Punjab National Bank General Awareness 2009

Directions(Q. 115) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given elow it. !ertain words have een printed in old to help you locate the" while answering so"e of the questions. #e should recognise the inde tedness of the country to its far" fa"ilies who toil to safeguard national food security. $oan waiver is the price we have to pay for the neglect of rural %ndia over the past several decades. &here has een a gradual decline in invest"ent in 'ey sectors related to agriculture such as infrastructure( "ar'eting( post harvest technology etc. &he four crore far"ers whose de t is to e relieved will e eligi le for institutional credit for their cultivation e)penses during *harif +,,-. &he challenge is to prevent the" fro" getting into the de t trap again. .or this purpose the !entral and various /tate govern"ents should set up an %nde ted .ar"ers0 /upport !onsortiu"( co"prising scientists( panchayat ra1 officials and others relevant to assisting far"ers to i"prove the profita ility and productivity of their far"s in an environ"entally sustaina le "anner. &he s"aller the far"( the greater is the need for "ar'eta le surplus to reduce inde tedness. &he %nde ted .ar"ers0 /upport !onsortiu" should ai" to get all the four crore far"ers all the enefits of the govern"ent sche"es such as the Rashtriya *rishi 2i'as 3o1ana( %rrigation 4enefit 5rogra""e and others. %f this is done( every far" fa"ily released fro" the de t trap should e a le to produce at least an additional half tonne per hectare of foodgrains. &his should help increase food production y a out +, "illion tonnes y +,,-61,. 7t a ti"e when glo al and national food stoc's are dwindling and prices are rising( this will e ati"ely gain for our national food security. #e need to ensure that the outco"e of the de t waiver is enhanced far"ers0 inco"e and production. &he prevailing gap etween potential and actual yields in the crops of rainfed areas such as pulses and oilseeds is over +,, per cent even with the necessary technologies on the shelf. #e are now i"porting without duty large quantities of pulses and oilseeds. %f helped( far"ers can produce these at a lower cost. 8pportunities for assured and re"unerative "ar'eting are essential if loan waiver is not to eco"e a recurring event leading to the destruction of the credit syste". &his is why the 9ini"u" /upport 5rice is necessary for all( not 1ust for a few crops which is the case at present. &his is the single "ost effective step to "a'e loan waivers history. &here is another urgent step which needs to e ta'en. &he loan waiver does not cover those who orrow fro" "oneylenders. %t will not e possi le for the govern"ent to scrutinise the veracity of such private deals ut steps can e ta'en such as giving the" /"art !ards which will entitle the" to essential inputs li'e seeds and fertili:ers. &he gra" sa ha can e entrusted with the tas' of identifying these far"ers so that there is transparency in the process and eli"ination of the chances for falsification and corruption. .ear of occasional "isuse should not co"e in the way of ena ling "illions of poor far"ers who have orrowed fro" infor"al sources if we are to achieve the goal of four per cent growth in agriculture. 1. #hat is the li'ely i"pact of ensuring far"ers0 enefit fro" govern"ent sche"es ; 1. &hey can use the credit fro" these sche"es to repay "oneylenders. +. &he govern"ent can control the price rise. <. %ncreased agricultural production. (7) 4oth 1 and + (4) 7ll 1( + and < (!) 8nly < (D) 4oth + and < (=) >one of these

+. #hy does the author feel that rural %ndia has een overloo'ed in the past ; 1. %nstitutional credit was only "ade availa le for *harif crops. +. Drop in invest"ent in central areas related to agriculture. <. Records of those eligi le for loan waivers have not een "aintained over ti"e. (7) 8nly + (4) 4oth 1 and + (!) 8nly < (D) 7ll 1( + and < (=) >one of these <. ?ow can s"all far"ers avoid de t ; (7) &hey need to acquire additional land holdings (4) &hey need to ta'e advantage of oth govern"ent sche"es as well as credit fro" "oneylenders (!) &hey have to ensure a sufficient a"ount of their far" produce is sold (D) &he @overn"ent should provide periodic loan waivers (=) >one of these A. #hat is the o 1ective of the %nde ted .ar"ers0 /upport !onsortiu" ; (7) %t is a support group for the fa"ilies of inde ted far"ers (4) %t has to devise new govern"ent sche"es for far"ers (!) %t has to trac' far"ers eligi le for govern"ent sche"es (D) %t has to evaluate govern"ent sche"es and weed out the inefficient ones (=) >one of these 5. #hat does the author "ean y the phrase Binde tedness of the country to its far" fa"iliesC ; (7) %f far"ers are in de t it i"pacts the entire country (4) !iti:ens should e grateful to far"ers and their fa"ilies for the hardships orne y the" to cultivate crops (!) %ndia0s food production has fallen causing it to e in de t since it has to i"port food (D) &he nu" er of far"ers0 descendants ta'ing up agriculture has fallen. (=) >one of these D. #hat is the author0s opinion of recurring loan waivers ; (7) &hey are eneficial to far"ers (4) &hey are detri"ental to the syste" of lending. (!) &hey will reduce the need for a 9ini"u" /upport 5rice for agricultural products (D) .ar"ers will no longer e in de t to "oneylenders (=) >one of these E. #hich of the following is &RF= in the conte)t of the passage ; (7) &he 9ini"u" /upport 5rice for agricultural products is yet to e i"ple"ented (4) $oan waiver is a per"anent solution to inde tedness of far"ers (!) !urrent agricultural growth is elow four per cent (D) %ndia0s food production has increased in +,,(=) 9oneylenders enefit fro" loan waivers -. #hy does the loan waiver not cover credit ta'en fro" "oneylenders ; 1. %t is difficult to verify these contracts etween far"ers and "oneylenders. +. %t will increase the deficit in the udget. <. &here is a ris' that the funds "ay e "isappropriated. (7) 4oth 1 and < (4) 7ll 1( + and < (!) 8nly + (D) 4oth 1 and + (=) >one of these

G. #hy is there a vast gap in actual and potential yields of crops in rainfed areas ; (7) &he govern"ent prefers to i"port these crops at a lower rate (4) >o technological advances have een "ade to i"prove the growth of crops in these areas (!) &here is no 9ini"u" /upport 5rice availa le for these crops (D) .ar"ers are forced to sell these crops at a low rate (=) >one of these 1,. ?ow does the govern"ent intend to ensure transparency in the /"art card issuance process ; (7) /creening private players involved in the sche"e (4) @ranting access to those far"ers who register with their local "oneylenders (!) 5roviding cards which cannot e forged (D) Regularly rotating "e" ers of the gra" sa ha so there is no corruption (=) >one of these Directions(Q. 111<) !hoose the word which is "ost si"ilar in "eaning to the word printed in old as used in the passage. 11. assured (7) insured (4) definite (!) dou ted (D) confident (=) reliance 1+. relieved (7) e)e"pted (4) ac'ed (!) supported (D) cal"ed (=) su stituted 1<. gap (7) hole (4) rea' (!) pause (D) difference (=) interruption Directions(Q. 1A15) !hoose the word which is "ost opposite in "eaning to the word printed in old as used in the passage. 1A. ti"ely (7) young (4) lately (!) overdue (D) aged (=) slowly 15. eli"ination (7) authority (4) forgiveness (!) attac' (D) provision (=) protection

Directions(Q. 1D+,) #hich of the phrases (7)( (4)( (!) and (D) given elow should replace the phrase given in old in the following sentence to "a'e the sentence gra""atically "eaningful and correct. %f the sentence is correct as it is and no correcton is required( "ar' (=) as the answer. 1D. %n order to control rising prices the govern"ent has restricted the e)port of certain co""odities. (7) .or control of raised (4) %n control of raised (!) &o control the rise (D) 4y controlling rising (=) >o correction required 1E. 8ver two crores will e required to renovate the uilding eing da"aged during the cyclone. (7) that was da"age (4) which was da"aged (!) has een da"aged (D) een da"aged (=) >o correction required 1-. /"all investors often suffer ecause of delays in getting its grievance redressed. (7) their grievances redressed (4) the grievances redress (!) to redress grievance (D) this grievances redressed (=) >o correction required 1G. #ith the failure of the invest"ent an'( the pu lic0s confidence in the an'ing sector has een how adly sha'en. (7) so adly sha'en (4) that "uch sha'y (!) adly sha'en (D) too adly sha'y (=) >o correction required +,. 7 consultant is een appointed to advise us on the via ility of the pro1ect. (7) appointed (4) has een appointing (!) will e appointed (D) to e appointed (=) >o correction required Directions(Q. +1+5) Rearrange the following si) sentences (1)( (+)( (<)( (A)( (5) and (D) in the proper sequence to for" a "eaningful paragraphH then answer the questions given elow the". (1) =)pansion of retail an'ing especially has a lot of scope( since retail assets are 1ust ++ per cent of the total an'ing assets. (+) #here they do not find it via le to open ranches they "ay open satellite offices in these areas. (<) &here is tre"endous scope for the e)pansion of an'ing in %ndia. (A) 4an's can also diversify eyond cities to se"i6ur an and rural areas. (5) %n these ways a transition fro" class an'ing to "ass an'ing can ta'e place. (D) &hey can also colla orate with local sta'eholders in order to e)tend "icrocredit services to those living there.

+1. #hich of the following should e the &?%RD sentence after rearrange"ent ; (7) + (4) < (!) A (D) 5 (=) D ++. #hich of the following should e the .%R/& sentence after rearrange"ent ; (7) 1 (4) + (!) < (D) A (=) 5 +<. #hich of the following should e the .%.&? sentence after rearrange"ent ; (7) + (4) < (!) A (D) 5 (=) D +A. #hich of the following should e the /%I&? ($7/&) sentence after rearrange"ent ; (7) 1 (4) + (!) < (D) A (=) 5 +5. #hich of the following should e the /=!8>D sentence after rearrange"ent ; (7) 1 (4) + (!) < (D) A (=) 5 Directions(Q. +D<5) %n the following passage there are lan's( each of which has een nu" ered. &hese nu" ers are printed elow the passage and against each( five words are suggested( one of which fits the lan' appropriately. .ind out the appropriate word in each case. Decades ago( !hina J(+D)J the concept of K arefoot doctors0. &hey were co""unity healthcare wor'ers who successfully J(+E)J the health of !hina0s villages. .ollowing this e)a"ple( "any 7frican( 7sian and $atin 7"erican countries have started J(+-) J progra""es. &he largest of such co""unity health efforts is %ndia0s >ational Rural ?ealth 9ission. %n J(+G)J over three years( the progra""e has "o ili:ed over fifty thousand new co""unity health wor'ers( each J(<,)J as K7sha0. &his is short for K7ccredited /ocial ?ealth 7ctivist0 and translated into ?indi is the word J(<1)J hope. &oday technology co"panies and foundations are also 1oining the J(<+)J to support co""unity health wor'ers. 9o ile phone co"panies are J(<<)J these wor'ers with phones and support syste"s to o tain up to date "edical infor"ation( call a" ulances etc. %n the J(<A)J years( co""unity health wor'ers can thus helpJ(<5) J the spread of "any devastating ut cura le diseases. +D. (7) gives (4) researches (!) introduced (D) originates (=) enlightened +E. (7) i"proved (4) entrusted

(!) fought (D) cured (=) dealt +-. (7) thousands (4) ali'e (!) i"itated (D) si"ilar (=) na"ing +G. (7) course (4) less (!) appro)i"ate (D) period (=) 1ust <,. (7) referred (4) 'nown (!) perceived (D) regarded (=) called <1. (7) denotes (4) descri es (!) for (D) e)plains (=) "eans <+. (7) usiness (4) "e" ership (!) scope (D) effort (=) purpose <<. (7) provided (4) uying (!) equipped (D) supplied (=) e"powering <A. (7) co"ing (4) ne)t (!) past (D) few (=) previous <5. (7) overloo' (4) cur (!) protect (D) enrich (=) neglect 7nswers L 1. (4) +. (7) <. (=) A. (7) 5. (4) D. (4) E. (!) -. (7) G. (!) 1,. (=) 11. (4) 1+. (7) 1<. (D) 1A. (4) 15. (=) 1D (=) 1E. (4) 1-. (7) 1G. (!) +,. (!) +1. (!) ++. (!) +<. (=) +A. (=) +5. (7) +D. (!) +E. (7) +-. (D) +G. (=) <,. (!) <1. (!) <+. (D) <<. (=) <A. (7) <5. (4)