Revise More in Less Time
Short revision notes for banking, economy and financial concepts. Use this page after studying a topic to refresh the distinction, definition and exam logic without reading the entire lesson again.
Choose a Revision Area
Banking in 5 Minutes
RBI, CRR, SLR, repo, NPA, deposits and payment systems.
Economy in 5 Minutes
GDP, inflation, fiscal policy, monetary policy and exchange rates.
Markets in 5 Minutes
Shares, bonds, mutual funds, NAV, IPOs and market basics.
CRR vs SLR
Two similar abbreviations, but they should not be remembered as the same requirement.
CRR
Full form: Cash Reserve Ratio
A prescribed portion of a bank’s relevant liabilities is maintained as cash balance with the Reserve Bank of India in accordance with the applicable framework.
Memory cue: Cash + RBI
SLR
Full form: Statutory Liquidity Ratio
Banks maintain the prescribed proportion in specified liquid assets in accordance with the statutory framework.
Memory cue: Liquid assets + Bank
Repo vs Reverse Repo
Repo
Think of liquidity moving from RBI to eligible market participants, such as banks, under a repo transaction against eligible securities within the applicable framework.
Reverse Repo
Think of the transaction from the opposite direction. Understanding the direction is more useful than memorising two isolated definitions.
What Is an NPA?
In banking, a loan or advance can become non-performing when it meets the regulatory criteria for non-performance.
For revision, remember the underlying idea first: the asset is no longer performing as expected according to the applicable repayment and regulatory criteria.
Do not permanently memorise a time period from an old study note. Asset-classification rules are regulatory information and should be checked against the current applicable RBI instructions when exact criteria are required.
NEFT, RTGS and IMPS
NEFT
An electronic funds-transfer system operated by RBI. Learn its settlement concept and use the latest official information for current operational features.
RTGS
Real Time Gross Settlement. The name itself is a useful memory cue: transactions are settled individually on a real-time gross basis.
IMPS
Immediate Payment Service provides an instant electronic funds transfer mechanism through participating institutions.
RTGS → Real Time + Gross
IMPS → Immediate
NEFT → Electronic fund transfer system
GDP in 2 Minutes
GDP measures the value of final goods and services produced within an economy over a specified period, subject to the statistical framework used for measurement.
For exam preparation, distinguish between concepts such as nominal and real GDP rather than treating every GDP figure as equivalent.
Inflation in 2 Minutes
Inflation refers broadly to a sustained increase in the general price level, reducing the purchasing power of money when other factors are unchanged.
CPI
Consumer Price Index tracks price changes using a basket designed to represent consumer prices under the relevant statistical methodology.
WPI
Wholesale Price Index measures price movements at the wholesale level for the goods covered by its methodology.
Fiscal Policy vs Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy
Think primarily of government taxation, expenditure and borrowing.
Cue: Government budget.
Monetary Policy
Think of central-bank policy relating to monetary and financial conditions within the statutory monetary-policy framework.
Cue: Central bank.
Share vs Bond
Share
A share represents an ownership interest in a company, subject to the rights attached to that class of shares.
Bond
A bond is a debt instrument through which the issuer borrows funds under specified terms.
Primary vs Secondary Market
Primary Market
Securities are issued to investors as part of the issuance process.
Secondary Market
Existing securities are subsequently traded among market participants.
IPO in 2 Minutes
IPO stands for Initial Public Offering.
An IPO should not be confused with the later trading of those shares in the secondary market.
Mutual Fund in 2 Minutes
A mutual fund pools money from investors and invests according to the stated investment objective and scheme framework.
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Mutual fund scheme
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Portfolio of investments
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Value represented through units and NAV
NAV
At a simplified conceptual level, NAV per unit represents the scheme’s net asset value attributable to each outstanding unit.
A fund with an NAV of ₹20 is not automatically cheaper or better than one with an NAV of ₹200. NAV alone is not a valuation comparison equivalent to comparing market prices of ordinary shares.
SIP, STP and SWP
SIP
Systematic Investment Plan
A method of investing specified amounts periodically into a mutual fund scheme.
STP
Systematic Transfer Plan
A facility for systematic transfers between eligible schemes subject to the applicable terms.
SWP
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
A facility for making systematic withdrawals from a mutual fund investment according to the selected arrangement.
SIP → Invest
STP → Transfer
SWP → Withdraw
Risk and Return
Return is the gain or loss generated by an investment over a period. Risk concerns uncertainty about outcomes and the possibility that actual results differ from expectations.
Ten One-Line Recall Cues
Test Yourself Without Looking Back
1. Which concept should immediately remind you of “Cash + RBI”?
2. What is the simplest distinction between a share and a bond?
3. Which policy should make you think of government taxation and spending?
4. What does the word “Gross” in RTGS help you remember?
5. Does a lower NAV automatically make one mutual fund cheaper than another?
6. What are the three verbs for SIP, STP and SWP?
7. Does GDP tell us how evenly income is distributed?
How to Use Quick Revision
First
Study the complete topic from Exam Prep or your current official study material.
Then
Return here and try to recall the definition before reading the revision note.
Finally
Use the questions above. Anything you cannot retrieve becomes your next revision target.
Quick Revision focuses mainly on durable concepts. Policy rates, regulatory limits, examination patterns, tax rules, eligibility conditions and operational requirements can change. Verify such information from the relevant official source before an examination or financial decision.