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How do I prepare static banking awareness for SBI Clerk Mains?

Section strategyUpdated 2026-10-23
Short answer

Learn the stable core first: RBI and its functions, monetary policy tools, types of banks, key Acts, NPAs, payment systems and financial inclusion. Read definitions, make one-page notes, and check current rates on the RBI website.

Static banking is the part of GA you can finish early. It does not change every month, so you can prepare it before Prelims and only revise it later. It sits inside the 50-question General/Financial Awareness section of Mains.

Core topics in order

  1. RBI: set up under the RBI Act, 1934; began operations on 1 April 1935; functions (monetary authority, regulator, issuer of currency, banker to government and banks, manager of foreign exchange).
  2. Monetary policy tools: repo rate, standing deposit facility, marginal standing facility, bank rate, CRR, SLR, open market operations. Learn what each does, then check the current values on the RBI site before the exam.
  3. Types of banks: public, private, foreign, regional rural, small finance, payments, cooperative banks.
  4. Key laws: Banking Regulation Act, 1949; RBI Act, 1934; the SARFAESI Act; the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
  5. Asset quality: what an NPA is (generally a loan overdue for more than 90 days), standard, sub-standard, doubtful and loss assets.
  6. Payment systems: NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, UPI, cheque truncation, NACH.
  7. Financial inclusion: major schemes for accounts, insurance and pensions.
  8. Banking terms: CASA, base rate vs MCLR vs external benchmark lending, Basel norms, KYC.

How to study it

StepTime
Read one topic from a reliable source30 min
Write a one-page note in your own words15 min
Solve 20 questions on it15 min
Revise the note after 3 days and 10 days5 min each
Rates and limits (repo rate, CRR, SLR, deposit insurance cover) change. Never memorise them from an old book. Check RBI and DICGC websites close to your exam date.
Static banking also helps in the Mains English section, where passages often discuss banking and the economy.
Sources

Rules can change with each notification. Confirm on sbi.bank.in/web/careers.

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