BANK P.O.

EXAMS
SPECIAL

■ Credit Crunch and Infrastructure

Descriptive ■ Ban on Smoking in Public Places

Questions ■ Making Sports a Lucrative Career

■ Problem of Child Labour & Malnourishment

Credit Crunch and boost domestic demand, improve

Descriptive Infrastructure productivity and prevent rupee
Questions are In view of the credit/cash crunch depreciation. We should also focus on
asked in Bank P.O. what practical steps should be taken growth by improving public and private
to see that infrastructure projects investment, continue to take measures for
Recruitment Exams.
come through the global financial improving liquidity and enhance investor
The purpose of these crisis. confidence to ensure growth of industry.
tests is to assess the No doubt, the global economy is in There is also an urgent need to cut
writing and turmoil and if the crisis continues the interest rates, and get the fiscal house in
expressing spectre of ‘recession’ would stare in the order to generate resources for
capabilities of the face of all countries, both developed as infrastructure investment.
well as developing. At home, the experts
candidate, as well as
rightly believe the Indian economy can Ban on Smoking in Public
assess his/her bounce back if the government and the places
knowledge about Central Bank get their act right to keep The all-India ban on smoking in
various issues. the investment regime from slipping public places is in force now.

further. When confidence of the investors
and credibility of the financial institutions
come under a cloud, there is every
likelihood of the economic situation going
haywire. Since the oxygen of economic
growth and its continued sustainability
depend upon free and soft flow of funds,
it is imperative that the problem of
liquidity and lending rates are addressed
to on a priority basis. There is no denying
that growth requires money and in most
cases excess money supply in the market
leads to inflation. Wisdom lies in striking
a balance between growth and
inflation.
When the economy is under stress
because of credit and liquidity crunch, it
is prudent on the part of ‘powers-that-be’
to take both short- and long-term
measures to keep the tempo of
Contents or Translation of contents of this document must not be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.
Comment on its impact and
effectiveness.
The protagonist of ban on smoking in
private or public places has a lot to say
about the ill effects of smoking in any
form. He is well-equipped with facts and
figures of how smoking kills 5.4 million
people a year across the world. Those who
smoke easily fall victim to lung cancer,
heart disease and other illnesses.
Unchecked, that number will increase to
more than eight million a year by 2030.
Tragically, the epidemic is shifting
towards the developing countries like
India. The shift is caused by a global
tobacco industry marketing strategy that
targets young people and adults in
developing countries.
On the other side of the fence sits the
critic—rather the cynic who views the ban
© The Competition Master.

infrastructure development on track. Any an exercise in futility. He too has his

hasty step in such a situation can prove
worse than the dilemma that has already
unnerved many a heart.
There is no denying the crisis is too
deep to be ignored. Lest we are
overwhelmed in the gathering clouds of
‘slowdown economic growth’ affecting
employment generation and poverty
alleviation programmes, it is time to
arguments to support his point of view.
Many a laudable measures initiated by the
government have met with half-success
simply because the implementation aspect
of the law lacks adequate commitment
and conviction. Even laws against littering,
noise pollution, air and water pollution
and the like are on the books but only a
very few conscientious persons care to

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BANK P.O. EXAMS
SPECIAL
heed and practise them in their
day-to-day life. Despite these
negative tendencies.
The impact of the ban would
become visible the moment people
at large willingly and voluntarily
come forward to become vigilantes
and actively participate in its
success. Undoubtedly, with the
decrease in the number of smokers,
the State revenue will come down
but it hardly matters if the health
of the people improves because of
the ban. We should not lose sight of
the fact that any law will fail if
people do not respond to it in a
constructive manner.
Making Sports a Lucrative
Career
There is no dearth of talent in
India. We only need to hone
(sharpen) and encourage it by
developing a culture where
sports is viewed as a lucrative
career. Comment.
The observation is true, timely
and telling on the fact that in India
we have enough talent in every
calling and pursuit. We are second
to none in the arena of science and
technology, administrative acumen
both in business and civil
administration, par excellence in
economic and financial
management. Our youth is
impatient to show its merit in
games and sports provided they are
offered an ambience and
atmosphere of world-class
infrastructure, plenty of funds,
sufficient incentives and a very fair
selection process. Free from the
cobweb of corruption and nepotism
and insulated against the hegemony
of politics and politicians, as also
the white collared bureaucrats,
there is no reason why our sports
should not excel, both at home and
abroad.
The myth that simply by
hosting major sporting events, India
will suddenly witness a rise in its
results has to be broken. It is easier
to stage sports extravaganza but
THE COMPETITION MASTER
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The Competition Master to 126, Industrial Area-1, Chandigarh - 160002,
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quite a challenge to raise a nation
out of sporting mediocrity. It is
time to get out of the world of
make-believe and admit that the
health of sports in India needs
much more than delicious
discourses and the usual habit of
blame game after every dismal
performance.
India’s sports facilities are poor
and need upgradation. We also
require to increase our pool of
competitors. By ignoring our supply
chain, Indian sport has cut off its
own oxygen. The perception that
has become a baneful belief that
sport is a tool to power, that Indian
sport exists to serve some well-
entrenched persons’ ambitions and
not the other way round, has to be
thrown lock, stock and barrel into
the nearest drain. All said and done,
if economic reforms can transform
India into a leading power, the
administrative reforms can certainly
transform India into a sporting
superpower.
Problem of Child Labour &
Malnourishment
Child labour and malnourished
children are the two curses that
take away childhood from
millions of Indian children.
Comment.
India has come of age and is on
the way to become an economic
power in the not very distant
future. In the midst of euphoria and
excitement that India of today feels,
it is a matter of utter shame and
shock that millions of her children
should suffer from the scourges of
‘child labour’ and ‘malnutrition’.
Despite the constitutional guarantee
of ‘right to life’ of dignity and the
anti-child labour law, the curses of
child labour and malnourished
children stare us in the face. A
UNICEF report and an action plan
(2008-2012) tells us in clear terms
that India of today must combat the
challenges of excessive
malnutrition, high infant and
maternal mortality rates, besides
lack of quality education, safe water
and sanitation. Added to this
dismal picture is the disturbing
reality of persistently high
percentage of underweight children
under three.
Like most of the enabling laws
in India, the child labour law, too,
remains a toothless measure for
want of its strict implementation,
both in letter and spirit. How many
children work as child workers
inspite of the law is anybody’s
guess, but certainly the number is
enormous. No doubt, the problem
of child labour is not as simple as
some may make out. It gets
compounded manifold as issues
like child trafficking, sexual abuse
and bonded labour find a
significant correlation with it. It
goes without saying that poverty
has an obvious relationship with
child labour. The only way out of
the vicious cycle is educational
empowerment and rehabilitation of
rescued children. India as a
signatory to the World Declaration
on the Survival, Protection and
Development of Children, has to do
much more than simply sit back
and pat itself for having enacted
the Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Act 1986. Besides, ideas
like ‘social audit’ and attempts to
certify goods as ‘child labour free’
may appear ludicrous but are worth
investigating. A heightened
sensitivity and sensibility by all
those who matter and care can
secure precious childhood. Today
we share the burden and the
opportunity to make this a better
world for children to live in.