(Papers) IBPS Clerk Previous Year Exam Paper "Held on 27-11-2011, 2nd Sitting - English Language" (South Zone)



We should recognise the indebtedness of the country to its farm families who toil to safeguard national food security. Loan waiver is the price we have to pay for the neglect of rural lndia over the past several decades. There has been a gradual decline in investment in key sectors related to agriculture such as infrastructure marketing, post harvest technology etc. The four crore farmers whose debt is to be relieved will be eligible for institutional credit for their cultivation expenses during Kharif200B. The challenge is to prevent them from getting into the debt trap again. For this purpose the Central and various State governments should set up an Indebted Farmers’ Support Consortium, comprising scientists, panchayat raj officials and others relevant to assisting farmers to improve the profitability and productivity of their farms in an environmentally sustainable manner. The smaller the farm the greater is the need for marketable surplus to reduce indebtedness.
The Indebted Farmers’ Support Consortium should aim to get all the four crore farmers all the benefits of the government schemes such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Irrigation Benefit Programme and others. If this is done every farm family released from the debt trap should be able to produce at least an additional half tonne per hectare of food grains. This should help increase food production by about 20 million tonnes by 2008-10. At a time when global and national food stocks are dwindling and prices are rising, this will be a timely gain for our national food security. We need to ensure that the outcome of the debt waiver is enhanced farmers’ income and production. The prevailing gap between potential and actual yields in the crops of rainfed areas such as pulses and oilseeds is over 200 per cent even with the necessary technologies on the shelf. We are now importing without duty large quantities of pulses and oilseeds. If helped, farmers can produce these at a lower cost.

Opportunities for assured and remunerative marketing are essential if loan waiver is not to become a recurring event leading to the destruction of the credit system. This is why the Minimum Support Price is necessary for all not just for a few crops which is the case at present. This is the single most effective step to make loan waivers history. There is another urgent step which needs to be taken. The loan waiver does not cover those who borrow from moneylenders. It will not be possible for the government to scrutinise the veracity of such private deals but steps can be taken such as giving them Smart Cards which will entitle them to essential inputs like seeds and fertilisers. The gram sabha can be entrusted with the task of identifying these farmers so that there is transparency in the process and elimination of the chances for falsification and corruption. Fear of occasional misuse should not come in the way of enabling millions of poor farmers who have borrowed from informal sources if we are to achieve the goal of four percent growth in agriculture.

51. What is the likely impact of ensuring farmers benefit from government schemes?

(A) They can use the credit from these schemes to repay money lenders.
(B) The government can control the price rise.
(C) Increased agricultural production.

(1) Both (A) and (B)
(2) All (A), (B) and (C)
(3) Only (C)
(4) Both (B) and (C)
(5) None of these

52. Why does the author feel that rural India has been overlooked in the past?

(A) Institutional credit was only made available for Kharif crops.
(B) Drop in investment in central areas related to agriculture.
(C) Records of those eligible for loan waivers have not been maintained over time.

(1) Only (B)
(2) Both (A) and (B)
(3) Only (C)
(5) None of these

53. How can small farmers avoid debt?

(1) They need’ to acquire additional land holdings
(2) They need to take advantage of both government schemes as well as credit from moneylenders.
(3) They have to ensure a sufficient amount of their farm produce is sold.
(4) The Government should provide periodic loan waivers.
(5) None of these

54. What is the objective of the Indebted Farmers’ Support Consortium?

(1) It is a support group for the families of indebted farmers.
(2) It has to devise new government schemes for farmers.
(3) It has to track farmers eligible for government schemes.
(4) It has to evaluate government schemes and weed out the inefficient ones.
(5) It will assist farmers to improve profitability and productivity

55. What does the author mean by the phrase “indebtedness of the country to its farm families”?

(1) If farmers are in debt it impacts the entire country
(2) Citizens should be grateful to farmers and their families for the hardships borne by them to cultivate crops and safeguard national food security
(3) India’s food production has fallen causing it to be in debt since it has to import food.
(4) The number of farmers’ descendants taking up agriculture has fallen .
(5) None of these




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57. Which of the following is TRUE in the context of the passage?

(1) The Minimum Support Price for agricultural products is yet to be implemented.
(2) Loan waiver is a permanent solution to indebtedness of farmers.
(3) Current agricultural growth is below four percent.
(4) India’s food production has increased in 2008.
(5) Moneylenders benefit from loan waivers.

58. Why does the loan waiver not cover credit taken from money lenders?

(A) It is difficult to verify these contracts between farmers and moneylenders.
(B) It will increase the deficit in the budget.
(C) There is a risk that the funds may be misappropriated.

(1) Both (A) and (C)
(2) All (A), (B) and
(C) (3) Only (B)
(4) Both (A) and (B)
(5) None of these

59. Why is there a vast gap in actual and potential yields of crops in rainfed areas?

(1) The government prefers to import these crops at a lower rate.
(2) No technological advances have been made to improve the growth of crops in these areas.
(3) There is no Minimum Support Price available for these crops.
(4) Farmers are forced to sell these crops at a low rate.
(5) None of these

60. How does the government in tend to ensure transparency in the Smart card issuance process?

(1) Screening private players involved in the scheme.
(2) Granting access to those farmers who register with their local moneylenders.
(3) Providing cards which cannot be forged. (4) Regularly rotating members of the gram sabha so there is no corruption.
(5) The gram sabha can be entrusted with the task of identifying farmers.

Directions (61-63) : Choose the word which is most similar in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

61. Assured

(1) insured
(2) definite
(3) doubted
(4) confident
(5) reliance

62. Relieved

(1) exempted
(2) backed
(3) supported
(4) calmed
(5) substituted

63. Gap

(1) hole
(2) break
(3) pause
(4) difference
(5) interruption

Directions (64-65) : Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage.

64. Timely

(1) young
(2) lately
(3) overdue
(4) aged
(5) slowly

65. Elimination

(1) authority
(2) forgiveness
(3) attack
(4) protection
(5) provision

Directions (66-70): In each question below a sentence with four words printed in bold type is given. These are numbered as (1), (2), (3) and (4). One of these four words printed in bold may be either wrongly spelt or inappropriate in the context of the sentence. Find out the word, which is wrongly spelt or inappropriate, if any. The number of that word is your answer. If all the words printed in bold are correctly spelt and also appropriate in the context of the sentence mark (5) i.e. ‘All Correct’ as your answer.

66. Usually (1)/ we are required (2)/ to supply a title (3)/ to the paragraph. (4)/ All correct (5).
67. The movement (1)/ he was asked to recite (2)/ a rhyme, (3)/ he started to do so in his clear (4)/ voice. All correct (5).
68. The maintenance (1)/ expences (2)/ on such accounts(3)/ include recovery (4)f charges. All correct (5).
69. Under the new exploration licencing (1)/ policy, (2)/ companies win exploration blocks in a competitive (3)/ bidding process. (4)/ All correct (5).
70. He was eagrosed (1)/ in his job (2)/ to the detriment (3)/ of his health.(4)/ All correct (5).

Directions (71-75): In each of these questions, two sentences (I) and (II) are given. Each sentence has a blank in it. Five words (1), (2), (3), (4) and
(5) are suggested. Out of these, only one fits at both the places in the context of each sentence. Number of that word is the answer.

71. I. It is when he _____ a new method, he faced opposition.
II. The suspect was ____ for the crime.

(1) suggested
(2) sentenced
(3) tried
(4) found
(5) evolved

72. I. The human ____ has its own healing powers.
II. The elected _____ is responsible for major

policy changes.

(1) being
(2) body
(3) representative
(4) segment
(5) mind

73. I. Even _____ the book doesn’t draw from political characters, the possible coincidence is not missing.
 II. Our college trip was great_____ it lasted.

(1) while
(2) though
(3) until
(4) when
(5) if

74. I. Since the sender has not indicated her name, this letter will be classified as _______ .
 II.Many of the important things that surround you are still the work of_____ minds and hands, about whom we may not know.

(1) known
(2) bogus
(3) void
(4) anonymous
(5) artistic

75. I. It is better to keep things on _____till we get due approval.
 II. If our conduct is good, we can_____ our hea high.

(1) wait
(2) keep
(3) watch
(4) raise
(5) hold

Directions (76-80): Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If the sentence is correct as it is and ‘No correction\ is required’, mark (5) as the answer.76. Two festivals in which I participated recently brought this home point to me fairly dramatically.

(1) bring this point
(2) brought this point home
(3) brought home point this
(4) this point brought home
(5) No correction required

77. As if it had a rustic look from outside, inside the house was quite modern.

(1) Though it had
(2) As it had
(3) Even when
(4) But for
(5) No correction required

78. I knew it was bad manners, but I couldn’t help interrupting their conversation.

(1) still I could not
(2) but I had to
(3) facing it I couldn’t help
(4) still I was required for
(5) No correction required

79. India does not always mean technology,fashion, films or beauty contests.

(1) do not means
(2) do not always means
(3) does it always mean
(4) should not always meant
(5) No correction required

80. I write to share only those few every day moments, which my readers can identify with.

(1) those only to share
(2) to share only this
(3) only to share those
(4) only those to share
(5) No correction required

Directions (81 -90): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical mistake I error in it. The error if any, will be in one part of the sentence. Mark the number of the part with error as your answer. If there is ‘no error’, mark (5).

81. He contributed a lot (1)/ of time and money (2)/ by building a hospital (3)/ in his village.(4)/ N0 error(5).
82. All our Zonal Office (1)/ have received instructions (2)/ to process loan applications(3)/within thirty days.(4)/ No error (5)
83. Years of (1)/ failure has (2)/ sapped him (3)/ of his confidence (4)/ No error (5).
84. We are already (1)/ written to the IT Department (2)/last week seeking permission (3)/to set up our own website.(4)/No error (5).
85. In order to transfer (1)/ branch licenses for one (2)/ bank to another you (3)/ require special approval from RBI. (4)/ No error. (5)
86. After a fire destroyed the land records (1)/ of many villages, the government (2)/has started maintaining (3)/ scan copy of land records.(4)/ No error (5)
87. This year the number of (1)/ counterfeit bank notes detected (2)/ in bank branches was (3)/ highly, thanks to efficient clerical staff. (4)/ No error(5)
88. India has the (1)/ third larger number (2)/ of internet users (3)/ in the world today. (4)/ No error(5)
89. To be effective it is (1)/ very important for employees(2)/ to know how various departments (3)/ in organisation functions. (4)/ No error (5)
90. When I graduated (1)/ 1 was the only one (2)/ in my class who (3)/ went to abroad to study. (4)/ No error (5)


The idea behind staging the World Cup in South Africa was to change how the world thought about the country.
While to the world, South Africa was .(91) as a country of wars (92) famines, South Africans prepared for the (93) by building stadiums and airports and (94)their homes and cities to visitors. With the (95) of hundreds and thousands of fans (96) only did the world’s perception of South Africa (97) as people experienced the hospitality of its (98), but more importantly the African people (99) to believe in themselves and in their country’s (100). Now there is hope for South Africa to live up to its potential.


(1) thought
(2) regard
(3) consider
(4) referred
(5) known


(1) also
(2) resutlting
(3) and
(4) beside
(5) creating


(1) telecast
(2) event
(3) issue
(4) show
(5) war


(1) opening
(2) showed
(3) occupying
(4) admitting
(5) allowing


(1) cost
(2) behaviour
(3) population
(4) venue
(5) arrival


(1) once
(2) forever
(3) that
(4) not
(5) yet


(1) reversed
(2) transformed
(3) change
(4) exchange
(5) substitute


(1) country
(2) nation
(3) occasion
(4) village
(5) citizens


(1) choose
(2) began
(3) made
(4) start
(5) wanting


(1) future
(2) nature
(3) friendship
(4) competition
(5) freedom




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