Business, Economy & Current Affairs

The State Bank of India (SBI) engaged KPMG for due diligence regarding a potential acquisition in Kenya, marking the bank's international expansion strategy into the African continent. This move was part of SBI's broader efforts to establish a global presence and explore international banking opportunities.

EKA, developed by Computational Research Laboratories (CRL) in Pune, India, was ranked as the fourth fastest supercomputer in the world in the Top 500 listing. This was a significant achievement for India's computational capabilities. The other options (HPC, TKA, SKC) are not the names of supercomputers that achieved this specific ranking from CRL.

Zuari Cement is not part of the Aditya Birla Group led by Kumar Mangalam Birla. Idea Cellular (now Vodafone Idea), More (the retail chain), and Hindalco are all prominent companies within the Aditya Birla Group portfolio. Zuari Cement is associated with different ownership (Heidelberg Cement group) and should not be confused with Birla group companies.

India has 12 major ports and approximately 184 minor ports, totaling around 196 ports along its vast coastline. The major ports are under the jurisdiction of the central government, while minor ports are managed by state governments. This infrastructure is crucial for India's maritime trade and economic development.

All three statements are consistent with WMO data from 2006. Statement I correctly notes greenhouse gases reached record levels with CO2 being the primary driver. Statement II accurately states CO2 and N2O concentrations were at recorded highs. Statement III is also correct as methane levels remained relatively stable between 2005 and 2006, unlike the other two gases which showed significant increases.

The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) was established in 1982 under the Export-Import Bank of India Act. It was set up to provide financial assistance for exports and imports, and to function as the principal financial institution for coordinating working of institutions engaged in financing exports and imports.

Article 275 of the Constitution of India deals with grants-in-aid from the Central Government to states. It specifically provides that Parliament may law provide such grants to such States as are in need of assistance. Article 280 deals with the Finance Commission, Article 290 with exemption of certain property from taxation, and Article 285 with properties of the Union exempt from state taxation.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is indeed the official name for what is commonly known as the World Bank. It was created in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference. IMF (A) is the International Monetary Fund, IDA (C) is International Development Association (part of World Bank Group), and ADB (D) is Asian Development Bank.

The correct matching is: UBS Bank - Switzerland (iii), Nedbank - South Africa (iv), Deutsche Bank - Germany (ii), BNP Paribas - France (i). Option B (A-iii, B-iv, C-ii, D-i) correctly pairs each bank with its home country. UBS is Swiss, Nedbank is South African, Deutsche Bank is German, and BNP Paribas is French.

Iconix, the talent management company that managed Sachin Tendulkar, was indeed promoted by Saatchi & Saatchi. This was a well-known partnership in the Indian sports marketing and advertising landscape during Tendulkar's peak years. Iconix was co-founded by Saatchi & Saatchi and was known for managing top celebrity endorsements.

The first Human Development Report was published in 1990 under the guidance of Mahbub ul Haq (spelled as Mahbul-Haq in option B, clearly a typo). Mahbub ul Haq was a Pakistani economist who pioneered the Human Development Index concept. The report was commissioned by the UNDP. Amartya Sen was an advisor but not the primary guide. Muhammad Yunus and J.M. Keynes are not associated with this.

The MRTP (Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices) Act was enacted in 1969 to prevent concentration of economic power and control monopolistic practices in India. It was later replaced by the Competition Act in 2002.

Lakshmi N. Mittal was indeed the richest Indian in 2007 with a net worth of approximately $51 billion according to Forbes' annual ranking of India's 40 wealthiest individuals. He held this position for four consecutive years, primarily through his global steel empire.

Modi Corp (M Corp) rebranded all its group companies under the unified brand name 'Spice'. This included Spice Telecom, Spice Mobility, and other group companies that operated in telecom, mobile retail, and entertainment sectors.

All three statements are correct. India has significant wind energy potential estimated at around 45,000 MW. Wind power was contributing approximately 5% of India's energy needs compared to nuclear's 3%. The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) did select Andhra Pradesh for uranium mining operations.

The correct matching is: Aviva-Dabur (iv), Cardif-SBI (iii), New York Life-Max Group (ii), Generali-Future Group (i). These represent partnerships between international insurance companies and their Indian joint venture partners for insurance operations in India.

In India's national income accounting, National Income refers to NNP (Net National Product) at factor cost. This is because NNP at factor cost represents the total income earned by factors of production (land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship) within the economy, which is the true measure of national income.

Hot money refers to Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) - funds that move quickly between markets in search of higher short-term returns. Unlike FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) which is long-term and stable, FII is volatile and can exit rapidly, hence the term 'hot money'.

The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act was enacted in 1976 to abolish the practice of bonded labor in India. This comprehensive legislation declared bonded labor illegal and provided for rehabilitation of freed bonded laborers, strengthening the constitutional prohibition against forced labor.

China has been the largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in the world for many years, attracting massive FDI inflows due to its large market, manufacturing capabilities, and favorable investment policies. This question appears to be from the mid-2000s when China emerged as the top FDI destination globally.

IDBI was established in 1964 as a development finance institution. ICICI was founded in 1955 and became a commercial bank later. SIDBI was set up in 1990 to promote small-scale industries. NABARD was established in 1982 as India's apex bank for agriculture and rural development. Option B correctly matches all four banks with their establishment years.

All four brands listed are major beer/spirit companies. Heineken is a Dutch brand, Foster's is Australian, Carlsberg is Danish, and San Miguel is originally from the Philippines. All are well-known international liquor brands available globally.