The words GA, computer and banking questions use, explained in one or two lines with an example.
An RBI-regulated NBFC that moves your financial data from one institution to another, only with your consent. It does not store or read the data itself.
Lets a lender see your bank statements in minutes when you apply for a loan.
A booklet SBI releases with the call letter that explains the exam format, rules and sample questions.
The unique number SBI gives each recruitment notice, used to identify it on the careers site.
SBI Clerk 2026 is CRPD/CR/2026-27/17.
Aadhaar Enabled Payment System. Lets customers withdraw cash, deposit or check balance at a micro-ATM using only Aadhaar number and fingerprint.
Run by NPCI.
Extra years allowed above the upper age limit for reserved categories.
OBC 3 years, SC/ST 5 years, PwBD (General/EWS) 10 years.
A regular payment, usually monthly, bought with a lump sum, often used for income after retirement.
Computer systems that do tasks that usually need human thinking, such as understanding language or spotting patterns.
Character codes that turn letters into numbers. ASCII covers 128 basic characters; Unicode covers almost every script, including Indian languages.
A company registered with RBI under the SARFAESI Act that buys bad loans from banks at a discount and tries to recover them.
NARCL is a government-backed ARC set up in 2021.
A pension scheme for people aged 18-40 that gives a guaranteed pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 a month from age 60. Income-tax payers cannot join from 1 Oct 2022.
Run by PFRDA; launched on 9 May 2015.
Automated Teller Machine. A machine that lets customers withdraw cash, check balances and do other basic banking without visiting a branch.
A government health insurance scheme that gives up to Rs 5 lakh a year per family for hospital treatment.
Since October 2024 it covers all senior citizens aged 70 and above.
A reserved post left unfilled in earlier recruitments that is advertised again for the same category.
A record of all money flows between India and the rest of the world in a period. It has a current account and a capital account.
Banks selling insurance products of insurance companies to their customers.
SBI sells SBI Life and SBI General policies.
A promise by a bank to pay a third party if its customer fails to meet an obligation.
The rate at which RBI lends to banks for the long term without buying bills from them. It is now kept at the same level as the MSF rate.
Bank Rate was 5.75% as of October 2026.
The main law that governs banks in India. It sets rules on licensing, management, capital and RBI's powers over banks.
A global set of banking rules from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. It asks banks to keep more and better-quality capital and to manage liquidity through LCR and NSFR.
RBI asks Indian banks for a minimum total capital ratio of 9%, plus a 2.5% capital conservation buffer.
Bharat Bill Payment System, an NPCI platform for paying electricity, water, gas, DTH and other bills through many apps and agents.
A market in which prices are falling or expected to fall. A bull market is the opposite.
Bharat Interface for Money. NPCI's own UPI app, launched in December 2016.
Capture of your thumb impression or iris at the exam and later stages to confirm the same person appears each time.
Do not apply mehendi or ink on your hands.
A bit is a single 0 or 1. A byte is 8 bits.
1 KB = 1024 bytes.
A shared digital ledger where records are stored in linked blocks that are very hard to change.
A loan given by an investor to a government or company, which pays interest (coupon) and returns the money on maturity.
Starting a computer and loading the operating system. A cold boot starts from power-off; a warm boot is a restart.
Software used to open websites, such as Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
A person or agency appointed by a bank to provide basic banking services such as deposits, withdrawals and account opening in places without a branch.
Also called a bank mitra in many villages.
Very fast, small memory between the CPU and RAM that stores frequently used data.
The document you download to enter the exam centre, showing your roll number, venue, date and time.
SBI releases it about 10 days before the exam.
Money lent between banks for one day. Notice money is for 2 to 14 days, and term money for 15 days to one year.
A bank's capital as a percentage of its risk-weighted assets. It shows how well the bank can absorb losses.
RBI's minimum is 9%, higher than the Basel global minimum of 8%.
An extra layer of common equity, 2.5% of risk-weighted assets, that banks must hold above the minimum under Basel III. Banks that dip into it face limits on paying dividends.
Current Account and Savings Account deposits. These are low-cost funds for a bank, so a high CASA ratio means cheaper money to lend.
CASA ratio = (current + savings deposits) / total deposits.
A short-term working capital loan for businesses, usually secured by stock or receivables, which can be drawn up to a limit.
The share of a bank's net demand and time liabilities that it must keep as cash with RBI. RBI pays no interest on it.
CRR was 3% as of October 2026.
Digital form of the rupee issued by RBI. It is legal tender like cash. Pilots began in November 2022 (wholesale) and December 2022 (retail).
Also written as e₹.
A central record of customers' KYC details kept by CERSAI. Once your KYC is in CKYC, other financial institutions can use your 14-digit CKYC number instead of asking for documents again.
A tradable short-term deposit issued by banks. The minimum is Rs 5 lakh and bank CDs run from 7 days to one year.
A written order from an account holder asking the bank to pay a stated amount to a named person or the bearer. It is a negotiable instrument under the NI Act, 1881.
A cheque is valid for three months from its date.
When a cheque is returned unpaid for lack of funds. Under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, this can be a criminal offence.
A clearing system in which the cheque image, not the paper, is sent from the presenting bank to the paying bank. RBI began moving CTS to continuous clearing in October 2025, so cheques clear within hours instead of the next day.
Cheques must follow the CTS-2010 standard.
A three-digit credit score from TransUnion CIBIL, ranging from 300 to 900. A higher score makes it easier to get a loan.
A score above 750 is usually considered good.
SBI's regional administrative unit, often covering one or more states. Clerk vacancies are listed by circle and state.
The share of claims an insurer pays out of the total claims it receives in a year.
Using storage, software or computing power over the internet instead of on your own machine.
SaaS, PaaS and IaaS are its service models.
An asset a borrower pledges to the lender as security for a loan. The lender can sell it if the loan is not repaid.
An unsecured short-term borrowing instrument issued by companies, with a maturity of 7 days to one year.
Extra exam time of 20 minutes per hour given to eligible PwBD candidates.
A compiler translates a whole program into machine code before running it. An interpreter translates and runs it line by line.
An assembler translates assembly language.
When several banks together lend to one large borrower under common terms, led by one bank.
Measures changes in retail prices paid by households. Released monthly by the National Statistics Office (MoSPI).
The new series uses 2024 as the base year, with data from January 2026.
A debit or credit card with an NFC chip that you can tap on a machine to pay. Small payments up to a limit do not need a PIN.
A small file a website stores in your browser to remember your settings or login.
Software that connects all branches of a bank to one central database, so a customer can bank at any branch.
CORE is often expanded as Centralised Online Real-time Exchange.
Inflation excluding volatile items such as food and fuel. Headline inflation includes everything.
The band between the floor (SDF rate) and ceiling (MSF rate) within which the overnight call money rate moves. The repo rate sits in the middle.
The corridor is 50 basis points wide.
The government, after consulting RBI, sets the inflation target that the MPC must aim for. It is 4% CPI inflation with a band of 2% to 6%.
Retained for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031.
Central Processing Unit, the 'brain' of a computer. It has the ALU, control unit and registers.
A card that lets you borrow up to a limit to pay for purchases, which you repay later. Interest is charged if you do not pay the full bill by the due date.
The Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises guarantees collateral-free loans that banks give to small businesses.
Set up by the government and SIDBI.
A company licensed by RBI that collects credit data on borrowers and produces credit reports and scores.
India has four: TransUnion CIBIL, Equifax, Experian and CRIF High Mark.
A deposit account for businesses with frequent transactions. It usually pays no interest and allows unlimited deposits and withdrawals.
When a country's imports of goods, services and transfers are more than its exports. It is part of the balance of payments.
The lowest score needed to go to the next stage, set separately for each state and category.
SBI publishes cut-offs after results.
Domestic Systemically Important Bank. A bank so large that its failure would hurt the whole economy, so RBI makes it hold extra capital.
RBI's 2025 list: SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
An organised collection of data managed by software such as MySQL or Oracle.
A primary key uniquely identifies each record.
Depositor Education and Awareness Fund, kept by RBI. Deposits unclaimed for 10 years or more are moved into it, but the customer can still claim the money later from the bank.
A debt instrument issued by a company, usually unsecured, that pays fixed interest.
A card linked to your bank account. Payments are taken straight from your balance.
A special tribunal for banks to recover loans of Rs 20 lakh and above quickly, under the Recovery of Debts and Bankruptcy Act, 1993.
Deflation is a fall in the general price level. Disinflation is a slowdown in the rate of inflation while prices still rise.
Money in an account that can be withdrawn at any time without notice, such as savings and current account balances.
A prepaid instrument issued by a bank that orders another branch to pay a fixed sum. Since the bank has already taken the money, it cannot bounce.
An account that holds shares and other securities in electronic form.
India's two depositories are NSDL and CDSL.
The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation, an RBI subsidiary, insures bank deposits. Cover is Rs 5 lakh per depositor per bank, including principal and interest.
The limit was raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh on 4 Feb 2020. The government has discussed a further rise, so check the current limit.
A contract whose value depends on an underlying asset such as a share, index, commodity or currency.
Futures and options are derivatives.
Loans given through apps or websites. RBI rules say the money must go straight from the lender to the borrower's account and the borrower must get a Key Fact Statement.
A direct tax is paid by the person it is levied on, such as income tax. An indirect tax is passed on to the buyer, such as GST.
Sending subsidies and benefits straight to beneficiaries' bank accounts, usually linked with Aadhaar. It started on 1 Jan 2013.
The JAM trinity: Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile.
The government selling part or all of its stake in a public sector company.
The part of a company's profit paid to its shareholders.
Domain Name System. It turns website names like sbi.bank.in into IP addresses.
Checking original certificates for age, education, category and other claims before joining.
A savings or current account with no customer-made transactions for over two years. It must be reactivated, usually with fresh KYC, before use.
External Benchmark-based Lending Rate. Since 1 Oct 2019, new floating-rate retail and MSE loans must be linked to an outside benchmark such as the repo rate.
When repo changes, the loan rate changes.
Equity Linked Savings Scheme. A mutual fund that invests mainly in shares and has a three-year lock-in. It gives a tax deduction under the old tax regime.
CC sends a copy that all recipients can see. BCC sends a hidden copy that other recipients cannot see.
Equated Monthly Instalment. A fixed monthly payment that covers both interest and part of the principal.
Turning data into a code so only someone with the key can read it.
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, which runs the provident fund and pension schemes for salaried workers in the organised sector.
A unit of ownership in a company. Shareholders can vote and share in profits through dividends.
Exchange Traded Fund. A fund that tracks an index or asset and is bought and sold on a stock exchange like a share.
A former member of the armed forces who meets the government definition. They get reserved posts and age relaxation.
A RFID tag on a vehicle's windscreen that lets toll be paid automatically from a linked account. It runs on NPCI's National Electronic Toll Collection system.
Foreign Direct Investment is a long-term stake (10% or more) in an Indian company. Foreign Portfolio Investment is a smaller holding of shares or bonds that can be sold quickly.
The ranked list of selected candidates for each state and category. For SBI Clerk, it is based only on mains marks.
A body set up every five years under Article 280 to recommend how tax revenue is shared between the Centre and the states.
The 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, covers 2026-31.
Making basic financial services such as a bank account, credit, insurance and pension available and affordable to all, especially the poor.
PMJDY is India's biggest financial inclusion scheme.
Hardware or software that blocks unauthorised network traffic.
The government's total spending minus its total receipts excluding borrowings. It shows how much the government must borrow.
The government's decisions on taxes and spending. Monetary policy, by contrast, is run by RBI through interest rates and money supply.
A term deposit where money is kept for a fixed period at a fixed rate of interest. Early withdrawal usually carries a penalty.
The rate at which RBI absorbs money from banks against government securities. Since April 2022 it is no longer the floor of the corridor and is used only at RBI's discretion.
It was 3.35% as of October 2026.
A loan rate that changes with a benchmark rate. A fixed rate stays the same for an agreed period.
Foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and the IMF reserve position held by RBI.
Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act. Sets targets and rules to keep the government's deficits and debt under control.
Gross Domestic Product. The total value of final goods and services produced within a country in a period.
India's new GDP series uses 2022-23 as the base year (released Feb 2026).
Insurance for things other than life, such as health, motor, home, travel and crops.
Third-party motor insurance is compulsory.
Gross National Product. GDP plus income earned by residents from abroad minus income earned by foreigners in the country.
Coaching institutes' estimate of how many questions a well-prepared candidate attempted in a shift. It is not an official figure.
A bond or bill issued by the central or a state government. Treasury bills are short term, and dated securities are long term.
State government bonds are called SDLs.
A bond whose money is used only for climate-friendly projects. India issued its first sovereign green bonds in January 2023.
Gross NPA is the total of all non-performing loans. Net NPA is gross NPA minus the provisions the bank has made against them.
Goods and Services Tax, a single indirect tax that replaced many central and state taxes on 1 July 2017. Rates are set by the GST Council under Article 279A.
Since 22 Sep 2025 most goods fall in the 5% or 18% slab, with 40% for luxury and sin goods.
Graphical User Interface. Using icons, windows and a mouse instead of typed commands.
Gross Value Added. The value of output minus inputs used, measured by sector. GDP = GVA + product taxes - product subsidies.
Secondary storage. A hard disk uses spinning platters; an SSD uses flash memory and is faster.
Protocols used to load web pages. HTTPS adds encryption, shown by a lock icon.
A charge on a movable asset, such as a car, where the borrower keeps the asset but the lender has a claim on it.
Car loans are usually by hypothecation.
Indian Financial System Code. An 11-character code for each bank branch used in NEFT, RTGS and IMPS. The first four letters are the bank, the fifth is 0 and the last six identify the branch.
SBIN0000001 is an SBI branch code.
Index of Industrial Production. Measures short-term changes in industrial output such as mining, manufacturing and electricity.
Base year revised to 2022-23 in 2026.
Immediate Payment Service. NPCI's instant fund-transfer system that works 24x7 through mobile, internet banking and ATMs.
Per-transaction limit is Rs 5 lakh.
A sustained rise in the general price level, which reduces what money can buy.
Input devices send data to the computer, such as a keyboard or scanner. Output devices show results, such as a monitor or printer.
A touch screen is both.
A 2016 law for time-bound resolution of stressed companies and individuals. Company cases go to the NCLT, and the process should finish within 330 days including legal delays.
The regulator is the IBBI.
RBI's free grievance system for customers of banks, NBFCs and payment companies. It was launched on 12 Nov 2021 and follows 'One Nation, One Ombudsman'.
Complain to your bank first; go to the ombudsman if there is no reply in 30 days or you are unhappy with it.
The government paying part of the interest on certain loans so that borrowers get a lower rate.
Used for short-term crop loans.
Doing banking through a bank's website, such as checking balances, transferring money and paying bills.
Everyday devices connected to the internet so they can send and receive data.
A unique number that identifies a device on a network. IPv4 uses 32 bits; IPv6 uses 128 bits.
Initial Public Offering. When a company sells its shares to the public for the first time and lists on a stock exchange.
An FPO is a later share sale by a listed company.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, the insurance regulator, set up under the IRDA Act, 1999.
Headquartered in Hyderabad.
The official name of the clerical post in SBI that people call SBI Clerk.
A one-page summary a lender must give before a loan, showing the annual percentage rate, total cost, fees and repayment schedule.
A credit card-style loan for farmers to meet crop and allied costs, started in 1998.
Budget 2025-26 raised the limit under the modified interest subvention scheme from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Know Your Customer. The process banks use to verify a customer's identity and address before opening an account, as required under PMLA rules.
Video KYC (V-CIP) is allowed by RBI.
Networks by size: Local Area Network (a building), Metropolitan Area Network (a city) and Wide Area Network (countries). The internet is the largest WAN.
A scheme started in 1969 in which one bank in each district leads and coordinates the work of all banks for local development.
A bank's promise to pay a seller on behalf of a buyer once the seller submits the required documents. Common in trade.
A lender's right to hold a borrower's asset, such as a fixed deposit, until a debt is paid.
A contract in which the insurer pays a sum to the nominee if the insured person dies, or on maturity in some plans.
LIC is India's largest life insurer.
RBI's tools to add or absorb short-term money in the banking system, mainly through repo, reverse repo and the SDF.
A Basel III rule that a bank must hold enough high-quality liquid assets to survive 30 days of heavy cash outflows. The required ratio is 100%.
The loan amount as a percentage of the value of the asset pledged.
RBI caps LTV for gold loans and home loans.
A test of the state language for selected candidates who did not study that language in Class 10 or 12. Failing it means no appointment.
Held after the mains but before joining.
A people's court under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 that settles disputes, including bank loan cases, by compromise. Its award is final and cannot be appealed.
The second and deciding SBI Clerk exam: 190 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours 40 minutes.
Harmful software such as viruses, worms, trojans, spyware and ransomware.
Ransomware locks your files and demands payment.
An emergency window where banks can borrow overnight from RBI, even by dipping into their SLR holdings, at a rate above repo. It is the ceiling of the LAF corridor.
MSF rate was 5.75% as of October 2026, 25 basis points above repo.
A rupee-denominated bond issued outside India, so the foreign investor bears the currency risk.
Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate. A system started on 1 April 2016 in which banks set loan rates based on their own marginal cost of funds.
Mostly replaced by EBLR for new retail loans.
A list of candidates arranged by marks in descending order, separately by state and category.
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition code. A 9-digit code printed on cheques: 3 digits for the city, 3 for the bank and 3 for the branch.
Small loans to low-income people, often women's groups, who lack collateral.
Banking through a bank's mobile app or SMS.
SBI's main app is YONO.
A full practice paper that copies the real exam pattern and timing.
A device that converts digital signals to analog and back so a computer can use a phone or cable line.
A six-member committee that sets the repo rate. Three members are from RBI, including the Governor who has a casting vote, and three are appointed by the government.
It must meet at least four times a year.
RBI's signal of the likely direction of rates: accommodative (towards cuts), neutral, or tight (towards hikes).
A period during which a borrower does not have to repay instalments, though interest may still add up.
Education loans usually have a moratorium during the course.
A loan secured by immovable property such as a house or land.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, classified by investment and turnover. From 1 April 2025, micro means investment up to Rs 2.5 crore and turnover up to Rs 10 crore.
Small: up to Rs 25 crore / Rs 100 crore. Medium: up to Rs 125 crore / Rs 500 crore.
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana gives collateral-free loans to small non-farm businesses in four groups: Shishu (up to Rs 50,000), Kishore (up to Rs 5 lakh), Tarun (up to Rs 10 lakh) and Tarun Plus (up to Rs 20 lakh).
Launched on 8 April 2015.
A fund that pools money from many investors and invests it in shares, bonds or other assets, managed by professionals.
Regulated by SEBI.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, set up on 12 July 1982 and headquartered in Mumbai. It refinances banks for farm and rural lending and supervises RRBs and cooperative banks.
Fully owned by the Government of India.
National Automated Clearing House, run by NPCI. It handles bulk and repeat payments such as salary credits, EMIs, SIPs and subsidies.
It replaced the older ECS system.
Measures of money supply. M1 is currency with the public plus demand deposits. M3, or broad money, adds time deposits with banks.
A market-linked, defined-contribution pension scheme regulated by PFRDA. Mandatory for central government staff who joined from 1 Jan 2004 and open to all citizens.
The government taking ownership of private banks. India nationalised 14 banks on 19 July 1969 and six more on 15 April 1980.
Net Asset Value. The value of one unit of a mutual fund, calculated each business day.
Non-Banking Financial Company. A company registered under the Companies Act that gives loans or invests but cannot accept demand deposits or issue cheques drawn on itself.
Its deposits are not covered by DICGC.
Net Demand and Time Liabilities. A bank's deposits and certain other liabilities, minus some items. CRR and SLR are calculated as a share of NDTL.
National Electronic Funds Transfer. RBI's system that settles payments in half-hourly batches, available 24x7 since 16 Dec 2019. There is no minimum or maximum limit.
Marks cut for a wrong answer. In SBI Clerk, one-fourth of the marks for that question is deducted.
No marks are cut for questions left blank.
A Basel III rule that a bank must fund its long-term assets with stable sources of money over a one-year period. The required ratio is 100%.
The National Stock Exchange's main index of 50 large companies.
The government's policy think tank, which replaced the Planning Commission on 1 Jan 2015. The Prime Minister is its chairperson.
Naming a person who will receive the money in an account or locker if the holder dies. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 allows up to four nominees for deposit accounts.
A loan where interest or principal has been overdue for more than 90 days.
NPAs are classed as substandard, doubtful or loss assets.
A statistical method used to adjust scores when an exam is held in several shifts, so candidates are not helped or hurt by an easier or harder paper.
IBPS uses equipercentile normalisation.
A Nostro ('ours') account is an Indian bank's account held abroad in foreign currency. A Vostro ('yours') account is a foreign bank's account held with an Indian bank in rupees.
Special Rupee Vostro Accounts help settle trade in rupees.
National Payments Corporation of India, set up in 2008 by RBI and the Indian Banks' Association. It runs UPI, IMPS, RuPay, NACH, AePS, BHIM and FASTag (NETC).
A not-for-profit company.
Proof that an OBC candidate is not in the creamy layer, needed to get OBC reservation.
For SBI Clerk 2026 it must be issued on or after 1 April 2026.
RBI buying or selling government securities in the market. Buying adds money to the system; selling takes money out.
Software whose source code anyone can view, change and share.
Linux is open source.
Software that manages hardware and runs other programs.
Windows, Linux, macOS and Android.
A facility that lets a customer withdraw more than the balance in the account, up to a set limit. Interest is charged only on the amount used.
PMJDY accounts can get an overdraft of up to Rs 10,000.
A company that lets online merchants accept many payment methods and then settles the money to them. It needs RBI authorisation.
The technology that securely sends payment details from a website or app to the bank or card network for approval.
A bank that can take deposits of up to Rs 2 lakh per customer and offer payments and remittances, but cannot give loans or issue credit cards. It needs a minimum paid-up capital of Rs 100 crore.
Recommended by the Nachiket Mor Committee.
A country's national income divided by its population.
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, which regulates NPS and APY.
A fraud where fake emails, messages or websites trick people into revealing passwords, OTPs or card details.
Vishing uses phone calls; smishing uses SMS.
Giving possession of a movable asset, such as gold or shares, to the lender as security.
Gold loans are a pledge.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, launched on 28 Aug 2014. Zero-balance accounts with a RuPay card, accident cover and an overdraft facility.
Accident cover is Rs 2 lakh for accounts opened after 28 Aug 2018.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. Life cover of Rs 2 lakh for Rs 436 a year, for people aged 18-50 with a bank account.
Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Requires banks to do KYC, keep records and report suspicious transactions to FIU-IND.
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana. Accident cover of Rs 2 lakh for death or full disability for Rs 20 a year, for people aged 18-70.
The rate at which RBI lends overnight money to banks against government securities. It is RBI's main tool to control inflation.
The repo rate was 5.50% as of October 2026, after a 25 basis point hike on 7 Oct 2026.
A cheque safety check. The issuer sends key cheque details to the bank in advance, and the bank matches them before paying. Banks must offer it for cheques of Rs 50,000 and above.
Free online training SBI offers to SC, ST, OBC, ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates who opt for it in the application.
The first SBI Clerk exam: 100 questions in one hour, used only to shortlist candidates for the mains.
Prelims marks are not added to the final score.
The amount paid to an insurer to keep a policy active.
A wallet or prepaid card loaded with money in advance, which can be used for purchases.
Mobile wallets are PPIs.
The primary market is where new securities are first sold, such as an IPO. The secondary market is where existing securities are traded between investors.
Fiscal deficit minus interest payments. It shows current borrowing needs without past debt.
The original amount of a loan or deposit, not counting interest.
RBI's rule that banks must lend a set share of their credit to areas such as agriculture, MSMEs, education, housing and weaker sections.
Domestic commercial banks: 40% of ANBC, including 18% for agriculture.
A trial period after joining before you are confirmed. SBI Junior Associates are on probation for at least six months.
Government incentives paid to companies based on extra sales of goods made in India.
An RBI framework that puts limits on weak banks so they can recover. It is triggered by low capital, high net NPAs or a low leverage ratio.
The revised framework applies from 1 Jan 2022.
In IBPS exams, the step where selected candidates are assigned to a participating bank. SBI recruits directly, so SBI Clerk has no allotment step.
Selection that still depends on passing the language test, document verification and medical fitness.
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, with at least 40% of a specified disability. 4% of posts are reserved for them.
Paying by scanning a merchant's QR code with a UPI or card app.
A central bank buying large amounts of bonds to push down long-term interest rates and support the economy.
RAM is fast, temporary memory that is cleared when power goes off. ROM is permanent memory that stores startup instructions.
A significant fall in economic activity, often defined as two quarters in a row of falling GDP.
A deposit where you save a fixed amount every month for a set period and earn interest like an FD.
Banks set up under the RRB Act, 1976 to serve rural areas. They are owned by the Centre (50%), a sponsor bank (35%) and the state government (15%).
After the 'One State, One RRB' merger on 1 May 2025, there are 28 RRBs.
Insurance bought by insurance companies to share their risk with another insurer.
GIC Re is India's national reinsurer.
Real Estate Investment Trusts and Infrastructure Investment Trusts pool investor money into rent-earning property or infrastructure and pay out most of the income.
Both are regulated by SEBI.
India's central bank, set up on 1 April 1935 under the RBI Act, 1934 and nationalised in 1949. It issues currency, regulates banks and sets monetary policy.
Headquartered in Mumbai.
Changing the terms of a loan, such as the tenure or rate, to help a stressed borrower repay.
When the government's revenue spending is more than its revenue receipts.
A transaction where RBI borrows money from banks against government securities. It absorbs surplus money from the system.
Not the same as the SDF, which needs no collateral.
A device that sends data between networks, such as your home network and the internet.
Real Time Gross Settlement. RBI's system for large transfers, settled one by one in real time. Minimum is Rs 2 lakh with no upper limit, and it runs 24x7 since 14 Dec 2020.
India's own card payment network, launched by NPCI in 2012.
RuPay credit cards can be linked to UPI.
Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act. It lets banks take over and sell the security of an NPA borrower without going to court, after a 60-day notice.
A deposit account for individuals that pays interest and allows a limited number of free transactions.
A bank listed in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934. It can borrow from RBI and must keep CRR with it.
A person who writes the exam for an eligible candidate with a disability.
Securities and Exchange Board of India, the regulator of stock markets and mutual funds. Set up in 1988 and given statutory powers in 1992.
Headquartered in Mumbai.
A fixed time limit for each section. You cannot move to the next section early or return to an earlier one.
SBI Clerk prelims: 20 minutes for each of the three sections.
Pooling loans and selling them to investors as securities, so the bank gets cash back early.
BSE's main index of 30 large, actively traded companies.
BSE is Asia's oldest stock exchange (1875).
Small Industries Development Bank of India, set up on 2 April 1990 and headquartered in Lucknow. It is the main development bank for MSMEs.
Systematic Investment Plan. Investing a fixed amount in a mutual fund at regular intervals, usually monthly.
A bank that serves small businesses, farmers and low-income people. It needs a minimum paid-up capital of Rs 200 crore and at least half its loans must be of up to Rs 25 lakh.
SFBs have a higher priority-sector target than universal banks.
A government bond issued by RBI and linked to the price of gold, paying 2.5% interest a year. No new tranches have been issued since February 2024.
An international reserve asset created by the IMF, valued against a basket of five currencies, including the US dollar, euro and Chinese yuan.
An early-warning tag on a loan that is overdue but not yet an NPA. SMA-0 is up to 30 days overdue, SMA-1 is 31-60 days and SMA-2 is 61-90 days.
A separate recruitment only for reserved categories to fill their backlog posts.
Structured Query Language, used to create, read and change data in a database.
A situation with high inflation, slow growth and high unemployment at the same time.
A scheme giving bank loans of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs for new (greenfield) businesses.
A window introduced in April 2022 where banks can park surplus money with RBI without giving any collateral. It replaced the fixed rate reverse repo as the floor of the LAF corridor.
SDF rate was 5.25% as of October 2026, 25 basis points below repo.
India's largest bank. It was formed on 1 July 1955 from the Imperial Bank of India under the SBI Act, 1955, and is headquartered in Mumbai.
Its associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank merged into it on 1 April 2017.
The share of NDTL that a bank must keep in safe liquid assets such as cash, gold and approved government securities.
SLR was 18% as of October 2026.
The fixed amount an insurer promises to pay under a life insurance policy.
Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. A secure global messaging network banks use to send cross-border payment instructions.
Each bank has an 8- or 11-character SWIFT/BIC code.
Shares bought or sold are settled one working day after the trade. India moved fully to T+1 in January 2023.
The basic set of rules (protocols) that the internet uses to send data.
Money kept with a bank for a fixed period, such as a fixed or recurring deposit. It earns more interest than a savings account.
Pure life cover for a fixed period. It pays only if the insured dies during the term, so premiums are low.
A loan repaid in instalments over a fixed period, usually for buying assets.
Tier 1 is a bank's core capital, mainly equity and reserves, which absorbs losses while the bank runs. Tier 2 is supplementary capital such as certain bonds and provisions.
CET1 (common equity) is the best part of Tier 1; RBI's minimum is 5.5%.
Replacing your card number with a unique code (token) for online payments, so merchants do not store real card details.
Card-on-file tokenisation rules came into force on 1 Oct 2022.
Five bonus marks out of 200 in the mains for eligible SBI trained apprentices.
A short-term central government security issued at a discount for 91, 182 or 364 days.
A login or payment check that needs two separate proofs, such as a password plus an OTP.
RBI calls it additional factor of authentication (AFA) for card payments.
Unit Linked Insurance Plan. Combines life cover with investment in market-linked funds, with a five-year lock-in.
An option under NPS for central government employees, in force from 1 April 2025. It assures a pension of 50% of the average basic pay of the last 12 months for those with 25 years of service.
The government's annual financial statement under Article 112, showing estimated receipts and spending for the year. Presented on 1 February.
A bank that offers a full range of services: deposits, loans, investment, insurance distribution and more.
Most large commercial banks in India, including SBI, are universal banks.
Unified Payments Interface. NPCI's system for instant bank-to-bank transfers using a mobile app and a UPI ID, launched in April 2016.
UPI for feature phones without internet, using IVR calls, missed calls or app-based methods. Launched in March 2022.
A Virtual Payment Address such as name@bank that stands in for your account number and IFSC in UPI payments.
An on-device UPI wallet for small payments without entering a PIN.
Limits: Rs 1,000 per payment and Rs 5,000 wallet balance.
Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a web page.
Banking by dialling *99# on any mobile phone, without internet.
A repo auction where banks bid for funds and the rate is set by the auction, used by RBI to fine-tune liquidity.
VRRR is the reverse version, used to absorb money.
A list of candidates who can be called if selected candidates do not join or resign. SBI keeps one of up to 50% of vacancies.
It is valid for one year from the final result.
An ATM owned and run by a non-bank company authorised by RBI, not by a bank.
Brown label ATMs are owned by a service provider but carry a bank's brand.
Measures changes in wholesale prices of goods. Released monthly by the Office of the Economic Adviser, DPIIT.
The current series uses 2011-12 as base; a move to 2022-23 has been announced.
A borrower who can repay a loan but chooses not to, or misuses the loan money. Such borrowers are barred from fresh bank credit.
Money a business needs for day-to-day operations, such as buying raw material and paying wages.
Removing a bad loan from a bank's books after full provisioning. The bank can still try to recover it.
A write-off is not a loan waiver.
The return an investor earns on a bond, shown as a percentage. When bond prices rise, yields fall.