Reserve Bank of India Services Board, Mumbai

Advt. No. 2A /2024-25

Appendix-II

SCHEME OF SELECTION AND SYLLABUS FOR OFFICERS IN GR ‘B’ (DR) - GENERAL- PY 2024

Selection will be through ONLINE examinations and Interview. Examinations will be held in two phases, as
described in the following paragraphs:

(I) Phase-I Online Examination (Objective Type)

This will comprise a single Paper for 200 marks and will be held on September 08, 2024. Depending on the
number of candidates, the examination may be held in multiple shifts and on some other days also. A
candidate, however, must appear for examination in only one shift on the given day. The date, time and venue
on which a candidate has to appear for examination will be specified in the Admit Card to be downloaded by
the candidate from Bank’s website (www.rbi.org.in). The ‘corrected-scores’ obtained by each of the candidates
in different sessions (if held) will be normalized using equipercentile method. (If the examination is held in more
than one session, the scores across various sessions will be equated following IBPS’ standard practice to
adjust for slight differences in difficulty level of different test batteries used across sessions.)

a) The Paper will consist tests of :

i. General Awareness
ii. English Language
iii. Quantitative Aptitude and
iv. Reasoning

A total time of 120 minutes will be given for answering. However, separate time will be allotted for each test.
Other detailed information regarding the examination will be given in an Information Handout, which will be
made available to the candidates for download along with the Admit Card for examination from the RBI website.

Candidates have to secure minimum marks separately for each test as well as in aggregate, as may be
prescribed by the Board.

Candidates, who secure minimum marks separately for each Test, as prescribed, will be shortlisted for Phase-
II of the examination based on the aggregate marks obtained in Phase-I. The minimum aggregate cut-off
marks for being shortlisted for Phase-II of the examination will be decided by the Board in relation to the
number of vacancies. Roll Number of the candidates shortlisted for Phase-II examination will be published on
the RBI website, tentatively within a week after Phase-I examination.

(ii) Phase-II Online Examination

The Phase-II Online Examination will be conducted on October 19, 2024 only for the candidates who are
shortlisted on the basis of results of Phase-I and based on the cut-off decided by the Board. The Phase-II
examination will be in shifts. Candidates are required to appear for all the shifts. Separate Admit Cards will be
issued for each shift. The timetable for Phase-II will be intimated to the candidates concerned along with Admit
Card for Phase-II. Phase–II online examination will consist of three papers as under:

Number
Time
Name of Paper Type of Paper of Marks
(Minutes)
questions
Paper-I: 50% Objective Type
Economic and Social Issues 30 Minutes 50
50% Descriptive Type, answers
90 Minutes @
to be typed with the help of the
50
keyboard. Candidates opting to
type the answers in Hindi, may
type with the help of either: (i)

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 Reserve Bank of India Services Board, Mumbai
Advt. No. 2A /2024-25

Inscript or (ii) Remington (GAIL)

keyboards layout.

Total 120 Minutes 100

Paper-II: Descriptive, to be typed with the
English (Writing Skills) help of the keyboard 90 Minutes 3 100

Paper-III: 50% Objective Type

30 Minutes 50
General Finance and
Management 50% Descriptive Type, answers
to be typed with the help of the
keyboard. Candidates opting to 90 Minutes
type the answers in Hindi, may @ 50
type with the help of either: (i)
Inscript or (ii) Remington (GAIL)
keyboards layout.
Total 120 Minutes 100
@For both Paper-I and Paper-III, there will be 30 questions and 50 marks for Objective questions (some
questions carrying 2 marks each and some carrying 1 mark each). In case of Descriptive questions, 6
questions will be asked, of which candidates will be required to attempt 4 questions [2 of 15 marks
each (with varying difficulty level) and 2 of 10 marks each]. In case, candidate answers more than 4
questions in descriptive, first 4 shall be evaluated.

NOTE:All question papers (in both the Phases, except the test of English) will be set bilingually in Hindi and
English.

The Board reserves the right to modify the examination dates and time entirely at its discretion.

(iii) Interview

Candidates will be shortlisted for the Interview, based on aggregate of marks obtained in Phase-II (Paper-I
+Paper-II +Paper-III). The minimum aggregate cut-off marks for being shortlisted for Interview will be decided
by the Board in relation to the number of vacancies. Roll Numbers of the candidates shortlisted for the Interview
will be published on RBI website at appropriate time and Interview Call Letters will be sent on registered E-
mail ID. Interview will be of 75 marks.

Candidate shall be required to undergo Personality Assessment conducted by the Bank before appearing for
the Interview. No marks will be allotted for the same and it will not form part of the final selection criteria.
Candidate may opt for Interview either in Hindi or English. Final selection will be through merit list which will
be prepared by adding marks secured by candidates in Phase-II examination and Interview and grace marks
as applicable as per extant rules.

SYLLABI (Phase-II)

Paper-I : Economic and Social Issues (ESI)

Growth and Development – Measurement of growth: National Income and per capita income – Poverty
Alleviation and Employment Generation in India – Sustainable Development and Environmental issues.

Indian Economy – Economic History of India - Changes in Industrial and Labour Policy, Monetary and Fiscal
Policy since reforms of 1991 – Priorities and recommendations of Economic Survey and Union Budget – Indian
Money and Financial Markets: Linkages with the economy – Role of Indian banks and Reserve Bank in the
development process - Public Finance - Political Economy - Industrial Developments in India- Indian
Agriculture - Services sector in India.

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 Reserve Bank of India Services Board, Mumbai
Advt. No. 2A /2024-25

Globalization – Opening up of the Indian Economy – Balance of Payments, Export-Import Policy –

International Economic Institutions – IMF and World Bank – WTO – Regional Economic Co-operation;
International Economic Issues.

Social Structure in India – Multiculturalism – Demographic Trends – Urbanisation and Migration – Gender
Issues – Social Justice

Suggested Reference Material:

 Books: Indian Economy: 1. Uma Kapila (series of books) 2. Indian Economy: Misra & Puri (Latest
Edition) 3. Growth and Development: Debraj Ray 4. Sociology: C.N. Shankar Rao 5. Public Finance -
K K Andley and Sundaram
 Prominent Financial Newspapers
 Magazines/Periodicals/ Bulletins including RBI Bulletins, EPW, India Today, etc.
 Reports: 1. World Development Report 2. Economic Survey of India 3. RBI Annual Report 4. Report
on Trend and Progress of Banking in India, Report on Currency and Finance etc. 5. IMF: World
Economic Outlook
 Material sourced from RBI and BIS website

Paper-II : English (Writing Skills)

The paper on English shall be framed in a manner to assess the writing skills including expression and
understanding of the topic.

Paper -III : General Finance and Management

a) Financial System

1. Structure and Functions of Financial Institutions

2. Functions of Reserve Bank of India
3. Banking System in India – Structure and Developments, Financial Institutions – SIDBI, EXIM Bank,
NABARD, NHB, NaBFID etc.
4. Recent Developments in Global Financial System and its impact on Indian Financial System
5. Role of Information Technology in Banking and Finance
6. Non-Banking System
7. Developments in Digital Payments

b) Financial Markets

Primary and Secondary Markets (Forex, Money, Bond, Equity, etc.), functions, instruments, recent
developments.

c) General Topics
1. Financial Risk Management
2. Basics of Derivatives
3. Global financial markets and International Banking – broad trends and latest developments
4. Financial Inclusion
5. Alternate source of finance, private and social cost-benefit, Public-Private Partnership
6. Corporate Governance in Banking Sector
7. The Union Budget – Concepts, approach and broad trends
8. Basics of Accounting and Financial Statements - Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss, Cash Flow Statements,
Ratio Analysis (such as Debt to Equity, Debtor Days, Creditor Days, Inventory Turnover, Return on Assets,
Return on Equity, etc.)

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Advt. No. 2A /2024-25

9. Inflation: Definition, trends, estimates, consequences and remedies (control): WPI- CPI - components and
trends; striking a balance between inflation and growth through monetary and fiscal policies

Suggested Reference Material

Finance

 Monetary Theory and Public Policy – Kenneth Kurihara

 Indian Economy – Mishra & Puri
 Economic Growth and Development – Meier and Baldwin
 Financial Management – Prasanna Chandra
 Major financial newspapers
 International Business by Hill and Jain
 RBI Annual Report, Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India, Report on Currency and
Finance etc.
 Economic Survey
 Material sourced from RBI website

d) Management

1. Fundamentals of Management & Organizational Behaviour

Introduction to management; Evolution of management thought: Scientific, Administrative, Human

Relations and Systems approach to management; Management functions and Managerial roles; Nudge
theory.

Meaning & concept of organizational behaviour; Personality: meaning, factors affecting personality, Big
five model of personality; concept of reinforcement; Perception: concept, perceptual errors. Motivation:
Concept, importance, Content theories (Maslow’s need theory, Alderfers’ ERG theory, McCllelands’ theory
of needs, Herzberg’s two factor theory) & Process theories (Adams equity theory, Vrooms expectancy
theory).

Leadership: Concept, Theories (Trait, Behavioural, Contingency, Charismatic, Transactional and

Transformational Leadership; Emotional Intelligence: Concept, Importance, Dimensions. Analysis of
Interpersonal Relationship: Transactional Analysis, Johari Window; Conflict: Concept, Sources, Types,
Management of Conflict; Organizational Change: Concept, Kurt Lewin Theory of Change; Organizational
Development (OD): Organisational Change, Strategies for Change, Theories of Planned Change (Lewin’s
change model, Action research model, Positive model).

2. Ethics at the Workplace and Corporate Governance

Meaning of ethics, why ethical problems occur in business. Theories of ethics: Utilitarianism: weighing
social cost and benefits, Rights and duties, Justice and fairness, ethics of care, integrating utility, rights,
justice and caring, An alternative to moral principles: virtue ethics, teleological theories, egoism theory,
relativism theory, Moral issues in business: Ethics in Compliance, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing,
etc. Ethical Principles in Business: introduction, Organization Structure and Ethics, Role of Board of
Directors, Best Practices in Ethics Programme, Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, etc.

Corporate Governance: Factors affecting Corporate Governance; Mechanisms of Corporate Governance.

Communication: Steps in the Communication Process; Communication Channels; Oral versus Written
Communication; Verbal versus non-verbal Communication; upward, downward and lateral communication;
Barriers to Communication, Role of Information Technology.

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Suggested Reference Material

Management

 Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter, Management.

 Stephen P. Robbins and Judge T.A., Vohra, Organisational Behaviour
 Dessler Gary, Warkkey Biju- Human Resource Management
 Decenzo and Robbins- Fundamentals of Human Resource Management
 Velasquez Manuel G: Business Ethics- Concepts and Cases.
 Fernando A.C.: Business Ethics – An Indian Perspective.
 Crane Andrew & Matten Dirk: Business Ethics
 Ghosh B N: Business Ethics & Corporate Governance

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