Economy Current Affairs Quiz — Last 12 months
Daily news by your exam, state and topic — each with a short summary, key facts and MCQs.
How many critical and strategic mineral blocks are offered in Tranche VI of the auction launched in September 2025?
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Correct answer: D — 23
PIB: Tranche VI, launched on 16 September 2025, includes 23 critical and strategic mineral blocks — 19 composite licences and 4 mining leases.
Consider the following statements about Tranche VI of the critical mineral block auction: 1. It comprises 19 composite licences and 4 mining leases. 2. It was launched by the Ministry of Mines on 16 September 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. PIB: Tranche VI was launched on 16 September 2025 and includes 23 blocks — 19 composite licences and 4 mining leases.
How much did Andhra Pradesh's rural local bodies receive as the first instalment of XV Finance Commission untied grants for 2025–26?
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Correct answer: B — ₹410.76 crore
PIB: the first instalment of untied grants for Andhra Pradesh, amounting to ₹410.76 crore, has been disbursed; ₹680.71 crore went to West Bengal.
Consider the following statements about XV Finance Commission grants released in October 2025: 1. Untied grants may be used by rural local bodies to pay salaries and establishment costs. 2. The Andhra Pradesh instalment benefits all 13,327 gram panchayats of the state. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2
Neither is correct. PIB: untied grants are for location-specific needs under the 29 Eleventh Schedule subjects, except salaries and establishment costs; the Andhra instalment benefits 13,092 eligible gram panchayats out of 13,327.
According to the PIB explainer of October 2025, Arunachal Pradesh accounts for what share of India's kiwi output?
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Correct answer: B — Over 50%
PIB: Arunachal Pradesh is India's largest kiwi producer with over 50% of national output (4,492 MT in 2022–23).
Consider the following statements from the PIB explainer on GST cuts in Arunachal Pradesh (October 2025): 1. Yak Churpi, a GI-tagged cheese, is traditionally made by the Brokpa and Monpa communities. 2. GST on spices such as large cardamom was cut from 12% to 5%. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: Yak Churpi is a GI-tagged Himalayan cheese made by the yak-herding Brokpa and Monpa communities; GST on spices continues to be 5% — the relief for cardamom growers comes from cheaper inputs such as tractors.
At the first meeting of the upgraded India–Qatar Joint Commission (October 2025), the two sides set a goal of doubling bilateral trade by:
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Correct answer: B — 2030
PIB: the sides set a shared goal of doubling bilateral trade by 2030.
Consider the following statements about Piyush Goyal's October 2025 visit to Qatar: 1. The upgraded Joint Commission replaced the earlier Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce. 2. India–Qatar bilateral trade in 2024–25 was over USD 24 billion. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: it was the first meeting of the upgraded Joint Commission, elevated from the earlier Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce; trade was valued at over USD 14 billion in 2024–25.
According to a PIB explainer on GST reforms (October 2025), Kerala accounts for nearly what share of India's coir production?
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Correct answer: D — 85%
PIB: Kerala accounts for nearly 85% of India's coir production and is a major contributor to the country's coir exports.
'Tirur Vettila' from Malappuram, Kerala, mentioned in the October 2025 PIB explainer on GST reforms, is a:
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Correct answer: B — Betel leaf
PIB: the Tirur Vettila (Betel Leaf) from Malappuram's Tirur is set to get a push as GST on value-added mouth fresheners and pastes falls from 18% to 5%.
After the vesting orders issued on 8 October 2025, how many coal blocks had been vested or allocated under commercial coal auctions in total?
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Correct answer: C — 125
PIB (Ministry of Coal): with these vesting orders, a total of 125 coal blocks have been vested or allocated under commercial coal auctions.
Consider the following statements about the five coal blocks for which vesting orders were issued on 8 October 2025: 1. All five blocks are fully explored. 2. Their Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements were signed on 21 August 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only 2 is correct. PIB: four of the blocks are partially explored and one is fully explored; the CMDPAs were signed on August 21, 2025.
As of September 2025, public sector banks had sanctioned loans under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana amounting to about:
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Correct answer: D — ₹10,907 crore
PIB: as of September 2025, PSBs had sanctioned over 5.79 lakh loan applications amounting to ₹10,907 crore.
Consider the following statements about the model loan scheme under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: 1. It offers collateral-free loans of up to ₹2 lakh. 2. It provides a 12-month moratorium from disbursement. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: the model loan scheme offers loans up to ₹2 lakh without collateral and a 6-month moratorium period from disbursement.
During PM Modi's July 2025 State visit to Brazil, India and Brazil set a target of raising bilateral trade within five years to:
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Correct answer: B — USD 20 billion
PIB: the leaders set a target to increase bilateral trade to USD 20 billion over the next five years.
Consider the following statements: 1. Brazil is India's largest trading partner in the Latin American and Caribbean region. 2. India–Brazil bilateral merchandise trade in FY 2024-25 was about USD 20 billion. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: Brazil is the largest trading partner of India in the LAC region; bilateral merchandise trade in FY 2024-25 stood at USD 12.19 billion (USD 20 billion is the five-year target).
Phulkari, a GI-tagged craft of Punjab mentioned in the October 2025 PIB explainer on GST reforms, is a form of:
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Correct answer: B — Embroidery
PIB: Phulkari, a GI-tagged craft practised mainly in Amritsar and Patiala, involves traditional embroidered garments and employs around 20,000 artisans.
According to the October 2025 PIB explainer on GST reforms in Punjab, which city is integral to the state's bicycle manufacturing industry?
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Correct answer: D — Ludhiana
PIB: Ludhiana is integral to Punjab's bicycle manufacturing, with the industry employing over 40,000 people directly and indirectly.
What was the theme of the World Cotton Day 2025 event organised by the Ministry of Textiles and CITI in New Delhi?
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Correct answer: D — Cotton 2040: Technology, Climate & Competitiveness
PIB: the event, jointly organised by the Ministry of Textiles and CITI, focused on the theme 'Cotton 2040: Technology, Climate & Competitiveness'.
Consider the following statements made at World Cotton Day 2025 (New Delhi): 1. India accounts for 40% of the world's cotton area. 2. India's cotton sector supports six million farmers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. PIB: Giriraj Singh said India accounts for 40% of the world's cotton area (productivity ~450 kg/ha); Secretary Neelam Shami Rao said the sector supports six million farmers and over 45 million jobs.
Arunachal Pradesh's first commercial coal mine, Namchik Namphuk, inaugurated in October 2025, is located in which district?
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Correct answer: B — Changlang
PIB: G. Kishan Reddy and CM Pema Khandu inaugurated the Namchik Namphuk Coal Mine in Changlang district, the state's first commercial coal mining project.
What are the coal reserves of the Namchik Namphuk Coal Mine, according to Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy (October 2025)?
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Correct answer: D — 1.5 crore tonnes
PIB: the minister informed that the Namchik Namphuk Coal Mine holds reserves of 1.5 crore tonnes of coal and became operational that day.
What was the theme of the Fourth Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC 2025)?
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Correct answer: B — Seeking Prosperity in Turbulent Times
PIB: the Fourth Kautilya Economic Conclave (KEC 2025) was held with the theme 'Seeking Prosperity in Turbulent Times'.
Consider the following statements about the Fourth Kautilya Economic Conclave (2025): 1. It was organised by the Institute of Economic Growth in partnership with the Ministry of Finance. 2. It was inaugurated by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: IEG, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, organised KEC 2025; it was inaugurated on 3 October by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and concluded on 5 October with an address by S. Jaishankar.
VLGC 'Shivalik', received by Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in October 2025, is the Shipping Corporation of India's:
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Correct answer: D — third Very Large Gas Carrier
PIB: Shivalik joins Sahyadri and Anandamayi as SCI's third VLGC, and is the country's third VLGC under the Indian flag.
Consider the following statements about VLGC Shivalik: 1. It joins Sahyadri and Anandamayi in the Shipping Corporation of India's fleet. 2. It was built in Japan. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: Shivalik joins Sahyadri and Anandamayi as SCI's third VLGC; it was built in South Korea.
The fourth edition of NITI Aayog's Trade Watch Quarterly (Q4 FY25) carries a special focus on which sector?
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Correct answer: C — Leather and footwear
PIB: this edition examines the leather and footwear sector, highlighting its employment potential and export opportunities.
According to NITI Aayog's Trade Watch Quarterly (October 2025), India's share in the $296 billion global leather and footwear market is about:
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Correct answer: D — 1.8%
PIB: India's overall share in the $296 billion global market is modest at 1.8%; the sector employs 4.4 million people.
The Competition Commission of India's 'Market Study on Artificial Intelligence and Competition' (October 2025) was conducted through which institution?
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Correct answer: D — Management Development Institute Society (MDIS)
PIB: CCI released its report Market Study on Artificial Intelligence and Competition, conducted through the Management Development Institute Society (MDIS).
India's first cooperative multi-feed Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant, inaugurated on 5 October 2025, is located at which place?
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Correct answer: A — Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar (Maharashtra)
PIB (Ministry of Cooperation): Amit Shah inaugurated the country's first cooperative multi-feed CBG plant at the Maharshi Shankarrao Kolhe Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, Kopargaon, Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra.
Consider the following statements about the cooperative CBG initiative announced at Kopargaon on 5 October 2025: 1. The Kopargaon plant will produce 12 tonnes of CBG daily along with potash from jaggery/molasses. 2. The Centre will support 15 selected sugar mills to set up CBG and potash granule units with assistance from NABARD. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: the plant will produce 12 tonnes of CBG daily and 75 tonnes of potash from jaggery/molasses. The support for 15 selected sugar mills will come with the assistance of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), not NABARD.
What was the theme of the 2nd National Conference and Exhibition on CSR (NCCSR 2025) hosted by IICA in October 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Leveraging CSR Excellence for Tribal Development
PIB (MCA): NCCSR 2025, hosted by IICA in New Delhi on 6–7 October 2025, had the theme 'Leveraging CSR Excellence for Tribal Development'.
IICA CSR Day, in which the NCCSR conference is rooted, is observed on which date?
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Correct answer: D — 2 October
PIB (MCA): the conference is rooted in the observance of IICA CSR Day on 2 October, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of trusteeship and responsible business.
Consider the following statements about the ₹1,500 crore Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme: 1. Its eligible feedstock includes e-waste, spent lithium-ion batteries and other scrap. 2. Its incentives are meant for units engaged only in black mass production. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB (Ministry of Mines): eligible feedstock is e-waste, spent LiBs and other scrap. Incentives are for the value chain engaged in actual extraction of critical minerals, not the value chain involved only in black mass production.
Applications under the Critical Mineral Recycling Incentive Scheme, opened on 2 October 2025, can be made up to which date?
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Correct answer: B — 1 April 2026
PIB: the scheme is open for applications from 2 October 2025 for six months, i.e. up to 1 April 2026.
According to the government explainer of October 2025, what was India's unemployment rate in 2023–24?
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Correct answer: D — 3.2%
PIB explainer: the unemployment rate fell sharply from 6.0% in 2017–18 to 3.2% in 2023–24.
Consider the following statements based on the government's October 2025 employment explainer: 1. EPFO added fewer than 1 crore net subscribers in 2024–25. 2. The share of self-employment fell from 58.4% in 2017–18 to 52.2% in 2023–24. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2
Neither is correct. PIB: EPFO added over 1.29 crore net subscribers in 2024–25 (up from 61.12 lakh in 2018–19). Self-employment rose (not fell) from 52.2% in 2017–18 to 58.4% in 2023–24, while casual labour fell from 24.9% to 19.8%.
The nationwide campaign 'Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar' on unclaimed financial assets was launched on 4 October 2025 in which city?
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Correct answer: B — Gandhinagar
PIB (Ministry of Finance): FM Nirmala Sitharaman launched the 'Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar' campaign in Gandhinagar, Gujarat; it runs across all States and UTs from October to December 2025.
The '3 A's' named by the Finance Minister as the guiding principles of the 'Aapki Poonji, Aapka Adhikar' campaign are:
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Correct answer: D — Awareness, Accessibility, Action
PIB: Smt. Sitharaman underlined the '3 A's' — Awareness, Accessibility and Action — as the guiding principles of the campaign.
During his visit to Singapore for 'India-Singapore @60' in October 2025, Piyush Goyal met which President of Singapore at the Istana?
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Correct answer: C — Tharman Shanmugaratnam
PIB (Ministry of Commerce): a highlight of the three-day visit was a meeting with H.E. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore, at the Istana.
Consider the following statements about the 'India-Singapore @60' business session of 4 October 2025: 1. It marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and was co-organised by FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. 2. Singapore was represented at the session by its Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Only 1 is correct. PIB: the session marked the 60th anniversary of India–Singapore diplomatic relations and was co-organised by FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM. Singapore was represented by Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade & Industry — not the Prime Minister.
According to MoSPI, the free foodgrain distribution scheme launched on 1 January 2023 covers what share of the population?
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Correct answer: B — 75% rural and 50% urban
PIB (MoSPI): the free food grain distribution scheme launched by the Government of India from 1 January 2023 covers 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population.
Which body released the Discussion Paper 2.0 on 'The Treatment of Free PDS Items in CPI Compilation' in October 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
PIB: the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which is conducting the CPI base revision, released Discussion Paper 2.0 and invited comments.
According to the Ministry of Textiles (October 2025), what was the size of India's textiles and clothing market in 2024?
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Correct answer: B — $179 billion
PIB (Ministry of Textiles): India's textiles and clothing market was $179 billion in 2024, growing at an average annual rate of over 7%; domestic demand is expected to reach $250 billion by 2030.
With the Swadeshi Campaign and other initiatives, the Ministry of Textiles expects India's total domestic textile demand to reach what level by 2030?
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Correct answer: C — $250 billion
PIB: the Ministry expects domestic demand to grow at a CAGR of 9–10% a year to reach a total domestic textile demand of $250 billion by 2030.