Question 1:
1) The Congress’s victory in Punjab, bagging 77 of the 117 seats in the Assembly elections, comes as a salve for the beleaguered party.
A) But during its second term, public distaste grew over the consolidation of power in the Badal family, and there were reports of corruption and high-handedness.
B) This is its first victory in a big State since Karnataka 2013, and it took a particularly feisty campaign led by Amarinder Singh.
C) The results suggest a strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the SAD-BJP coalition. In its decade-long stint in power, it may have helped build the State’s infrastructure.
D) The party had to fend off not just the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance but also the challenge posed by the Aam Aadmi Party, which had made a significant foray in the State in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
6) The Congress managed to convert this disenchantment into support for itself, building a campaign around the leadership of Captain Singh and the promise of effective administration.
a) BDCA A) But during its second term, public distaste grew over the consolidation of power in the Badal family, and there were reports of corruption and high-handedness.
B) This is its first victory in a big State since Karnataka 2013, and it took a particularly feisty campaign led by Amarinder Singh.
C) The results suggest a strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the SAD-BJP coalition. In its decade-long stint in power, it may have helped build the State’s infrastructure.
D) The party had to fend off not just the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance but also the challenge posed by the Aam Aadmi Party, which had made a significant foray in the State in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
6) The Congress managed to convert this disenchantment into support for itself, building a campaign around the leadership of Captain Singh and the promise of effective administration.
b) DCAB
c) DACB
d) CBDA
1) With the passage of the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Act, India can take pride in being ahead of many of its developing and some developed countries when it comes to improving the working conditions for women and paid maternity/childcare leave.
A) The government has through the amendments to the 1961 law taken the initial steps to transform a maternity leave legislation into one focused on childcare.
B) The inclusion of maternity leave to adoptive and commissioning mothers, though only for 12 weeks, the mandatory access to crèche facilities for establishments with more than 50 employees along with four visits per workday and the work-from-home option are all indicative of this change in focus from maternity to childcare. Much more needs to be done.
C) Sadly, this is limited to those in the organised sector, separating their counterparts in the informal sector by wider gap.
D) This amended law applies to women working in factories, mines, shops and establishments with 10 or more employees, that is, 1.8 million women. The bulk of the women workforce is in the unorganised sector.
6) Given the unstructured conditions and likelihood of multiple employers, these women are unlikely to be able to meet eligibility conditions set by the Maternity Benefits Act.
Question 2:
1) The timing of the announcement by Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, to seek a second referendum on independence for Scotland may be no more than strategic.
A) The popular mood in favour of independence did surge briefly, as reflected in opinion polls soon after the Brexit vote. But the support receded in subsequent months.
B) Her call on Monday coincided with the U.K. Parliament’s adoption of a landmark legislation to begin talks to exit the European Union.
C) But Ms. Sturgeon’s move should remind Westminster that the thought of separation from the British union has never fully been excised from the popular imagination in Scotland, despite the resounding 2014 vote to stay.
D) Recent developments seem to have hardened public sentiment against continuing in the United Kingdom among the Scots, who had voted overwhelmingly in June 2016 to remain in the EU.
6) The prospects for a separate Scotland once again revived after British Prime Minister Theresa May’s landmark speech in January, in which she made clear her decision to quit the common market.
A) The popular mood in favour of independence did surge briefly, as reflected in opinion polls soon after the Brexit vote. But the support receded in subsequent months.
B) Her call on Monday coincided with the U.K. Parliament’s adoption of a landmark legislation to begin talks to exit the European Union.
C) But Ms. Sturgeon’s move should remind Westminster that the thought of separation from the British union has never fully been excised from the popular imagination in Scotland, despite the resounding 2014 vote to stay.
D) Recent developments seem to have hardened public sentiment against continuing in the United Kingdom among the Scots, who had voted overwhelmingly in June 2016 to remain in the EU.
6) The prospects for a separate Scotland once again revived after British Prime Minister Theresa May’s landmark speech in January, in which she made clear her decision to quit the common market.
a) ABCD
b) DABC
c) DCBA
d) BCDA
Question 3:
1) With the passage of the Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Act, India can take pride in being ahead of many of its developing and some developed countries when it comes to improving the working conditions for women and paid maternity/childcare leave.
A) The government has through the amendments to the 1961 law taken the initial steps to transform a maternity leave legislation into one focused on childcare.
B) The inclusion of maternity leave to adoptive and commissioning mothers, though only for 12 weeks, the mandatory access to crèche facilities for establishments with more than 50 employees along with four visits per workday and the work-from-home option are all indicative of this change in focus from maternity to childcare. Much more needs to be done.
C) Sadly, this is limited to those in the organised sector, separating their counterparts in the informal sector by wider gap.
D) This amended law applies to women working in factories, mines, shops and establishments with 10 or more employees, that is, 1.8 million women. The bulk of the women workforce is in the unorganised sector.
6) Given the unstructured conditions and likelihood of multiple employers, these women are unlikely to be able to meet eligibility conditions set by the Maternity Benefits Act.
a) DACB
b) ACBD
b) ACBD
c) BDCA
d) CABD
b) DCAB
Question 4:
1) Sebi wants an overhaul in the way boards of listed companies to discharge their duties that include the appointment and removal of directors.
A) Recent developments such as the boardroom putsch at Tata Sons and the differences between some promoters and the management at Infosys underscore the need for a rigorous evaluation of the board including the chairperson and independent directors.
B) Domain knowledge and expertise of a board member alone will not suffice. What counts is whether she can think independently, and challenge the management. Board discussions must be frank, accommodate criticism
C) Sebi’s guidance note, last month, on board evaluation — a report card that a company holds to itself to see how it fares — is welcome, but needs to be more pointed.
D) This makes sense to raise corporate governance and reinforce director’s responsibility.
6) The regulator’s criteria for assessment of board and management performance are proper: whether remuneration is aligned with performance, industry peers and the company’s long-term interests, whether the board selects, compensates, monitors and, when necessary
a) CDBA A) Recent developments such as the boardroom putsch at Tata Sons and the differences between some promoters and the management at Infosys underscore the need for a rigorous evaluation of the board including the chairperson and independent directors.
B) Domain knowledge and expertise of a board member alone will not suffice. What counts is whether she can think independently, and challenge the management. Board discussions must be frank, accommodate criticism
C) Sebi’s guidance note, last month, on board evaluation — a report card that a company holds to itself to see how it fares — is welcome, but needs to be more pointed.
D) This makes sense to raise corporate governance and reinforce director’s responsibility.
6) The regulator’s criteria for assessment of board and management performance are proper: whether remuneration is aligned with performance, industry peers and the company’s long-term interests, whether the board selects, compensates, monitors and, when necessary
b) DCAB
c) DACB
d) CBDA
b) contemporary ,excellent
c) exigent, exemplary
d) critical, outstanding
b) happy, frustration
c) thrilling , ambition
d) purposeful, danger
e) arduous, satisfaction
b) views, hindering
c) perspective, facilitating
d) sight, halted
b) ERROR: “ their”” CORRECT: “there”
c) NO ERROR
d) ERROR: “ IN” CORRECT:” ON”
e) ERROR:” what” CORRECT:”which”
7) a) NO ERROR
b) ERROR: “PILOT” CORRECT:”PILOTED”
c) ERROR:”ON” CORRECT:”IN”
d) ERROR: “ TERM” CORRECT: “ TERMS”
e) ERROR:”is” CORRECT: “ WAS”
8) c)Exigent- requiring immediate aid or action or demanding(अत्यावश्यक)
Exemplary- serving as a desirable model; very good (उदाहरणात्मक)
9) correct anser: E) arduous - involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.( कठिन)
10) correct answer: views, hindering views-(विचारों) The ability to see something or to be seen from a particular place.
hindering- The word hinder came from the Old English hindrian, which means to "injure or damage. (निरोधक )
Question 5:
1) Inflation based on wholesale prices shot up to 39-month high of 6.55 per cent in February because of costlier food and fuel items.
A) This was primarily because of sharp rise in rates of cereals, rice and fruits.
B) The fuel basket also surged by 21.02 per cent from 18.14 per cent in January
C) The Wholesale Price Index based inflation, reflecting the annual rate of price rise, in January was at 5.25 per cent.
D) According to the official data released on Tuesday, food prices witnessed a sharp rise by 2.69 per cent in February as compared to a deceleration by 0.56 per cent in the previous month.
6) The government also revised December inflation rate to 3.68 per cent from the previous provisional reporting of 3.39 per cent.
A) This was primarily because of sharp rise in rates of cereals, rice and fruits.
B) The fuel basket also surged by 21.02 per cent from 18.14 per cent in January
C) The Wholesale Price Index based inflation, reflecting the annual rate of price rise, in January was at 5.25 per cent.
D) According to the official data released on Tuesday, food prices witnessed a sharp rise by 2.69 per cent in February as compared to a deceleration by 0.56 per cent in the previous month.
6) The government also revised December inflation rate to 3.68 per cent from the previous provisional reporting of 3.39 per cent.
a) ACDB
b) ADCB
b) ADCB
c) CDAB
d) DCBA
Direction (Ques 6-7): Select the most appropriate option, out of the five given options, which, in your view, should be grammatically and structurally correct.
C) c
D) d
E) None of the above
Direction (Ques 6-7): Select the most appropriate option, out of the five given options, which, in your view, should be grammatically and structurally correct.
Question 6:
a) As ASEAN prepares for its fiftieth anniversary of its foundation, the tensions in the South China Sea remain unabated.
b) Despite some changes in the relationship between the Philippines and China and the Chinese “charm offensive”, their appears no real progress on the issue.
c) This remains a flash point and unless all the disputants seriously take action for conflict resolution, the situation may go out of hand.
d) The ASEAN is now under the Philippines chairmanship and Duterte could play a crucial role. However, more would depend if all the members could take a united stand in the issue
e) While most other members still feel that the best way is to press China for this, it would certainly depend more on the Philippines what took the matter to the court.
b) Despite some changes in the relationship between the Philippines and China and the Chinese “charm offensive”, their appears no real progress on the issue.
c) This remains a flash point and unless all the disputants seriously take action for conflict resolution, the situation may go out of hand.
d) The ASEAN is now under the Philippines chairmanship and Duterte could play a crucial role. However, more would depend if all the members could take a united stand in the issue
e) While most other members still feel that the best way is to press China for this, it would certainly depend more on the Philippines what took the matter to the court.
A) b
B) aC) c
D) d
E) None of the above
Question 7
a) This is so, even if the major purpose of the law for the majority of Indian women in the workforce is to set a norm, which they can work to achieve, through collective efforts and official help.
b) The ministry of women and child development that pilot the amendments must work with relevant ministries to rationalise the maternity/childcare leave provisions across eight labour-related laws.
c) The AAP, with its focus on rural areas, especially on the south-central Malwa region following its surprise success in 2014, made a play for the anti-Akali vote. But infighting and the absence of a grassroots presence or a clear State leader tested its organisation.
d) It is futile to speculate on what better term might have been offered to assuage sentiment in the north, as Ms. May has prioritised immigration control as the red line in her negotiations with her counterparts in the bloc.
e) In the end, the AAP is unable to substantially increase the vote share of around 24% that it had gained in 2014: a great chunk of the Akali-BJP vote went to the Congress.
b) The ministry of women and child development that pilot the amendments must work with relevant ministries to rationalise the maternity/childcare leave provisions across eight labour-related laws.
c) The AAP, with its focus on rural areas, especially on the south-central Malwa region following its surprise success in 2014, made a play for the anti-Akali vote. But infighting and the absence of a grassroots presence or a clear State leader tested its organisation.
d) It is futile to speculate on what better term might have been offered to assuage sentiment in the north, as Ms. May has prioritised immigration control as the red line in her negotiations with her counterparts in the bloc.
e) In the end, the AAP is unable to substantially increase the vote share of around 24% that it had gained in 2014: a great chunk of the Akali-BJP vote went to the Congress.
A) b
B) d
C) c
D) a
E) None of the above
Directions (Ques 8-10): Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
B) d
C) c
D) a
E) None of the above
Directions (Ques 8-10): Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
Question 8:
In today’s _______times, in order to take your organisationn to the desired levels of success, you need to be not just a good leader, but an ______one.
a) competitive ,extraordinaryb) contemporary ,excellent
c) exigent, exemplary
d) critical, outstanding
Question 9
Although the leader’s life was both______ and painful , it was not without ______ for he had accomplished many of his goals.
a) magnificent, successb) happy, frustration
c) thrilling , ambition
d) purposeful, danger
e) arduous, satisfaction
Question 10:
TRAI has sought ______from stakeholders on identifying obstacles in the current regulations _____mergers and acquisitions in the telecom.
a) advices, restrictingb) views, hindering
c) perspective, facilitating
d) sight, halted
Solution (Ques 6-10)
6) a) ERROR : “ remain “ CORRECT : “remains “b) ERROR: “ their”” CORRECT: “there”
c) NO ERROR
d) ERROR: “ IN” CORRECT:” ON”
e) ERROR:” what” CORRECT:”which”
7) a) NO ERROR
b) ERROR: “PILOT” CORRECT:”PILOTED”
c) ERROR:”ON” CORRECT:”IN”
d) ERROR: “ TERM” CORRECT: “ TERMS”
e) ERROR:”is” CORRECT: “ WAS”
8) c)Exigent- requiring immediate aid or action or demanding(अत्यावश्यक)
Exemplary- serving as a desirable model; very good (उदाहरणात्मक)
9) correct anser: E) arduous - involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.( कठिन)
10) correct answer: views, hindering views-(विचारों) The ability to see something or to be seen from a particular place.
hindering- The word hinder came from the Old English hindrian, which means to "injure or damage. (निरोधक )
