In this blog, we are going to talk about some major Abbreviations that are important for every aspirant for every Government Exam. From Banks to government bodies, we have covered them all.
Being an aspirant, most of the time you rush in completing the whole syllabus on time. But one mistake we all do in common is to avoid learning about abbreviations and their full forms. Abbreviations play an important role in many Exams. Many students know about a certain abbreviation but don’t know its full form. And we all must agree on the fact that incomplete knowledge about anything is dangerous. In this blog, we will throw light on some of the most crucial abbreviations and their full forms which you should learn from the examination’s point of view.
An abbreviation is a short form of a word or phrase. Many words are used in short forms and, therefore, it is important to know the full forms of such words. Abbreviations are used in all fields, be it- science, education, computer, examinations, banking, technology, etc. Moreover, in the present time, the abbreviations are so well developed in usage that the full forms and usage are not known by many people. Furthermore, abbreviations help in saving more time and energy, but they are only useful if you understand what they mean.
Also, abbreviations and their full forms are quite important from an exam point of view. So, in today’s blog, we will cover the important full forms for competitive exams like Banking, SSC, Railway, and more. The important full forms discussed in this blog are related to national and international organizations, government exams/posts, computers, economic terms, etc. Thus, if you are preparing for competitive exams, we would urge you to go through the information provided below carefully.
List of Important Full Forms
For your convenience, we have compiled a list of general full forms that may be asked in competitive exams like Bank, SSC, Railway, and many more.
RBI
RBI stands for Reserve Bank of India and is India’s central banking institution which controls the issuance and supply of the Indian Rupee. It was established on the 1st of April, 1935. Initially, it was privately owned, but following the nationalization in 1949, it was then fully owned by the Government of India.
Also See: All Details related to RBI
IBA
Indian Banks’ Association, or IBA, is a representative body that manages the banking operations in India. In other words, IBA is the term given to the – “Association of Indian Banks and financial institutions”. It was established on 26th September 1946.
Also Read: What is IBA?
SBI
The State Bank of India, or SBI, is a public sector bank with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established on July 01, 1955. Furthermore, it is the largest commercial bank in India in terms of business size, assets, profits, deposits, number of branches, and employees.
Take a look at the Full Form of SBI with All Details
IBPS
IBPS, also known as the Institute of Banking Personnel and Selection, is a recruitment body/organization which was established with the objective of recruiting the best eligible graduates in all the public sector banks (PSBs) in India, except SBI. SBI conducts a different examination altogether which is meant only for filling up the vacancies in SBI.
Also Read: What is IBPS?
NABARD
NABARD stands for National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development. It was formed on July 12, 1982, with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra. NABARD was established to promote the development of rural areas, boost financial operations, and promote sustainable agriculture. It works on three main areas- Finance, Development, and Supervision.
Also See: What is NABARD? Its Full Form with All Details
SEBI
SEBI refers to the Securities and Exchange Board of India. It was established in 1988 as a non-statutory body. However, it became an autonomous body on May 12, 1992. Its headquarters are in Mumbai and has regional offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Ahmedabad.
Also See: What is SEBI?
PFRDA
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority or PFRDA is a regulatory body established under the PFRDA Act to promote old age income security and protect the interests of National Pension System (NPS) subscribers. It was established on 23rd August 2003. The PFRDA works under the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services.
Also Read: PFRDA: Functions & Schemes
IRDA
IRDA, or Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority is an autonomous body established in 1999 under the IRDA Act. It has its headquarters in Hyderabad, Telangana, and also has two regional offices in Mumbai and New Delhi. It aims to ensure the financial stability of the insurance market and promote competition to enhance customer satisfaction by providing varieties in fair premium and consumer choices.
Also Read: IRDA and its Functions
FSSAI
FSSAI, or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, is an independent body established under the ‘Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’ (Government of India). It was formed on September 05, 2008, under the Food Safety & Standards Act, of 2006. Its headquarters are located in New Delhi and it has 6 regional offices in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai.
Read about FSSAI: Functions & Responsibilities here
SIDBI
SIDBI stands for Small Industries Development Bank of India. It is a financial institution under the Ministry of Finance. Its main objective is to strengthen and develop Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). It was formed on April 02, 1990, with its headquarters in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
SSC
The SSC or Staff Selection Commission organizes various national-level exams to fill up vacancies in various Ministries, Departments, and Organisations of the Government of India. Therefore, the SSC conducts different level exams every year like the SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC CPO, SSC MTS, etc.
Also See: Top 10 SSC Exams & How to Crack Them
GIC Re
GIC Re also known as General Insurance Corporation of India Limited, is an Indian government-owned reinsurance company. Its registered office as well as the headquarters are located in Mumbai. Until late 2016, it was the only reinsurance company operating in the Indian insurance market. Post 2016, the market was opened to foreign reinsurance companies from Germany, Switzerland, and France.
Also See: GIC Full Form and History
MSME
MSME stands for Micro Small Medium Enterprises and it forms the backbone of developing economies like India. The government introduces various schemes and incentives to promote and support the MSME sector.
ARC
ARC or Asset Reconstruction Company is a financial institution registered under the RBI which is regulated by the SARFAESI (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest) Act (2002). It buys off the Non- Performing Assets (NPAs) called the bad assets or bad loans from banks and other financial institutions at a mutually agreed value with the objective of recovering or ‘reconstructing’ the bad loans and in turn helping the banks and financial institutions in cleaning up their balance sheets.
Also Read: All Details related to ARC
UTI
Union Trust of India, or UTI, is a statutory public sector investment institution established in February 1964 under the UTI Act, 1963. It became functional in July 1964. Its headquarter is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It enables small investors to diversify their risk by investing in a variety of areas.
Also Read: UTI: History & Objectives
UNO
United Nations Organisation or UNO is an international organization that was established in 1945. Presently, it has 193 member states. It is guided by the principles laid down in the UN Charter. It has six main organs- the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic & Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat.
UNESCO
UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation and is a specialized agency of the UN. Its objective is to promote world peace through international cooperation in art, culture, education, and sciences.
UNICEF
UNICEF refers to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. It is now called the United Nations Children’s Fund and a social welfare organization and is present in 192 countries and territories. Also, it aims to provide humanitarian and developmental aid to children across the globe.
ICC
ICC refers to the International Chamber of Commerce. It is also known as the largest business organization in the world. It was established in 1919 in Atlanta city. Its main activities include- setting the rules, resolving the dispute, and advocating the policy.
Learn more about ICC and its History here
IDA
IDA or International Development Association is a financial institution and is a member of the World Bank. It has its headquarters in Washington DC, USA. It was established on September 24, 1960. The IDA will complement the already existing International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
Also See: IDA and its Role
ADB
ADB or Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank. It was formed on December 1, 1966. Its objective is to eliminate poverty in the Asia-Pacific region. Its headquarters are located in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Also Read: All details related to ADB
WTO
World Trade Organisation (WTO) is an international organization, which deals with world trade and its functioning between the member nations. It has 164 member states and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The WTO replaced the old General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which came into place in the year 1948.
Learn about WTO: Role & Objectives here
ASEAN
ASEAN also known as Association for Southeast Asian Nations is an organization that is concerned with countries in Southeast Asia. It was formed on August 08, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand. It consists of 10 countries in the Southeast Asian region along with two observer countries (Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste). Its main aim is to encourage intergovernmental cooperation along with promoting political, economic, educational, and socio-cultural integration among all its member countries along with other Asian countries.
Read about ASEAN and its Objectives
SAARC
SAARC or South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an economic and political organization comprising eight countries- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal, it was formed in 1985 with the aim to promote the welfare of South Asian People and to improve their standard of living.
Learn more about Important International Organizations and their Headquarters
FDI
Foreign Direct Investment or FDI refers to an investment made by a company or an individual from one country into the shares and securities of another company that operates in a different country.
Read more about FDI and the Role of FDI
NPA
NPA refers to Non-Performing Assets. It means those assets which have ‘ceased to generate income’. A loan becomes a ‘Non-Performing Asset’ when the respective loan payment has not been done for more than 90 days. This period of 90 Days is the standard period of time. NPAs are also called bad loans.
Learn about NPAs and Types of NPAs
UPI
The full form of UPI is Unified Payments Interface. It is an instant real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India facilitating inter-bank transactions. It was introduced on April 11, 2016. UPI is regulated by the RBI.
Also See: How Does UPI Work?
IMPS
In the Indian Banking System, IMPS means Immediate Payment Service. It is an instant payment ‘inter-bank electronic funds transfer system’. IMPS is also managed by the National Payments Corporation of India. It offers an inter-bank electronic fund transfer service through mobile phones, which is available 24*7 all year round, including the bank holidays.
Read more about IMPS and its Features here
IFSC
IFSC stands for Indian Financial System Code. it refers to an 11-digit alphanumeric code that is used in the Indian banking system, which ensures smooth electronic funds transfer in India. The IFSC is a distinctive code that combines the ‘bank code’ and the ‘branch code’.
Also See: How does an IFCS Work?
KYC
KYC is the acronym for Know Your Customer or Know Your Client. It refers to the process of ‘knowing’ or identifying your customer in a complete manner, which enables the bank or any such organization to keep complete information regarding the customer.
Learn more about KYC: Its Origin & Purpose
ATM
ATM stands for Automated Teller Machine. It is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, transfer funds, or obtaining account information, at any time and without the need for direct interaction with bank staff. It is a small kiosk that dispenses money.
Read more about ATM and its Functions & Types
OTP
The full form of OTP is One Time Password or One Time Pin. OTP is an automatically generated numeric or alphanumeric string of characters that authenticates the user for a single transaction or login session. It is the prime way of authenticating a bank as it provides secure access to perform the transaction. It is a password that is valid only for one long session or transaction on a computer or any other digital device. The password can be used only once, after which it becomes invalid.
Also See: How does an OTP Work?
GDP
GDP or Gross Domestic Product measures the monetary value of final goods and services produced in a country in a given period of time. It is a broad measure of the overall domestic production and acts as a comprehensive scorecard of a country’s economic health.
GST
GST or Goods and Services Tax is an ‘indirect tax’ or ‘consumption tax’. It is levied on the supply of goods and services. It is levied at every step in the production process but is meant to be refunded to all parties in the various stages of production other than the final consumer. GST was introduced with the objective of replacing the multiple indirect taxes levied by State and Central Governments to simplify the indirect tax system in India.
Also Read: What is GST?
MSP
MSP stands for Minimum Support Price. It is the minimum price that the Government of India will pay to the farmer for procuring food crops. It is a market intervention by the government to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices below the stated price.
Also See: What is MSP?
List of Important Computer Full Forms
Given below is a list of some important Computer full forms which are frequently asked in competitive exams-
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
| Computer | Common Operating Machine Purposely Used for Technological and Educational Research |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| RAM | Random Access Memory |
| ROM | Read Only Memory |
| ALU | Arithmetic Logic Unit |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus |
| UPS | Uninterruptible Power Supply |
| VIRUS | Vital Information Resource Under Siege |
| CD | Compact Disc |
| DVD | Digital Versatile Disc |
| PNG | Portable Network Graphics |
| IP | Internet Protocol |
| GIS | Geographical Information system |
| HTTP | Hyper Text Transfer Protocol |
| HTTPS | Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure |
| HTML | Hypertext Markup Language |
| GIGO | Garbage In Garbage Out |
| LAN | Local Area Network |
| WAN | Wide Area Network |
| VPN | Virtual Private Network |
| WIFI | Wireless Fidelity |
| JPEG | Joint Photographic Experts Group |
| MTP | Media Transfer Protocol |
| PTP | Picture Transfer Protocol |
| MB | Mega-bytes |
| KB | Kilo-bytes |
| TB | Tera-bytes |
| Portable Document Format | |
| OS | Operating System |
| DOC | Document |
| ZIP | Zig-zag In-line Package |
| DBMS | Database Management System |
| WWW | World Wide Web |
| GIF | Graphics Interchange Format |
Important Miscellaneous Full Forms
A list of some important miscellaneous full forms is given below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
| UPSC | Union Public Service Commission |
| IAS | Indian Administrative Services |
| IPS | Indian Police Service |
| IRS | Indian Revenue Service |
| IFS | Indian Forest Services |
| PCS | Provincial Civil Service |
| CAT | Common Admission Test |
| CGL | Combined Graduate Level Exam |
| CHSL | Combined Higher Secondary Level Exam |
| IDBI | Industrial Development Bank of India |
| VAT | Value Added Tax |
| FII | Foreign Institutional Investors |
| CTT | Commodities Transaction Tax |
| NEFT | National Electronic Funds Transfer |
| RTGS | Real Time Gross Settlement |
| NAV | Net Asset Value |
| EXIM | Export-Import(Bank of India) |
| IBS | International Banking Statistics |
| FOREX | Foreign Exchange |
| FEMA | Foreign Exchange Management Act |
| NBFC | Non-Banking Finance Companies |
| KCC | Kisan Credit Card |
| WEF | World Economic Forum |
| IES | Indian Economic Service |
| GDR | Global Depository Receipt |
| ADR | American Depositary Receipt |
| IDR | Indian Depositary Receipt |
| BOP | Balance of Payments |
| CPI | Consumer Price Index |
| MFN | Most Favoured Nation |
| IPO | Initial Public Offering |
| PPP | Public private partnership |
| ESIC | Employees State Insurance Corportaion |
| MBBS | Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery |
| ILO | International Labour Organisation |
| PHD | Doctor of Philosophy |
| NEET | National Eligibility cum Entrance Test |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NCB | Narcotics Control Bureau |
| ED | Enforcement Directorate |
| CID | Crime Investigation Department |
| ITI | Industrial Training International |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| TRP | Target Rating Point |
| ASI | Archaeological Survey of India |
| ATS | Anti Terrorism Squad |
| NCERT | National Council of Educational Research and Training |
| NDRF | National Disaster Response Force |
| IUCN | International Union for Conservation of Nature |
| CIBIL | Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited |
| PO | Probationary Officer- BankPost Office |
| LASER | Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation |
| IRCTC | Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation |
| SME | Small and Medium-sized EnterprisesSubject Matter Expert |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
| AIDS | Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |
| MNC | Multinational Corporation |
| SIT | Special Investigation Teams |
| UIDAI | Unique Identification Authority of India |
| SMS | Short Message Service |
| MMS | Multimedia Messaging Service |
| DIG | Deputy Inspector General of Police |
| DGP | Director General of Police |
| DC | Deputy Commissioner |
| SP | Superintendent of Police |
| DSP | Deputy Superintendent of PoliceDigital Signal Processing |
| SHO | Station House Officer |
| CS | Civil ServicesCompany SecretaryComputer Science |
| IT | Information Technology |
| USP | Unique Selling Proposition |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid |
| RNA | Ribonucleic Acid |
| LOC | Line of Control |
| BPO | Business Process Outsourcing |
| ETA | Electronic Travel AuthorisationEstimated Time of Arrival |
| DDT | Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane |
| ATP | Adenosine TriphosphateAssociation of Tennis Professionals |
| OTG | On-The-Go Adapter |
| HCL | Hindustan Computers LimitedHydrochloric Acid |
| RTI | Right to Information |
| PFMS | Public Financial Management System |
| GMT | Greenwich Mean Time |
| AM/PM | Ante-meridiem & Post-meridiem |
| CSE | Civil Services Examination |
| ICICI | Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India |
| HDFC | Higher Secondary Certificate |
| STD | Sexually Transmitted DiseasesSubscriber Trunk Dialling |
| CGPA | Cumulative Grade Points Average |
| NSS | National Service Scheme |
| RAW | Research and Analysis Wing |
| DSLR | Digital Single-lens Reflex |
| INR | Indian RupeeInternational Normalised Ratio |
| SIM | Subscriber Identity Module |
| ISI | Indian Standards InstitutionIndian Statistical InstituteInter-Services Intelligence (Pak) |
| FMCG | Fast-moving Consumer Goods |
| UGC | University Grants Commission of India |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| ISRO | Indian Space Research Organisation |
| DRDO | Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation |
| FIR | First Information Report |
| NGO | Non-Governmental Organisation |
| NRI | Non Resident Indian |
| CNG | Compressed Natural Gas |
| RTO | Regional Transport Office |
| NOC | No Objection CertificateNational Occupation Classification |
| PWD | Public Works Department |
| EMI | Equated Monthly Instalment |
| ICU | Intensive Care Unit |
| CV | Curriculum Vitae |
| SOP | Statement of PurposeStandard Operating Procedure |
| NDA | National Defence Academy |
| MP | Member of Parliament |
| MLA | Member of the Legislative Assembly |
| DP | Display PictureData Processing |
| OPD | Outpatient Department |
| PDA | Personal Digital AssistantPublic Display of Affection |
| BCG | Bacille Calmette-Guerin |
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is evident that abbreviations and their full forms form an essential part of many competitive exams. Therefore, we encourage you to go through this list multiple times as it will not be possible to remember so much information in one reading. We also recommend you not limit yourself to this list. It’s high time you should have a look at other online sources also to boost your General Awareness about abbreviations. This topic is vast, no one can limit it in one blog. So if you genuinely want to work with some prominent government or similar departments, make the hustle and hard work your new friends. We wish all the aspirants the very best.
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