Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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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.

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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.

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Recently, India’s coffee exports reached 1.8 billion, marking a 125 percent rise over the last 11 years due to efforts by the Coffee Board of India. In 2014–15, exports were valued at over 800 million, rising to 1.14 billion in 2022–23 and 1.28 billion in 2023–24. Europe is the top buyer of Indian coffee, with major importers including Italy, Germany, Belgium, Middle East countries, Korea, and Japan. The main coffee-producing states are Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. India ranks seventh in global coffee production with a 3.5 percent share and fifth in exports with a 5 percent share.

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Recently, India became the world’s fourth largest biofuel consumer, overtaking China for the second year in a row in 2024. The data comes from the Statistical Review of World Energy 2025 by The Energy Institute (EI). India’s biofuel consumption increased by 40% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 77 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2024. Despite higher consumption, India still lags behind China in biofuel production. From 2014 to 2024, India’s biofuel consumption grew at an average annual rate of 31.8%.

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Gujarat recorded 48.59 lakh tonnes of potato production in the 2024–25 season, including varieties for French fries and wafers. Gujarat is now the top producer of processed potatoes in India, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Processed potato production in India grew from less than 1 lakh tonnes in 2004–05 to 11.50 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, and Aravalli are Gujarat’s leading potato-growing districts, producing 38 lakh tonnes on 1.19 lakh hectares.

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Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched the VCF Settlement Scheme 2025. The scheme offers a one-time window to resolve compliance issues related to the winding-up of old funds. It is meant for Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) that shifted to the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) regime but haven’t liquidated their investments. The scheme will remain open from July 21, 2025, to January 19, 2026. Its main goal is to protect investor interests by settling long-pending fund closure cases.

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Recently, the Government launched the Revised SHAKTI Policy 2025 for transparent coal allocation. SHAKTI stands for Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala (Coal) Transparently in India. It ensures transparent coal linkages for all power producers, including Central Generating Companies (GENCOs), State GENCOs, and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). It replaces the SHAKTI Policy, 2017 by simplifying coal linkage into only two windows. The policy promotes competition, efficiency, pit-head thermal capacity, and affordable power. It boosts coal availability, mining, and revenue for coal-bearing states.

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Recently, the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) launched the “Saksham Niveshak” campaign. It is a 100-day national drive running from 28th July to 6th November 2025. IEPFA works under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The campaign aims to help shareholders reclaim unclaimed dividends held by companies. It guides investors to update their Know Your Customer (KYC) and nomination details. Companies are encouraged to proactively contact shareholders to recover pending dividends.

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As reported by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Gujarat remained India’s top exporting state in 2024–25 with outbound shipments totaling ₹9.83 lakh crore, representing 26.6% of the nation’s total exports. Gujarat’s exports were ₹4.3 lakh crore higher than Maharashtra at ₹5.57 lakh crore, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Gujarat’s top exports were Petroleum Products, Gems & Jewellery, Organic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and Engineering Goods. Uttar Pradesh exported ₹1.86 lakh crore (5% of total), with the United States as its top destination, showing diverse market reach.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will shift the Cheque Truncation System (CTS) from batch processing to continuous clearing with settlement on realisation in two phases. The Cheque Truncation System (CTS) in India was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It is an online image-based cheque clearing system where cheque images and Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) data are sent electronically, stopping physical cheque movement. Benefits include same-day realisation, shorter clearing cycles, easy data storage, and reduced risks. Currently, cheques clear in up to two working days. After the new RBI measures, clearance will happen within hours of submission.