Grand ambitions: On India’s cooperative sector

With reference to different Committees in India, consider the following details :

| Sl. No. | Committee | Objective | Organization under which it was formed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | R.N. Malhotra Committee | Comprehensive reforms of Insurance sector in India | Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India |
| 2. | L.C. Gupta Committee | Preparing a roadmap for the introduction of derivatives trading in India | Securities and Exchange Board of India |
| 3. | Urjit R. Patel Committee | Preparing a roadmap for reforming bank lending to the Housing sector | Reserve Bank of India |
| 4. | Y.H. Malegam Committee | Preparing a roadmap for reforms in Microfinance sector in India | Reserve Bank of India |

In which of the above rows are all the details correctly matched ?

1. A. 2 only
2. B. 2 and 3
3. C. 1, 3 and 4
4. D. 2 and 4

Consider the following statements
1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years.
2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case.

Which of the two statements given above is/are correct

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements:

1. If the inflation is too high, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to buy government securities.
2. If the rupee is rapidly depreciating, RBI is likely to sell dollars in the market.
3. If interest rates in the USA or European Union were to fall, that is likely to induce RBI to buy dollars.

Which of the statements given below is/are correct?

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 2 and 3 only
3. C. 1 and 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 3

Consider the following statements:

1. In terms of short-term credit delivery to the agriculture sector, District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) deliver more credit in comparison of Scheduled Commercial Banks are Regional Rural Banks
2. One of the most important functions of DCCBs is to provide funds to the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

Which of the following statements with regard to recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission of India are correct?

I. It has recommended grants of ₹4,800 crores from the year 2022–23 to the year 2025–26 for incentivizing States to enhance educational outcomes.
II. 45% of the net proceeds of Union taxes are to be shared with States.
III. ₹45,000 crores are to be kept as performance-based incentive for all States for carrying out agricultural reforms.
IV. It reintroduced tax effort criteria to reward fiscal performance.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. A. I, II and III
2. B. I, II and IV
3. C. I, III and IV
4. D. II, III and IV

With reference to the sectors of the Indian economy, consider the following pairs:

| Economic activity | Sector |
|---------------------|--------|
| 1. Storage of agricultural produce | Secondary |
| 2. Dairy farm | Primary |
| 3. Mineral exploration | Tertiary |
| 4. Weaving cloth | Secondary |

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only two
3. C. Only three
4. D. All four

With reference to the Indian economy, "Collateral Borrowing and Lending Obligations" are the instruments of :

1. A. Bond market
2. B. Forex market
3. C. Money market
4. D. Stock market

What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the ‘National Agriculture Market’ (NAM) scheme?

1. It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.
2. It provides the farmers access to the nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2 only
3. C. Both 1 and 2
4. D. Neither 1 nor 2

With reference of the Indian economy after the 1991 economic liberalization, consider the following statements:

1. Worker productivity (per worker at 2004-05 prices) increased in urban areas while it decreased in rural areas.
2. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce steadily increased.
3. In rural areas, the growth in non-farm economy increased.
4. The growth rate in rural employment decreased.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 3 and 4 only
3. C. 3 only
4. D. 1, 2, and 4 only

With reference to India, consider the following pairs:

| Organization                              | Union Ministry                                  |
|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| I. The National Automotive Board            | Ministry of Commerce and Industry               |
| II. The Coir Board                            | Ministry of Heavy Industries                    |
| III. The National Centre for Trade Information| Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises |

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only two
3. C. All the three
4. D. None

"The reform process in the United Nations remains unresolved, because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance." Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard.

"Energy security constitutes the dominant kingpin of India's foreign policy, and is linked with India's overarching influence in Middle Eastern countries." How would you integrate energy security with India's foreign policy trajectories in the coming years?

India aims to become a semiconductor manufacturing hub. What are the challenges faced by the semiconductor industry in India? Mention the salient features of the India Semiconductor Mission.

Examine the evolving pattern of Centre-State financial relations in the context of planned development in India. How far have the recent reforms impacted the fiscal federalism in India?

Indian Constitution has conferred the amending power on the ordinary legislative institutions with a few procedural hurdles. In view of this statement, examine the procedural and substantive limitations on the amending power of the Parliament to change the Constitution.

Discuss the rationale of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. What are its achievements? In what way can the functioning and outcomes of the scheme be improved?

Which of the following is NOT a stated objective or initiative of India's Ministry of Cooperation, as per the article?

1. A. Bringing policy coherence across diverse cooperative sectors.
2. B. Empowering Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to undertake varied business activities.
3. C. Facilitating new national-level multi-State cooperative societies.
4. D. Promoting hypercompetitive business models to boost economic growth.

According to the article, what significant change has been brought about regarding Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS)?

1. A. They have been mandated to exclusively focus on agricultural credit and input facilitation.
2. B. They have been empowered to undertake over 25 diverse business activities.
3. C. Their control has been entirely transferred to national-level mechanisms.
4. D. They are being phased out in favor of new multi-State cooperative societies.

The article highlights a key challenge in developing India's cooperative sector, requiring a 'sweet spot' to be found. This challenge primarily involves balancing:

1. A. Agricultural production with industrial output.
2. B. Global market access with domestic consumption.
3. C. Consolidation with decentralisation, and localisation with nationalisation.
4. D. Public sector investment with private sector participation.

The Ministry of Cooperation is envisioned as a bold experiment to transform India's cooperative landscape. Discuss the key strategies being adopted by the Ministry to achieve this transformation and the challenges it faces in balancing national objectives with local autonomy.

Introduce the Ministry's vision, elaborate on strategies like PACS empowerment and national societies, then discuss challenges like corruption and the consolidation-decentralization dilemma.

The cooperative model is presented as an alternative to hypercompetitive business models, with the potential for India to develop it as a global model. Examine the inherent strengths of the cooperative model in addressing social consequences of hypercapitalism, while also highlighting its traditional imperfections and the ongoing efforts to mitigate them.

Define the cooperative model's strengths against hypercapitalism, discuss its historical weaknesses (corruption, inefficiency), and then detail the Ministry's efforts to overcome these.