Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched a centralized database portal for corporate bonds called Bond Central. It serves as a single, authentic source of information on corporate bonds in India. It is developed by the Online Bond Platform Providers Association (OBPP Association) with collaboration from Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) like stock exchanges and depositories. The portal is free to access and acts as an information repository for the public. It aims to enhance transparency and help investors make informed decisions.

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The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs announced the Cities Coalition for Circularity (C-3). It is a global alliance promoting city-to-city collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and private sector partnerships. The announcement was made at the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Jaipur. C-3 aims to boost resource efficiency and support a low-carbon economy. It will enhance cooperation among policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers. The initiative focuses on building a sustainable future through circular economy principles.

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Microsoft has launched a new AI assistant called Dragon Copilot for healthcare. It is part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and helps doctors with clinical documentation. It transcribes clinical notes, drafts paperwork, and searches medical sources. It integrates with Dragon Medical One (DMO) and DAX for speech recognition. It allows voice-to-text transcription, AI-generated notes, and medical searches. It automates tasks like referral letters, visit summaries, and clinical evidence documentation.

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India’s first Exploration Licence (EL) auction and AI-powered exploration hackathon were launched in Goa to boost mineral discovery. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Goa CM Pramod Sawant presided over the event, which also included a roadshow for the fifth tranche of critical mineral block auctions. The AI Hackathon 2025 focused on using AI for mineral targeting and sustainable mining innovation. 13 exploration license blocks were auctioned for minerals like Rare Earth Elements, zinc, diamonds, copper, and Platinum Group Elements. The initiative aims to accelerate mineral exploration, attract private investments, and strengthen India’s mineral self-reliance.

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The Union Cabinet approved an incentive scheme to promote low-value BHIM-UPI (Person-to-Merchant – P2M) transactions for FY 2024-25. The scheme aims to strengthen BHIM-UPI, boost transaction volumes to ₹20,000 crore, and promote UPI 123PAY & offline UPI Lite/LiteX. It encourages UPI adoption in rural and remote areas. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It enables users to link multiple bank accounts in a single mobile app for instant money transfers. BHIM-UPI, launched in 2016, is a government-backed app for seamless, fast, and secure digital payments.

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Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) agents are protesting against new insurance rules affecting their work. LIC, the largest public sector life insurance company in India, is headquartered in Mumbai. It plays a key role in India’s financial market and is also the biggest institutional investor. It was established in 1956 through the Life Insurance of India Act. LIC nationalized the insurance sector by merging 245 private insurers. Its motto, “Yogakshemam Vahamyaham,” means “Your welfare is our responsibility.” LIC operates through 8 zonal offices in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Kolkata, Bhopal, and Patna.

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The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) issued regulations for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) under the National Pension System (NPS), 2025. PFRDA is a statutory regulatory body established under the PFRDA Act, 2014. Its objective is to promote old-age income security by regulating pension funds and protecting subscriber interests. PFRDA operates under the Ministry of Finance. It is headquartered in New Delhi with regional offices across India.

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National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched BHIM (BHarat Interface for Money) 3.0 with new features. It supports 15+ Indian languages. The app allows users to track, manage, and split expenses. It optimized for low internet areas, ensuring uninterrupted transactions. It includes a built-in task assistant for bill reminders, UPI Lite activation, and low balance alerts.

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The National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) completes five years since its launch in 2020 by the Ministry of Textiles. It aims to boost research, market growth, exports, and skill development in technical textiles. The mission promotes innovation, startups, and applications in agriculture, infrastructure, and healthcare. With a budget of ₹1,480 crore till 2025-26, it seeks to make India a global leader in technical textiles. It supports 168 research projects worth ₹509 crore. NTTM also aims to train 50,000 individuals in the field of technical textiles.

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Pakistan has reportedly found a huge deposit of antimony in Balochistan, a region troubled by conflict. Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb and atomic number 51, and it is a metalloid that is solid at room temperature. It has poor conductivity of heat and electricity and comes in forms like ingots, granules, or cast pieces. Its main ore is stibnite, and it is also found as a byproduct in lead-zinc-silver mines. China is the world’s largest producer of the chemical element antimony. China produces 88% of the world’s antimony, followed by Bolivia, Russia, and Tajikistan. It is used in electronics, batteries, bullets, flame-retardants, and glassware.