Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Microfinance loan delinquencies rose sharply in 2024-25 according to Sa-Dhan, the microfinance self-regulatory body. Loans overdue by more than thirty days increased to six point two percent from two point one percent in 2023-24. Loans overdue by more than ninety days rose to four point eight percent from one point six percent in 2023-24. Bihar had the highest outstanding loans of fifty-seven thousand seven hundred twelve crore rupees and the worst delinquency with seven point two percent overdue by more than thirty days and four point six percent overdue by more than ninety days. Rural borrowers faced the highest repayment challenges with six point four percent loans overdue by more than thirty days and three point seven percent overdue by more than ninety days. Semi-urban and urban borrowers had slightly lower delinquency rates.

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DBS Bank has been named “Safest Bank in Asia 2025”, marking its 17th consecutive year receiving this recognition. The bank also retained 2nd position in the World’s 50 Safest Commercial Banks list. Rankings are based on long-term foreign currency ratings from Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s of the 500 largest global banks. DBS’ recognition reflects solid financial performance, strong risk management, governance, and a robust balance sheet. In turbulent economic conditions—tariffs, interest rate changes, and technological disruptions—DBS provides stability and trust to customers.

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State Bank of India (SBI) received two awards from Global Finance, New York at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings 2025: World’s Best Consumer Bank 2025 and Best Bank in India 2025. The recognition highlights SBI’s commitment to innovation, financial inclusion, and customer excellence. SBI serves 520 million customers, adding 65,000 new customers daily. Its digital-first strategy includes the YONO platform, with over 9.04 crore registered users and 10 million daily active users. SBI is the largest commercial bank in India by assets, deposits, branches, and customers.

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Recently, Japan launched the world’s first yen-pegged stablecoin, named JPYC, marking a major step in digital finance. It is issued by the startup JPYC and is fully backed by Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs) and domestic savings. The coin is fully convertible to the yen and aims for widespread international use. JPYC plans to issue 10 trillion yen ($66 billion) worth of coins in three years. The aim is to promote innovation and reduce transaction costs for startups. Blockchain-based stablecoins enable faster, cheaper, and secure transactions. Dollar-pegged stablecoins currently dominate 99% of global supply, but Japan seeks diversification

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In November 2025, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Guwahati Gateway Terminal and Jetty. It is India’s first modern river ferry terminal. The terminal is built to improve and make river transport on the Brahmaputra River more efficient. It integrates multimodal connectivity to enhance overall transportation infrastructure in Assam. The project is part of developing a world-class riverfront in Guwahati. The initiative aims to boost tourism and economic activity in the region. The terminal is a landmark development in India’s river transport sector. It may serve as a model for other states with major rivers.

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The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has officially declared the Digital Dirham as full legal tender in 2025. The new law makes the Digital Dirham equal to physical cash, with mandatory acceptance for all payments and debt settlements. It is issued under the authority of the UAE Federal Government, marking a major step in strengthening the UAE’s digital economy leadership. The Digital Dirham is a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), fully backed, regulated, and secured by the CBUAE. It offers a safe, low-risk alternative to commercial bank money and private digital assets.

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Recently, India’s electronics sector gained momentum through the Electronics Development Fund (EDF) launched on 15 February 2016. EDF promotes innovation in electronics, nano-electronics, and Information Technology (IT). It works as a Fund of Funds, investing in Daughter Funds like angel and venture funds that support technology startups. Electronics Development Fund’s (EDF’s) anchor investor is Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation launched the National Industrial Classification (NIC) 2025 during the 75th anniversary of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in Udaipur. NIC-2025 is a new six-digit system replacing the five-digit NIC-2008 to classify all economic activities in India. It updates earlier versions from 1962 to reflect India’s changing economy and aligns with the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Revision-5. It adds new sectors like cloud services, blockchain, renewable energy, waste management, platform services, and AYUSH. It also includes new classes for logistics, real estate, food services, and environmental remediation.

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SEBI introduced SWAGAT-FI (Single Window Automatic & Generalised Access for Trusted Foreign Investors) to simplify Indian securities market access for low-risk foreign investors. It provides a unified registration for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and Foreign Venture Capital Investors (FVCIs), reducing repeated compliance and documentation. Low-risk investors include government-owned funds, central banks, sovereign wealth funds, regulated public retail funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. SWAGAT-FIs can invest in listed equities and debt as FPIs, and unlisted companies and startups as FVCIs.

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Fino Payments Bank became the first payments bank to receive in-principle approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to convert into a Small Finance Bank (SFB). This approval allows Fino to accept larger deposits and offer loans and credit to individuals and small businesses. Fino applied under RBI’s “on tap” licensing guidelines for private sector SFBs. Payments banks can apply for SFB status after completing five years of operations and meeting regulatory norms. Fino started as a payments bank in 2017 and applied nearly two years ago for conversion. Fino plans to start lending within one year after approval. It serves over 16 million customers through more than 2 million merchants.