Economy: previous-year questions
347 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 96 of them came in the last five papers.
How often UPSC asks this
Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
Subtopics
Agriculture, food security and allied sectors
81 questions
Economic development, reports and indices
28 questions
Economic growth, planning and national income
7 questions
External sector and international economic institutions
70 questions
Financial markets and instruments
36 questions
Fiscal policy, budget and taxation
51 questions
Industry, infrastructure, poverty, employment and social sector
125 questions
Money, banking, monetary policy and inflation
85 questions
Attempt the questions
Newest papers first. Tap an option; the answer and the reason appear instantly.
How do District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) help in the reduction of rural poverty in India?
- 1. DRDAs act as Panchayati Raj Institutions in certain specified backward regions of the country.
- 2. DRDAs undertake area-specific scientific study of the causes of poverty and malnutrition and prepare detailed remedial measures.
- 3. DRDAs secure inter-sectoral and inter-departmental coordination and cooperation for effective implementation of anti-poverty programmes.
- 4. DRDAs watch over and ensure effective utilization of the funds intended for anti-poverty programmes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 3 and 4 are correct (b). The District Rural Development Agency is the district-level body that coordinates departments, banks and agencies for anti-poverty programmes (3) and monitors the use of funds meant for them (4). Statement 1 is wrong: a DRDA is not a Panchayati Raj institution; it is a registered society, often chaired by the Zila Parishad head or Collector. Statement 2 is wrong: it is not a research body that studies the causes of poverty and malnutrition. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the later change: from April 2022, the separate DRDA administration scheme was merged, and DRDAs were folded into Zila Parishads or district rural development cells in most states, to strengthen panchayats. Trap: 'scientific study' sounds impressive but is not its role.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) are related to investment in a country. Which one of the following statements best represents an important difference between the two ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Option (b) best states the difference. FII (now called Foreign Portfolio Investment) buys shares and bonds across the market, so it adds to capital in general, but it can leave quickly, which is why it is called 'hot money'. FDI goes into a particular firm or sector, usually with a lasting stake (10% or more), and brings technology and management. (a) is reversed: FDI, not FII, brings skills. (c) is wrong: FIIs mostly trade in the secondary market, and FDI is not limited to it. (d) is reversed: FDI is the more stable flow.
Notice the policy angle: India prefers FDI for long-term growth and watches FPI flows for currency volatility. Trap: options (a) and (d) swap the two terms.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Why is the offering of “teaser loans” by commercial banks a cause of economic concern ?
- 1. The teaser loans are considered to be an aspect of sub-prime lending and banks may be exposed to the risk of defaulters in future.
- 2. In India, the teaser loans are mostly given to inexperienced entrepreneurs to set up manufacturing or export units.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 only is correct (a). Teaser loans were home loans with a low fixed rate for the first few years, after which the rate reset sharply higher. Borrowers who qualified only at the low rate might default later, a risk similar to sub-prime lending that caused the 2008 US crisis (1). The RBI therefore raised provisioning and risk weights on such loans in 2010–11. Statement 2 is wrong: they were housing loans to individuals, not loans to new entrepreneurs or export units. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the wider lesson: lending based on rising house prices rather than repayment capacity creates bubbles. Trap: statement 2 invents a borrower group to make it sound developmental.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to “Aam Admi Bima Yojana”, consider the following statements :
- 1. The member insured under the scheme must be the head of the family or an earning member of the family in a rural landless household.
- 2. The member insured must be in the age group of 30 to 65 years.
- 3. There is a provision for free scholarship for up to two children of the insured who are studying between classes 9 and 12.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). Aam Admi Bima Yojana (2007, run by LIC) insured the head or an earning member of a rural landless household (1), and its add-on Shiksha Sahyog Yojana paid a scholarship to up to two children studying in classes 9 to 12 (3). Statement 2 is wrong: the age band was 18 to 59 years, not 30 to 65. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the later history: AABY was merged with the Janashree Bima Yojana and, from 2017–18, its cover shifted to the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana (both 2015). Trap: age bands are a favourite way UPSC makes a scheme statement wrong.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In the context of Indian economy, consider the following statements :
- 1. The growth rate of GDP has steadily increased in the last five years.
- 2. The growth rate in per capita income has steadily increased in the last five years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). In the five years to 2010–11, India's GDP growth did not rise steadily: it was about 9.6% in 2006–07 and 9.3% in 2007–08, then fell to about 6.7% in 2008–09 after the global financial crisis, before recovering to around 8–9%. Per capita income growth followed the same ups and downs (2). So (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the method: UPSC often uses 'steadily' to test whether you know a dip occurred. GDP data have since been revised to the 2011–12 base, and a new 2022–23 base series is being introduced. Per capita income growth is roughly GDP growth minus population growth. Trap: high average growth is not the same as steady increase.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In the context of global oil prices, “Brent crude oil” is frequently referred to in the news. What does this term imply ?
- 1. It is a major classification of crude oil.
- 2. It is sourced from North Sea.
- 3. It does not contain sulphur.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (b). Brent is a major classification and benchmark grade of crude oil (1), drawn from oilfields in the North Sea between Britain and Norway (2). About two-thirds of world crude is priced against it. Statement 3 is wrong: Brent is 'sweet', meaning low in sulphur (about 0.4%), not sulphur-free; no natural crude is entirely free of sulphur. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the other benchmarks: WTI (West Texas Intermediate, US) is lighter and sweeter than Brent, Dubai/Oman is a medium sour benchmark for Asian buyers, and India tracks the Indian Basket (mostly sour Gulf crude). Trap: 'low sulphur' is quietly turned into 'no sulphur'.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In India, which of the following have the highest share in the disbursement of credit to agriculture and allied activities ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Commercial banks is correct (a). Scheduled commercial banks give the largest share of agricultural credit, roughly three-quarters or more, far ahead of cooperative banks (b), Regional Rural Banks (c) and microfinance institutions (d). Cooperatives led in the early decades, but commercial banks overtook them after bank nationalisation (1969, 1980) and the priority-sector lending rule that 18% of credit must go to agriculture.
Notice the delivery tools: the Kisan Credit Card (1998), interest subvention for short-term crop loans, and the agricultural credit target, which crossed ₹27 lakh crore for 2024–25. RRBs were amalgamated under 'One State One RRB', down to 28 RRBs from May 2025. Trap: cooperatives sound most 'rural', but their share has shrunk.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
India has experienced persistent and high food inflation in the recent past. What could be the reasons ?
- 1. Due to a gradual switchover to the cultivation of commercial crops, the area under the cultivation of food grains has steadily decreased in the last five years by about 30%.
- 2. As a consequence of increasing incomes, the consumption patterns of the people have undergone a significant change.
- 3. The food supply chain has structural constraints.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). As incomes rose in the 2000s, people shifted their diets towards protein-rich foods, milk, eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables, whose supply did not keep pace, pushing up prices (2). The food supply chain had structural constraints: poor storage and cold chains, many middlemen, APMC market restrictions and wastage (3). Statement 1 is wrong: the area under foodgrains did not fall by 30% in five years; it stayed roughly steady at about 120-125 million hectares. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the policy response over the years: e-NAM (2016), the Operation Greens scheme for tomato, onion and potato, cold-chain support under PM Kisan SAMPADA, and buffer stocks of pulses and onions. CPI food inflation is measured through the Consumer Food Price Index. Trap: an exaggerated figure like '30%' usually signals a false statement.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With what purpose is the Government of India promoting the concept of “Mega Food Parks” ?
- 1. To provide good infrastructure facilities for the food processing industry.
- 2. To increase the processing of perishable items and reduce wastage.
- 3. To provide emerging and eco-friendly food processing technologies to entrepreneurs.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct as per UPSC's key (b). The Mega Food Park scheme (Ministry of Food Processing Industries, 2008) built shared infrastructure such as cold chains, warehouses and processing centres on a cluster model (1), so that more perishables are processed near farms and less is wasted (2). Statement 3 is not a stated aim: the scheme gives infrastructure, not technology supply to entrepreneurs. So (a), (c) and (d) fail; the line is fine, so treat the key as convention.
Notice the later history: Mega Food Parks became part of PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (2017), and no new parks have been sanctioned since 2020–21; focus moved to PLI for food processing and the PMFME scheme for micro units.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following can aid in furthering the Government’s objective of inclusive growth ?
- 1. Promoting Self-Help Groups
- 2. Promoting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
- 3. Implementing the Right to Education Act
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
All three are correct (d). Inclusive growth, the theme of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007–12), means growth whose gains reach the poor and excluded. Self-Help Groups give women and the poor credit, savings and income (1). MSMEs create jobs on a large scale and spread industry beyond big cities (2). The Right to Education Act, 2009 builds the skills that let people share in growth (3). So options (a), (b) and (c) leave out real tools.
Notice the present versions: DAY-NRLM links about 10 crore women to SHGs, the Udyam portal registers MSMEs, and the NEP 2020 builds on the RTE. The 12th Plan's theme was 'faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth'. Trap: inclusive growth is about broad access, so all three fit.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In terms of economy, the visit by foreign nationals to witness the XIX Common Wealth Games in India amounted to
Answer (a) & explanation
The answer is (a), export. When foreign nationals came to watch the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and spent money on hotels, tickets, transport and food, India was selling them services and earning foreign exchange. In the balance of payments, spending by foreign tourists in India counts as an export of services under the current account, even though the goods and services never leave the country. It is not an import (b), which would be Indians spending abroad. Production (c) and consumption (d) do not describe the transaction from the external-sector angle.
Notice the rule: what matters is the direction of money. Money flowing in for goods or services = export; money flowing out = import. Similarly, foreign students studying in India, foreign patients under medical tourism, and IT services to foreign clients are all exports. India's services exports crossed about US$ 387 billion in 2024-25.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
All revenues received by the Union Government by way of taxes and other receipts for the conduct of Government business are credited to the
Answer (c) & explanation
Consolidated Fund of India is correct (c). Under Article 266(1), all revenues of the Union, all loans it raises and all loan repayments it receives are credited to the Consolidated Fund of India. (a) is wrong: the Contingency Fund (Article 267) is a small emergency reserve, now ₹30,000 crore, placed at the President's disposal. (b) is wrong: the Public Account (Article 266(2)) holds money the government only keeps for others, such as provident funds and small savings. (d) is wrong: deposits and advances are a section within the Public Account.
Notice the rule: withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund need Parliament's vote, while Public Account payments do not. Trap: 'all receipts' points only to the Consolidated Fund.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Why is the Government of India disinvesting its equity in the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) ?
- 1. The Government intends to use the revenue earned from the disinvestment mainly to pay back the external debt.
- 2. The Government no longer intends to retain the management control of the CPSEs.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). Statement 1 is wrong: in 2011, disinvestment money went into the National Investment Fund (2005) and was used for social-sector schemes and capital spending, not to repay external debt, which is small and long-term for India. Statement 2 is wrong: the policy then was to sell minority stakes while keeping at least 51% and management control. So (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the later shift: the New PSE Policy (2021) keeps a minimal presence in four strategic sectors and allows strategic sale with transfer of control elsewhere, as with Air India to Tata (2022). The Department of Disinvestment became DIPAM in 2016. Trap: statement 2 describes today's strategic sales, not the 2011 policy.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following statements appropriately describes the “fiscal stimulus” ?
Answer (b) & explanation
The answer is (b). A fiscal stimulus is an intense, deliberate action by the government to boost economic activity, mainly by increasing public spending and/or cutting taxes, so that demand, output and jobs rise during a slowdown. India used it after the 2008 global financial crisis through excise duty cuts and higher spending, and again in 2020 with the Atmanirbhar Bharat packages during COVID-19. Option (a) is too narrow, limiting it to manufacturing, and links it to a demand surge, when stimulus is used in a slowdown. Option (c) describes farm credit, and (d) financial inclusion, which are separate policies.
Notice the difference: fiscal policy uses government spending and taxes, managed by the Finance Ministry; monetary policy uses interest rates and money supply, managed by the RBI. A stimulus raises the fiscal deficit in the short run, which the FRBM Act tries to keep in check.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to people of low-income groups. This includes both the consumers and the self-employed. The service/services rendered under microfinance is/are :
- 1. Credit facilities
- 2. Savings facilities
- 3. Insurance facilities
- 4. Fund Transfer facilities
Select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists :
Answer (d) & explanation
All four are correct (d). Microfinance is more than small loans: it brings the full basket of financial services to low-income people, including credit (1), savings (2), insurance (3) and fund transfer or remittances (4). So options (a), (b) and (c) are too narrow. India delivers these through self-help groups, the SHG–Bank Linkage Programme (NABARD, 1992), NBFC-MFIs and Small Finance Banks.
Notice the wider idea: Muhammad Yunus's Grameen Bank (Nobel Peace Prize 2006) popularised group lending without collateral. The RBI's 2022 framework treats any collateral-free loan to households earning up to ₹3 lakh a year as microfinance. Trap: equating microfinance with microcredit only.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Economic growth is usually coupled with
Answer (b) & explanation
Inflation is correct (b). When an economy grows, incomes and demand rise faster than supply can adjust, so prices usually rise moderately. This mild inflation often comes with growth; the Phillips curve idea links lower unemployment to higher inflation. (a) is wrong: deflation, a fall in prices, usually comes with slumps. (c) is wrong: stagflation means low growth with high inflation, the opposite of growth. (d) is wrong: hyperinflation is a runaway rise in prices, a breakdown, not normal growth.
Notice India's framework: the RBI targets 4% CPI inflation with a band of 2–6% under the flexible inflation targeting regime (2016), now retained for 2026–31. Trap: 'usually coupled' asks for the typical, moderate case.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following actions which the Government can take :
- 1. Devaluing the domestic currency.
- 2. Reduction in the export subsidy.
- 3. Adopting suitable policies which attract greater FDI and more funds from FIIs.
Which of the above action/actions can help in reducing the current account deficit ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Actions 1 and 3 are correct (d). Devaluing the rupee makes Indian exports cheaper abroad and imports costlier at home, which tends to narrow the trade gap and so the current account deficit (1). Policies attracting FDI and FII money bring capital inflows that finance the deficit and ease pressure on the rupee (3). Action 2 is wrong: cutting export subsidies makes exports less competitive, which would widen the deficit. So options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the structure: the current account covers trade in goods and services, remittances and income; the capital account covers FDI, FPI and loans. India usually runs a CAD because of large oil and gold imports, offset partly by services exports and remittances, where India is the world's top recipient (about US$ 135 billion in 2024-25). Trap: subsidy cuts hurt exports.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Among the following who are eligible to benefit from the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act” ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Adult members of any rural household is correct (d). MGNREGA (2005) guaranteed 100 days of unskilled manual work a year to every rural household whose adult members volunteered for it. It was universal and demand-driven, with no condition of caste, BPL status or backwardness. So (a), (b) and (c) wrongly add a condition. Work had to be given within 15 days of demand, or an unemployment allowance was due.
Notice the recent change: the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission, Gramin) repealed MGNREGA from 1 July 2026 and raised the guarantee to 125 days per rural household, keeping the same open, demand-based entitlement. Trap: welfare schemes often target BPL, but this one did not.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The lowering of Bank Rate by the Reserve Bank of India leads to
Answer (a) & explanation
More liquidity in the market is correct (a). The Bank Rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to banks on a longer-term basis without collateral of government securities. Cutting it makes borrowing from the RBI cheaper, so banks can lend more at lower rates, and liquidity rises. (b) and (c) are wrong for that reason. (d) is wrong: lower policy rates tend to lower deposit rates, so deposits do not rise because of the cut.
Notice the present practice: the repo rate is now the main policy signal; the Bank Rate is aligned with the Marginal Standing Facility rate (repo + 0.25%) and is used mainly for penal rates. Other tools: CRR, SLR, the Standing Deposit Facility and open market operations. Trap: deposits fall, not rise, when rates are cut.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A rapid increase in the rate of inflation is sometimes attributed to the “base effect”. What is “base effect” ?
Answer (c) & explanation
The answer is (c). Inflation is usually measured as the percentage rise in prices over the same month of the previous year. The base effect is the impact that last year's price level (the base) has on this calculation. If prices were unusually low last year, even a normal rise this year shows up as high inflation; if prices were unusually high last year, this year's inflation looks low. Options (a) and (b) describe real causes of inflation (supply shocks and demand surges), not the statistical base effect, and (d) is wrong because (c) fits.
Notice how often it appears: during 2021, inflation figures looked high partly because prices had crashed during the 2020 lockdown, a classic base effect. The RBI often cites favourable or unfavourable base effects in policy statements. Trap: the base effect is about arithmetic, not new price pressures.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.