Directions (Q. 1-0): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below. There are certain words in the passage printed in bold letters to lead you to find them out easily in order to help you in answering some of the questions.
Public sector banks are back in focus, not for the steep rise in bad loans, but for customer complaints against them. At first glance, the Reserve Bank of India’s annual report on the Banking Ombudsman Scheme reveals that customers of PSBs had a litany of grievances, while patrons of private and foreign banks were quite content with the services offered to them. But one reason why PSBs account for about 65 per cent of the complaints is that these banks have a lion’s share — about three-fourths — of the loans and deposits in the banking system. If we consider the number of complaints per account or branch, nationalised banks, surprisingly, have fewer complaints than their private and foreign counterparts. Complaints from the rural and semi-urban population have witnessed an increase, implying the wider participation from these segments. But there is a lack of awareness about the ombudsman scheme or lack of access to it in these regions. While they account for about two-thirds of the bank branches in India, less than 30 per cent of the complaints were lodged from here.
Reporting such numbers only scratches the surface of the problem. The ombudsman scheme, which was launched two decades ago to provide a free grievance redress system in the face of rising complaints against banks, will now have to use the data to improve its functioning. Both the Centre and the regulator also need to act on longstanding grievances. For years now, debit/credit card operations (21 per cent of complaints) and unfair banking practices (29 per cent) have made up a large chunk of the complaints. Customers have had a laundry list of woes regarding failure of withdrawals from ATMs, issue of unsolicited cards and insurance policies, and banks’ non-adherence to ‘fair practices’ or BCSBI (Banking Codes and Standards Board of India) codes. The BCSBI was set up a decade ago to supplement the ombudsman scheme. Hence, the wide non-adherence to these codes on the part of banks is inexcusable. What it highlights is the need for the RBI to follow up more stringently on ensuring that banks conform to norms.
Reviewing the scope of the ombudsman scheme and educating customers on the procedures to lodge complaints, will ensure that grievances that do find their way into the redressal system get resolved effectively. While the report shows that the scheme disposed 96 per cent of the complaints in 2014-15, rejections were as high as around two-thirds, because the solution to many of the grievances fell outside the jurisdiction of the banking ombudsman. The RBI advisory that banks have an internal redress mechanism to deal with the issue first-hand will work only if the process is streamlined for better results.
1.What could be the best title for the above passage?
a. Ombudsman scheme
b. RBI's Policies
c. Beyond just numbers
d. Unfair practices
e. Major challenge
2. Which of the following is NOT True according to the passage?
I.Rural population is participating more in banking
II.Banking ombudsman scheme disposed more than 50 percent of the complaints in 2014-2015
III.Unfair banking practices lead to large number of complaints
a. III & I
b.II & III
c.I & II
d.I, II & III
e.None of the above
3.What would be the best way to resolve complaints effectively?
I. Debit/credit card operations should be limited
II. Banks should adhere to fair practices
III. customers should be educated on the procedures to lodge complaints.
a. III only
b.II & III
c.I & II
d.I, II & III
e.None of these
4.which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
a. Banks have internal banking ombudsman
b. BCSBI was set up by RBI a decade ago
c. Issuance of unsolicited cards is one of the woes of customers
d.PSBs account for less than 65 percent of the complaints
e.None of these
Directions (5 to 8): Choose the word which is most SIMILAR in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
5. Steep
a. gentle
b. continuous
c. abrupt
d. low
e. gadual
6. Redress
a. same
b.compensation
c.penalty
d. hurt
e. worse
7. Longstanding
a. strong
b.high
c.long
d.firm
e.abiding
Directions (8 to 10): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
8. ensure
a. certify
b. arrange
c. endanger
d. guard
e. sure
9.stringent
a. inflexible
b. easy going
c. compelling
d. critical
e. bound
10.chunk
a. block
b. portion
c. large
d. whole
e. part
Answers
1. c
2. e
3. a
4. c
5. c
6. b
7. e
8. c
9. b
10.d
Answers
1. c
2. e
3. a
4. c
5. c
6. b
7. e
8. c
9. b
10.d
