List of Abbreviations

Abbreviations

This list provides commonly used abbreviations and their full forms which are frequently encountered in current affairs, general knowledge and competitive-examination contexts. Use it as a reference to recognise organisations, financial terms, government schemes and indices. Abbreviations are given in alphabetical order as provided -

• ADB: Asian Development Bank
• AGM: Annual General Meeting
• AIBP: Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
• AMC: Annual Maintenance Contract
• ALM: Asset Liability Management
• AMFI: Association of Mutual Funds in India
• AML: Anti-Money Laundering
• ANBC: Adjusted Net Bank Credit
• APACS: Association for Payment Clearing Services
• APC: Average Propensity to Consume
• ARIEL: Automated Real-time Investment Exchange
• ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• ATM: Automated Teller Machine
• ATIF: Agriculture Tech Infrastructure Fund
• ASBA: Application Supported by Blocked Amount
• ATS: Anti-Terrorism Squad
• BBB: Bank Board Bureau
• BC: Business Correspondent
• BCBS: Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
• BCSBI: Banking Codes and Standards Board of India
• BIFR: Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction
• BIS: Bank for International Settlements (Switzerland)
• BLR: Business and Legal Reports
• BOP: Balance of Payments
• BP: Basis Points (of an interest rate)
• BPLR: Benchmark Prime Lending Rate
• BSE: Bombay Stock Exchange
• BSBDA: Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account
• BSDA: Basic Service Demat Account
• CACP: Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
• CAD: Current Account Deficit
• CAFRAL: Centre for Advanced Financial Research & Learning
• CAMELS: Capital Adequacy; Asset Quality; Management; Earnings; Liquidity; Sensitivity
• CAPART: Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology
• CARE: Credit Analysis & Research Ltd.
• CBDT: Central Board of Direct Taxes
• CBI: Central Bureau of Investigation
• CBS: Core Banking Solution
• CBMP: Coordinated Border Management Plan
• CCIL: Clearing Corporation of India Ltd.
• CCEA: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
• CD: Certificate of Deposit
• CDR: Corporate Debt Restructuring
• CDS: Credit Default Swap
• CDSL: Central Depository Services (India) Ltd.
• CEA: Council of Economic Advisers
• CEIB: Central Economic Intelligence Bureau
• CEO: Chief Executive Officer
• CFMS: Centralised Funds Management System
• CFSA: Committee on Financial Sector Assessment
• CFTC: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (USA)
• CGF: Credit Guarantee Fund
• CGFMU: Credit Guarantee Fund for Mudra Units
• CGFTMSE: Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro & Small Enterprises
• CGT: Capital Gains Tax
• CHIPS: Clearing House Interbank Payments System (New York)
• CIBIL: Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd.
• CIB: Central Intelligence Bureau / Change Impact Board
• CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States
• CLB: Company Law Board
• CNG: Compressed Natural Gas
• CNP: Card Not Present
• COMESA: Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa
• CP: Commercial Paper
• CPI: Consumer Price Index
• CPI-IW: Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers
• CPP: Current Purchasing Power
• CRAR: Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio
• CRISIL: Credit Rating & Information Services of India Ltd.
• CRR: Cash Reserve Ratio
• CSC: Card Security Code
• CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility
• CST: Central Sales Tax
• CSIR: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
• CTS: Cheque Truncation System; Complaint Tracking System
• CVC: Central Vigilance Commission / Card Verification Code (contextual)
• CVL: CDSL Venture Ltd.
• CVV: Card Verification Value
• DAE: Department of Atomic Energy
• DBT: Direct Benefit Transfer
• DEPB: Duty Entitlement Passbook
• DGFT: Directorate General of Foreign Trade
• DICGC: Deposit Insurance & Credit Guarantee Corporation
• DPIIT: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
• DSIBs: Domestic Systemically Important Banks
• DTL: Demand & Time Liabilities
• DRT: Debt Recovery Tribunal
• DTAA: Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
• ECB: External Commercial Borrowings
• EBRD: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• ECGC: Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India
• ECS: Electronic Clearing Service
• EFF: Extended Fund Facility
• EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer
• EFTPOS: Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale
• EMV: Europay, MasterCard & Visa (chip card standard)
• EMI: Equated Monthly Installment
• E-TAAL: Electronic Transaction Aggregation & Analysis Layer
• EU: Expected Utility; European Union
• EXIM Bank: Export-Import Bank of India
• FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization
• FATCA: Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (USA)
• FATF: Financial Action Task Force
• FBT: Fringe Benefit Tax
• FBTR: Fast Breeder Test Reactor
• FCAs: Foreign Currency Assets
• FCCB: Foreign Currency Convertible Bond
• FCEB: Foreign Currency Exchange Bond
• FDI: Foreign Direct Investment
• FEMA: Foreign Exchange Management Act
• FFMC: Full Fledged Money Changers
• FIIs: Foreign Institutional Investors
• FIU-IND: Financial Intelligence Unit - India
• FINO: Financial Inclusion Network & Operations (Financial Information Network and Operations Ltd.)
• FMC: Forward Markets Commission
• FOB: Free On Board
• FRBM: Fiscal Responsibility & Budget Management Act/Rules
• FSB: Financial Stability Board
• FSDC: Financial Stability and Development Council
• FSLRC: Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
• FTSE100: Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Share Index
• FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
• FTO: Foreign Trade Organisation
• FTZ: Free Trade Zone
• GAGAN: GPS Aided Geo-Augmented Navigation
• GATT: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
• GDP: Gross Domestic Product
• G7: Group of Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States)
• G8: Group of Eight (G7 plus Russia, historically)
• GATS: General Agreement on Trade in Services
• GDRs: Global Depository Receipts
• GNP: Gross National Product
• GSLV: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
• GST: Goods and Services Tax
• HR: Human Resources
• HRM: Human Resource Management
• IATA: International Air Transport Association
• IBA: Indian Banks' Association
• IBPS: Institute of Banking Personnel Selection
• IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• IDFC: Infrastructure Development Finance Company
• IDR: Indian Depository Receipt
• IDRBT: Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology
• IEDC: Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Centre
• IFRS: International Financial Reporting Standards
• IFSC: Indian Financial System Code
• IIB: International Investment Bank
• IIF: Institute of International Finance
• ILO: International Labour Organization
• IMGC: Indian Mortgage Guarantee Corporation
• IMPS: Immediate Payment Service
• IINSS-C: Inflation Indexed National Saving Securities - Cumulative
• IMF: International Monetary Fund
• IPOs: Initial Public Offerings
• IP: Intellectual Property
• IRNSS: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (also termed IRNSS)
• IRDA: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
• ISO: International Organization for Standardization
• ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation
• IT: Information Technology
• JLG: Joint Liability Group
• KCC: Kisan Credit Card
• KYC: Know Your Customer
• LAF: Liquidity Adjustment Facility
• LIBOR: London Inter-Bank Offered Rate
• LNG: Liquefied Natural Gas
• LSE: London Stock Exchange
• LTV: Loan-to-Value
• M&A: Merger & Acquisition
• MICR: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
• MIGA: Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
• MITC: Most Important Terms & Conditions
• MMDA: Money Market Deposit Account
• MMMFs: Money Market Mutual Funds
• MMID: Mobile Money Identifier
• MOM: Mars Orbiter Mission
• MLFPS: Market Linked Focus Product System
• MPFI: Mobile Payment Forum of India
• MRP: Maximum Retail Price
• MRTP: Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices
• MSF: Marginal Standing Facility
• MTSS: Money Transfer Service Scheme
• MSMEs: Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
• MSEs: Micro & Small Enterprises
• NABARD: National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development
• NAIS: National Animal Identification System
• NASDAQ: National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
• NAV: Net Asset Value
• NBFC: Non-Banking Financial Company
• NCGTC: National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd.
• NCSBS: Non-Cooperative Small Business Sector
• NCLT: National Company Law Tribunal
• NDMC: New Delhi Municipal Council
• NDP: Net Domestic Product
• NDTL: Net Demand & Time Liabilities
• NEFT: National Electronic Funds Transfer
• NRHM: National Rural Health Mission
• NIDHI: National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations
• NIM: Net Interest Margin
• NITI: National Institution for Transforming India
• NIBM: National Institute of Bank Management
• NIOT: National Institute of Ocean Technology
• NMCEX: National Multi Commodity Exchange of India
• NOC: No Objection Certificate
• NOFHC: Non-Operating Financial Holding Company
• NPA: Non-Performing Asset
• NPAC: National Plan of Action for Children
• NPPA: National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
• NPCI: National Payments Corporation of India
• NRE: Non-Resident External (account)
• NREGS: National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
• NRI: Non-Resident Indian
• NSDL: National Securities Depository Limited
• NSE: National Stock Exchange
• NSO: National Statistical Office
• NSSF: National Small Savings Fund
• NTCA: National Tiger Conservation Authority
• OBCs: Other Backward Classes
• OD: Overdraft
• OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development
• OMO: Open Market Operation
• OPEC: Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
• OTC: Over-the-Counter
• PAN: Permanent Account Number
• PD: Primary Dealers
• PDMA: Public Debt Management Agency
• PE: Private Equity
• PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
• PFRDA: Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority
• PIIGS: Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece & Spain (economies grouped during Eurozone crisis)
• PIO: Person of Indian Origin
• PIN: Personal Identification Number
• PKI: Public Key Infrastructure
• PLR: Prime Lending Rate
• PMLA: Prevention of Money Laundering Act
• P-Notes: Participatory Notes
• Prove: Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle
• PSBs: Public Sector Banks
• QIB: Qualified Institutional Buyer
• REIT: Real Estate Investment Trust
• REPO: Repurchase Agreement
• RIDF: Rural Infrastructure Development Fund
• RNBC: Residuary Non-Banking Company
• ROA: Return on Assets
• RRBs: Regional Rural Banks
• RTE: Right to Education
• RTGS: Real Time Gross Settlement
• RTI: Right to Information
• SAARC: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
• SARFAESI: Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act
• SBAS: Satellite Based Augmentation System
• SCB: Scheduled Commercial Bank
• SDR: Special Drawing Rights
• SEZs: Special Economic Zones
• SFMS: Structured Financial Messaging System
• SHG: Self-Help Group
• SIDBI: Small Industries Development Bank of India
• SLR: Statutory Liquidity Ratio
• SMEs: Small & Medium Enterprises
• SMERA: SME Rating Agency of India
• SMILE: SIDBI Make in India Loan for Enterprises
• SOFIA: Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
• SSL: Secure Sockets Layer
• STRIPS: Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities
• SWIFT: Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication
• TFA: Trade Facilitation Agreement
• TIN: Tax Information Network
• TRAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
• UCBs: Urban Cooperative Banks
• UGC: University Grants Commission
• UIDAI: Unique Identification Authority of India
• UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
• UNDP: United Nations Development Programme
• USB: Ultra Small Branches
• USOF: Universal Service Obligation Fund
• UWIN: Unorganised Workers Identification Number
• VAT: Value Added Tax
• VCES: Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme
• VOIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol
• WPI: Wholesale Price Index
• WTFC: World Tourism Cities Federation
• WTO: World Trade Organization
• Y-o-Y: Year-on-Year
• ZTC: Zonal Training Centre
• ZPG: Zero Population Growth