Daily Current Affairs Quiz | NABARD Grade A & RBI Grade B | Economy, Banking & Agriculture
Daily Current Affairs for NABARD Grade A and RBI Grade B 2026 covering the most important developments in Indian Economy, Banking, RBI, Agriculture, Rural Development, Government Schemes, Financial Markets, Reports & Indices, International Relations, Environment and Science & Technology.
NABARD CURRENT AFFAIRS
1. Agriculture Current Affairs in News
1. Black-necked Crane
Context: The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), working with the Indian Army and local authorities, has sterilised over 2,950 free-ranging dogs in Ladakh since 2022 to reduce predation on the Black-necked Crane and its chicks.
What is the Black-necked Crane?
The only exclusively alpine species among the world’s 15 crane species.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local names | Thrung Thrung Karmo (Dzongkha), Cha Tung-Tung (Ladakhi) |
| State Bird of | Union Territory of Ladakh |
| IUCN Red List | Near Threatened (NT) |
| Range countries | India, China, Bhutan, Nepal |
2. Fertiliser Subsidy Rises Despite Low Nutrient-Use Efficiency
- India is spending more on fertiliser subsidies, while only around 40% of applied nutrients are absorbed by crops.
- Unused nutrients can cause:
- Groundwater contamination
- Air pollution
- Nutrient wastage
- Higher subsidy burden
- The issue highlights the need to improve Nutrient-Use Efficiency (NUE).
2. Schemes in News
1. PM Vishwakarma Scheme 2.0
Source: Business Standard
Context: The Centre is likely to launch the second phase of the PM Vishwakarma scheme on 17 September, with a sharper focus on improving credit access and market linkages for traditional artisans and craftspeople. The date is observed as Vishwakarma Jayanti and is also the Prime Minister’s birthday.
What is the PM Vishwakarma Scheme?
- Launch Year: 2023
- Type: Central Sector Scheme
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
Eligibility
- Traditional artisans and craftsmen above 18 years of age.
- Covers 18 identified traditional trades.
A scheme providing holistic, end-to-end support to traditional artisans and craftspeople through:
- Collateral-free credit
- Skill training
- Modern tools
- Incentives for digital transactions
- Market-linkage support
2. PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
Source: The Hindu
Context: Several States, including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, are giving financial aid to households that cannot afford rooftop solar installations — as a way to cut the revenue losses they incur from subsidising electricity.
What is PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana?
- Launch: February 2024
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
- Type: Central Sector Scheme
About the Scheme
- PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is a major rooftop solar scheme for households.
- It aims to promote residential rooftop solar installations and reduce household electricity bills.
- The scheme targets 1 crore households by March 2027.
- Households can get up to 300 units of free electricity per month through rooftop solar generation.
Implementation
- National Level: National Programme Implementation Agency (NPIA)
- State Level: State Implementation Agencies (SIAs)
3. Shakti Ki Saptadhara: Seven Streams of India’s Growth Explained
Context: The Prime Minister, in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2026, outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara” — seven streams of national strength that can drive India towards Aatmanirbharta and Viksit Bharat.
What is Saptadhara?
- Saptadhara means seven streams. It refers to the seven strategic areas of India’s growth and national strength identified by the Prime Minister from the Red Fort.
- It brings together manufacturing, agriculture, technology, infrastructure, defence, the green and blue economy, and soft power as interconnected pillars for India’s next phase of development.
The Seven Streams
- Manufacturing: Make India a global manufacturing and supply-chain hub by improving cost, quality, scale and precision, including domestic component production.
- Farming & Food Processing: Connect Indian farms to global markets and promote millets, spices, fruits, vegetables and traditional foods as global brands.
- Technology & Innovation: Develop India as a hub for data centres, robotics, emerging technologies, next-gen communication and 6G, building on UPI and DPI.
- Gati Shakti & Connectivity: Improve multimodal connectivity through roads, expressways, high-speed rail and ports to reduce logistics costs.
- Raksha Shakti: Promote Aatmanirbhar defence manufacturing, especially drones and next-generation defence technologies, and make India a global defence supplier.
- Green & Blue Economy: Lead in green hydrogen, renewables and energy storage, while expanding fisheries, coastal tourism and ocean technologies.
- Soft Power: Strengthen India’s global cultural influence through Yoga, handicrafts, films, animation, gaming, digital content and tourism.
RBI CURRENT AFFAIRS
1. Banking and Finance
1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) Completes 12 Years
Source: The Hindu
Context: The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has completed 12 years. Announced by the Prime Minister from the Red Fort on 15 August 2014, the scheme has crossed 58 crore accounts with deposits of about ₹3 lakh crore, and became the first layer of India’s JAM trinity and wider digital public infrastructure.
What is PMJDY?
- Launch Date: 28 August 2014
- Type: National Mission for Financial Inclusion
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance
- Implementing Agency: Department of Financial Services (DFS)
Objective
- To ensure universal access to banking services for every household.
- To provide affordable financial services such as:
- Savings accounts
- Remittance facilities
- Credit
- Insurance
- Pension services
Key Features of PMJDY
- BSBDA: Zero-balance savings account with interest and basic banking facilities.
- RuPay Debit Card: Free RuPay card with accident insurance cover.
- Overdraft: Up to ₹10,000, subject to eligibility.
- DBT: Direct transfer of government subsidies and benefits.
- Insurance: Accident cover and life insurance for eligible account holders.
- Mobile Banking: Access to banking services through mobile and digital platforms.
2. RBI Closes FCNR(B) Swap Window
Source: IE
Context: The Reserve Bank of India has decided to close its swap facility for FCNR(B) deposits one month ahead of schedule, after banks mobilised $52.3 billion under the scheme by 13 August. The decision comes barely a week after Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on 5 August that there was no proposal to withdraw the scheme.
What is an FCNR(B) Deposit?
- FCNR(B) stands for Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposit.
- It is a term deposit held in foreign currency by a non-resident Indian with an Indian bank. Both the principal and interest are paid in the same foreign currency, so the depositor faces no rupee conversion risk.
What is the Swap Window?
Launched on 8 June 2026, the facility lets banks swap the foreign currency they raise through FCNR(B) deposits with the RBI.
How it works:
- The bank collects dollars from NRI depositors
- It sells those dollars to the RBI and receives rupees
- At maturity, the transaction reverses at the same exchange rate
- RBI bears the full hedging cost. Because the exchange rate is fixed at both ends, the bank carries no currency risk.
That is what allows banks to offer attractive interest rates to NRI depositors.
3. L&T to Build NVIDIA B300 AI Factory in Chennai
- Larsen & Toubro (L&T) secured a ₹10,000–15,000 crore order to build a large AI computing facility for Together AI.
- The facility will be located at L&T’s Chennai data-centre campus.
- It will deploy 10,000 NVIDIA B300 GPUs.
- The facility will support AI training, inference and model fine-tuning.
4. NCLT Launches e-Inspection and e-Certified Copy Services
- The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) launched e-Inspection and e-Certified Copy Services.
- Users can digitally inspect case records and obtain certified copies through the NCLT e-Filing portal.
- The initiative is part of the e-Courts 2.0 programme.
- It aims to reduce physical visits and improve the speed, transparency and accessibility of judicial records.
- NCLT was established on 1 June 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013.
RBI AND NABARD CURRENT AFFAIRS
1. Reports in News
1. US Transshipment Report
Source: IE
Context: The White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy has named India among more than 40 countries and trading jurisdictions exposed to Chinese-linked transshipment risks, in a report titled ‘The Great Transshipment Scam’. India has been placed in Tier-1 of what the report calls China’s Shadow Transshipment Network.
What is Illegal Transshipment?
The report defines it as routing goods through a third country where they undergo:
- Minor processing
- Relabelling
- Repackaging
- Re-invoicing
- Changes in paperwork
The Three Tiers
| Tier | Countries | Basis of classification |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | India, Mexico, Canada, European Union | Illegal transshipment risk is “embedded” within massive legitimate trade flows |
| Tier 2 | Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand | “Closely integrated” with China |
| Tier 3 | Cambodia, Panama, UAE | “Weak customs enforcement” |
Read Tier 1 carefully. India is not placed there for weak enforcement or close integration with China. It is placed there because its trade with the US is so large that suspect flows can hide inside legitimate ones. That is a very different accusation — and a much harder one to disprove.
Corridors named in the report:
| Corridor | Product | US region affected |
|---|---|---|
| Pune–Gujarat–Chennai (India) | Pumps and compressors | Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus |
| Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) | Electrical switching and circuit protection | Chicago, Milwaukee, Rockford |
| Penang–Kulim (Malaysia) | Plastic articles | Akron, Canton, Upstate South Carolina |
| Bekasi–Batam (Indonesia) | Plastic boxes, cases, crates, packing | Houston, Lake Charles, Beaumont, Tulsa |
| Ayutthaya–Samut Prakan (Thailand) | Thermostats | Minneapolis–St. Paul |
2. WIPO Report: India Ranks Fifth in Generative AI Patent Filings
Source: Business Standard
Context: India ranks fifth globally in generative AI (GenAI) patent filings, driven by a 64% compound annual growth rate between 2024 and 2025, according to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialised agency of the United Nations.
What the Report Shows
The push for patents illustrates how companies are moving from experimentation to large commercial deployment of AI.
India’s numbers:
- Published 929 GenAI patents in 2024 and 2025 alone
- That equals nearly 70% of the 1,350 patents India published over the entire previous decade (2014–2023)
Global Rankings
| Rank | Country | Share of global GenAI patents (2024–25) | Growth (CAGR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | Over 70% | — |
| 2 | United States | 10% | 92% |
| 3 | Japan | 6.5% | 230% |
| 4 | South Korea | 3.7% | — |
| 5 | India | 2% | 64% |
The Countries Closing In on India
Those ranked below the top five are narrowing the gap as they accelerate patenting:
- Germany — sixth
- United Kingdom — eighth
- Canada and Switzerland
India’s fifth place is therefore not secure. Its 2% share is small in absolute terms, and countries behind it are growing faster than the gap allows for comfort.
2. Economy in News
1. BHEL and Hystar Collaborate on PEM Electrolysers
- BHEL and Norway-based Hystar AS entered into a strategic collaboration for PEM electrolyser manufacturing in India.
- PEM stands for Proton Exchange Membrane.
- The partnership will promote green hydrogen, indigenous manufacturing and clean-energy technology.
- BHEL will now offer both PEM and alkaline electrolyser solutions.
- The collaboration supports the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
2. Andaman & Nicobar Plans Green AI/Data Centre
- The Andaman and Nicobar Administration invited proposals for a private-sector-led Green AI/Data Centre.
- Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar is one of the potential locations.
- The project aims to develop sustainable AI and data-centre infrastructure in the islands.
3. Social Issue in News
1. India Celebrates 80th Independence Day
- India celebrated its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 at the Red Fort, New Delhi.
- PM Narendra Modi delivered his 13th consecutive Independence Day speech.
- The celebrations focused on:
- 150 years of Vande Mataram
- “Yuva Shakti – Leading the Journey to Viksit Bharat@2047”
- Modi became the 2nd PM after Jawaharlal Nehru to deliver 13 consecutive Independence Day speeches.
4. Misc GA in News
1. India Approves First Fully Commercial Earth Observation Satellite Constellation
- IN-SPACe approved India’s first fully commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation under the PPP model.
- The consortium is led by PixxelSpace India and includes Dhruva Space, PierSight Space and SatSure Analytics.
- The constellation will consist of 12 satellites.
- It will use panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral and SAR technologies.
- Investment: Over ₹1,200 crore
- Expected operationalisation: 2029
2. Shaurya Chakra Awardees 2026
- 19 personnel received the Shaurya Chakra.
- Awardees included:
- 11 Army personnel
- 1 Navy personnel
- 1 Air Force personnel
- 6 Police and Central Armed Forces personnel
- Lance Naik Narender Sindhu of 9 Rashtriya Rifles received the award posthumously.
