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
Agriculture Current Affairs in News
1. FAO Report: “Forests for Food”
Source: Down To Earth
Context
The FAO, with the Landscape Alliance (CIFOR-ICRAF), published “Forests for Food: Nourishing People, Sustaining the Planet” — developed under the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) Joint Initiative.
What It Is
- Synthesises global evidence on the links between forests and the four dimensions of Food Security and Nutrition — availability, access, utilisation and stability
- Addresses a systemic knowledge gap caused by:
- Absence of globally standardised definitions
- Unrecorded informal wild-food consumption
- Fragmented policy silos across agriculture, forestry and health
Key Findings
- Over 5 billion people depend to some extent on forests for livelihoods; forests generate up to 20 per cent of rural household income in several developing regions
- More than 50,000 wild species are used globally for food, energy, medicine and materials — including at least 10,000 consumed directly as human food
- In remote forest-dependent communities, wild forest foods supply up to 80 per cent of daily dietary protein and nearly half of total food mass by weight
- 1.8 billion people (23 per cent of the global population) relied primarily on woodfuel for cooking in 2022; 410 million depended on wood energy to boil and sterilise drinking water
- Forests host pollinators supporting 35 per cent of global crop production; forested watersheds supply freshwater to over 85 per cent of the world’s major cities
- Agricultural zones across 155 countries depend on forests in other countries for up to 40 per cent of annual rainfall, through atmospheric moisture recycling and evapotranspiration
- More than 1 billion people rely on forest-derived medicinal plants for primary healthcare
- 10.9 million hectares of forest were deforested annually between 2015 and 2025
Important Facts for Exams
- Report: “Forests for Food: Nourishing People, Sustaining the Planet” — by FAO with CIFOR-ICRAF, under the CPF Joint Initiative
- FAO — headquartered at Rome, founded 1945; also publishes SOFA, SOFI and the Global Forest Resources Assessment
- CIFOR-ICRAF — Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry
- Four dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilisation, stability
- 5 billion people depend on forests; up to 20 per cent of rural income
- 50,000+ wild species used; 10,000+ eaten directly
- 80 per cent of protein in remote forest communities from wild foods
- 1.8 billion rely on woodfuel for cooking; 410 million for boiling water
- Pollinators support 35 per cent of global crop production; forested watersheds supply 85 per cent of major cities
- 155 countries depend on foreign forests for up to 40 per cent of rainfall
- Deforestation: 10.9 million ha/year (2015–2025); net loss fell from 10.7 to 4.12 million ha annually
- Arapaima — the Amazon giant fish, recovered 30-fold through community management
- VGGT — FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure
- One Health — the integrated approach linking human, animal and environmental health
2. India’s First Soil Carbon Payments
Source: PIB
Context
India’s agricultural carbon market reached a milestone as 2,550+ small farmers in Punjab and Haryana received over ₹2.9 crore through DBT — India’s first farm-level soil carbon payments for verified regenerative farming practices.
What It Is
- A digital market-linkage mechanism monetising verified soil organic carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reductions
- Rewarding smallholder farmers for regenerative, climate-smart agronomic practices
Implementing Entity
- Grow Indigo — an agri-tech joint venture between Mahyco and US-based Indigo Ag
- Through its farmer-carbon initiative, the ‘Aadi’ programme
Background
- Initiated in 2019 to curb air pollution from paddy stubble burning in northwestern India and reverse groundwater depletion in the Indo-Gangetic plains
- The first payment cycle covers carbon sequestered and emissions avoided between 2019 and 2022
- Initial tranche of roughly 30,000 acres, generating over 50,000 internationally certified carbon credits
How it Works?
| Stage | How It Works |
|---|---|
| 1. Field Practice Adoption | Farmers adopt Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), minimum tillage, cover crops, and in-situ residue retention, replacing conventional transplanting and stubble burning. |
| 2. Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV) | Soil carbon and GHG changes are tracked using satellite data, digital crop models, and periodic soil sampling. |
| 3. Credit Issuance & Monetisation | Verified carbon credits are sold in the voluntary carbon market. |
| 4. Farmer Payment | Farmers receive upfront payments or 75% of the net proceeds from carbon-credit sales. |
3. The Bharat Vann Green Initiative
Source: BS
Context
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the ‘Bharat Vann’ green initiative at Lodhi Colony Park, Central Delhi — an urban afforestation drive with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
What It Is
- A dense urban micro-forest project using the Miyawaki afforestation method
- High-density planting of multi-layered, indigenous vegetation
- To rapidly establish self-sustaining, biodiverse green lungs in degraded or high-density urban spaces
Who Is Involved
- Implementing body: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)
- Funding: under the CSR initiative of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL)
- Implemented by: the Enviro Creators Foundation
Aim
- Accelerate urban ecological restoration
- Combat Delhi’s particulate air pollution
- Lower local urban heat island (UHI) effects
- Create accessible public community spaces for wellness and physical activity
RBI Current Affairs
Banking/Finance
1. The EPFO Wage Ceiling
Source: PIB
Context
The Union Cabinet approved the Ministry of Labour and Employment’s proposal to raise the mandatory wage ceiling under the EPFO from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month.
What the Wage Ceiling Is
- The statutory monthly salary threshold — basic pay plus dearness allowance
- Determining mandatory coverage under the EPF and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952
- Any worker joining an establishment with 20 or more employees at a wage up to this limit must be mandatorily enrolled in the provident fund, pension and insurance schemes
Aim
- Align statutory social security with sustained wage growth, rising cost of living and inflation
- Ensure entry- and mid-level formal sector workers receive portable, assured retirement savings and survivor benefits
The Revision History
- ₹6,500 per month from 2004 until 1 September 2014
- Revised to ₹15,000 in 2014
- Over the following 12 years, rising state minimum wages brought baseline earnings close to or above ₹15,000, leaving new workers outside automatic coverage
- The Expenditure Finance Committee cleared the hike to ₹25,000 in June 2026
2. Moody’s Raises India’s FY27 GDP Forecast to 7%
Source: Business Standar
Context
Moody’s Ratings raised its forecast for India’s real GDP growth in FY27 to 7 per cent from 6 per cent — citing stronger-than-expected economic activity and the economy’s resilience to the West Asia conflict shock.
The Forecast Comparison
| Agency | FY27 GDP projection |
|---|---|
| Moody’s | 7.0 per cent |
| RBI | 6.7 per cent |
| ADB | 6.6 per cent |
| S&P Global | 6.6 per cent |
| Goldman Sachs | 6.5 per cent |
| Fitch | 6.4 per cent |
Moody’s projection is the highest among major agencies.
What Drove the Upgrade
- Real GDP growth accelerated to 8.2 per cent year-on-year in the first six months of 2026, against 7.3 per cent in 2025
- Driven by strong private consumption, robust gross fixed capital formation and sustained services activity
- Continued public infrastructure spending and a likely revival in private-sector investment are supporting growth
Important Facts for Exams
- Moody’s raised FY27 India GDP forecast from 6 per cent to 7 per cent — the highest among major agencies
- RBI 6.7, ADB 6.6, S&P 6.6, Goldman Sachs 6.5, Fitch 6.4
- Real GDP grew 8.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, against 7.3 per cent in 2025
- Rating: Baa3, stable outlook — Moody’s lowest investment grade
- Equivalent ratings: Fitch BBB−, S&P BBB, Morningstar DBRS BBB — all stable
- S&P upgraded India to BBB from BBB− last year, one notch above Fitch and Moody’s
- Constraints: high general government debt, weak debt affordability, low per capita income
- Moody’s FY27 inflation projection 4.8 per cent, against 2.4 per cent in FY26
- Debt affordability — the share of revenue consumed by interest payments; India’s is among the weakest in its rating category
- General government debt includes Centre plus states; S&P projects the combined deficit at 7.3 per cent of GDP in FY27
- Q1 FY27 GDP was 7.8 per cent, above the RBI’s 7 per cent forecast
RBI and NABARD Current Affairs
Economy in News
1. SEMICON India 2026
Source: TH
Context
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 5th edition of SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi (IICC), New Delhi — coinciding with Vishwakarma Diwas.
What It Is
- India’s flagship international semiconductor conference and exhibition
- The premier nexus connecting the global microelectronics supply chain, fab operators, design startups, academic institutions and policymakers
Organisation
- Jointly organised by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), MeitY, and SEMI — the global industry association for electronics manufacturing and design
- Host venue: Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre), New Delhi
- Theme: “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem”
Aim
- Accelerate capital investments
- Bridge global technology partnerships
- Foster domestic chip design IP
- Position India as a trusted, resilient global manufacturing destination across the electronics value chain
