Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) launched its first public Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), now listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle similar to mutual funds/Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) for infrastructure assets. It allows investors to directly invest in infrastructure projects like highways. InvITs pool funds from investors, list on stock exchanges, and distribute income to unit holders. InvITs are regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) under InvIT Regulations, 2014.

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Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has directed hotels and restaurants not to charge extra costs like LPG or fuel charges. It was established under Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which replaced the 1986 Act and came into force in 2020. It works under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. CCPA protects and enforces consumer rights at a collective level. It prevents unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements.

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The Reserve Bank of India has released the “Payments Vision 2028” roadmap with the theme “Shaping India’s Payment Frontier” to guide the future of digital payments. The vision outlines 15 key initiatives and marks a shift beyond the earlier “4Es” (Everyone, Everywhere, Every time) toward consumer trust, system resilience, and global expansion. It proposes a shared liability framework, where both the sender’s and receiver’s banks will jointly bear responsibility for unauthorised digital transactions. It aims to bring e-commerce marketplaces and payment aggregators under direct RBI regulation, strengthening oversight of digital payments.

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Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) has been integrated with the e-Shram Portal to provide skilling opportunities to registered workers across all States. Through this integration, e-Shram beneficiaries can directly access training courses and upskilling programmes available on SIDH. SIDH enables issuance of digitally verifiable and tamper-proof credentials, improving trust, portability, and recognition of skills. The platform is integrated with Bhashini, allowing translation into 22 regional languages, promoting inclusivity.

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The National Statistics Office under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation launched the first-ever Annual Survey of Incorporated Services Sector Enterprises (ASISSE) in April 2026. The survey covers all States and Union Territories with reference period FY 2024–25 and aims to build a comprehensive database of the incorporated services sector. It uses the GSTN database as the sampling frame and will survey around 1.21 lakh enterprises. ASISSE focuses on corporate entities registered under the Companies Act (1956/2013) and the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008. It covers key service sectors such as trade, transport, hospitality, IT, education, and health, which together form a major part of India’s economy.

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Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education Shri Jayant Chaudhary has launched a ₹530 crore ‘Skills Outcomes Fund’ campaign, anchored by the National Skill Development Corporation under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The fund aims to mobilise public and private capital to scale outcomes-based financing (OBF), linking investments directly to verified employment outcomes such as job placement, retention, and career progression. It promotes a blended finance model combining government funding with private sector investments and focuses on demand-driven, employer-led skilling.

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India has limited the requirement of certification from the Export Inspection Council (EIC) for rice exports only to select countries—European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The Export Inspection Council was established under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. It ensures quality and safety of Indian export products to meet importing country standards. It functions as India’s official export certification authority. The Council operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which is its nodal ministry.

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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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Reserve Bank of India under its strategy ‘Utkarsh 2029’ (2026–2029 framework for financial sector reforms) plans to advance Project Sa-Mudra (currency management modernisation initiative). It aims to expand CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency: digital form of sovereign currency) for efficient cross-border payments. The framework rests on six pillars: robust regulations, inclusive finance, competitive markets, effective technology, future-ready organisation, and Global India. RBI will scale up ULI (Unified Lending Interface: digital platform for seamless credit access) to improve credit delivery to underserved sectors.