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Daily Current Affairs
19 September, 2025
1. India ranked 99th in the 2025 SDG Index, its best-ever position. Which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) remains the weakest for India?
a) SDG 2 – Zero Hunger
b) SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being
c) SDG 4 – Quality Education
d) SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation
e) SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Answer: b) SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being
Explanation: Despite progress in infrastructure and services, India lags behind in health indicators such as maternal mortality, under-5 mortality, life expectancy, and healthcare affordability.
2. According to the 2024 NSS Consumption Survey, nearly 50% of rural households cannot afford how many thalis per day?
a) 1 thali
b) 2 thalis
c) 3 thalis
d) 4 thalis
e) None of the above
Answer: b) 2 thalis
Explanation: The survey revealed that about half of rural India and 20% of urban India cannot afford two basic thalis a day, indicating affordability gaps despite PDS success in cereals.
3. The WMO “State of Global Water Resources Report 2024” found that how many people currently face inadequate access to water at least one month per year?
a) 1.6 billion
b) 2.5 billion
c) 3.6 billion
d) 4.2 billion
e) 5 billion
Answer: c) 3.6 billion
Explanation: Around 3.6 billion people suffer water shortages annually, projected to rise to 5 billion by 2050, reflecting worsening climate and water stress.
4. Which region showed above-normal river discharge in 2024 according to WMO?
a) Amazon Basin
b) Nile Basin
c) Indus and Ganges Basins
d) Mississippi Basin
e) Congo Basin
Answer: c) Indus and Ganges Basins
Explanation: WMO reported wetter-than-normal conditions in Northern India, Pakistan, and Southern Russia, with above-average discharge in Ganges, Godavari, and Indus basins.
5. Under RBI’s new Payment Aggregator (PA) rules (2025), which transaction is disallowed unless the landlord is a registered merchant?
a) EMI Payments
b) Rent Payments via Credit Card
c) Utility Bill Payments
d) Loan Repayments
e) Mutual Fund SIPs
Answer: b) Rent Payments via Credit Card
Explanation: Rent payments were being misused as disguised peer-to-peer transfers. RBI mandated full merchant KYC, disallowing landlords without merchant status.
6. Which SEBI regulation specifically deals with preventing stock price rigging and insider trading, relevant to the Adani–Hindenburg case?
a) LODR Regulations 2015
b) SCRA 1956
c) PFUTP Regulations 2003
d) SEBI Act 1992
e) Depositories Act 1996
Answer: c) PFUTP Regulations 2003
Explanation: The Prevention of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices (PFUTP) Regulations, 2003, prohibit practices like price rigging, insider trading, and misleading disclosures.
7. The EPFO’s newly launched ‘Passbook Lite’ primarily provides:
a) Pension disbursement details
b) Full graphical PF statement
c) Summarised view of contributions, withdrawals, and balance
d) Insurance premium updates
e) UAN activation facility
Answer: c) Summarised view of contributions, withdrawals, and balance
Explanation: Passbook Lite offers members a simplified snapshot of PF transactions, while the detailed graphical passbook remains available separately.
8. PhonePe recently received RBI authorisation as a:
a) Small Finance Bank
b) NBFC
c) Payment Aggregator
d) Payment Gateway
e) Microfinance Institution
Answer: c) Payment Aggregator
Explanation: With RBI approval, PhonePe can now directly onboard merchants, particularly SMEs, consolidating its role in India’s digital payments ecosystem.
9. Variable Rate Repo (VRR), used by RBI, differs from fixed repo because:
a) VRR is available only to NBFCs
b) It operates at market-determined rates via auction
c) It provides long-term loans at fixed rates
d) It is used only during inflationary periods
e) It replaces reverse repo fully
Answer: b) It operates at market-determined rates via auction
Explanation: Unlike fixed repo operations, VRR allows banks to borrow liquidity at competitive, market-driven rates, helping RBI fine-tune liquidity management.
10. RBI’s phased reduction of CRR in 2025 is expected to release how much liquidity into the banking system by December 2025?
a) ₹50,000 crore
b) ₹1.2 lakh crore
c) ₹1.8 lakh crore
d) ₹2.5 lakh crore
e) ₹3.2 lakh crore
Answer: d) ₹2.5 lakh crore
Explanation: The CRR cut in four tranches of 25 bps each will inject nearly ₹2.5 lakh crore into the banking system, ensuring adequate liquidity by year-end.
