SVKM’s NMIMS UNIVERSITY

ANIL SURENDRA MODI SCHOOL OF COMMERCE

TERM END EXAMINATION
PROGRAM: BBA
SEMESTER I
SUBJECT: INDIA, SOCIO, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC SYSTEM & CURRENT
AFFAIRS

DATE: MARKS: 50
DURATION: 2 HOURS
Instructions:
• Question paper comprises of Section-A & Section-B of 25 marks each
• Both the sections are compulsory.
• Internal choice is provided within the sections

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SECTION I
Q.1. Read the below given excerpt and answer the following questions: 10 marks
India of 2021 is dramatically different from the India of early 2020, not just because of the massive
health crisis that we’re facing globally, but equally because of a generational shift that has
happened over the last one year as a result of an explosive digital transformation. One of the most
visible effects of digital adoption has been on businesses, both small and large, and consequently
on the Indian economy. We know that the pandemic has adversely affected business operations,
but it’s also true that the digital forces unleashed over the last one year have made the economy
more resilient, created new opportunities for business growth and are now paving the way for
economic recovery.
While the pandemic has been hard for women-led businesses, in the studies conducted by Business
Today, it was found that women business leaders showed a greater degree of flexibility in their
business models in response to Covid-19. In fact, female business leaders were more likely to
make more than 50 per cent of their sales through digital channels. A similar trend has been noticed
on apps; 20 per cent of Instagram Business profiles created since November 2020 mention the
words ‘female/women owned’.
Of the 63 million small businesses in India, approximately 20 per cent are owned by women.
Research and studies show that bringing women online can spur economic progress, expand
markets and improve health and education outcomes for everyone.
The rural internet population is growing faster than the urban one, and by 2025, rural India is likely
to have a higher number of internet users compared to the urban centres. That more and more
innovations and business models are going to be propelled by rural India is not a probability but a
certainty.
Small businesses don’t just contribute 30 per cent to India’s GDP, they are also drivers of
entrepreneurship, innovation and employment. In fact, employment within micro, small and
medium enterprises rose from 23.9 million in 2000-01 to nearly 111 million in 2019-20. Bringing
the next 30 million businesses online can put India on the path of explosive economic growth.
In India, we have barely scratched the surface in terms of the benefits that can be derived from
digitally empowering people and businesses. The dots further connect when you reflect on what is
at the heart of powerful technology ecosystems — openness, that people and businesses will build
off each other’s ideas to solve for India’s unique needs. This deeply resonates with the values of
India and its belief in an open democracy. The focus has to be on building an inclusive ecosystem
that attracts world-class talent, world-class capital, and, given the scale of India’s internet, ends up
solving problems not just for India but also for the rest of the world.
Questions: Attempt any two of the following:
(a) Discuss any three unique characteristics of Indian business model that differentiates it from
the rest of the world. 5 marks
(b) With the help of suitable examples elaborate on the role of current women business leaders
and entrepreneurs in the future of Indian society. 5 marks
(c) Enumerate the ways in which the contribution made by new generation of entrepreneurs
will be different from the earlier generations. 5 marks

Q2 Read the below given excerpt and answer the following question: 10 marks

Sterlite Copper (Sterlite), owned by Vedanta Resources Limited (Vedanta), was one of three
major copper plants in India. However, the plant had been the subject of controversy and public
protests. The people residing in Tuticorin, where the plant was located, considered Sterlite to
be a major contributor to the air and water pollution in the neighboring area. In light of the
latest public protest on May 23, 2018, which was supported by several national and
international non-government organizations, human rights activists, and Tamil solidarity
groups, the Government of Tamil Nadu ordered a permanent shutdown of the plant. Since the
plant contributed around 5 per cent to Vedanta's operating profit, the closure of the plant not
only threatened the earnings and profitability of the parent company but also damaged its brand
image. The plant was a major source of copper for over 400 small and medium-sized industries
in its downstream value chain. The closure of the plant put at risk the jobs of a large number
of employees, which Sterlite supported both directly and indirectly through its value chain.
 Questions: Attempt any two of the following:
(a) It is imperative for business houses/corporates to play an active role in safeguarding
human rights through their conduct. Elaborate on the given assertion. 5 marks
(b) Critically comment of Vedanta’s role as a violator of human rights in Tamil Nadu.
5 marks
(c) What should Vedanta do in such a hostile environment? 5 marks

Q.3. Read the below given excerpt and answer the following questions: 5 marks
Recent farmer’s protest called for Mr. Modi to repeal laws passed in September 2020 that would
minimize the government’s role in agriculture and open more space for private investors. The
government said the new laws would unshackle farmers and private investment, bringing growth.
But farmers feared that the removal of state protections, which they already considered
insufficient, would leave them at the mercy of greedy corporations. After a year of sustained
protests by farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conceded to their demands and said his
government would repeal farm laws that his government had enacted to overhaul the country’s
agricultural sector.
Anti-farm-laws protest and the anti-CAA protests both brought people on the road in big numbers,
something that has not happened in the Modi government on any other issue. In both cases, the
symbolism and leadership of the movements have had religious characteristics.
The agitation against farm laws followed the same pattern of community-centric mass mobilisation
even when other diverse elements joined it at different points in time. The most visible symbols of
anti-farm-laws protest are the Sikh religious minority and came from the states of Punjab and
Haryana. Farmers in other parts of the country held rallies in solidarity., which also made them a
target for a certain section of the media, just as the shifting of protest sites to Muslim
neighbourhoods had done.
Like it treated the participants in the Citizenship Amendment Act agitation earlier in the year, the
Modi government left no stone unturned in attacking the farm protestors. This often meant the
attack moved along communal lines: it attempted to tar the large contingent of Sikh protestors as
separatists who were battling not for the repeal of the laws but Khalistan or a sovereign Sikh
homeland itself.
In November, 2020 the head of the BJP’s all-powerful Information Technology Cell Amit Malviya
alleged that the protestors had “Khalistani and Maoist” links. In January, a BJP MP took up the
charge in Rajasthan. The Modi government even made this line official with the attorney general
telling the Supreme Court in January that “Khalistanis have infiltrated into the protests”.
This narrative was then pushed by a large section of the mainstream media, which leans towards
the government. In October, for example, as a horrific car attack by a BJP MP’s son on protesters
occurred in Uttar Pradesh, the Times Now television channel thought it worthwhile to discuss with
a BJP party worker if “Khalistani elements incited the violence”.
At the peak of this fevered pitch, the Delhi Police even claimed in February that young climate
change activist Disha Ravi had collaborated with Khalistani militants by sharing a set of protest
information. As it so happens, the same information – sensationally called a “toolkit” – was also
shared by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

QUESTIONS: Attempt any one of the following:

(a) Explain the term political spectrum. Discuss the role of political ideology in the Indian
political system. (5 marks)
(b) With reference to the above excerpt, critically evaluate communalisation as a philosophy.
(5 marks)
(c) With reference to the above excerpt, elaborate on the evolution of Indian media and its role
in the current political scenario (5 marks)

Section B
Instructions-
• Section-B is of 25 marks
• Answer briefly (Any FIVE) out of 7.
• Each question carries 5 marks
• Each sub-question has marks indicated in brackets.
Provide examples wherever necessary

Q.1. a. According to the World Gold Council, the gold consumption in India will probably be the
best in the current quarter as buyers stock up for festivities in November and the peak
wedding period in December. In this context, discuss the impact of people buying gold in
Indian economy. (2 marks)
b. Crisil predicts a revival in private investment cycle after more than a decade. Private
industrial capital expenditure appears to be getting into a whole new cycle after the
pandemic disruptions. In this context, discuss the factors influencing private investment in
the economy. (3 marks)
Q.2 a. Discuss the post covid privatization strategy as highlighted in the Union Budget for 2021-
22? (3 marks)
b. Write a short note on the National Monetisation Plan as envisaged in the budget speech of
finance minister in the year 2021-22? (2 marks)

Q. 3. a. Explain briefly Ways and Means Advances (WMA). (2 marks)

b. Discuss the methods of financing the fiscal deficit and the impact on Indian economy.
(3 marks)
Q.4. a. “Easy money today could lead to high-interest rates tomorrow. On the other hand, by
demonstrating its commitment to the inflation target with tangible action, the MPC will be
able to anchor expectations, reduce risk premia, and sustain lower long term interest rates
thereby aiding the economic recovery,” In this reference, explain inflation targeting.
(2 marks)
b. Explain CRR and SLR as monetary policy tools and also bring out the differences
between the two. (3 marks)
Q.5. a. What is a PIL? When can it be filed? (2 marks)
b. Write a short note on the challenges faced in implementation of RTI. (3 marks)
Q.6. a. Since May 2016, Taiwan has embraced the New Model for Economic Development.
Taiwan’s economic freedom score is 78.6, making its economy the 6th freest in the 2021
Index. State the features of free market economy? (3 marks)
b. Is US a mixed economy? Give reasons supporting your arguments. (2 marks)
Q.7. a. The six large PSBs have just seen consolidation. These half a dozen PSBs with over Rs
10 lakh crore balance sheet size includes the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank,
Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and Indian Bank.
a. Is consolidation of PSBs the need of an hour? (3 marks)
b. State the differences between commercial and co-operative banks? (2 marks)