Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) has received environmental clearance from the Government of Argentina for deep exploration of five brine-based lithium blocks. This marks a significant step in securing critical minerals, especially lithium, which is essential for batteries and clean energy technologies. Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) is a joint venture of three Central Public Sector Enterprises—National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL)—with a shareholding ratio of 40:30:30.

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Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 has been notified with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore to mobilize venture and growth capital for startups. It builds upon the earlier Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 1.0) launched in 2016 under the Startup India Action Plan to address funding gaps. The fund will invest in SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), which will further invest in eligible startups. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) acts as the Implementation Agency. The scheme aims to boost innovation, job creation, manufacturing, and support India’s vision of becoming a global innovation hub under Viksit Bharat 2047.

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Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has completed 10 years, transforming India into a real-time digital payment economy. The network expanded from 216 banks in 2021 to 691 banks by January 2026, creating a highly interoperable payment ecosystem. It has expanded internationally, being operational or linked with countries like UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius, and Qatar. It is operated by the National Payments Corporation of India, which regulates and manages retail payment systems in India.

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China has become India’s largest trading partner in 2025–26, surpassing the United States after four years. India–China bilateral trade reached 151.1 billion, with a record trade deficit of about 112 billion in China’s favour. India’s exports to China rose by 36.66% to 19.47 billion, while imports increased to 131.63 billion, widening the deficit. With the United States, India’s exports grew marginally to 87.3 billion, while imports rose to 52.9 billion, reducing the trade surplus. India recorded negative export growth with partners like Netherlands, UK, Singapore, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia. Positive export growth was seen with UAE, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Spain, and Vietnam.

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The Financial Intelligence Unit India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority to strengthen coordination against financial crimes. The MoU aims to enhance information sharing, training, and outreach for entities regulated by PFRDA. It focuses on improving Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) capabilities. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), established in 2004 under the Ministry of Finance. FIU-IND acts as the national agency for analysing suspicious financial transactions, while PFRDA regulates India’s pension sector

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ITC Limited became the first Indian company to receive the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) 3.0 certification. The certification is developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform. It validates sustainable, traceable, and ethically sourced farming practices for wheat and paddy. The initiative covers more than 22,000 acres and 3,500 farmers across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar through 70+ Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). It promotes soil health, efficient resource use, and higher farmer incomes.

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Under the Startup India initiative, more than 55,200 startups were recognized in FY 2025–26, the highest ever in a single year, taking the total to more than 2.23 lakh startups and generating more than 23.36 lakh jobs. Startup growth increased by 51.6% year-on-year, while job creation rose by 36.1%, showing strong expansion of India’s startup ecosystem. Around 48% of startups (more than 1.07 lakh) have at least one woman director or partner, indicating rising gender inclusion.
Startups are now present across all States and Union Territories, with Maharashtra having the highest number of recognized startups (more than 38,660), followed by Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat.

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Atal Pension Yojana crossed 9 crore enrolments (April 2026), with a record 1.35 crore added in Financial Year (FY) 2025–26. It was launched in 2015. It is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. It is a voluntary, contributory pension scheme targeting unorganized sector workers. It is eligible for Indian citizens aged 18–40 years (excluding income tax payers). It ensures guaranteed pension of ₹1,000–₹5,000 after 60 years of age.

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The Reserve Bank of India launched Mission SAKSHAM for strengthening the Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) sector. It is a nationwide capacity-building initiative focused on improving managerial and operational efficiency. The mission aims to enhance compliance culture, governance, and institutional resilience in UCBs. It will include training programmes (offline and e-learning) covering around 1.4 crore participants.

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The Department of Financial Services approved Viability Plan 2.0 for Regional Rural Banks to improve financial sustainability and operational efficiency. The plan will be implemented for three years from 2025–26 to 2027–28 under the Ministry of Finance. It aims to strengthen governance reforms, improve profitability, enhance operational excellence, and ensure long-term competitiveness of Regional Rural Banks. Viability Plan 1.0 was introduced in Financial Year 2022–23 focusing on credit expansion, Non-Performing Asset reduction, digital adoption, and cost rationalization. Viability Plan 2.0 includes 30 performance parameters to monitor the functioning of all 28 Regional Rural Banks.