FM Urges RBI to Advance CBDC & Digital Rupee; India's First Tokenised Corporate Bond Pilot by REC

RBI & SEBI Tighten Cybersecurity Norms: ITRI, Kill Switch & 6-Hour Reporting Mandated

Indian financial regulators RBI and SEBI are significantly strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in response to rising AI-driven fraud. SEBI introduced an IT Resilience Index (ITRI) for market infrastructure institutions, while RBI mandated board-level ownership and a strict 6-hour cyber incident reporting window, signaling a major shift in regulatory vigilance.

SEBI Plans Bond Tokenisation Pilot, Eases FPI Onboarding via Digital PoA

SEBI is launching a pilot for bond tokenisation using shared ledger technology to improve settlement efficiency and reduce costs. Separately, it has eased FPI onboarding by allowing digitally signed Power of Attorney, eliminating notarisation and apostillisation. These reforms aim to deepen India's bond market and improve ease of doing business.

RBI Dy Governor: CBDC and ULI Adoption Rising, 12 States Digitise Land Records for Faster Loans

RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain announced that CBDC (Digital Rupee) and ULI (Unified Lending Interface) are moving beyond pilot stages into real-world usage, with 12 states already digitising land records. This signals a major push for financial inclusion, faster credit delivery, and digital public infrastructure, making it a high-priority topic for banking and economy sections in exams.

SEBI Revamps SLB Scheme, Launches Setu Portal, Pilots Bond Tokenisation on Blockchain

SEBI is modernizing the Securities Lending and Borrowing (SLB) scheme to improve price discovery and link cash and derivatives markets. It also launches a single online portal (Setu) for intermediaries and a pilot project for tokenising corporate bonds using blockchain. These reforms are crucial for capital market efficiency and are highly exam-relevant for UPSC, Banking, and SSC.

RBI Subsidiary BRBNMPL Issues EOI for Polymer Substrate: 68,000 Reams for Rs 10 & Rs 20 Notes

India moves closer to introducing polymer banknotes in Rs 10 and Rs 20 denominations. Bidders for the polymer substrate must certify no animal tallow and firewall operations from China/Pakistan. The RBI subsidiary BRBNMPL requires 68,000 reams of substrate, with samples tested across climatic zones.

SEBI Introduces IT Resilience Index (ITRI) for MIIs: 9-Parameter Scorecard to Quantify Tech Risk

SEBI has launched the IT Resilience Index (ITRI), a first-of-its-kind quantitative scorecard to measure the robustness of critical IT systems at stock exchanges, clearing corporations, and depositories. This shifts regulation from compliance-checking to risk-monitoring, with 9 weighted parameters — Availability and Security each carrying the highest weight of 20%. For exam aspirants, this is a high-priority topic: it links to regulatory bodies (SEBI), financial market infrastructure, and emerging tech risks (cyber, AI, cloud).

ISRO Launches EOS-05: India's First Geo-Imaging Satellite in Geosynchronous Orbit; SC Invokes Article 142 to Quash CJP Protest Cases

A day of high exam relevance: ISRO successfully launched EOS-05, India’s first dedicated geo-imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit, breaking a failure streak. The Supreme Court used its extraordinary power under Article 142 to close cases linked to CJP protests, raising important constitutional questions. Other key updates include OpenAI’s new autonomous AI model, Manipur’s NRC-first demand for Census deferral, mistrust in GDP data, and Tata Chemicals’ Kenya dispute.

RBI Tags Tata Sons as Upper Layer NBFC: Deregistration Decision to Determine IPO Future

RBI has included Tata Sons in the Upper Layer NBFC list, triggering a mandatory listing requirement, but its pending deregistration as a Core Investment Company could exempt it. The RBI's decision on deregistration will decide whether Tata Sons must launch an IPO, reshaping the governance and capital structure of India's largest holding company.