Question 1
A bank employee uses confidential information about a corporate client's upcoming merger to buy shares before the news is public. This is an example of:
Insider Trading involves trading in a public company's stock by someone who has non-public, material information about that stock. It is illegal and unethical.
Question 2
A "Conflict of Interest" occurs when:
Conflict of interest creates a risk that professional judgment or actions will be biased by a secondary interest (e.g., a loan officer approving a loan for their own relative).
Question 3
"Window Dressing" of a balance sheet by a bank is considered unethical because:
Window dressing involves manipulating financial statements (e.g., temporarily boosting deposits at year-end) to make the company look better performing than it actually is. This violates the principle of transparency.
Question 4
In banking, a "Chinese Wall" refers to:
The Chinese Wall policy is critical to manage conflicts of interest. It ensures that sensitive information obtained by one department does not leak to another department that could use it for unfair trading or advice.
Question 5
"Mis-selling" in banking primarily refers to:
Mis-selling is a major ethical issue where employees prioritize their sales targets or commissions over the customer's best interest (e.g., selling a long-term insurance policy to an elderly person who needs liquidity).
Question 6
Strict adherence to KYC/AML norms is not just a legal requirement but an ethical one because:
Ethically, bankers have a duty to society to ensure their platforms are not exploited to harm the public or the nation. Negligence in KYC can facilitate crime.
Question 7
"Creative Accounting" refers to:
It is an unethical practice where accountants use their knowledge of accounting rules to manipulate the figures reported in the accounts of a business.
Question 8
A manager forcing a subordinate to falsify reports under threat of firing is an example of:
This involves using one's authority to coerce others into unethical acts, which is a severe ethical violation.
Question 9
The Internal Committee (IC) for sexual harassment must have at least what percentage of women members?
The POSH Act mandates that at least one-half of the total members of the Internal Committee so nominated shall be women.
Question 10
Accepting a "Kickback" (commission) from a vendor for approving their contract is:
Kickbacks are illegal payments made in return for a service or favor. It compromises the objectivity of the decision-maker.
Question 11
"Nepotism" in the workplace refers to:
Nepotism undermines fairness and meritocracy, leading to poor organizational performance and resentment among other employees.
Question 12
Spreading false rumors about a competitor bank to gain market share is a violation of:
Ethical competition involves competing on merit (product, service) rather than sabotage or deception. Spreading lies is unethical and potentially illegal (defamation).
Question 13
The unethical practice where a broker/dealer executes orders on a security for their own account while taking advantage of advance knowledge of pending orders from customers is called:
Front Running is unethical because the broker profits at the expense of the client by stepping in front of the client's large order, which might have moved the market price.
Question 14
Evergreening of loans is considered unethical because:
Evergreening is a deceptive practice used to prevent a loan from being classified as NPA. It misleads stakeholders about the bank's health and eventually leads to bigger losses.
Question 15
Using unlicensed software on bank computers is an ethical violation related to:
Software piracy violates the copyright of the creator (IPR). Banks must ensure all software used is legally licensed to maintain ethical standards.
Question 16
Which action demonstrates good "Cyber Ethics" by a bank employee?
This prevents unauthorized access to sensitive bank data. Sharing passwords or opening suspicious emails violates security policies and ethics.
Question 17
What is the ethical difference between a "Gift" and a "Bribe"?
While the line can be thin, the key is "Expectation of Reciprocity." If it's given to sway a business outcome, it's a bribe (unethical).
Question 18
Information that is "Price Sensitive" and "Unpublished" is known as:
Trading based on UPSI is the core of Insider Trading violations. It includes financial results, dividends, mergers, etc., that have not yet been made public.
Question 19
To manage Conflict of Interest effectively, an employee should:
Transparency (Disclosure) and Recusal (stepping back) are the standard ethical procedures to handle conflicts of interest.
Question 20
A bank sanctioning a loan to a company owned by the Chairman's spouse without disclosing the relationship violates regulations on:
Transactions with related parties (relatives of directors) must be at "Arm's Length" (fair market terms) and fully disclosed to prevent conflict of interest and favoritism.
Question 21
An employee leaves their computer unlocked, leading to a data breach. This is a failure of:
Due care involves taking reasonable steps to prevent harm. Negligence in basic security hygiene violates the duty of care towards customer data.
Question 22
If a whistleblower reports a fraud anonymously, the ethics committee should:
While anonymity makes investigation harder, the substance of the complaint matters. Ignoring it could allow fraud to continue. Retaliation (C) is unethical and illegal.
Question 23
If a client offers a bank employee an expensive watch to expedite a loan application, the employee should:
Accepting valuable gifts creates a conflict of interest and resembles bribery. Refusal maintains integrity.
Question 24
Banks usually restrict employees from frequent speculative trading in the stock market to avoid:
Excessive trading distracts from duties and may lead employees to use bank resources or information for personal gain.
Question 25
Altering data in a loan application to make a borrower appear eligible is:
Falsifying data compromises the bank's risk management and integrity. It is fraud.