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CIDCO Previous Year Solved Paper
English Language
Directions (Q. 1-10) Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you to locate them while answering some of the questions.
Banking sector reforms in India were introduced in order to improve efficiency in the process of financial intermediation. It was expected that banks would take advantage of the changing operational environment and improve their performance. Towards this end, the Reserve Bank of India initiated a host of measures for the creation of a competitive environment. Deregulation of interest rates on both deposit and lending sides imparted freedom to banks to appropriate price their products and services. To compete effectively with non-banking entities, banks were permitted to undertake newer activities like investment banking, securities trading and insurance business. This was facilitated t hrough amendments in the relevant acts which permitted PSBs to raise equity from the market up to threshold limit and also enabling the entry of new private and foreign banks. This changing face of banking led to an erosion of margins on traditional banking business, promoting banks to search for newer activities to augment their free incomes. At the same time, banks also needed to devote focused attention to operational efficiency in order to contain their transaction costs. Simultaneously with the deregulation measures prudential norms were instituted to strengthen the safety and soundness of the banking system. Recent internal empirical research found that over the period 1992-2003, there has been a discernible improvement in the efficiency of Indian banks. The increasing trend in efficiency has been fairly uniform, irrespective of the ownership pattern. The rate of such improvement has, however, not been sufficiently high. The analysis also reveals that PSBs and private sector banks in India did not differe significantly in terms of their efficiency measures. Foreign banks, on the other hand, recorded higher efficiency as compared with their Indian counterparts.
1. Prudential norms were initiated in the banking sector with a view to
a) Increase operational efficiency
b) Contain the non-performing assets
c) Strengthen the soundness of banking system
d) Improve the customer service
e) None of these
2. Banking sector reforms in India were introduced for the purpose of
a) Giving more and more employment opportunities to the educated unemployed
b) Taking care of the downtrodden masses
c) Increasing efficiency in the banking activities
d) Giving bettern return to the Central Government
e) None of these
3. Banks can control their transaction costs by
a) Restricting their lending activities
b) Undertaking more and more non-banking activities
c) Encouraging the customers to bank with other banks
d) Devoting more attention to operational efficiency
e) None of these
4. The recent internal empirical research conducted by the RBI found that
a) There is cut-throat competition in banking industry
b) The rate of return is not commensurate with the operational cost
c) The rate of improvement has not been high
d) Nationalised banks and private sector banks did differ in the efficiency measures
e) None of these
5. Which of the following statements recognising improvement in efficiency is True in the cotext of the passage?
a) There is no discernible difference in efficiency parameters
b) The foreign banks recorded higher efficiency
c) The efficiency of foreign banks is not comparable with Indian banks
d) The rate of such improvement in efficiency was very high
6. Which of the following is/are the measure(s) taken by Reserve Bank of India to create a competitive environment in the Banking sector?
I. Banks were given freedom to take up newer activities.
II. Entry of new private and foreign banks in the field.
III. Amendments in the relevant acts to enable PSBs to raise equity from the market.
a) None
b) I and II
c) I and III
d) II and III
e) All the three
7. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Relevant
a) Recorded
b) Opposite
c) Appropriate
d) Germane
e) None of these
8. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
Augment
a) make
b) become
c) enlarge
d) increase
e) None of these
9. Choose the word that is most opposite of the word printed in bold as used in passage.
Improve
a) Retard
b) Disprove
c) Prove
d) Accelerate
e) None of these
10. Choose the word that is most opposite of the word printed in bold as used in passage.
Reveal
a) Show
b) Conceal
c) Secretive
d) Exhibit
e) None of these
Directions (Q. 11-15) Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is âNo errorâ, the answer is (5) (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any)
11. The area was plunged into (1) / darkness mid a wave of (2) / cheering and shouting (3) / slogans like âSave The Earthâ. (4) No error (5)
12. The poll contestants approached (1) the commission complaining that the hoardings (2) / violated the code of conduct (3) / and influenced public perception. (4) No error (5)
13. The country has (1) / adequate laws but problems (2) / arise when these are not (3) / implemented in letter and spirit. (4) / No error (5)
14. The management feels that (1) / the employees of the organisation are (2) / non-productive, and do not want (3) / to work hard (4) / No error
15. As far the issue of land encroachment (1) / in villages is concerned, people will (2) / have to make a start from their villages by (3) / sensitising and educating the villagers this issue. (4) No error (5)
Directions (Q. 16-20) Which of the phrases (1),(2),(3) and (4) given below each sentence should replace the word/phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.
16. US Secretary of State made it clear that time running out for diplomacy over Iranâs nuclear programme and said that talks aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon would resume in April.
a) runs out
b) was running out
c) ran out
d) run
e) No correction required
17. While the war of the generals rage on, somewhere in small town India, wonderful things are happening, quietly and minus fanfare.
a) rage
b) raging
c) rages on
d) raged on
e) No correction required
18. According to WWF, the small Island nation of Samoa was the first in switch off its lights for Earth Hour.
a) first to switch off
b) the first to switch off
c) the first of switch off
d) first in switch off
e) No correction required
19. The campaign is significant because not just the youths are directly appealing to the World but because their efforts challenge the chimera of normalcy in the area.
a) not just because
b) just not because
c) not just
d) because just
e) No correction required
20. The doctorâs association has threatened to go on indefinite strike support of their teachers.
a) on supporting to
b) to supporting
c) for support
d) in support of
e) No correction required
Directions (Q. 21-30) In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are printed below the passage and againsteach, five words/phrases are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word/phrase in each case.
Greenhouse gases are only (21) of the story when it comes to global warming. Changes to one part of the climate system can (22) additional changes to the way the planet absorbs or reflects energy. These secondary changes are (23) climate feedbacks, and they could more than double the amount of warming caused by carbon dioxide alone. The primary feedbacks are (24) to snow and ice, water vapour, clouds and the carbon cycle. Perhaps the most well (25) feedback comes from melting snow and ice in the Northern Hemisphere. Warming temperatures are already (26) a growing percentage of Arctic sea ice, exposing dark ocean water during the (27) sunlight of summer. Snow cover on land is also (28) in many areas. In the (29) of snow and ice, these areas go from having bright, sunlight reflecting surfaces that cool the planet to having dark, sunlight absorbing surfaces that (30) more energy into the Earth system and cause more warming.
21. a) whole
b) part
c) material
d) issue
e) most
22. a) raise
b) brings
c) refer
d) stop
e) cause
23. a) sensed
b) called
c) nothing
d) but
e) term
24. a) due
b) results
c) reason
d) those
e) because
25. a) done
b) known
c) ruled
d) bestowed
e) said
26. a) mastering
b) sending
c) melting
d) calming
e) increasing
27. a) make-shift
b) ceasing
c) troubled
d) perpetual
e) absent
28. a) dwindling
b) manufactured
c) descending
d) generating
e) supplied
29. a) progress
b) reduced
c) existence
d) midst
e) absence
30. a) repel
b) waft
c) monitor
d) bring
e) access
