Business, Economy & Banking Current Affairs MCQs

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The World Economic Forum (WEF) is establishing five new Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including one in Andhra Pradesh, India. India already has two such centres: in Mumbai and Telangana. The Fourth Industrial Revolution Network, launched in 2017, connects national and thematic centres worldwide to advance responsible development of emerging technologies. Other new centres will be in France, the U.K., and the UAE.

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Reserve Bank of India issued draft revised guidelines for the Lead Bank Scheme for public comments. Lead Bank Scheme was introduced in December 1969 on the recommendation of the Nariman Committee. The objective of scheme is to coordinate banks and development agencies to increase bank finance to priority and other sectors. It also promotes the role of banks in overall rural development. Under the scheme, one bank is assigned as the Lead Bank for each district. The Lead Bank coordinates credit institutions and Government efforts at district level.

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The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME), Government of India, held the fifth National MSME Council meeting in New Delhi to review the World Bank–supported RAMP Programme. The RAMP Programme, Raising & Accelerating MSME Performance, was launched in 2022. It is implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises over 2022–23 to 2026–27 with assistance from the World Bank. It aims to improve access to market and credit for MSMEs. It strengthens institutions and governance at the central and state levels.

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The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates has launched the world’s first Sovereign Financial Cloud Services Infrastructure (SFCSI). It is developed with Core42, a subsidiary of G42. The platform ensures data sovereignty, meaning financial data remains within the UAE’s legal and security boundaries. It offers integrated cybersecurity, unified multi-cloud management, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based analytics. It allows real-time processing, automation, and predictive risk analysis for licensed financial institutions. It reduces dependence on foreign cloud providers and strengthens regulatory control.

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In March 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) deployed an in-house Artificial Intelligence (AI) system named “Sudarshan” to strengthen the digital monitoring of financial content across online platforms. The primary objective of the Sudarshan AI system is to detect misleading financial information and curb illegal advisory activities carried out by unregistered financial influencers (finfluencers) on digital platforms. Using this AI-based surveillance system, SEBI has facilitated the removal of more than 1.20 lakh misleading social media posts that were shared by unregistered individuals or entities providing financial advice.

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L&T Finance Ltd has launched a specialised programme called “Spoorthi” for women entrepreneurs to provide targeted financial support. The programme offers extended loan tenors up to 25 years for house property loans or Loan Against Property (LAP) for business expansion and working capital. Industrial LAP tenors of up to 12 years are also available, with enhanced eligibility norms, including higher debt-to-income ratios for greater financial flexibility. L&T Finance aims to leverage women borrowers’ strong repayment discipline to scale businesses and secure personal assets, promoting an inclusive financial ecosystem.

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National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), with Gates Foundation and Dalberg Advisors, launched the National Climate Stack Innovation Challenge to strengthen India’s rural climate resilience. The initiative aims to build a National Climate Stack, integrating fragmented climate datasets into a unified digital platform. It will develop 10–15 year climate hazard forecasting frameworks for risks like heatwaves, floods, droughts, and cyclones affecting agriculture. The project will also create practical dashboards for agriculture, rural finance, and public planning decisions.

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Bank of Baroda raised ₹10,000 crore by issuing long-term green infrastructure bonds, becoming the first bank in India to issue domestic green bonds. The 7-year bond was issued on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) through the Electronic Book Provider (EBP) platform. The issue had a ₹5,000 crore base size with a ₹5,000 crore greenshoe option, and received bids worth ₹16,415 crore, showing strong investor demand. The bank fixed a 7.1% annual coupon rate despite market volatility.

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The National Productivity Council (NPC) has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to act as the Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA). National Productivity Council (NPC) was established as an autonomous, non-profit and multipartite organization under the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, with headquarters in New Delhi. It aims to promote productivity awareness, strengthen economic development, act as a government think tank, and provide consultancy and training services.

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Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises implements MSE-CDP (Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme) to improve productivity and competitiveness of MSEs (Micro and Small Enterprises). The scheme provides financial assistance to set up Common Facility Centres (CFCs) and upgrade infrastructure in industrial clusters. It is a demand-driven scheme with proposals from States and Union Territories based on needs. 242 CFCs have been approved across India including 6 in Punjab, while 513 clusters approved under SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) since 2015–16.