PMA Graduate Course Current Affairs Syllabus

Current Affairs syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Current Affairs in PMA Graduate Course, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   National Affairs

   3 topics

   • Government and Politics
   • Economy of Pakistan
   • National Events and Days
2. 2

   International Affairs

   2 topics

   • Global Conflicts and Summits
   • Pakistan's Foreign Relations
3. 3

   Defense and Security

   2 topics

   • Recent Military Developments
   • Modern Weapon Systems
4. 4

   Sports and Awards

   2 topics

   • Major Sporting Events
   • International and National Awards

Current Affairs flashcards for PMA Graduate Course

21 of 51 cards from the Current Affairs deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. How is the Prime Minister of Pakistan selected, and to whom is the federal cabinet collectively responsible under the 1973 Constitution?

   The PM is elected by a majority vote of the members of the National Assembly. Under Article 91, the federal cabinet is collectively responsible to the National Assembly (the lower house).

2. How is the President of Pakistan elected and for what term?

   By an Electoral College comprising members of both houses of Parliament (Senate and National Assembly) and the four Provincial Assemblies, for a five-year term.

3. What is the composition of Pakistan's National Assembly and Senate?

   The National Assembly has 336 seats (266 general, 60 reserved for women, 10 for non-Muslims). The Senate has 96 members on six-year terms, with half retiring every three years.

4. What did the 18th Amendment (2010) to Pakistan's Constitution chiefly accomplish?

   It removed the President's power to dissolve the National Assembly (repealed Article 58(2)(b)), abolished the Concurrent Legislative List to devolve subjects to provinces, renamed NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and strengthened parliamentary democracy and provincial autonomy.

5. Under which article is a vote of no confidence moved against Pakistan's Prime Minister, and what is its effect?

   It is moved under Article 95. If a majority of the total membership of the National Assembly votes in favour, the Prime Minister must leave office.

6. What is the role and mandate of a caretaker government in Pakistan?

   A neutral interim administration formed after dissolution of the assemblies to run day-to-day affairs and ensure free and fair elections; it is barred from major policy decisions.

7. What is the difference between a fiscal (budget) deficit and a trade deficit?

   A fiscal deficit is the excess of a government's total expenditure over its total revenue in a year. A trade deficit is the excess of a country's imports over its exports; one concerns the budget, the other external trade.

8. What is the difference between GDP and GNP?

   GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within a country's borders. GNP measures output by a country's nationals, including income earned abroad but excluding domestic income earned by foreigners.

9. What is the difference between direct and indirect taxes, with one example of each?

   A direct tax is levied on income or wealth and paid directly by the taxpayer (e.g., income tax). An indirect tax is levied on goods and services and passed to the consumer (e.g., sales tax / GST).

10. Which institution is Pakistan's central bank and what is its core function?

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). It formulates and implements monetary policy, regulates banks, manages foreign-exchange reserves, and issues currency.

11. What is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and what is its centrepiece?

    CPEC is a flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative comprising energy, infrastructure, and industrial projects linking western China to the Arabian Sea. Its centrepiece is Gwadar Port in Balochistan.

12. What is the formula for the inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

    Inflation rate (%) = ((CPI of current period − CPI of base period) / CPI of base period) × 100. CPI tracks the average price change of a fixed basket of consumer goods and services.

13. In Pakistan's budget, what is the difference between current (revenue) expenditure and development (capital) expenditure?

    Current expenditure covers recurring costs such as salaries, debt servicing, and subsidies. Development expenditure funds long-term assets and projects (infrastructure) listed in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

14. What does the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) do, and what are its grey list and black list?

    FATF sets global anti-money-laundering and counter-terror-financing standards. The grey list flags countries under increased monitoring with deficiencies to fix; the black list names non-cooperative high-risk states facing countermeasures.

15. What is Pakistan's fiscal year, and which body presents the annual federal budget?

    Pakistan's fiscal year runs from 1 July to 30 June. The annual federal budget is prepared by the Ministry of Finance and presented to the National Assembly.

16. On what date does Pakistan celebrate its Independence Day, and what does it commemorate?

    14 August. It commemorates the creation of Pakistan as an independent state on 14 August 1947 following the partition of British India.

17. What is celebrated on 23 March in Pakistan and what historic events does it mark?

    Pakistan Day. It marks the passing of the Lahore (Pakistan) Resolution on 23 March 1940 and the adoption of Pakistan's first Constitution on 23 March 1956.

18. What does Pakistan commemorate on 6 September each year?

    Defence Day (Youm-e-Difa), honouring the armed forces and martyrs of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, when forces defended Lahore and other fronts.

19. Why is 25 December a national day in Pakistan?

    It is the birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, observed as a national holiday (Quaid-e-Azam Day).

20. What is commemorated on 9 November in Pakistan?

    Iqbal Day, the birthday of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the national poet and philosopher who first articulated the idea of a separate Muslim state in his 1930 Allahabad Address.

21. What is the BRICS group, and which countries founded it?

    BRICS is an intergovernmental bloc of major emerging economies. Its founding members are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (the latter joined in 2010).

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