Consider the following statements : 1. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) helps in promoting the financial inclusion in the country. 2. NPCI has launched RuPay, a card payment scheme. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct as NPCI facilitates financial inclusion through low-cost retail payment systems like AEPS and BHIM, while Statement 2 is correct because RuPay is NPCI’s indigenous card scheme launched to provide a domestic alternative to global networks. Option (b) is the most tempting wrong choice if a candidate incorrectly assumes NPCI’s role is limited to technical infrastructure rather than socio-economic goals, but its mandate specifically includes expanding banking reach to the unbanked. The core concept tested is the institutional role and product portfolio of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in India’s digital payment ecosystem.