The Ministry of Finance fixed the markup rate at 11.89 percent for the 2025-26 fiscal year. This represents a significant reduction from the 17.74 percent rate applied in the previous fiscal year. [Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2018194/centre-cuts-markup-on-uplift-loans-to-1189pc, 24 Jul 2026]
1202
Which global governance institution is primarily responsible for the oversight of international monetary stability and balance of payments?
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the central institution in the global financial architecture tasked with ensuring the stability of the international monetary system and providing financial assistance to member states.
Consider the following statements about the State Bank of India's capital raising activities:
1. The board approved raising up to 600 billion rupees through debt in the current financial year.
2. The bank's previous perpetual bond issuance occurred in November 2025.
3. The 2026 perpetual debt issuance is designed to be Basel III-compliant.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct regarding the 600 billion rupee board approval. Statement 3 is correct regarding Basel III compliance. Statement 2 is incorrect because the bank's previous perpetual bond issuance occurred in October 2024, whereas Canara Bank issued bonds in November 2025. [Source: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40431637/indias-sbi-to-issue-first-rupee-denominated-perpetual-debt-of-2026-sources-say, 24 Jul 2026]
1204
Which Indian financial institution was the last to tap the market for Basel III-compliant additional Tier I perpetual bonds prior to the SBI issuance in 2026?
Canara Bank was the last lender to issue such bonds, raising 35 billion rupees in November 2025. The other banks listed are major private sector players not mentioned in the context of this specific recent issuance. [Source: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40431637/indias-sbi-to-issue-first-rupee-denominated-perpetual-debt-of-2026-sources-say, 24 Jul 2026]
1205
According to the government, the violent protests organized by the banned JAC in Azad Kashmir resulted in the death of which group of individuals?
The Information Minister stated that the group's violent activities led to the martyrdom of Kashmiri police personnel. This created a significant law and order challenge in the region. [Source: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40431876/investigations-expose-banned-jacs-nexus-with-india-information-minister, 26 Jul 2026]
1206
Which of the following statements regarding the fuel cost situation in June 2026 is INCORRECT?
Electricity consumption in June 2026 was 13,066 billion units, which is lower than the 13,310 billion units recorded in June 2025. Therefore, the statement claiming consumption was higher is incorrect. [Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2016204/power-companies-seek-rs120-per-unit-fuel-cost-adjustment-for-august, 17 Jul 2026]
1207
Arrange the following events in the order of their contextual development within the July 2026 week:
I. Notification of the new tax regime for small shopkeepers.
II. Launch of the 45km Green Railway Corridor project in Punjab.
III. Onset of the new monsoon spell leading to a roof collapse in Lahore.
IV. Announcement of mandatory screening legislation for HIV/Hepatitis.
The order is established based on the implementation of economic policy (I), the inauguration of infrastructure projects (II), the introduction of legislative policy (IV), and the environmental impact of the weather shift (III) as reported on July 29. [Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2019158/fbr-notifies-new-tax-regime-for-small-shopkeepers]
1208
Which of the following statements regarding the recent fuel pricing policy is INCORRECT?
The All Pakistan Dealers Association rejected the daily pricing decision and considered protest plans, making the incorrect statement. The other statements accurately reflect the government's policy and the usage of fuel types. [Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2017573/govt-increases-petrol-price-by-rs639-diesel-by-rs783-per-litre, 22 Jul 2026]
1209
Consider the following statements about the BPS-2026 notification:
1. The new pay scales apply to federal civil employees paid from both civil and defence estimates.
2. Employees posted abroad are eligible to receive the Ad hoc Relief Allowance-2026 during their foreign tenure.
3. The 2022 and 2025 ad hoc relief allowances were abolished upon the implementation of the new scales.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct as the notification covers both civil and defence estimates. Statement 3 is correct as the 2022 and 2025 allowances were merged and abolished. Statement 2 is incorrect because employees posted abroad are explicitly excluded from receiving the allowance during their foreign posting. [Source: https://www.brecorder.com/news/40431195/salary-increase-notified-govt-issues-revised-bps-2026-for-civil-servants, 22 Jul 2026]
1210
Which specific chip model is Anthropic planning to purchase from AMD as part of the 2026 agreement?
Anthropic has committed to purchasing two gigawatts of AMD's latest-generation Instinct MI450 chips. The MI300 is an older architecture, and the MI500 is not the model specified in the agreement. [Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/2017572/amd-to-sell-anthropic-tens-of-billions-in-ai-servers-invest-up-to-5bn-in-startup, 22 Jul 2026]
