Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Chhattisgarh has laid the foundation stone for India’s first Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor plant in Raipur, marking a major step in electronics manufacturing. Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a wide bandgap semiconductor material made from gallium and nitrogen, known for better performance than traditional materials like silicon. A semiconductor is a material that partly conducts electricity, used to control signals in all electronic devices. GaN provides high efficiency, thermal stability, and fast switching speeds, lowering system and operation costs. It powers next-generation 5G and 6G networks, advanced laptops, defence tech, data analytics, and power electronics.

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The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) launched the STELLAR Model, a new software tool for planning power generation, transmission, and storage with demand response. STELLAR stands for State-of-the-art, Totally indigenously developed Resource adequacy model. It helps Indian states and power distribution companies (discoms) create resource adequacy plans as per Ministry of Power’s June 2023 guidelines. The model ensures reliable electricity supply through smart planning of power resources. It supports integrated planning with demand response and meets changing yearly requirements. The tool is transparent, user-friendly, and made in India under CEA’s guidance. It is available free of cost to all states and discoms. It was developed with support from The Lantau Group (TLG) and Asian Development Bank (ADB).

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In 2024–25, the United States (US) remained India’s largest trading partner for the fourth year in a row. Bilateral trade between India and the US reached $131.84 billion. China continued as India’s second-largest trading partner, with trade rising to $127.7 billion. India’s trade deficit with China increased sharply to $99.2 billion, marking a 17% rise from the previous year. China was India’s top trading partner from 2013–14 to 2017–18 and again in 2020–21. Since 2021–22, the US has consistently held the top position in India’s global trade rankings.

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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) partnered with the International Council for Circular Economy (ICCE) to launch the ‘I Am Circular’ Coffee Table Book. The book celebrates India’s innovation in driving the circular economy forward, focusing on sustainability and responsible growth. A circular economy focuses on reusing, recycling, and reducing waste. The event promoted tech-integrated sustainable development and featured 30 groundbreaking Indian innovations. These innovations are transforming the circular economy with smart, scalable, and sustainable practices. The book showcases India’s role in driving forward circular economy initiatives.

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Tunnel No. 8 (T-8) is set to become India’s longest railway tunnel at 14.57 km, overtaking Tunnel No. 50 (T-50), which is 12.77 km long on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link. It is part of the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project in Uttarakhand. T-8 is a twin tunnel located on the Devprayag–Janasu stretch of this 125-km rail line. The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project is being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.

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India has become the third-largest vehicle manufacturer in the world as per Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. This was highlighted at the 4th International Bioenergy Biofuels Biomass (BBB) Summit and Expo on Bioenergy Value Chain held in New Delhi. The growing demand for various types of vehicles is increasing fossil fuel consumption. There is a strong push to reduce fuel imports and increase exports to strengthen the economy. The summit also focused on promoting technologies that use the country’s biomass resources for energy.

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The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) launched the “Niveshak Shivir” initiative to help investors reclaim unclaimed dividends and shares. This nationwide program offers direct support to investors, making it easier to recover unclaimed assets. IEPFA provides a digital tool for tracking shares and filing claims. The initiative includes on-ground helpdesks for investors to interact with company representatives. It aims to reduce reliance on intermediaries, increase transparency, and improve financial literacy. The program also speeds up the resolution of investor grievances.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made it mandatory for Regulated Entities (REs) to report details of their Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) through the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) portal. Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) is a modern data management platform introduced by the RBI to handle large-scale data processing, analysis, and sharing. It acts as a central data warehouse, using advanced tools for data mining, text analysis, and visual insights across financial and economic sectors. It improves the efficiency of regulatory reporting and reduces workload for banks and regulated firms. It helps RBI monitor the financial system better and react faster to potential risks.

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Recently, Google launched the AI First India 2025 Startup Accelerator to support AI-based startups in India. The program is designed for startups in the Seed to Series A funding stages. It focuses on emerging areas like Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Multimodal Artificial Intelligence (AI). Selected startups will get mentorship from Google experts and access to Cloud Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). They will also receive advanced AI development tools and help in using AI models like Gemini and Gemma. This initiative highlights Google’s strong commitment to building innovation and AI talent in India’s technology ecosystem.

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The Government of India has recently updated its import policy for gold and silver to match customs tariffs with trade rules. This change was officially notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It is responsible for creating and carrying out India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). DGFT is based in New Delhi and has 24 regional offices across India. Earlier known as the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports (CCI&E), it was renamed DGFT after the 1991 economic reforms to promote trade.