Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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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 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed overall unemployment for 15+ years stayed at 5.2% in October 2025. Urban unemployment rose to a three-month high of 7%, while rural unemployment dipped from 4.6% to 4.4%. Female unemployment fell slightly to 5.4%, driven by a rural decline from 4.3% to 4%. Male unemployment stayed stable at 5.1%, with rural dip offset by urban rise to 6.1%. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) reached a six-month high of 55.4%, rising from 54.2% in June. Female workforce participation (LFPR 34.2%) and rural worker growth drove the increase in Worker Population Ratio (WPR 52.5%).

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced interlinking the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with fast payment systems of other countries to improve cross-border payments. This move supports the G20 Roadmap to make international remittances cheaper, faster, transparent and easier. RBI and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) are working with the European Central Bank to link UPI with TIPS (TARGET Instant Payment Settlement), the Eurosystem’s instant payment platform. The UPI–TIPS link will enable cross-border money transfers between India and the European Union, benefiting users on both sides.

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The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has launched the second “Non-intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable (NUDGE)” initiative to strengthen voluntary compliance regarding foreign assets. The campaign focuses on correct reporting in Schedule Foreign Assets (FA) and Foreign Source Income (FSI) in Income Tax Returns (ITRs). The first NUDGE campaign (November 2024) led 24,678 taxpayers to disclose ₹29,208 crore in foreign assets and ₹1,089.88 crore in foreign-source income. CBDT receives foreign asset data under Common Reporting Standards (CRS) and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) to identify discrepancies.

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Amaravati is set to become India’s first integrated Financial City, boosting national economic infrastructure. The Financial City will bring major public sector banks and financial institutions into one planned hub. Finance Minister Sitharaman and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stones for several nationalised banks and financial institutions in Amaravati. The project will create over 6,500 direct jobs and accelerate Andhra Pradesh’s economic revival.

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The Reserve Bank of India has released the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) 2025–30 as a five-year plan called Panch-Jyoti. The strategy is approved by the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC). It sets 5 strategic objectives supported by 47 actionable steps to expand financial access. Financial inclusion means access to banking, payments, savings, credit, and insurance in a safe and affordable way. The pillars focus on better financial services, women-centred inclusion, linking livelihoods with finance, financial education, and strong consumer protection.

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The government launched a Credit Assessment Model (CAM) for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to automate loan appraisal using digitally verifiable data. CAM provides objective decisioning for all loan applications and model-based limit assessment for Existing to Bank (ETB) and New to Bank (NTB) MSME borrowers. The Government, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) promote digital payment transactions through schemes like RuPay Debit Card incentives, low-value BHIM-UPI (P2M), and Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) for POS terminals and QR codes.

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IIT Bombay’s Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) has launched India’s first incubator-linked deep-tech venture capital fund, named the Y-Point Venture Capital Fund, with a total corpus of ₹250 crore. The fund aims to provide early-stage risk capital to India’s deep-tech startups, especially those emerging from IIT Bombay and other top research institutions across the country. It will invest in pre-seed and seed-stage companies, helping them translate cutting-edge research into commercially viable technologies. The fund plans to support 25–30 startups, offering investments of up to ₹15 crore to each selected company.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the CoalSETU window, a new policy mechanism for long-term coal linkages. CoalSETU is added to the Non-Regulated Sector (NRS) Linkage Auction Policy of 2016. Unlike existing NRS linkages reserved for specific sectors (cement, sponge iron, aluminium, steel, captive power), any domestic industrial consumer can now participate. Coking coal is excluded and traders cannot bid under this window. Linkage holders can use coal for own consumption, washing, or export, but resale within India is prohibited. Export is allowed for up to 50% of allocated coal, and distribution among group entities is permitted.

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Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, introduced the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha. The Bill provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment every year for rural households. It aims to ensure welfare of the poor and promote comprehensive village development in line with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of self-reliant and developed villages. The central government has committed over ₹95,000 crore for this initiative. Panchayats will be graded, with additional work assigned to underdeveloped or underperforming panchayats to ensure balanced development.