⚡ Ch 26 — Indian Financial System

PYQ labels (updated 1 Sep 2026)

FAA 2022 = the real Finance Account Assistant paper, 6 Mar 2022 — FAA-2022-paper 2024 = the FAA paper of 28 Jan 2024 — 2024-paper PAA 2020 = the Panchayat Accounts Assistant paper of 10 Nov 2020 — a different post, kept as practice, with the official JKSSB key. Its questions were previously mislabelled "2022" and duplicated under two booklet numberings; de-duplicated 1 Sep 2026. See Four-Paper-Comparison.

Exam weight

PYQ: 3 questions — 2024·Q54 (Finance Bill) · 2024·Q96 (Commercial Paper) · 2024·Q97 (Bank Rate). MCQ bank: ~20 questions (Q422–441). ⭐ Overlaps the General Economics section too — so this chapter pays twice.


1️⃣ ⭐ Money Market vs Capital Market

MONEY MARKETCAPITAL MARKET
⭐ Maturityless than 1 yearmore than 1 year
⭐ RegulatorRBISEBI
Purposeshort-term liquiditylong-term funds
Instruments⭐ Treasury Bills · Commercial Paper · Certificate of Deposit · Call MoneyShares, Debentures, Bonds
Risklowhigher

Capital market — two segments

Primary Market (New Issue Market)Secondary Market
⭐ New securities issued — IPO, FPOExisting securities traded
Company gets the moneyInvestors trade among themselves
—Stock exchanges — NSE, BSE

⭐ Commercial Paper = an UNSECURED, short-term money-market instrument issued by companies (2024·Q96). Treasury Bills = short-term borrowing by the Government.


2️⃣ ⭐ RBI policy rates (from the addendum — the 2024·Q97 gap)

RateMeaningSecurities?
Repo Ratebanks borrow from RBI against government securities, short-term✅ Yes
⭐ Bank Rate⭐ banks borrow from RBI WITHOUT any sale of securities, longer-term❌ No
Reverse RepoRBI borrows from banks (absorbs liquidity)✅ Yes
MSFemergency overnight borrowing; always higher than repo✅ Yes
CRR% of deposits kept as cash with the RBI—
SLR% of deposits kept in liquid assets with the bank itself—

⭐ The distinction that gets asked: Repo = borrowing AGAINST securities, short-term · Bank Rate = WITHOUT securities, longer-term. (Bank Rate = MSF Rate.)

Current rates (RBI policy, 5 Aug 2026): Repo 5.25% · Bank Rate & MSF 5.50% · Reverse Repo 3.35% ⚠️ Rates change at each bi-monthly MPC meeting — re-check before the exam. The definitions never change.


3️⃣ Regulators & institutions

SectorRegulator
Banking & money market⭐ RBI
Capital market / securities⭐ SEBI (set up 1988, statutory powers 1992)
InsuranceIRDAI
PensionsPFRDA

⭐ RBI = the LENDER OF LAST RESORT and banker to the Centre and State governments. NABARD — agriculture & rural development · SIDBI — small industries.

Components of the financial system: Financial Institutions · Markets · Instruments · Services.


4️⃣ ⭐ Finance Bill → Finance Act (2024·Q54)

A Finance Bill becomes the Finance Act when passed by ⭐ BOTH Houses of Parliament AND assented to by the PRESIDENT.

PointDetail
Introduced inthe Lok Sabha only (it is a Money Bill)
Rajya Sabha's powermay only recommend changes, within 14 days
Final step⭐ President's assent
Presented withthe Union Budget, on 1 February

Budget 2026-27 highlights: no change in income-tax slabs · standard deduction ₹1,00,000 · STT raised on equity derivatives · ₹10,000 cr SME Growth Fund · fiscal deficit target 4.3% of GDP · Income-tax Act 2025 in force from 1 Apr 2026.


5️⃣ 🎯 PYQs from this chapter

2024 · Q54 — A Finance Bill becomes the Finance Act when passed by

a) Lok Sabha b) Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha c) Both Houses of Parliament and signed by the President d) Both Houses and signed by the PM → Ans: C

2024 · Q96 (Economics section) — Commercial Paper

→ an unsecured, short-term money-market instrument issued by companies.

2024 · Q97 (Economics section) — Bank Rate definition

→ the rate at which banks borrow from the RBI without any sale of securities, for a longer period. ⚠️ This was a gap in the book — now covered by the addendum.


⭐ From the REAL FAA 2022 paper (6 Mar 2022) — added 1 Sep 2026. See FAA-2022-paper.

FAA 2022 · Q42 — When a company raises money from the public for the first time, it is known as

a) private placement b) initial public offer c) further public offer d) green shoe option → Ans: B IPO = first time. FPO = a later public issue. Private placement = to selected investors. Green shoe = over-allotment option.

6️⃣ High-frequency MCQ traps

MCQPoint
Q424Capital market is controlled by SEBI
Q436Commercial paper — how it is sold
Q438Market for long-term funds = Capital Market
Q439⭐ Lender of last resort = RBI
Q440Securities with < 1 year maturity → Money Market
Q441⭐ SEBI set up in 1988 to protect investors
Q413 / Q423Intangible assets = rights with value but no physical form

7️⃣ If you remember nothing else

Money market < 1 year, regulated by RBI · Capital market > 1 year, regulated by SEBI · Primary = new issues (IPO) · Secondary = stock exchange · Commercial Paper = UNSECURED short-term · Repo = against securities; BANK RATE = without securities · RBI = lender of last resort · SEBI 1988 (statutory 1992) · Finance Bill → Finance Act = both Houses + PRESIDENT'S ASSENT

Built with LogoFlowershow