Finance and securities market terminology: What does the term 'gilt-edged market' mean? In Indian and global finance, ‘‘gilt-edged’’ denotes the safest, high-grade, government-backed debt securities segment of the capital market. Choose the correct option.

Given concept

• Gilt-edged originally referred to British government bonds (“gilts”). Over time, it has come to mean the market in which the safest, sovereign or highest-rated debt instruments are traded.
• In India, this usage aligns with government securities (G-secs) and other AAA-grade bonds, i.e., the low-risk fixed-income segment.

Why the other options are incorrect
Precious metals (option B) concern bullion, not securities.Blue-chip equities (option C) are stocks, not gilt-edged debt.Forex (option D) is currency trading, not bond markets.Commodity futures (option E) are derivatives on goods, not sovereign/AAA bonds.

Key takeaway
A gilt-edged market is the segment dealing in government and other top-quality fixed-income securities characterized by very low default risk and high credit standing.

Final Answer
Market for government and other top-rated fixed-income securities