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EconomyMedium

Through which kind of vehicle will the SME Growth Fund make its investments?

  1. A.A public sector bank
  2. B.An Alternative Investment Fund
  3. C.A sovereign wealth fund
  4. D.A regional rural bank

Correct answer

B. An Alternative Investment Fund

Explanation

The correct answer is an Alternative Investment Fund. Under the approved scheme the Government of India will provide its aggregate commitment of Rs 10,000 crore to an Alternative Investment Fund established within the SME Growth Fund framework, and that fund will take direct equity positions in small and medium enterprises. Option A is wrong because the decision does not route the money through a public sector bank; the whole point of the scheme is equity rather than credit, which banks already supply. Option C is wrong because no sovereign wealth fund is involved in the approval. Option D is wrong for the same reason as option A, and because regional rural banks are credit institutions serving rural borrowers, not equity investors in growth-stage firms. Remember that the fund supplies patient growth equity, filling a gap that lending schemes could not close.

Read the full article: Cabinet Clears Rs 10,000 Crore SME Growth Fund for Equity

Q1.EconomyEasy

How much has the Union Cabinet committed towards the establishment of the SME Growth Fund?

  1. A.Rs 5,000 crore
  2. B.Rs 7,500 crore
  3. C.Rs 10,000 crore
  4. D.Rs 25,000 crore
Show answer

Correct answer: C. Rs 10,000 crore

Explanation

The correct answer is Rs 10,000 crore. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved an aggregate commitment of this size by the Government of India towards setting up the SME Growth Fund, and the money will be placed in an Alternative Investment Fund raised under the fund framework. The decision gives effect to Para 28 of the Union Budget 2026-27, which announced equity, liquidity and professional support for the MSME ecosystem as a whole. Option A is wrong because no such smaller figure was approved for this fund. Option B is wrong for the same reason; it was never the size of the commitment. Option D is wrong because the approved commitment is far smaller than that amount, and the government did not sanction any such sum for the SME Growth Fund. Candidates should note the fund name, the vehicle through which it will invest and the amount together, since questions often pair the three.

Q2.EconomyMedium

Which category of enterprises will receive the majority of the allocation from the SME Growth Fund?

  1. A.Early-stage technology startups
  2. B.Micro enterprises in rural areas
  3. C.Small and medium manufacturing enterprises
  4. D.Export houses and trading firms
Show answer

Correct answer: C. Small and medium manufacturing enterprises

Explanation

The correct answer is small and medium manufacturing enterprises. The approval states that the majority of the allocation from the fund will go to small and medium enterprises focused on manufacturing, and that enterprises operating in industrial clusters in Tier-II and Tier-III cities will also be considered. Option A is wrong because early-stage ventures are already served by existing equity funds; the structural gap the new fund addresses lies beyond that stage. Option B is wrong because micro enterprises are the main beneficiaries of the funds that already exist, which is precisely why a separate instrument for small and medium firms was approved. Option D is wrong because the fund is not reserved for trading firms, although growing manufacturers are expected to become more competitive exporters as they add capacity and adopt better technology. The expected outcome is balanced regional industrial development and better quality employment.

Q3.EconomyMedium

Which policy will the new authority advise on reviewing and updating?

  1. A.National Rail Plan
  2. B.National Logistics Policy of 2022
  3. C.National Civil Aviation Policy
  4. D.National Highways Development Policy
Show answer

Correct answer: B. National Logistics Policy of 2022

Explanation

The correct answer is the National Logistics Policy of 2022. Among the roles listed for ITLA is to advise and assist in the review and updating of that policy, alongside capacity building, training and skilling in the logistics sector and the promotion of research and innovation in transport and logistics. Option A is wrong because the approval does not give ITLA charge of reviewing any rail plan, though railways are one of the modes covered by the master plan it will prepare. Option C is wrong for the same reason: civil aviation is a mode within the master plan, not a policy ITLA is asked to revise. Option D is wrong because no highways development policy is named in the decision. Remember that ITLA is an apex planning and appraisal body, and the master plan it writes covers roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics together.

Q4.EconomyMedium

Which of the following will ITLA build to bring transport data together in one place?

  1. A.National Transport Data Repository
  2. B.National Freight Exchange
  3. C.Unified Logistics Interface Platform
  4. D.National Mobility Grid
Show answer

Correct answer: A. National Transport Data Repository

Explanation

The correct answer is the National Transport Data Repository. The Cabinet decision asks ITLA to build a unified transport data repository by obtaining relevant transport and logistics datasets from several sources, among them the GSTN e-way bill, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems, and then to carry out analytics such as freight flow and origin-destination studies for planning, monitoring and impact assessment. Option B is wrong because no freight exchange of that name forms part of this approval. Option C is wrong in this context: the decision does not name any such platform as the repository ITLA will create. Option D is wrong because no mobility grid is mentioned in the approval at all. For the examination, link the repository to its named data sources, since questions frequently ask which datasets feed it.

Q5.EconomyMedium

What is the cost threshold above which ITLA will carry out the technical appraisal of central infrastructure projects?

  1. A.Rs 100 crore
  2. B.Rs 250 crore
  3. C.Rs 500 crore
  4. D.Rs 1,000 crore
Show answer

Correct answer: C. Rs 500 crore

Explanation

The correct answer is Rs 500 crore. The approval gives the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority the task of technically appraising infrastructure projects of the Government of India costing that much or more, while financial appraisal continues through the mechanisms that already exist. The same figure also marks the monitoring duty: ITLA will track implementation of transport and infrastructure projects above that cost, provide a coordinated mechanism to resolve issues and assess their impact once they are complete. Options A and B are wrong because the threshold set by the Cabinet is higher than either amount, so smaller projects do not come to ITLA for technical appraisal. Option D is wrong because the threshold is lower than that figure; projects of that size are of course covered, but the authority begins its appraisal well below it. Candidates should remember that the same threshold governs both appraisal and monitoring.