Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
In October 2025, the SBI Foundation, along with University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and Agribridge, launched the SMART-CROP project in Hyderabad, Telangana. The project stands for Sustainable Monitoring and Real-time Tracking for Crop Resilience and Optimal Practices. It is a three-year initiative supported under SBI Foundation’s LEAP (Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme). The project aims to enhance resilience and productivity of over 8,000 smallholder farmers in Karnataka and Telangana. It uses satellite imaging, remote sensing, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) for real-time crop stress monitoring to prevent climate, pest, and soil-related risks.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 2024-25 census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets (FLA) on October 29, 2025. The census covered Indian entities’ cross-border assets and liabilities. Out of 45,702 entities, 41,517 reported Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) in their March 2025 balance sheets. The United States and Singapore together contributed over one-third of India’s total FDI. Other major contributors were Mauritius, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Total FDI stood at ₹68.76 lakh crore, higher than ₹61.88 lakh crore in 2023–24. The share of FDI was 20 percent from the United States, 14.3 percent from Singapore, 13.3 percent from Mauritius, 11.2 percent from the United Kingdom, and 9 percent from the Netherlands.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) has recently opened its new Bengaluru Centre. IIP is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It was established in 1966 with its headquarters in Mumbai. Its main goal is to boost exports through innovative package design and improved packaging standards. It provides testing, consultancy, R&D, and training in packaging. Training is given to artisans, weavers, exporters, and stakeholders for modern and aesthetic packaging.

Notes:
India’s unemployment rate declined to 5.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025, down from 5.4 per cent in the first quarter. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) reported this based on monthly labour force and unemployment data. Rural unemployment rate stood at 4.4 per cent during July to September 2025. Urban unemployment rate was higher at 6.9 per cent in the same period. Female participation in the labour force rose to 33.7 per cent from 33.4 per cent. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in Current Weekly Status (CWS) increased marginally to 55.1 per cent from 55 per cent. The data reflects gradual improvement in employment and workforce engagement in India.

Notes:
Recently, Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) received a licence to explore and mine a tungsten block in Andhra Pradesh. Tungsten is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a naturally occurring transition metal found in minerals like wolframite and scheelite, not as a pure metal. It has the highest melting point of all metals at 3410 °C and the lowest vapor pressure at that temperature. It also has the highest tensile strength above 1650 °C and remains solid at room temperature.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) stopped possible losses of ₹660 crore in six months. Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) was launched in May 2025 by the Department of Telecommunications (DOT’S) Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU). It is a risk-based system that marks mobile numbers as Medium, High, or Very High fraud risk. The classification uses data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), Chakshu platform, banks, and financial institutions. It helps banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) providers protect customers.

Notes:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved emergency funding of 206 million United States Dollars (USD) for Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah. The support is given under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI). The Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) is a fast-acting financial aid program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It provides quick financial help to IMF member countries facing urgent balance of payments problems. It operates under the General Resources Account (GRA) of the IMF. The Regular Window supports crises from instability or external shocks, allowing up to 50 percent of quota yearly.