Comprehension
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:
Drug major Novartis is planning to divest its Indian eyecare portfolio to Mumbaibased JB Chemicals, in a deal estimated to be around ¥ 1.000 crore. The Novartis spin-off will join the list of several MNCs pruning their drug portfolios and reducing exposure to the Indian market, due to multiple reasons. including increased competition and tough business environment. Sources say the move fits well with the MNC’s strategy to capitalize its ophthalmic therapy, while for JB Chemicals it will offer an entry into a growing business segment.
Over last few months, global Big Pharma have been divesting their branded generic portfolio to domestic companies and rationalizing their portfolio by selling off key assets. Further, large Indian players are doubling down on India as an attractive diversification from a USgenerics market beaten up heavily by price erosion. As a consequence, several deals were inked where Indian companies snapped up high-growth brands from MNCs and local sellers at attractive valuations. The deal is expected to be announced over the next few days. Emails sent across to Novartis and JB Chemicals did not elicit a response. Ageing population and increasing access to eyecare. especially in emerging markets, is a strong growth opportunity for drug companies. The demand for eyecare is expected to increase significantly as people spend more time in front of tablets and mobile devices. Sources added that existing eyecare portfolio in India of Novartis is understood to be around Z 400-500 crore. including certain brands transferred from eyecare biggie Alcon. when it was spun off from Novartis. In 2019 under a global restructuring move, Novartis had spun off Alcon into a standalone business to focus on its core area of pharmaceuticals. Alcon is a global leader in eyecare, offering solutions to issues like cataracts, glaucoma., retinal diseases and refractive errors.
The stock market seems to have got a wind of the potential deal. Over the last few days. scrips of both Novartis India and JB Chem have witnessed a spurt. On December 7, JB Chem traded on a new 52-week high at Z 1555, while Novartis India stock closed Z 706 on Friday. Further. Novartis had last year announced the transfer of sales & distribution of a few of its established medicines, including the Voveran and Calcium range to Dr.Reddy’s.
Drug major Novartis is planning to divest its Indian eyecare portfolio to Mumbaibased JB Chemicals, in a deal estimated to be around ¥ 1.000 crore. The Novartis spin-off will join the list of several MNCs pruning their drug portfolios and reducing exposure to the Indian market, due to multiple reasons. including increased competition and tough business environment. Sources say the move fits well with the MNC’s strategy to capitalize its ophthalmic therapy, while for JB Chemicals it will offer an entry into a growing business segment.
Over last few months, global Big Pharma have been divesting their branded generic portfolio to domestic companies and rationalizing their portfolio by selling off key assets. Further, large Indian players are doubling down on India as an attractive diversification from a USgenerics market beaten up heavily by price erosion. As a consequence, several deals were inked where Indian companies snapped up high-growth brands from MNCs and local sellers at attractive valuations. The deal is expected to be announced over the next few days. Emails sent across to Novartis and JB Chemicals did not elicit a response. Ageing population and increasing access to eyecare. especially in emerging markets, is a strong growth opportunity for drug companies. The demand for eyecare is expected to increase significantly as people spend more time in front of tablets and mobile devices. Sources added that existing eyecare portfolio in India of Novartis is understood to be around Z 400-500 crore. including certain brands transferred from eyecare biggie Alcon. when it was spun off from Novartis. In 2019 under a global restructuring move, Novartis had spun off Alcon into a standalone business to focus on its core area of pharmaceuticals. Alcon is a global leader in eyecare, offering solutions to issues like cataracts, glaucoma., retinal diseases and refractive errors.
The stock market seems to have got a wind of the potential deal. Over the last few days. scrips of both Novartis India and JB Chem have witnessed a spurt. On December 7, JB Chem traded on a new 52-week high at Z 1555, while Novartis India stock closed Z 706 on Friday. Further. Novartis had last year announced the transfer of sales & distribution of a few of its established medicines, including the Voveran and Calcium range to Dr.Reddy’s.
Question: 1
Choose the correct statement:
Choose the correct statement:
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India's tough business environment is often attributed to intense competition and market challenges faced by foreign companies.
Updated On: Feb 15, 2025
- India presents a tough business environment to drug companies.
- Over the last few months, global Big Pharma have been investing their branded generic portfolio.
- The deal between Novartis and JB Chemicals is expected to be announced over the next few weeks.
- The demand for spectacles is expected to increase significantly as people spend more time in front of tablets and mobile devices.
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The passage mentions that MNCs are pruning their drug portfolios and reducing their exposure to the Indian market due to multiple reasons, including "increased competition and tough business environment." Therefore, the correct statement is (A), as it directly reflects the situation described in the passage.
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Question: 2
One of the big companies in eyecare is:
One of the big companies in eyecare is:
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Alcon is widely recognized as a leading company in the eyecare industry, providing solutions for various eye diseases.
Updated On: Feb 15, 2025
- JB Chemicals
- Alcon
- Novartis
- Big Pharma
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage states that Alcon is a "global leader in eyecare" and offers solutions to various eye-related issues. Therefore, Alcon is the correct answer, making option (B) the correct choice.
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Question: 3
The sales and distribution of the medicine "Voveran" is done by:
The sales and distribution of the medicine "Voveran" is done by:
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Sales and distribution rights for several medicines, including Voveran, were transferred to Dr. Reddy’s as part of Novartis's global restructuring.
Updated On: Feb 15, 2025
- Novartis
- JB Chemicals
- Alcon
- Dr. Reddy's
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage mentions that Novartis had transferred the sales and distribution of its established medicines, including "Voveran," to Dr. Reddy’s. Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
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Question: 4
Fill in the blank:
The volcano is expected to ____________ clouds of steam and ash high into the air in a couple of days.
Fill in the blank:
The volcano is expected to ____________ clouds of steam and ash high into the air in a couple of days.
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"Spurt" is commonly used to describe something that bursts or ejects forcefully, such as steam or liquid.
Updated On: Feb 15, 2025
- divest
- spurt
- capitalise
- elicit
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The word "spurt" fits best in this context, as it means to eject or forcefully expel something, which aligns with how a volcano releases steam and ash. Therefore, the correct word is "spurt," making option (B) the correct answer.
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Question: 5
The word closest in meaning to 'pruning' is:
The word closest in meaning to 'pruning' is:
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"Pruning" involves reducing excess or cutting back, which is the same as trimming. In business, it refers to cutting down on unnecessary or non-profitable assets.
Updated On: Feb 15, 2025
- adding
- trimming
- increasing
- sweetening
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
"Pruning" refers to the act of trimming or cutting back something, often used in the context of plants but also applicable metaphorically to reducing or eliminating excess. In the context of the passage, pruning refers to reducing or cutting back on certain business assets or products. Therefore, the correct answer is (B) "trimming."
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
- Read the given passage and answer the question that follows:
Biological classification of plants and animals was first proposed by Aristotle on the basis of simple morphological characters. Linnaeus later classified all living organisms into two kingdoms- Plantae and Animalia. Whittaker proposed an claborate five kingdom classification- Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia. The main criteria of the five kingdom classification were cell structure, body organisation, mode of nutrition and reproduction. and phylogenetic relationships.
In the five kingdom classification. bacteria are included in Kingdom Monera. Bacteria are cosmopolitan in distribution. These organisms show the most extensive metabolic diversity. Bacteria may be autotrophic or heterotrophic in their mode of nutrition. Kingdom Protista includes all single-celled eukaryotes such as Chrysophytes. Dinoflagellates. Euglenoids. Slime-moulds and Protozoans. Protists have defined nucleus and other membrane bound organelles. They reproduce both asexually and sexually. Members of Kingdom Fungi show a great diversity in structures and habitat. Most Fungi are saprophytic in their mode of nutrition. They show asexual and sexual reproduction. Phycomycetes. Ascomycetes. Basidiomycetes and Deuteromycetes are the four classes under this kingdom. The plantae includes all eukaryotic chlorophyll-containing organisms. Algae. bryophytes. pteridophytes. gymnosperms and angiosperms are included in this group. The life cycle of plants exhibit alternation of generations- gametophytic and sporophytic generations. The heterotrophic eukaryotic, multicellular organisms lacking a cell wall are included in the kingdom Animalia. The mode of nutrition of these organisms is holozoic. They reproduce mostly by the sexual mode. Some acellular organisms like viruses and viroids as well as the lichens are not included in the five kingdom system of classification.- NIFT - 2024
- Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the given passage and answer the question that follows:
Who decides which constituency is to be reserved? On what basis is this decision taken? This decision is taken by an independent body called the Delimitation Commission. The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. It is appointed for the purpose of drawing up the boundaries of constituencies all over the country. A quota of constituencies to be reserved in each State is f ixed depending on the proportion of SC or ST in that State. After drawing the boundaries. the Delimitation Commission looks at the composition of population in each constituency. Those constituencies that have the highest proportion of Scheduled Tribe population are reserved for ST. In the case of Scheduled Castes, the Delimitation Commission looks at two things. It picks constituencies that have higher proportion of Scheduled Caste population. But it also spreads these constituencies in different regions of the State. This is done because the Scheduled Caste population is generally spread evenly throughout the country. These reserved constituencies can be rotated each time the Delimitation exercise is undertaken- NIFT - 2024
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- Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) reported weak growth through HIFY24 but it witnessed a boost in embedded value (EV) due to equity market performance. But concerns regarding its stock include loss of market share as it is outpaced by private sector rivals. sticky operating expenses (reduced slightly yearon-year but up in Q2FY24 versus Q1FY24). and high sensitivity of embedded value to equity volatility.
Traders may also factor in the likelthood of another stake sale by the Government of India. These concerns are reflected in valuations. LIC trades at a big discount in price/EV terms (less than 1x) compared to private sector rivals (mostly 3x or more). Growth is healthy on a sequential basis but weak on a Y-0-Y basis. The individual annualized premium equivalent (APE) in HIF’Y24 was flat Y-0-Y at Z 14,640 crore, whereas the group APE was down by 24.5 percent Y-0-Y to Z 7.990 crore. Policies that provide policyholders a share of the insurance company’s profits as an annual dividend payout are also called par or with-profit policies.
The VNB (value of new business) margin was flat on a Y-0-Y basis despite the rise in share of non-par business. which is margin positive. The VNB margin for HIFY24 was 14.61 percent against 14.58 percent in HIFY23. Though the rise in share of non-par products had a positive impact on the VNB margin. more benefits were given to policyholders, particularly for annuity. which pulled margins down again.
The product mix shift to non-par should push the VNB margin up in the long-term. But competitive intensity meant product pricing had to be low-margin and more benefits were offered to policyholders. The annuity rates have also been increased. The overall APE dropped 10.3 percent over the past year to ¥ 22.630 crore. The individual business accounted for 64.7 percent of the APE. The individual APE was flat Y-o-Y, whereas the group business dropped 24.5 percent.
The solvency ratio is adequate. and the movement to non-par is positive for margins. But further loss of market share would occur unless LIC pushes up growth rates to match rivals. It’s hard to estimate EV trends. Valuations are cheap which leaves room for some upside.- NIFT - 2024
- Language Comprehension
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- Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow
India didn’t sign the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge that aims to triple global renewable energy capacity and double the rate of energy efficiency by 2030. That’s despite having successfully ensured a commitment to the aspiration by the G20 in the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.
India has a domestic target of increasing its renewable energy capacity to 450GW from its current level of 130GW by 2030.
New Delhi’s absence from the list of 118 countries that joined the pledge came as something of a surprise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had highlighted India’s role as G20 president in securing the agreement on renewable energy capacity and energy efficiency. All the G20 countries- barring India, China and Russia- have signed on to the pledge launched on Saturday by COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber. The pledge seeks to triple global installed renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000GW and double the global energy efficiency improvement rate to more than 4% by 2030.
As G20 president. India had pushed for the adoption of a numerical target for the tripling of renewable energy. without much success. ”What is interesting is that as the G20 presidency. India pushed for not just the idea of tripling renewable energy capacities but also attempted to set a target. 11.000 GW by 2030. In its efforts. India was supported by only the European Union (EU) and its member states. ” said a senior delegate privy to G20 negotiations on energy.
India’s decision not to join the pledge can likely be attributed to the focus on coal and investments in it.- NIFT - 2024
- Language Comprehension
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- Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow
Warning of a potential catastrophe in the Himalayas where the glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday said the ongoing annual climate talks must respond to the needs of the developing nations, especially the vulnerable mountain countries that need urgent help.
Almost 240 million people depend on the glaciers and 10 major rivers, such as Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, originate in the Himalayas. Another billion people living downstream of these rivers across eight countries, including India. are also dependent on the glacier-fed rivers.
Addressing a meeting with mountain countries at this year’s Conference of Parties (COP28), UNSecretary-General Gutterrs emphasized that nearly a third of Nepal’s ice had vanished in just over 30 years, and it was directly linked to greenhouse gas pollution that heats up the planet.
Guterres.who visited Nepal. including the Everest region. in October last week. called for developed countries to clarify the delivery of \(\$\)100 billion and produce a plan to double adaptation finance to \(\$\)40 billion a year by 2025. ”But those sums are dwarfed by the scale of what’s needed’ he said and advocated for reform in International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to better cater to the needs of developing countries like Nepal.
”So, we need the outcome of this COP to call for reform of the IFIs so that they reflect today’s world and are far more responsive to the needs of developing countries and for reform of the business models of the MDBs so that they can leverage far more private finance at reasonable cost to the developing countries”, he said. ”Unless there is a change in course. a catastrophe can be unleashed. The glaciers could disappear altogether. That means massively reduced flows for major Himalayan rivers,” he said.- NIFT - 2024
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RES5DAPS3TIQ79B#2K%UIMW4*J8N
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