Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the National Sample Survey Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched the Government of India Statistics (GoIStats) mobile application on Statistics Day 2025. The GoIStats app aims to build a strong data ecosystem where everyone can easily access official data anytime. It has an interactive Key Trends dashboard showing important socio-economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation, and employment through dynamic visuals.

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Recently, Gujarat became the third Indian state to cross 1 crore registered investors, as per National Stock Exchange (NSE) data. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had already crossed this mark. These three states together form 36 per cent of India’s total investor base, showing their big role in equity markets. As of May 2025, India has nearly 11.5 crore registered investors. North and East India saw growth of 24 per cent and 23 per cent in the past year, while South grew 22 per cent and West 17 per cent.

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Recently, European Union ministers approved Bulgaria to adopt the Euro from January 1, 2026, making it the 21st member of the eurozone. Bulgaria is located in southeastern Europe, occupying the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It shares borders with Romania to the north, Turkey and Greece to the south, North Macedonia to the southwest, and Serbia to the west. It is bounded by the Black Sea on the east. The Balkan Mountains cross the central part of the country.

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From July 16, 2025, the central government made it mandatory for departments and ministries to process payments above ₹75 crore via the e-Kuber system. The aim is to increase transparency and speed up fund reconciliation. This move will help provide real-time data on government spending and improve tracking of payments to vendors and contractors. E-Kuber is the Core Banking Solution (CBS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), launched in 2012. It enables commercial banks to access their RBI accounts anytime and from anywhere.

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Recently, CTBC Bank, the largest private bank in Taiwan, applied to set up an IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) in GIFT City, India. This move strengthens GIFT City’s global appeal as a financial hub. The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) is the regulator for IFSC operations in India. IFSCA was established under the IFSCA Act, 2019 as a statutory authority. It regulates financial products, services, and institutions within India’s IFSC. IFSCA is headquartered at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. GIFT IFSC is currently India’s only International Financial Services Centre.

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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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Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Rural Development to promote Bima Sakhi Yojana in rural India. The MoU was signed during the financial inclusion conclave ‘Anubhuti’ held in Goa in July 2025. Bima Sakhi Yojana is a performance-based stipendiary scheme launched by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for women empowerment. Selected women receive training and monthly stipends for three years — ₹7,000 in the first year, ₹6,000 in the second, and ₹5,000 in the third. The scheme aims to appoint two lakh Bima Sakhis across India over the next three years.

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Recently, the Skill Impact Bond (SIB) was highlighted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for delivering measurable social impact. It aims to train 50,000 youth, with at least 30,150 retained in jobs for a minimum of 3 months. More than 23,700 youth have been trained so far across 30 job roles in 13 sectors. Skill Impact Bond (SIB) is India’s first development impact bond focused on employment outcomes. It was launched in November 2021 by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to improve skilling and job placement for youth. It is backed by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

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Recently, the United States (US) President announced a 25% tariff on all imports from India, effective from August 1, 2025. A separate penalty has also been imposed due to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and military equipment. The US cited India’s high tariffs on American goods, calling them “among the highest in the world.” The US currently has a $40.8 billion trade deficit with India. India’s membership in BRICS, seen by the US as an anti-dollar group, is also a concern. A proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) failed to materialize before the August 2025 deadline. The tariff move is viewed as a pressure tactic to speed up trade negotiations with India.

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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.