MCQ 1 – Labour Market Indicators
Q1. India’s urban unemployment rate of 5% (January 2026) was reported under which survey?
A) Economic Census
B) Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
C) Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)
D) National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
✅ Answer: B) Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
Explanation:
PLFS, conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), provides employment–unemployment indicators.
MCQ 2 – Inflation Metrics
Q2. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) primarily captures:
A) Retail consumer prices
B) Producer / wholesale-level prices
C) Service sector inflation
D) Asset price inflation
✅ Answer: B) Producer / wholesale-level prices
Explanation:
WPI reflects price movements at the wholesale stage, unlike CPI which tracks retail prices.
MCQ 3 – Financial Market Regulation
Q3. OTC foreign exchange and interest rate derivative contracts fall under whose regulatory oversight?
A) SEBI
B) RBI
C) Ministry of Finance
D) IRDAI
✅ Answer: B) RBI
Explanation:
RBI regulates forex and interest rate derivative markets, including reporting norms for AD Cat-I banks.
MCQ 4 – Commodity Derivatives
Q4. Futures contracts based on Indian Natural Gas are regulated by:
A) RBI
B) SEBI
C) Petroleum Ministry
D) Competition Commission
✅ Answer: B) SEBI
Explanation:
Commodity derivatives regulation lies with SEBI following institutional restructuring of market regulators.
MCQ 5 – Startup Financing Mechanism
Q5. Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 (FoF 2.0) operates through:
A) Direct equity investment
B) Commercial bank loans
C) SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
D) Venture debt issuance
✅ Answer: C) SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
Explanation:
FoF channels capital indirectly via AIFs, which then invest in startups.
MCQ 6 – External Borrowings
Q6. External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) enable:
A) Sovereign borrowing only
B) Corporate borrowing from foreign lenders
C) Retail foreign investment
D) Multilateral grant funding
✅ Answer: B) Corporate borrowing from foreign lenders
Explanation:
ECBs allow eligible Indian entities to raise funds internationally under RBI guidelines.
MCQ 7 – Fiscal Federalism
Q7. Finance
Month: Current Affairs - February 19, 2026
Category: