Who chaired the review meeting on the progress of financial inclusion schemes with public and private sector banks?
- A.The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
- B.The Secretary, Department of Financial Services
- C.The Union Finance Minister
- D.The Chairman of the State Bank of India
Correct answer
B. The Secretary, Department of Financial Services
Explanation
The correct answer is the Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Sanjay Lohiya, who took the review in New Delhi with the heads of all public sector banks and the Executive Directors of major private sector banks, assisted by senior officers of his department. Option A is wrong because the central bank was not the convener of this particular review, which was held by the Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance. Option C is wrong because the meeting was at the level of the Secretary and not of the Minister. Option D is wrong because the heads of banks were the participants at this review rather than its chair. Aspirants should remember that financial inclusion schemes such as Jan Dhan, Jansuraksha and Mudra are administered by this department.
Read the full article: DFS Reviews Financial Inclusion Schemes, Plans FI Saturation Drive
Practice Questions
What are the dates of the FI saturation campaign that banks were asked to join?
- A.1 October to 31 December 2026
- B.21 October to 31 December 2026
- C.21 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
- D.1 November to 31 December 2026
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 21 October to 31 December 2026
Explanation
The correct answer is 21 October to 31 December 2026. The Secretary of the Department of Financial Services urged banks to take part wholeheartedly in the saturation drive running between those two dates and to give greater thrust to serving the weaker sections of society and meeting their banking needs. Option A is wrong on the start date, which falls later in the month and not on the first. Option C stretches the campaign to the close of the financial year, which is not what was announced. Option D again moves the start to the following month. In the examination, campaigns of this kind are almost always tested on their exact opening and closing dates, so both ends of the window are worth writing down.
New beneficiaries of PMJJBY and PMSBY are to be enrolled through which portal?
- A.Jan Dhan Darshak portal
- B.Udyam Registration portal
- C.Jan Suraksha portal
- D.PM SVANidhi portal
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Jan Suraksha portal
Explanation
The correct answer is the Jan Suraksha portal. Banks were directed to route every new enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana through it, because the portal is being linked with all banks and insurers, which should improve the quality of data and the ease of day-to-day operation. Option A is wrong because that platform is about locating banking touchpoints rather than enrolling insurance beneficiaries. Option B is wrong because enterprise registration has nothing to do with these two insurance schemes. Option D is wrong because the street vendors credit scheme is a separate programme, though it too was reviewed at the same meeting along with Mudra, Stand Up India, PM Vishwakarma and the Kisan Credit Card.
What coupon does the NABKISAN WASH social bond, listed in October 2026, carry?
- A.7.10% a year
- B.7.75% a year
- C.8.10% a year
- D.8.60% a year
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 8.10% a year
Explanation
The correct answer is 8.10% a year. The bond that NABKISAN listed on the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai runs for five years and pays this rate to its holders until it is redeemed in September 2031. Two rating agencies, CRISIL and CARE, judged the paper to be of the highest domestic quality and marked it AAA with a stable outlook, which is why a rate at this level drew bids worth 1.8 times the amount on offer and let the company collect ₹180 crore. Options A and B, at 7.10% and 7.75%, are lower than the rate actually promised, while option D at 8.60% is higher; none of these was offered. For the examination, pair the coupon with the tenure, the maturity month, the oversubscription and the amount raised, since questions on a bond issue usually test one of those five figures.
How much did NABKISAN Finance Limited raise through India's first WASH-focused social bond?
- A.₹90 crore
- B.₹180 crore
- C.₹250 crore
- D.₹360 crore
Show answer
Correct answer: B. ₹180 crore
Explanation
The correct answer is ₹180 crore. NABKISAN Finance Limited, a subsidiary of NABARD, placed India's first social bond meant only for water, sanitation and hygiene work, and investors bid for 1.8 times the paper on offer. That demand allowed the company to mobilise ₹180 crore, which will be lent for safe water, toilets and hygiene services in villages and in pockets that lenders normally skip. Option A, ₹90 crore, is half the real figure and matches nothing in the issue. Option C, ₹250 crore, and option D, ₹360 crore, are larger round sums that were never raised; the issue closed at the stated amount even though demand ran ahead of it. Candidates should fix the amount alongside the other terms of the paper, namely a tenure of five years, a coupon of 8.10% a year, redemption in September 2031 and the top domestic rating of AAA (Stable) from both CRISIL and CARE.
NABKISAN Finance Limited, which issued India's first WASH social bond, is a subsidiary of which institution?
- A.Small Industries Development Bank of India
- B.National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
- C.National Housing Bank
- D.Export-Import Bank of India
Show answer
Correct answer: B. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
Explanation
The correct answer is the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. NABKISAN Finance Limited is a NABARD subsidiary, and the listing of the WASH bond was described as a step that strengthens the commitment of both NABARD and NABKISAN to new financing routes for rural development. The Chairman of NABARD, Dr. Shaji Krishnan V, spoke at the ceremony and argued that development institutions make such projects bankable enough to attract commercial lenders and the capital market. Option A, the Small Industries Development Bank of India, works with small and medium industry, not with this issuer. Option C, the National Housing Bank, refinances housing finance, and option D, the Export-Import Bank of India, supports foreign trade; neither has any role here. The parent institution is worth remembering because the ownership explains why the proceeds are aimed at rural and underserved households.