Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 29 October 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Days after it assigned additional charge of the Managing Director, National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), to an official of the Ministry of Cooperation, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) Friday appointed Deepak Agarwal, a 2000-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, as the regular MD of NAFED for a period of five years. An order to this effect was issued by the ACC.
The order came days after the ACC entrusted charge of the post to an official of the Ministry of Cooperation, a week after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s decision to assign the additional charge of MD, NAFED, to an Agriculture Ministry official.
On October 21, The Indian Express reported— “NAFED post: Agriculture gives it to own official, week later it goes to Cooperation.”
The ACC, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, as its only other ministerial member. It is responsible for appointing senior officials to key positions in the Central government, public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies.
It is learnt that the Agriculture Ministry, in an order on September 23, assigned additional charge of MD, NAFED, to Muktanand Agrawal, a Joint Secretary in the ministry. The order was issued a day after Ritesh Chauhan demitted office as MD. The order was issued “with approval of the Competent Authority” — in this case the Agriculture Minister, sources said.
But on September 30, the ACC appointed Pankaj Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, as the MD, NAFED, initially for “a period of three months or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post.”
[Excerpt from Indian Express "Deepak Agarwal Appointed Regular MD of NAFED" Dated 29/10/24]

Q1: Who was recently appointed as the regular Managing Director (MD) of NAFED?
(a) Ritesh Chauhan
(b) Muktanand Agrawal
(c) Deepak Agarwal
(d) Pankaj Kumar Bansal

View Answer  

Ans: (c)
Sol: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet appointed Deepak Agarwal as the regular MD of NAFED.

Q2: Who chairs the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)?
(a) Agriculture Minister
(b) Prime Minister Narendra Modi
(c) Ministry of Cooperation Official
(d) Union Minister for Finance

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: The ACC is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Union Minister Amit Shah as the only other member.

Q3: Before Deepak Agarwal's appointment, who temporarily held the position of MD at NAFED?
(a) Amit Shah
(b) Muktanand Agrawal
(c) Ritesh Chauhan
(d) Deepak Agarwal

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: Before Deepak Agarwal’s appointment, Muktanand Agrawal, a Joint Secretary, was temporarily assigned the role of MD at NAFED.

Q4: When was Pankaj Kumar Bansal temporarily appointed as MD of NAFED?
(a) September 23, 2024
(b) October 1, 2024
(c) September 30, 2024
(d) October 15, 2024

View Answer  

Ans: (c)
Sol: Pankaj Kumar Bansal was temporarily appointed as MD of NAFED on September 30, 2024.

Q5: What is the main focus of the National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED)?
(a) Export of agricultural products
(b) Marketing and stabilizing prices for agricultural products
(c) Providing loans to farmers
(d) Monitoring crop production

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: NAFED plays a key role in the marketing of agricultural products, ensuring fair prices for farmers and stabilizing market fluctuations.