Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Union Finance Minister recently chaired the 6th meeting of the Governing Council of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in New Delhi to review fund performance, strategic partnerships, and new fund launches. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is a government-anchored investment platform that mobilizes long-term capital for infrastructure and key sectors in India. NIIF was announced in the Union Budget 2015–16 and established in 2015. Its headquarters is in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Notes:
According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Maharashtra and Karnataka together accounted for 51% of India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in 2024–25. Maharashtra received the highest FDI at $19.6 billion, which is 31% of the national total. Karnataka came next with $6.62 billion in overseas investment. They were followed by Delhi ($6 billion), Gujarat ($5.71 billion), Tamil Nadu ($3.68 billion), Haryana ($3.14 billion), and Telangana ($3 billion). Total FDI inflow rose 14% to $81.04 billion in 2024–25, the highest in three years.

Notes:
The Finance Minister recently chaired the 29th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC). FSDC is a top-level non-statutory body formed by the Government of India in December 2010. Its main aim is to ensure financial stability and promote development in the financial sector. The council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and includes key members like the Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Finance Secretary, and heads of regulatory bodies like Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Notes:
The World Bank has projected India’s economic growth at 6.3% for the Financial Year (FY) 2025-26 in its latest Global Economic Prospects report. India is expected to maintain the fastest growth rate among the world’s largest economies. Growth in FY 2024-25 slowed due to a drop in industrial output, but construction and services sectors remained steady. Agricultural output recovered from severe drought conditions, supported by strong rural demand. Growth is expected to rise to an average of 6.6% in FY 2026-27 and FY 2027-28, helped by strong services and export growth.

Notes:
Recently, the Power Finance Corporation withdrew its plan to issue zero-coupon bonds due to weak investor demand. Zero-coupon bonds are debt instruments that do not pay regular interest but are sold at a discount and redeemed at full face value on maturity. Also called discount bonds, they offer a lump sum payment at maturity, making their market price more volatile than regular coupon bonds. They suit both long-term and short-term investment goals and are seen as less risky since investors hold them till maturity. However, they do not provide regular income and are mainly suitable for long-term investors.

Notes:
Google opened its first Safety Engineering Centre in the Asia-Pacific region and fourth globally in Hyderabad on June 19, 2025. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy officially inaugurated the Google Safety Engineering Centre (GSEC). The launch follows Google’s “Safety Charter for India’s AI-led Transformation” unveiled in Delhi on June 17. GSEC will work on protecting users from online fraud and securing enterprise and government systems. It will act as a strategic hub for responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and safety solutions.

Notes:
India has the fourth highest potential globally to generate solar power from abandoned coal mines, according to the Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh are among the top 20 global regions with the highest land availability from closed mines and could together generate over 22 GW. Abandoned coal mines pose risks like methane leakage, which has 28 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide, and can lead to environmental damage and fatal accidents.

Notes:
India has become the world’s third-fastest growing country in power generation capacity over the last five years, after China and the United States, as per the International Energy Agency (IEA). Power generation in India has expanded across all sources, especially in renewable energy. A key reason is India’s strong clean energy agenda, with solar photovoltaic (PV) making up over half of its non-fossil energy investments in the past five years.

Notes:
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directed all Scheduled Commercial Banks, Small Finance Banks, Payments Banks, and Co-operative Banks to use the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI). FRI was launched by the Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU) of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It is a risk-based tool that marks a mobile number as Medium, High, or Very High financial fraud risk. It helps banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) providers protect customers.

Notes:
Recently, Gujarat became the third Indian state to cross 1 crore registered investors, as per National Stock Exchange (NSE) data. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had already crossed this mark. These three states together form 36 per cent of India’s total investor base, showing their big role in equity markets. As of May 2025, India has nearly 11.5 crore registered investors. North and East India saw growth of 24 per cent and 23 per cent in the past year, while South grew 22 per cent and West 17 per cent.