – the highest since independence

(80) Which was the only country among emerging markets to receive equity FII inflows in 2020 ?

India. ( among emerging markets )

(81) India’s market-cap to GDP ratio crossed ____ for the first time since October 2010

100 %

(82) Forex reserves increased to a level so as to cover ___ months worth of imports in December 2020

18

(83) India became the fastest country to roll-out 10 lakh vaccines in 6 days and also emerged as a leading supplier of the vaccine to neighbouring countries and Brazil

(84) Does Growth lead to Debt Sustainability? Yes, But Not Vice- Versa! • Growth leads to debt sustainability in the Indian context but not necessarily vice-versa: ( as per Economic Survey)

(85) What is IRGD ?

Debt sustainability depends on the ‘Interest Rate Growth Rate Differential’ (IRGD), i.e., the difference between the interest rate and the growth rate

(86) In the June quarter, India's GDP growth contracted for the first time in more than 40 years by what percentage ?

A massive 23.9 %

First time in 40 years

(87) In the September quarter , contraction slowed down to ?

7.5 %

(88) GFCE = Government Final Consumption Expenditure

(89) The fifth largest economy in the world ~ India

(90) Global Innovation Index. How does India fare ?

India entered the top-50 innovating countries for the first time in 2020 since the inception of the Global Innovation Index in 2007, ranking first in Central and South Asia, and third amongst lower middle-income group economies

(91) R & D Investment. How does India fare ?

India’s gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) is lowest amongst top ten economies

(92) PM -JAY

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) – the ambitious program launched by Government of India in 2018 to provide healthcare access to the most vulnerable sections demonstrates strong positive effects on healthcare outcomes in a short time

(93) India’s forex reserves at an all-time high of how much as on January 08, 2021 ?

US$ 586.1 billion covering about 18 months worth of imports

(24) Who is working with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) to train and onboard 10,000 women from Self Help Groups (SHG) as business correspondent (BC) Sakhis in UP ? Fino Payments Bank (25) An internal working group constituted by the Reserve Bank of India has recommended that payments banks looking to convert to a small finance bank can apply to do so, after how many years of operations ? 3 years (26 ) Currently, what are the things , a payments bank is allowed to do , as per RBI regulations ? can only provide services such as savings bank account, remittance services and other payment options. ( See question 28 also ) . (27) What is the advantage to Payments Bank , because of the new regulations ? A Payments bank seeking to convert to a small finance bank will have the ability to start a lending business, which would result in a more profitable use of the deposits it garners from customers. (28) What can the Payments Banks do , as per RBI regulations ? Payments banks are allowed to invest 75% of their demand deposit balance in government securities or treasury bills with maturity up to one year. ..... From the remaining 25%, the payments banks can also invest in certificate of deposits.

(29) The RBI had granted in-principle approvals to how many entities to start payments banks in 2015 ? 11 (30) Currently how many payments banks are operational in India ? Only six. (31) What are they ? Paytm Payments Bank, Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments Bank, Fino Payments Bank, Jio Payments Bank and NSDL Payments Bank. (32) While granting licenses in 2015, the RBI had specified to small finance banks and payments banks, that they must list within how many years of achieving Rs 500 crore net worth ? Three (33) According to the recommendations by the working group, existing payments banks and small finance banks should list within how many years from the date of reaching net worth of Rs 500 crore or ten years from the date of commencement of operations, whichever is earlier ? Six years

(34) NUE = ? NPCI = ? Last year, RBI released the framework for setting up a New Umbrella Entity (NUE) for various payment services. At present, only the National Payments Council of India (NPCI), which is incorporated as a not-for-profit entity, performs the role of supporting payment systems, including RuPay, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and National Automated Clearing House, which manage inter-bank transfers. (35) RBI’s move is aimed at what ? Developing a network parallel to NPCI, which can maintain interoperability with services such as UPI . Foster innovation and inclusion in the payments space.

(36) NPCI is an initiative of whom ? The RBI and IBA. (37 ) SBI, HDFC Bank, and Bank of Baroda own a total 24.2% stake in NPCI. The three process more than 50% of all digital transactions, comprising those made by their own customers and third-party networks such as UPI. (38) Which is the country’s only public sector bank set up by PM Modi ? India Post Payments Bank

(39) Small finance banks came into existence after 2016 and were set up with the aim of what ? Furthering financial inclusion to the unbanked and under-served areas and customers. (40) There are 10 entities that had started SFB operations, of which three are listed. (41) The total size of balance sheet of all SFBs ( Small Finance Banks) was how much ? ?1.33 lakh crore, noted a recent report by CARE Ratings based on RBI’s recent Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India. “Their share in the overall banking system was very insignificant at 0.7 per cent,” it noted. (42) Which are the three listed SFBs ? AU Small Finance Bank, Equitas Small Finance Bank and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

(24) US owes India , how much , as Loan ? US $ 216 billion

(19) Human Development Index . What is India's rank ? 131 . (Out of 189 countries) (20) Who prepares Human Development Index ? United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

(20) Who prepares Human Development Index ? United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

(21) What is the HDI value of India ? 0.645

(22) However, if adjusted for inequality in the distribution of human development across all the people of India, which HDI recognises as a shortcoming of the actual HDI value. Therefore, the HDI report also gives an Inequality-adjusted HDI or the IHDI. After this adjustment, the HDI value for India fell by 26.4%, causing the value to reach what ? 0.475 ( IHDI)

(23) GDI = Gender Development Index. What is the GDI value of India ? 0.820 ( females ~ 0.573 ) ( males ~~~0.699)

(1) So far , in this fiscal , how much Central and State govt bonds , has the RBI purchased , from the secondary market ? More than Rs 3 trillion. Why ? To provide liquidity to the system..... (2) What did the RBI Governor say on the fuel prices ? He said that the high fuel prices act as a Cost Push Factor..... (3) Inflation ~ Cost push inflation. Demand Pull Inflation .... (4) IGST = Integrated Goods and Services Tax... (5) What is Saral Suraksha Bima ? Standard Personal Insurance Cover . .(6) What is that ? General and Standalone health insurers have to mandatorily offer from April 1, this year.(7) What is the Minimum and Maximum sums assured ? Minimum Rs 2.5 lacs.... Maximum Rs 1 crore.

8) Why MSMEs are important ? RBI Governor says that the MSME Sector has emerged as the growth engine of the economy . There are 6.33 crore MSMEs . They contribute 30 % to Nominal GDP and 50 % to exports.. (9) Which are the two major schemes that have been announced by the Govt for MSME sector ? (1) ECLGS = Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (2) Credit Guarantee Scheme for Subordinate Debt.... (10) PLI scheme = Production Linked Incentive Scheme........ (11) What is the aim of the PLI scheme ? To make India, an integral part of the Global value chain....

(12) PM Kisan scheme has completed two years..The scheme was introduced for what purpose ? (I) to hike the income of the farmers by providing monetary support to farmers' families ( II) to help farmers financially to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities (III) An amount of Rs 6,000 per year is transferred in 3 instalments , to the farmers' bank accounts.(13) When and where was the PM Kisan scheme launched ? Feb 24,2019.Gorakhpur ,UP. (14) Does the scheme cover all farmers ? Yes.

(15) FY = Financial Year. April to March . In India. ........Q 1 means first quarter , April May and June.... Q 2 means Second quarter , July , August and September. Q 3 , Q 4. ....... Calendar year means Jan to Dec. .....(16) Our PM has told that govt will monetise 100 assets in various sectors such as oil, ports, airports , power ....... This is expected to create investments of how much crores ? Rs 2.5 lakh crores........ (17) India is Asia's fifth largest economy ? No. It is third largest economy in Asia . ....(18) The eight core industries constitute what percentage of the Index of Industrial Production ? ......(40.27%)

Continuing our discussion on NPAs, ICICI Bank, the biggest private sector bank and the second biggest commercial bank in the country ( SBI is the biggest) has reported nearly 100 % increase in Restructured assets in this quarter compared to the same quarter last year (the amount is Rs 1000 crores ) and another Rs 2000 crores restructured assets in the pipeline. (as per CNBC TV 18 news channel today evening). Thus, all banks are having asset quality problem. Why? Owing to economic slowdown ? Why ? Owing to lesser and lesser investments ? Why ? Outbound FDI is more than inbound FDI. Even Indians are more interested investing abroad ? India's ease of doing business index rank is pathetic ? Why ? etc etc....(we cannot start a sentence with due to ....Why ? This is Grammar)

On inflation, one can write pages and pages. RBI is slowly moving towards CPI which is 100 % correct. WPI is of no relevance to the common man. But CPI is more than 9 % for a long time and therefore , repo rate should be around 10 % . But this will affect the industry. But RBI cannot be blamed because if APMC act is abolished and if the supply chain bottlenecks are removed, CPI inflation may fall to 5 % also, in which case RBI will automatically reduce the repo rate. Our fiscal deficit position is pathetic. With GDP growth around 5 %, and if RBI lowers the interest rate in such a high fiscal deficit scenario, inflation may shoot up further . Further , inflation means less purchasing power of rupee and if the bank deposit interest rate is less than the CPI inflation rate, it means depositors are becoming poorer and the economy will be affected ..(more on this within 2 or 3 days)

11 Nov 2013 Current Affairs The country celebrates the 125 th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, who laid the foundation of Modern Education System in India India’s sovereign rating by S & P is BBB- with a negative outlook MGNREGS = Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. One-third of those given employment should be women. In 2012-13, women accounted for 51 % of person-days provided employment under MGNREGS ASEM = Asia Europe Meeting (The Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) was officially established in 1996 at the first summit in Bangkok, Thailand. ASEM is an interregional forum which consists of 28 members of the European Union (EU), the European Commission, the 10 members of ASEAN, the ASEAN Secretariat, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea as of 2008,[1] India, Mongolia, and Pakistan, Australia,Russia and New Zealand as of 2010,[2] and as of 2012 Bangladesh, Norway, and Switzerland. The main components of the ASEM process are the following so-called three pillars: Political Pillar Economical Pillar Social, Cultural and Educational Pillar Warsaw (Poland Capital) climate talks begin UN climate negotiations. delegates from more than 190 countries . UNFCCC = United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Qn 2 ) "High inflation is a source of internal and external equillibrium " - Explain the statement with reference to CAD and weakening of the rupee ANSWER : Some points : High inflation means less savings unless growth is very high. In India, growth is slowing but CPI inflation is not falling and is around 10 %. People will naturally save less . And CAD definition is (savings shortfall etc..) High inflation makes our products less competitive, exports will come down, CAD will go up + REER takes into account inflation differentials between India and (say) USA and to that extent rupee should weaken. IF CAD worsens ,its a real problem because ....Either way its a problem..... many qns qill be analysed ...please see this page

WHATEVER I AM WRITING HERE ARE NOT MY OWN VIEWS. EVERYDAY, I READ, ECONOMIC TIMES, FINANCIAL EXPRESS, BUSINESS LINE, BUSINESS STANDARD, MINT, FINANCIAL CHRONICLE, HINDU, INDIAN EXPRESS ,TIMES OF INDIA APART FROM WEEKLY/FORTNIGHTLY MAGAZINES SUCH AS FRONTLINE, BUSINESS TODAY, BUSINESS INDIA, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY, OUTLOOK, ETC. I AM SUMMING UP THE VIEWS OF MANY EXPERTS HERE. SOMEWHERE I HAVE READ THAT increasing diesel prices by Rs 5, will reduce the subsidy bill by around Rs 30,000 to 40,000 crores. But some state Govts have already told that the losses of transport corporations will increase . If we calculate , the total burden on all state govt undertakings will be atleast around Rs 4000 crores . If they pass on the hike to the passengers, then the passengers will spend more on transport and the savings rate in India which is already going down will suffer further. We have to find how much diesel is used by farmers. They all will be affected and if they pass on the cost, inflation will go up. Transportation costs will certainly go up and inflation will go up because of this also. If because of this Rs 5 diesel hike, inflation goes up by say 1 % (due to multiplier effect-as railway freight charges will go up. cost of chairs etc will also go up, etc.) , then RBI will have to raise interest rates by 1 % , which in turn will affect the economy. Already due to QE III in USA, commodity prices are going up throughout the world and this also will push up our inflation. The profit margins of various companies may also get affected due to increased transportation cost and increased raw material costs and already the experts in textile industry in Coimbatore have voiced grave concern about the diesel price hike. Therefore, is the diesel price increase ,the right step. Answer - tomorrow

What is Dumping.. What is ECGC ? WHAT is NABARD,LEAD BANK SCHEME. WHAT DO you know about IOB ? Why are u coming to banking after doing BE ? Twitter Face book banning... REPO rate, bank rate definitions.. qns about anti corruption movement in Newdelhi...

GDP deflator. Securitisation..What is M and A ...Mergers and acquisitions....What will happen if Indian Rupees go to Rs 25 (usdollar rupee rate) FDI in retail..is it good for India....about current job of the candidate...RBI functions.....

What is PPI ? PPI measures the average change in the selling price received by the domestic producers of goods and services over time. WPI has been replaced by PPI in most of the countries, because of PPIs conceptual concordance with the system of national accounts and its use as a deflator. Measurement of price changes from producers’ and customers’ perspectives is considered far more relevant and technologically superior than their measurement at wholesale level ( for monetary policy formulations). WPI never measures price changes in the wholesale market. In UK , US and in several countries, CPI based inflation measure is favoured, for monetary policies. They also take into account other inflation indicators. In India, if we go by CPI, inflation is around 10 % . There is a proposal to increase diesel prices shortly. If that happens, the CPI inflation will go up further. Already, depositors are getting negative rate of return on their deposits. Therefore, the industry’s demand to reduce interest rates is incorrect (apart from other reasons) .If they want interest rates to be reduced, they, along with the Govt., should find a solution to the problem of high inflation. If inflation comes down and if fiscal deficit also comes down, RBI will reduce interest rates automatically. Our industrialists should concentrate on R & D, encourage talent and innovation.

Some experts are criticising RBI for the deceleration in GDP growth. They argue that the monetary tightening of RBI is the main reason why GDP growth has come down to around 6 %. But this criticism is not correct. Because (1) China, which always has higher growth rate than India, is also witnessing lower GDP growth (2) Though RBI has several objectives, its foremost objective is maintaining price stability. But critics argue that RBI has failed to control inflation, as monetary tightening has only affected growth but not lowered inflation. But RBI Governor has replied beautifully that, had RBI not resorted to monetary tightening, inflation could have gone up even further. When inflation as per CPI is around 10 % and inflation as per WPI is more than 7 %, the bank deposit interest rates should be around atleast 8 % (world over, inflation as per CPI is taken into account for policy measures and as per that logic, bank interest rates should be more than 10 % ). RBI Governor has already told that if deposit interest rates are less than inflation rate, then that is a disincentive for savers. What is important is inflation should be brought down first. APMC act should be amended. Our PM and FM have already told several times that , in our country , the difference between farm gate prices and retail prices is unacceptably high . Middleman jack up the prices .Our PMEAC Chairman has also told that APMC act has not helped the farmers. Therefore, APMC act should be amended first. (Maharashtra has done this. But full details awaited).............(rest tomorrow)

Some critics of RBI’s tight money policy argue that India’s growth should not be compared with China’s growth as China is export dependent and as a result of European crisis etc, China’s GDP growth has come down, whereas in the case of India , GDP growth has come down only because of RBI’s tight money policy of high interest rates. This argument also is incorrect because net exports have contributed virtually nothing to China’s GDP growth since 2009. Morever, China also has a huge domestic economy. If deposit interest rates are less than inflation rate, then it is known as ‘Negative rate of return ‘ and savers and the country will be losing their purchasing power to the extent of the negative rate of return. Some critics argue that for policy measures we should take into account only ‘core inflation’ and we should not include ‘food inflation’ etc. This is also not correct for India, as food consumption expenditure accounts for a major portion of the expenditure of various households. Efforts should be made to reduce inflation. If inflation comes down, RBI will automatically reduce interest rates. Moreover, RBI has also clarified that real effective bank lending interest rates today ,remain comparatively lower than the levels of high growth phase of 2003-08. This means factors other than interest rates are contributing more significantly to the growth slowdown. (more details tonight or tomorrow)

In today's Times of India , a news item has come about a place called Chengdu in China . Every fifth PC or every second laptop in the world is running on a chip processed there. 207 of the fortune 500 companies have facilities there. Rents are regulated and cheap. Water , electricity also cheap. Wages higher than in India. 8 highways . 129 international flight connections. Unless we improve our infrastructure, invest in R & D , manufacture quality products and export, our economic problems will not be solved. It is really surprising why our Industrialists are not investing in R & D and are not manufacturing quality products, when our country has got so much talented Indians.

In today's business line in page 14. there is an article "A mexican warning on retail FDI " ,wherein it has been mentioned that Walmart was doing fraudulent activities. FDI in manufacturing is the best for our country. Unfortunately, our Indian Industrialists are not investing in R & D and developing any product. If they do so, our exports will zoom and our current a/c deficit, BOP problems will be over. Since our Indian industrialists are not doing that, we have to promote and invite FDI in manufacturing vigorously. If we buy a sony laptop in India, it is made in China. Why cant Sony make that Laptop in India ? Is it due to infrastructure problems ? Indian Govt should concentrate on manufacturing vigorously to solve our BOP + other problems. HDFC Chairman has told in an interview in Hindu (dated 28 May 2012) that manufacturing is the solution for unemployment etc.

http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/indian-oil-posts-rs-12-102702179.html

Which country has the lowest rating of any country in the world covered by MOODY'S.an international rating agency . answer. GREECE.

India's ranking on the list of countries attracting the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2010 fell to 14th position with inflows declining to $25 billion as against $36 billion last year, according to a UNCTAD annual investment survey – World Investment Report 2011-released today. USA,China,Hong Kong and Belgium are in the top 4. Among major buyouts that figured in the UN report was Tata Steel's acquisition of UK-based Corus group worth $11.8 billion and Hindalco Industries's acquisition of US firm Novelis Inc worth $5.8 billion. Tata Motors also acquired UK-based Jaguar Cars for $2.3 billion, Essar Steel Holdings bought Canada's Algoma Steel Inc for $1.6 billion and United Spirits acquired Whyte & Mackay of UK for $1.17 billion.

Today,as per almost all students,the Data Interpretation questions were very tough (i.e.it was very difficult to answer them within the stipulated time). Our students also had a harrowing time...But if we practise mathematics everyday, speed will automatically come. I thank IBPS for setting such a tough question paper,as I am having love affair with Mathematics for the last several years.

Govt. approved the proposal of Reliance Industries Limited to sell 30 percent stake in 21 oil and gas blocks to British Petroleum. This is a big ticket FDI. Value $ 7.2 billion

The Ministry of Rural Development has decided to set aside Rs 400 crores for payment to banks every year to deploy business correspondents in villages for faster payment of wages under MGNREGS. (Who can be appointed as business correspondents ?)

India's largest arbitrage broker - BLB Limited - shuts shop. FIIs have positions of Rs 70,000 crores in the F & O market in India. Experts say that these FIIs are wrecking havoc and are exploiting govt.rules.

$ 200 million ADB loans to build roads in North East.

Global Gender Gap Index 2010 --India's rank is 112---overall rank.. It is measured in 4 areas.....(1) Economic Participation and Opportunity (2) Educational attainment (3) Health and Survival (4) Political Empowerment

New India Assurance,the country's largest general insurance company suffers a loss for the first time in its 90-year history. (Net loss Rs 421 crores in 2010-11)

Bank of Baroda is India's fourth biggest lender in terms of assets.

Food Inflation falls to 7.58 %, the lowest since March 2009.(Food items contribute 14 % to headline inflation. What is the difference between Core Inflation and Headline Inflation) ? (Inflation many be down due to base effect. What is base effect ?

HEREAFTER THIS SECTION WILL BE UPDATED EVERYDAY

1) Gold touches new peak.Investment in Gold is viewed as a safe haven investment,especially in the backdrop of the US debt crisis, Eurozone problems etc. 2) Banks request RBI not to increase interest rates hereafter. The cost of funds for the banks has gone up due to increase in deposit rates. But the credit growth is sluggish and the profits for the banks will naturally be hit. 3) FMP = Fixed Maturity Plans (applicable to mutual funds)