Civil Services Model Main Exam, 2015

General Studies, Paper-III Test dated.25.10.2015

Conditions:

1. All the questions carry equal marks

2. Give answer to each question in 200 words

3. Maximum marks: 250 marks

4. Time Allowed: 3 hours

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1.    Salient feature of Gold Monetization Scheme [GMS] and Sovereign Gold Bond Schemes [SGBS].

2.    The GMS and SGBS are going to reduce the gold imports and Current Account Deficit of India. Comment.

3.     Discuss the factors which are going to/hinder the success of GMS and SGBS?

4.     The World countries are busy in forging trade pacts with their allies or like minded members all over the world. Comment.  

5.    The recent developments in the Asia-Pacific region are affecting India in a big way. Comment

6.    Answer the following questions

a.    “The geo-politics in the Asia-Pacific region are revolving around trade pacts”. Comment  [100 words]

b.    The imperatives of UN backed climate talks for replacing Kyoto Protocol. [100 words]

7.    “The bio-diversity loss is more than what we know”. Comment in the light of recent discoveries of flora and fauna in this regard.

8.    Delineate reasons for high NPAs in Public Sector Banks [PSBs]. What are the measures taken by Govt. to improve the situation and what more steps you suggest for improving the health of PSBs?

9.    The Forward Markets Commission [FMC] has been merged with SEBI, w. e. f 29.9.2015. What are the expected benefits from the merger and problems arising out of the issue?

10.  The Parliament of India has passed Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 (‘Black Money Act’) in May. About 4000 crores undisclosed assets and income have been declared by the citizens of India who stashed their money or assets outside India. Give the reasons for the failure or low disclosure under the scheme.

11.  Critically evaluate the India’s performance in achieving Millennium Development Goals [MDGs].

12.  What are Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] and do you think that India would be able to achieve them?

13.  What do you understand by Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) project of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD? How it will create new and formidable challenges for many companies operating in India and abroad?

14.  What are the effects of ElNino or ESNO in India and other countries?

15.  The price discovery mechanism of agricultural produce under the existing APMC Acts is opaque and thus benefiting the middle men rather than the farmers and end consumers. What are the latest initiatives of Union and some states to improve the price discovery mechanism, aiming at benefiting the farmers and consumers at one go?

16.  “India has been progressing aggressively on the agenda of Financial Inclusion in recent years”. Critically evaluate the statements

17.  What is “ease of doing business”? What are the measures taken by Union and states in this regard in recent years?

18.   “The climate talks are aimed at fixing the liability for the past actions of some countries and future action of the all the countries to save the planet from destruction”. Evaluate the statement.

19.  “The Basel III norms have set certain regulatory and capital requirements for the sustainable performance of banks and financial institutions all over the globe”. In this regard, critically discuss the preparedness of Indian banks/Financial Institutions to meet the conditions set by BCBS by March, 2019.

20.  “India is on the threshold of perfecting the Geosynchronous launch vehicle (GSLV) technology and it is believed that time is not far behind the launch of 4 ton category of INSAT satellite from Indian soil”.   Critically evaluate the statement.

21.  Answer the following questions

a.    Air quality Index and its purposes

b.    Commitments made by top polluters of the world under INDCs and their adequacy in fighting climate change

22.  “Small Financial Banks [SFBs] and Payment Banks [PBs] are going to accentuate the Financial Inclusion drive of the GOI”. Critically evaluate the statement

23.   “The conservation of nature and natural resources and their sustainable utilization has been in the blood of the indigenous communities”. Evaluate the statement with suitable examples.

24.  It is believed that the Himalayan country of Nepal and parts of Northern India are sitting on a landmine of seismic activity which may explode at any time. What are the imperatives or measures you suggest to avert this dangerous situation?  

25.  Answer the following questions

a.    What made RBI to cut Bank Rate by 50 basis points in its Monetary Policy statement released in the last week of September, 2015

b.    Do you think that this rate cut would promote growth in India

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Dear Friends,                                                                                                                      

Please attempt these questions. Model answers for all non-obvious questions will be placed in the blog on or before 30.10.2015. For obvious questions guidelines will be given. 

                                                                                  Best of luck..

                                                                                 B. Yadagiri, IRS.,