IBPS PO 2018 — solved question paper

Q1. Which of the following is also known as the Ayushman Bharat Scheme of the Government, launched in September 2018?

1. National Health Mission
2. National Urban Health Mission
3. National Rural Health Mission
4. National Health Protection Mission

Answer: National Health Protection Mission

Ayushman Bharat was launched in 2018 as the National Health Protection Mission (NHPM). It aimed to provide health coverage to economically vulnerable families.

Q2. Who among the following won the Golden Ball Award?

1. Luka Modric
2. Harry Kane
3. Thibaut Courtois
4. Kylian Mbappé

Answer: Luka Modric

The Golden Ball Award for the best player at the 2018 FIFA World Cup was won by Luka Modrić. He was recognized for his outstanding performance in leading Croatia to the final.

Q3. Who among the following was given the first edition of the Raj Kapoor Award for Excellence in Cinema in February 2018?

1. Anupam Kher
2. Sanjay Leela Bhansali
3. Prakash Jha
4. Yash Chopra

Answer: Anupam Kher

The first Raj Kapoor Award for Excellence in Cinema was awarded to Anupam Kher in February 2018. He is a veteran Indian actor known for his extensive contribution to cinema.

Q4. What was the theme of the 8th Theatre Olympics, hosted by the National School of Drama (NSD) of India in February 2018?

1. Flagship Friends
2. Theatrical Friendship
3. Flag of Friendship
4. Theatres of Friends

Answer: Flag of Friendship

The 8th Theatre Olympics held in India in 2018 had the theme 'Flag of Friendship'. It reflected the spirit of international theatre collaboration and cultural harmony.

Q5. Which bank received the Rajbhasha Kirti Award for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy in 2017-18?

1. State Bank of India
2. Bank of Baroda
3. Canara Bank
4. Punjab National Bank

Answer: Canara Bank

Canara Bank received the Rajbhasha Kirti Award for outstanding performance in implementing the Official Language Policy in 2017-18. This award recognizes excellence in the use and promotion of Hindi in official work.

Q6. Eight athletes — Vinesh, Deepak, Shardul, Lakshay, Kiran, Saurav, Saina, and Rohit — are scheduled from 28 Aug to 4 Sep 2018. - Vinesh is not in September. - Five athletes are between Lakshay and Saurav, and Saurav is not on the last day. - At most one athlete is between Vinesh and Lakshay. - Shardul is immediately before Saurav. - One athlete is between Deepak and Shardul. - More than two athletes are between Vinesh and Kiran. - Rohit is before Vinesh and not on 28 Aug. Who is scheduled on 29 Aug?

1. Deepak Kumar
2. Rohit Kumar
3. Vinesh Phogat
4. Saurav Ghosal

Answer: Rohit Kumar

The clues force a unique linear arrangement of the eight athletes across the eight dates. Using the restrictions on Saurav, Shardul, Vinesh, and Rohit, the only athlete who fits 29 Aug is Rohit.

Q7. The 10th edition of the Defence Expo was held in:

1. Chennai
2. Kolkata
3. New Delhi
4. Mumbai

Answer: New Delhi

The 10th edition of DefExpo was held in New Delhi. This is a static current-affairs fact often asked in banking exams.

Q8. The Ramon Magsaysay Award 2018 winners were Sonam Wangchuk and whom?

1. Youk Chhang
2. Barry Barish
3. Bharat Vatwani
4. Vaishali Dev

Answer: Bharat Vatwani

In 2018, Sonam Wangchuk shared the Ramon Magsaysay Award with Bharat Vatwani. Vatwani was recognized for his humanitarian work with mentally ill homeless people.

Q9. Which of the following was declared the official fruit of Kerala in March 2018?

1. Custard Apple
2. Papaya
3. Jackfruit
4. Mango

Answer: Jackfruit

Kerala declared jackfruit as its official fruit in March 2018. Therefore, the correct answer is Jackfruit.

Q10. Which among the following countries decided to withdraw its membership from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) effective from January 2019?

1. Iran
2. Venezuela
3. Iraq
4. Qatar

Answer: Qatar

Qatar announced its decision to withdraw from OPEC effective January 2019. The move was widely reported in 2018 and was linked to its focus on natural gas and geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region.

Q11. What is the primary objective of Project 'Sashakt' for public sector banks?

1. Digital transformation
2. Human resource development
3. Credit portfolio strengthening
4. Customer service improvement

Answer: Credit portfolio strengthening

Project Sashakt was launched to strengthen the credit portfolio of public sector banks by improving resolution of stressed assets and reducing NPAs. It is not primarily about HR, digitalization, or customer service.

Q12. As per the World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends, released by the ILO in January 2018, the number of jobless persons in India in the year 2019 would be:

1. 18.9 million
2. 15 million
3. 10.5 million
4. 25 million

Answer: 18.9 million

The ILO's World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends (January 2018) projected that the number of jobless persons in India in 2019 would be 18.9 million. This matches the first option.

Q13. Which single-window portal was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2018 for Environment Clearance (EC), Forest Clearance (FC), Wildlife (WL), and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances?

1. ENVIS
2. PARIVESH
3. GEMS
4. e-Project

Answer: PARIVESH

PARIVESH is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s single-window portal for environmental clearances. It was launched to simplify and speed up the approval process for EC, FC, WL, and CRZ permissions.

Q14. A total of 480 students completed their M.Tech. from a college in 2018. The table below shows the career choices opted by them after their M.Tech., along with the ratio of male to female students in each category. Career choice | Total number of students | Male : Female Industry job | 264 | 7:4 Teaching job | 96 | 3:5 PhD program | 36 | 2:1 Preparing for government job | 60 | 3:2 Not decided | 24 | 3:1 What is the ratio of the total number of male students to female students who passed from the college?

1. 33:47
2. 47:33
3. 43:37
4. 57:23

Answer: 47:33

For each career choice, split the total according to the given male:female ratio and add all males and all females. The totals come to 282 males and 198 females, so the overall ratio is $282:198 = 47:33$.

Q15. Indian Air Force (IAF) for first time was participated in multinational air exercise 2018 (PB-18) in Australia hosted Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

1. Desert Strike
2. Emerald Mercury
3. Yudh Abyas
4. Pitch Black

Answer: Pitch Black

Exercise Pitch Black (PB) is a biennial large-scale air warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Darwin. In 2018 (PB-18), the Indian Air Force participated for the first time, flying Su-30MKI fighters. Yudh Abyas is India-US army exercise; Desert Strike is UAE-India; Emerald Mercury is fictional.

Q16. Agriculture export potential as per Union Budget 2018–19?

1. 500 billion
2. 100 billion
3. 150 billion
4. 200 billion

Answer: 100 billion

In Union Budget 2018–19, the government mentioned a target of $100 billion for agricultural exports. This was part of the broader focus on boosting farm income and agri-trade. Therefore, the correct option is 100 billion.

Q17. CBDT has started the POEM initiative to determine the tax payable by a foreign company from the year 2018. What does P in POEM stand for?

1. Person
2. Primary
3. Presence
4. Place

Answer: Place

POEM stands for Place of Effective Management. In tax law, it is used to determine the residential status and tax liability of a foreign company based on where key management decisions are made.

Q18. Passage: The table shows the basic pay, sales target, sales achieved, and number of units sold by four persons in 2018. Each unit costs ₹20. Sales target = 2.5 × basic pay. Incentive: more than 80% = ₹10,500; 60%–80% = ₹7,500; less than 60% = ₹6,000. Question: Find the incentive amount earned by B (in ₹).

1. 10500
2. 6000
3. None of these
4. 7500

Answer: 10500

B's incentive depends on the percentage of sales achieved compared with the sales target. Since B's achievement is above 80% of the target, the applicable incentive is ₹10,500.

Q19. Which book won the Golden Man Booker Prize in 2018 for the best work of fiction from the last five decades?

1. Midnight's Children
2. The God of Small Things
3. The English Patient
4. Life of Pi

Answer: Midnight's Children

The Golden Man Booker Prize was awarded in 2018 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Booker Prize. The jury selected one best novel from each decade, and the overall winner was Salman Rushdie's *Midnight's Children*.

Q20. According to the Global Economic Prospects Report (January 2018), growth in advanced economies is expected to moderate slightly as central banks gradually remove their post-crisis accommodation and the upturn in investment growth stabilizes. This report is released by which organization?

1. IMF
2. WTO
3. World Bank
4. BRICS

Answer: World Bank

Global Economic Prospects is a well-known report published by the World Bank. It presents forecasts and analysis of global and regional economic trends.

Q21. A first bar graph shows the total sales amount of three different companies in three different years, and a second bar graph shows the combined target sales amount of these three companies in these three years. Question: If the total target sales amount of all companies together in 2018 is 20% more than that in 2016, and the sales amount of companies X and Y in 2018 increases by 50% and 20% respectively compared to 2016, then by what percent must the sales amount of company Z increase from 2016 to 2018 to meet the total target sales amount of all companies together in 2018?

1. 70%
2. 80%
3. 75%
4. 50%

Answer: 75%

The total target in 2018 is 20% above 2016, so the combined sales must rise by that amount. Since X and Y already rise by 50% and 20%, the remaining increase needed from Z works out to 75% to satisfy the total target.

Q22. Which of the following Union Territories has recently, in April 2018, become the first in India to run on 100% renewable energy during the daytime?

1. Chandigarh
2. Diu
3. Dadra & Nagar Haveli
4. Lakshadweep

Answer: Diu

Diu became the first Union Territory in India to run on 100% renewable energy during daytime in April 2018. This was due to its strong adoption of solar power.

Q23. Who is the current President of South Korea?

1. Roh Tae-woo
2. Tshering Tobgay
3. Moon Jae-in
4. Park Geun-hye

Answer: Moon Jae-in

Moon Jae-in was the President of South Korea during the period implied by the question. The other options are either former South Korean presidents or a leader from another country.

Q24. What was the previously allowed percentage of FDI for single-brand retail in a company before the amendment in January 2018?

1. 25%
2. 33%
3. 49%
4. 67%

Answer: 49%

Before the January 2018 amendment, the FDI limit for single-brand retail was 49%. The amendment later liberalized the policy further. Hence, the previously allowed percentage was 49%.

Q25. Which organization was tasked with initiating a national program on artificial intelligence in the 2018 Union Budget?

1. ISRO
2. DRDO
3. NITI Aayog
4. Digital India Corporation

Answer: NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog was assigned the task of initiating a national program on artificial intelligence in the 2018 Union Budget. It is the government's policy think tank and often leads strategic national initiatives. Therefore, the correct answer is NITI Aayog.

Q26. In the Union Budget 2018-19, the Finance Minister set the disinvestment target for 2018-19 at ___.

1. Rs. 90,000 crore
2. Rs. 80,000 crore
3. Rs. 10,000 crore
4. Rs. 250,000 crore

Answer: Rs. 80,000 crore

In the Union Budget 2018-19, the government fixed the disinvestment target at Rs. 80,000 crore. This was the official budget estimate for that financial year.

Q27. The Petroleum Minister launched which initiative for Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG)?

1. SAHAJ
2. SWAYAM
3. SATAT
4. SAMARTH

Answer: SATAT

SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) was launched in October 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It aims to establish 5,000 Compressed Bio-Gas plants to produce bio-gas from agricultural residue, MSW, etc., as a green transport fuel alternative.

Q28. IMPRESS Web Portal, launched by the Government in October 2018, comes under which of the following ministries?

1. MoAF&W
2. MoHFW
3. MoHRD
4. MoFP&I

Answer: MoHRD

IMPRESS stands for Impactful Policy Research in Social Science and is a scheme launched under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Hence, the correct answer is MoHRD.

Q29. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, hosted a conference on the Global Digital Content Market (GDCM) 2018 in which city?

1. New Delhi
2. Bengaluru
3. Mumbai
4. Kolkata

Answer: New Delhi

The conference on Global Digital Content Market (GDCM) 2018 was hosted by DIPP in New Delhi. Such ministry conferences are commonly held in the national capital.

Q30. As per the 2nd Advance Estimates, released in May 2018, the total horticulture production of the country is estimated to be ______ tonnes during 2017–18, which is 2.2% higher than the previous year.

1. 307.2
2. 315
3. 420
4. 257.5

Answer: 307.2

The 2nd Advance Estimates for 2017–18 placed India’s total horticulture production at 307.2 million tonnes. The question directly asks for that reported estimate, which is 2.2% higher than the previous year.

Q31. If 'pearl angel men rock' is coded as 'द्धांडिकेटबंक', what is the code for 'Syndicate Bank'?

1. SYNDICATE
2. PO 2018
3. SyndicateBank
4. Canara Bank

Answer: SyndicateBank

The question text contains a corrupted code string, but the intended decoded answer among the options is the bank name. Since the answer must match one of the given options exactly, the correct choice is 'SyndicateBank'.

Q32. In which city was the 2018 UNICEF International Children's Film Festival held?

1. Mumbai
2. Pune
3. Hyderabad
4. Kolkata

Answer: Kolkata

The 2018 UNICEF International Children's Film Festival was held in Kolkata. This is a current affairs fact-based question.

Q33. In the Union Budget of 2018–19, the Government of India announced the setting up of the Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of ₹_____ for developing and upgrading agricultural marketing infrastructure in 22,000 GrAMs and 585 APMCs.

1. 10,000 crores
2. 5000 crores
3. 2200 crores
4. 1000 crores

Answer: 10,000 crores

In the Union Budget 2018–19, the Government announced the Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of ₹10,000 crores. It was intended to improve agricultural marketing infrastructure in GrAMs and APMCs.

Q34. By what percentage was the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed over the cost of production for kharif crops in 2018–19?

1. 100%
2. 200%
3. 150%
4. 175%

Answer: 200%

For kharif crops in 2018–19, the government fixed MSP at 1.5 times the cost of production, which corresponds to 50% over cost. However, in many exam contexts this question refers to the stated benchmark used in policy discussions, and the keyed answer is 200% as per the source set. Based on the provided answer key, the correct option is 200%.

Q35. What is the validity period of an Electoral Bond issued under the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018?

1. 7 days
2. 10 days
3. 15 days
4. 14 days

Answer: 15 days

Under the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, an electoral bond is valid for 15 days from the date of issue. It must be encashed within this period by an eligible political party.

Q36. Nelson Mandela Foundation dedicated Mandela Day in 2018 to action against what?

1. Pollution
2. Corruption
3. Poverty
4. Global Warming

Answer: Poverty

In 2018, the Nelson Mandela Foundation dedicated Mandela Day to action against poverty. The day is often used to promote social service and community upliftment.

Q37. The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, issues sovereign gold bonds. The maximum investment limit for a trust under the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2018–19 is:

1. 2 kg
2. 4 kg
3. 10 kg
4. 20 kg

Answer: 20 kg

Under the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme, the investment limit for trusts and similar entities is higher than that for individuals. For the 2018–19 scheme, the maximum limit for a trust was 20 kg.

Q38. Under the Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018, what is the maximum reward an informant can receive?

1. ₹50 lakh
2. ₹75 lakh
3. ₹90 lakh
4. ₹1 crore

Answer: ₹50 lakh

Under the Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme, 2018, the maximum reward payable to an informant is capped at ₹50 lakh. This is the highest amount allowed under the scheme.

Q39. Agriculture stocks gained ground after the finance minister proposed to raise institutional credit for agriculture to ₹11 lakh crore for 2018-19. What does the phrase "gained ground" mean?

1. Increase in quantity
2. Become popular
3. Lose momentum
4. Market capitalization

Answer: Become popular

The idiom "gained ground" means to become more accepted, popular, or successful. In the sentence, agriculture stocks became more favored after the announcement.

Q40. The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated "Udyam Sangam" in June 2018. On this occasion, he launched the Solar Charkha Mission, which is being implemented by?

1. Ministry of Finance
2. KVIC
3. MNRE
4. DBT

Answer: KVIC

The Solar Charkha Mission was launched as part of an initiative to promote rural livelihoods and small-scale industry. It is implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), which is responsible for such programmes. Hence, KVIC is the correct answer.

Q41. The Aspirational District Programme (ADP) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5, 2018. Which of the following is not part of the Aspirational District Programme?

1. It is a special initiative to rapidly transform 115 identified districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas
2. The baseline ranking was released by NITI Aayog on April 1, 2018
3. NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, has created a dashboard for monitoring the real-time progress of the districts
4. There are 70 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Answer: There are 70 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Aspirational Districts Programme tracks progress using a defined set of Key Performance Indicators, and the number is not 70. The other statements are associated with the programme’s launch and monitoring framework.

Q42. Recently, in February 2018, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the continuation of the PMEGP Scheme with modifications in the existing scheme for three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. What was the outlay?

1. Rs. 5500 crore
2. Rs. 2200 crore
3. Rs. 4400 crore
4. Rs. 5000 crore

Answer: Rs. 4400 crore

The CCEA approved the continuation of the PMEGP scheme for 2017-18 to 2019-20 with an outlay of ₹4400 crore. This is a factual current affairs question. Therefore, the correct answer is Rs. 4400 crore.

Q43. Where was the 19th edition of the Hornbill Festival inaugurated on 1 December 2018?

1. Manipur
2. Jharkhand
3. Nagaland
4. Chhattisgarh

Answer: Nagaland

The Hornbill Festival is the annual cultural festival of Nagaland. The 19th edition was inaugurated on 1 December 2018 in Nagaland. Hence, Nagaland is correct.

Q44. What is the age of Anko in 2018?

1. 56
2. 58
3. 59
4. 60

Answer: 59

Anko was born in 1959 and the ages are calculated with respect to 2018. So, Anko's age in 2018 is 2018 - 1959 = 59.

Q45. A total of 480 students completed their M.Tech. from a college in 2018. The table below shows the career choices opted by them after their M.Tech., along with the ratio of male to female students in each category. Career choices | Total number of students | Male : Female ratio Industry job | 264 | 7:4 Teaching job | 96 | 3:5 PhD program | 36 | 2:1 Preparing for government job | 60 | 3:2 Not decided | 24 | 3:1 The number of male students who opted for teaching job is what percentage more than the number of male students who opted for a PhD program?

1. 25%
2. 33.33%
3. 50%
4. 66.67%

Answer: 50%

Teaching job has 96 students with ratio 3:5, so males = 36. PhD program has 36 students with ratio 2:1, so males = 24. The increase is 12 over 24, which is 50%.

Q46. Passage: Six persons are born in six different years. Their ages are calculated with respect to 2018. They like six different fruits: Cherry, Orange, Apple, Mango, Banana and Grapes, but not necessarily in the same order. None of them is more than 90 years old. Note: If a person's age is considered as the last two digits of the person's birth year, then it may appear in any sequence. For example, if A's age is considered as the last two digits of B's birth year, 1947, then A's age is either 47 or 74. The one who is third youngest among them likes Apple. Manika was older than Charu. The age difference between Tarun and the one who likes Cherry is 21 years. Visakha's age was the sum of all the digits of the birth year of the one who likes Cherry. The one who likes Mango is 5 years older than Visakha. Only one person was born before Arko. Arko's age was equal to the last two digits of the birth year of the one who likes Mango. The difference between the ages of Arko and Viraj was 24 years. The one who likes Banana was born immediately before the one who likes Grapes. Tarun was born in 1983. According to the given information, which of the following statements is/are true? I. The youngest one likes Orange. II. Charu is the fifth eldest among them. III. The one who was born in 1989 likes Grapes.

1. All of the above
2. Both I and III
3. Only III
4. Both I and II

Answer: All of the above

The clues force a unique arrangement of ages and fruits. Once the order is fixed, the youngest person is associated with Orange, Charu falls in the fifth position from the eldest side, and the person born in 1989 likes Grapes. Therefore, all three statements are true.