Current Affairs Questions for SBI CLERK

Banking and RBI News

SBI Clerk GA is heavily tilted toward banking current affairs. This includes RBI policy decisions, repo rate changes, new banking regulations, digital payment initiatives, and any major bank mergers or license news. Since SBI itself is a major player, news about SBI products, schemes, or records also appear frequently. Think of this as your core 8-10 marks zone.

• RBI Repo Rate: Track every MPC meeting decision and current rate levels
• New RBI guidelines on digital lending, UPI, CBDC (e-Rupee) updates
• Bank mergers, new small finance banks or payment banks getting licenses
• SBI-specific news: new schemes, CSR initiatives, financial results milestones
• SEBI and IRDAI regulatory changes that appear alongside RBI news
• Financial Inclusion schemes: PM Jan Dhan, PMJJBY, PMSBY — current enrollment figures

Government Schemes and Policies

Central government schemes are a reliable 4-6 mark zone. Questions typically ask about the ministry responsible, the beneficiary group, the launch date, or the budget allocation. Focus on schemes launched or updated in the last 6 months. New schemes announced in Union Budget are almost always asked.

• Always note: Scheme name, Ministry, Target beneficiary, Launch year
• Union Budget announcements: new schemes, renamed schemes, revised allocations
• Flagship schemes update: PM Kisan, Ayushman Bharat, PMAY, PLI scheme sectors
• Focus on schemes for women, farmers, youth, and MSMEs — SBI Clerk favors these
• State government schemes sometimes appear, especially from large states

Appointments and Resignations

Appointments are fast and easy marks — typically 3-5 questions. The pattern is straightforward: who was appointed as what and when. SBI Clerk focuses on constitutional posts, RBI/banking heads, heads of international bodies, and top sports/culture positions. Keep a running list of the latest appointments.

• RBI Governor, Deputy Governors — names and tenure dates
• Heads of PSBs (Public Sector Banks) — Chairman and MD/CEO
• Chief Election Commissioner, CAG, CBI Director, NIA chief
• Heads of IMF, World Bank, WTO, UN agencies
• New Chief Ministers and Governors after state elections
• Brand ambassadors appointed for major government schemes or companies

Awards, Rankings, and Reports

Awards and rankings appear in almost every SBI Clerk paper with 3-4 questions. For awards, note the winner, the awarding body, and the category. For rankings, note India's rank, the agency that publishes the report, and the parameter being measured. International rankings like Ease of Doing Business, Global Hunger Index, and Press Freedom Index are frequently asked.

• Padma Awards: Focus on Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan winners from relevant fields
• Nobel Prize winners — all six categories, especially Peace and Economics
• India's rank in: Global Innovation Index, Human Development Index, Corruption Perception Index
• RBI, World Bank, IMF reports: GDP growth forecasts for India
• Sports awards: Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dronacharya — recent awardees

Sports Current Affairs

Sports gives easy guaranteed marks — about 3-4 questions per paper. SBI Clerk focuses on outcomes of major international tournaments, Indian team captains, venues of upcoming mega-events, and individual record-breakers. Cricket, Olympics, and Asian Games dominate.

• ICC tournament winners: World Cup, Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup — host country and winner
• Olympics 2024 Paris: India's medal tally, gold medalists, flag bearers
• Asian Games and Commonwealth Games: host, India's rank and medal count
• Indian cricket captain for Test, ODI, T20 — changes happen often, stay updated
• Record breakers: fastest centuries, most wickets, world records in athletics

International Affairs and Summits

India's foreign relations and global summits account for 3-4 questions. Focus on G20, SCO, BRICS, ASEAN summits — host country, key outcomes, and India's role. Bilateral agreements India signed and India's neighbors' political changes are also tested.

• G20, G7, BRICS, SCO summits: host city, year, India's participation and outcomes
• India's bilateral agreements: defense deals, trade pacts, MoUs signed
• India's neighbors: political developments in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives
• UN Security Council non-permanent member rotations involving India or region
• Major global crises and India's position or aid contribution

Science, Technology, and Defence

This section has grown in recent SBI Clerk papers, contributing 2-3 questions. ISRO missions, indigenously developed defence equipment, and major tech launches by Indian institutions are asked. Keep an eye on DRDO achievements and space milestones.

• ISRO missions: Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan progress, satellite launches and their purpose
• DRDO: indigenously built weapons, fighter jets, missile tests — names and significance
• India's first or record achievements in space and defence
• Major tech company India operations: data centers, investments announced
• Health tech: new vaccines approved by DCGI, disease outbreak responses

• Studying events older than 6 months before the exam date — SBI Clerk strictly tests recent 4-6 months window, wasting time on older news is a score killer
• Confusing ministerial portfolios — after cabinet reshuffles, many aspirants answer with old ministers' names; always update your list
• Mixing up similar scheme names — PM Kisan vs PM Kisan Samman, PMJJBY vs PMSBY; note the full form and beneficiary to distinguish
• Remembering award winner without the category — for Padma Awards and Nobel Prizes, the field or category is often what is asked, not just the name
• Ignoring RBI MPC meeting outcomes — many aspirants skip rate change news thinking it repeats, but exact basis point changes and current rates are directly asked

• BARS framework for daily news reading: Banking, Appointments, Rankings/Reports, Sports — cover these four every day and you cover 80 percent of GA questions
• For government schemes, use the MINT hook: Ministry, Intent (who it helps), Name, Time (launch year) — note all four for each scheme
• For summits, remember HOST: Host country, Outcomes key, Summit name, Theme — four things, four marks
• Appointments trick: think of the post first, then fill the name — RBI Governor blank, then fill Shaktikanta Das or successor; this avoids confusion between similar names

• SBI Clerk GA section has 50 questions in 35 minutes — current affairs alone can contribute 20-25 questions, so this is your fastest scoring zone if prepared well
• SBI Clerk GA tilts 60 percent toward banking and financial affairs compared to IBPS Clerk which is more balanced — prioritize RBI news, bank mergers, and financial inclusion data
• Questions are mostly direct one-liners — who, what, where format — not analytical; speed is more important than deep understanding here
• Last 3 months before exam date carry the highest question density; the month just before the exam sometimes has 4-5 questions from it alone
• Read the RBI monthly bulletin and PIB (Press Information Bureau) headlines daily — these two sources together cover nearly 70 percent of SBI Clerk current affairs questions