General Knowledge and Banking Awareness
Scope
The General Knowledge and Banking Awareness section tests static facts about Nepal and the world, plus the institutional history and present structure of Nepal's financial sector. Questions are factual and often date- or number-based, so precision beats breadth.
Core facts to hold
- Constitution of Nepal, promulgated 20 September 2015 (3 Ashoj 2072 BS): seven provinces, 77 districts and 753 local units; fundamental rights in Part 3; federal competences in Schedules 5–9.
- History: unification campaign of Prithvi Narayan Shah from Gorkha; 1951 (2007 BS) revolution ending Rana rule; 1990 (2046 BS) restoration of democracy; 2006 (2062/63 BS) Jana Andolan.
- International membership: UN 1955, IMF and World Bank 1961, SAARC 1985 (Dhaka), WTO 2004, BIMSTEC.
- Banking landmarks: Nepal Bank Limited (1937), the first commercial bank; Nepal Rastra Bank (1956) as central bank; Rastriya Banijya Bank (1966); Agricultural Development Bank (1968); Nepal Stock Exchange (1993).
- Present structure: four classes of BFIs - commercial banks (A), development banks (B), finance companies (C), microfinance institutions (D).
Worked example
A question asks which came first, Nepal Rastra Bank or Nepal Bank Limited. Reason by function: Nepal Bank Limited was created as a commercial bank in 1937, nineteen years before a central bank existed; NRB was established in 1956 under the Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2012 BS. The earlier institution is Nepal Bank Limited. The historical sequence - commercial bank before central bank - is unusual but accurate.
Traps
Do not convert BS to AD carelessly: 2072 BS is 2015 AD. SAARC was founded in Dhaka, not Kathmandu. WTO accession (2004) is separate from IMF membership (1961). First development bank questions confuse Agricultural Development Bank (1968) with the Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (1959).