💥UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (June Batch) + Access XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF

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  • Some Days, You Just Have Nothing – Part 2

    It was heartening to see that a few of you could connect with my day’s ramblings. Sometime such connections are nice to find and great to cherish.

    Also – the other reader who shared her drawing was simply amazing. Baskin Robbins anyday 🙂 I loved the story that she had crafted on that page.

    We all tell stories. Stories are an amazing way to create a sense of reality for ourselves so that we aspire towards a goal.

    I felt so pumped to start reading a subject in the morning and marked 5 chapters which I will cover before noon. I told a positive story to myself, “I am going to cover the executive polity today and will look up for polity tit bits by Dr. V and that would make me a supremo in this section.” but but as luck would have it, I drifted off midway and switched off to history.

    My story changed to, “This subject is so boring and I need to be a bit more diverse in my choices to keep things lively.”

    And this flip flop kept happening which made me re-think this whole boring issue in detail.

    The truth is studies do get boring. There is no glamour in rattofying Lakshmikanth line by line and switching from one subject to another is just escaping from reality. We think we are going to ace the book today and we see ourselves closing the cover page halfway through a chapter.

    The gap between our realities and expectations remind me of this 😉

    But back to serious stuff – how do I undo the boring aspect of studies? How do I brainwash myself into staying put with a boring subject? Anyone with any good, practical advices?

  • Delhi Full Statehood Issue

    source

    Should Delhi be given statehood?

    • Why in news?
    • Background
    • What is the present status of Delhi?
    • Arguments favoring statehood in Delhi
    • Why not to give statehood?
    • The way ahead

    Why in news?

    Recently Supreme Court has sought more clarity on the scope and boundaries of the relationship between the Delhi government and the Centre as at times, both the Centre and Delhi government contest each other’s right to administer and govern the National Capital and demands have been raised to give statehood to Delhi.

    Background

    The elected governments have time and again felt crippled in decision-making as the assembly does not have powers like other state assemblies. All political parties that have been in power in Delhi have lamented this and raised the demand for full statehood for the national capital.

    What is the present status of Delhi?

    • Presently, Delhi enjoys the character of a special Union Territory that has some unique institutions like an elected Legislative Assembly and a High Court.
    • In 1991, the Parliament, through the 69th amendment, introduced Article 239AA (Special Provisions with respect to Delhi) and conferred the right upon the people of the NCT of Delhi to elect their own legislature and government to make laws under certain entries of the state list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and execute these laws respectively.
    • This amendment, however, did not confer full statehood upon Delhi and powers with respect to public order, land and police remained with the Union government.

    Argument favoring statehood to Delhi

    • Two power centres create confusion

    In the current system, power is divided between the chief minister and the Central government through the LG. This dual control creates an inherent tension between the two power centres.

    • Union government exercises immense authority

    Though Delhi Assembly is given the powers to govern and make laws on all but three subjects – public order, police and land but the Union government has been violating this constitutional provision and has been exercising authority on several subjects.

    • Law & order should be the state government’s responsibility

    Delhi Police reports to the Union Home ministry and this ties their hands in ensuring maintenance of law and order in the capital. To avoid the tussle, the Centre can create and deploy a central police force for guarding its buildings and for diplomatic duties. For law and order duties, Delhi’s elected government must be in full command.

    • Delhi’s land cannot be under Centre’s control

    The Delhi government cannot decide on its own the use that the city’s land should be put to. This leads to conflict at times.

    • Delhi does not have its own officers

    Each state of India has its own Public Service Commission that recruits bureaucrats to run the state government’s administrative machinery. Delhi, being a Union territory, does not have a cadre of officers of its own and is part of a common cadre shared with other UTs.

    • It is argued that if Delhi had its own cadre, like all states have, the impasse between the offices of the CM and the LG would not have arisen.
    • National capitals all over the world have sufficient powers
    • Experts say even if some national capitals like Washington DC, London and Paris are not states, all of them have a governance structure that gives the local government legislative, financial and administrative powers. Delhi has none of these.
    • As Delhi expands, clarity over jurisdiction of the local government will become increasingly imperative.
    • Some experts have argued that the assembly should be dissolved and the Centre be given full charge of the national capital. However, the abolition of an assembly once created will mean taking away the democratic rights of the people.

    Why not to give the statehood?

    • Delhi is different than other UTs because as the nation’s capital, it must reflect the best that the country offers. And that is only possible if land-use, zoning plans and building regulations are managed in consonance with the standards expected of a capital city. Parallels cannot be drawn with state capitals like Mumbai, Bangalore or Chennai (although that is constantly being done).
    • Statehood would bring land allocation under the city government, whose concern for the country’s capital would yield to satiating local demands.
    • In the national capital, the protection of dignitaries and the maintenance of public order are the highest priorities. The upkeep of maximum standards of security is how the safety of the capital is judged. An attack on a Union minister or diplomat would guarantee an ‘unsafe’ tag not just for Delhi but the country. So, police cannot be kept solely in the hands of state government.
    • An important point against the grant of statehood to the Delhi is the inability of its city government to bear the cost of police salaries and the pension liabilities of all city government employees, which are today borne entirely by the Centre.
    • It would weaken the case for delegation of authority under various statutes which is feasible and a necessity.

    What’s the way ahead

    • Full statehood will definitely bring better opportunities for the residents of Delhi and financial increments for the government’s budget but not without its own share of responsibilities like provision of top security infrastructure for law & order and internal security
    • From the point of view of the citizens of Delhi, what matters is that systems are transparent and day-to-day work is attended to. This does not need statehood—only good governance

    References:

  • CivilsDigest Ed#7 released – Test Students get a FREE Copy

    Hello,

    It is usually recommended that you be well versed with the current affairs of upto an year back of your Prelims attempt.

    For those appearing for the IAS 2016 Prelims, we advise that you go through with current affairs from August 2015 – July 2016.

    If you have made your current affairs notes, revisit those bullet points. If you haven’t been regular with current affairs, get the back issues of Civilsdigest magazine from our Instamojo store – Click here. 

    We released the CivilsDigest Ed#7 today

    It covers news from May 20 – June19


    If you have joined our Full Length test series which starts on 11th July, you would have received a FREE download link to this latest issue. Please check your email.

    Link to join the test series. The students who join the Full Length TS in the coming days will get their complimentary magazine within 24 hours.

     

     

  • Treat yourself at Baskin Robbins

    Read someone’s diary entry in your blog. And i turned around pages of my diary what i have for july this time. I want to share it with you I have nothing inspiring say but this exam is best thing that ever happened to me for i fell in love with it. This is not everything to me but it’s something which makes me look past the extraneous detail and perceive clearly.

    It changed the way i look at things. I don’t claim anything big why and what i am doing here I am doing it for myself; i am happy about it it’s not mean thing to say.

    This time or the other time even if  it will be like climbing mountain or sailing over sea I will be accomplishing this thing.

    I am in love with its syllabus and will be loving it always.

    PS may irks many but this was not intended to offend any.

    Diary entry of an IAS aspirant


    This post was an email from a reader. Has been kept anonymous for her comfort but we hope this brings some peace to all of you who have had some bad days. If you wish to write to us about your good/ bad days – email us at hello[at]civilsdaily.com

  • Some Days, You Just Have Nothing

    Yesterday wasn’t a great day for me.

    I woke up late after a lot of sleep. Wanted to cover something last night but slept over the open book of Indian Polity, which put me in a down mood. I couldn’t get focused to do any reading in the morning and so attempted the mock 8 only to realise that I need to be more and more active in my revision.

    My scores were lower than what my kind nephew would have got on an entirely random selection of answer choices.

    I then downloaded all the explanations and took a print out for highlighting the tricky portions but did not revise in full again. Sometimes I feel that the gap between my reality and expectations increases at exponential rate. But I am sure that’s the case with most of us. Preparation for 2 years takes a toll and sometime you wonder why this road when I could have pursued my passion in another way. I think I want to teach school kids. But my parents are worried that I should get a boy and be settled soon and then follow my career choices.

    The irony of expectations.

    I did a workout, but couldn’t finish it because my legs hurt. I rode my activa to the reliance fresh and got chocolates, loads of chocolates. I looked up the ranking chart of the mocks and i wondered how the hell can someone get 45+ in these mocks! It’s insane!

    Then I attempted the mock #9 and that went well. Have been following hindu for past 1 year and have followed Dr. V’s blogs on economic survey – hats off to him for finding his sense of purpose in teaching us all!

    Then something inspired me. Was thinking about how he could stay put with the prep for 3 times in a row knowing that some random mark here and there could messup with his attempt and rewind his clock to 0. And if he can do that, so can I.

    Logged back on the laptop and registered for the final mocks. Promised to myself that I will give the final 4 tests with sincerity. Should get back on revision mode. Want to send this diary entry to CD to see if it could help other students feel fine for not scoring a lot! We all have our bad days. Am sure Dr. V had his too.

    Some days, you don’t have anything. But all the other days, you need to run, run and run!


    This post was an email from a reader. Has been kept anonymous for her comfort but we hope this brings some peace to all of you who have had some bad days. If you wish to write to us about your good/ bad days – email us at hello[at]civilsdaily.com

  • Fall 7 times, stand up 8 – Japanese Proverb

    Not everyone has a flawless academic record and experiencing setbacks is okay. Sometimes we get so haunted by one failure, which usually happens to be trivial, that we get too terrified to even try again. But as this proverb suggests, even if you fail seven times, you stand up on the eighth.

    We received a few mails from the test takers saying that the quality of questions at CD is much ahead of those at Vision, Insights, Drishti (hindi) but that sometimes make the test takers feel a bit demotivated of their test taking abilities.

    This post is intended for all those test takers – don’t worry about your wrong attempt in the mocks. Don’t go so hard on yourself. Your actual marks are going to be +10 from what you get here. Make sure you attempt the tests to the fullest abilities and then red the explanations thoroughly. 

    This is the time to get out of Maslow’s basement

    This is Abraham Maslow’s finest creation.

    In his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”, Maslow arranged the motivation factors of our needs and deeds in an order of priority. A psychology student would need no initiation in this but for the rest of us, think of it as the bollywood equivalent of “roti kapda aur makaan”.

    Only after one has his basic needs fulfilled will he think of achieving something for the others or look for nirvana for himself.

    But why on earth are we talking about Maslow?

    Because we want you to get out of the Maslow’s basement, go out and conquer the 5th step of the process. Think of how this translates for an average UPSC candidate –

    Step 1, 2 are the basic preparation steps where you lay out the ground work – read up on NCERTs, get the regular books, make notes etc.

    Step 3 is the social need when you discuss concepts with your peers, exchange views and tips and answer each other queries. You feel like a part of the family at CD when you help each other out and you slowly prepare your grounds for the Step 4

    Step 4 is the testing time folks. Here’s where all that you have been through comes out to give you quick, timely feedback so that you prepare yourself for the FINAL NIRVANA on the Step 5 which is the UPSC day!

    Do not MISS out on this step. Do not go back to the basement levels 1 & 2. This is the time to rise up to the occasion and learn from your mistakes. Don’t fall prey to a false ego hurt which you may receive when you hit a bad score. GET UP and GET GOING!

    Mock #9 is LIVE and it will be closely followed by Mock #10. Both are based on current affairs.

    The Full Length tests are starting on 11th July. These will be close group tests and will be accessible only to the students who register for them. If you haven’t already – REGISTER TODAY.

    Look forward to more participation and more sincere attempts from you all!

  • [Solved] Open discussion for Prelims Mocks #9

    Update:

    The solutions for this mock are now available in a downloadable pdf. Download

    What’s this?

    Discussion blog page for those who just attempted prelims mock #9. Discussion is open for any question which you had a doubt about, brainstorming on ways to arrive at a particular answer, any other interesting tit bit that you may share etc.

    Where are the prelims mocks held?

    Go to the link and start attempting the mocks. Click here. 25 questions each.

    When will the detailed explanations be uploaded?

    Every weekend (on sunday). Look out for this blog again and you will find a google drive link from where you can download the explanation pdfs.

  • UPSC Prelims Economy Trend Analysis: Part 3

    Pre 2012

    1. Consider the following specific stages of demographic transition associated with economic development

    1. Low birthrate with low death rate
    2. High birthrate with high death rate
    3. High birthrate with low death rate

    Select the correct order of the above stages using the codes given below :

    (a) 1, 2, 3

    (b) 2, 1, 3

    (c) 2, 3, 1

    (d) 3, 2, 1

    Theory of demographic transition. Anybody can solve with common sense. Low death rate and low birth rate is population stabilization as in developed world  would be later stage and high death rate would obviously be first

    Learning – TFR needed to achieve population stabilization, delimitation of constituencies and population stabilization , North India v/s South India difference in TFR

    2. To obtain full benefits of demographic dividend, what should India do?

    (a) Promoting skill development

    (b) Introducing more social security schemes

    (c) Reducing infant mortality rate

    (d) Privatization of higher education

    Question on demographic dividend also asked in 2011. hot topic. Common sense topic

    Learning – Demographic dividend, dependency ratio, total factor productivity, CENSUS 2011, sex ratio, child sex ratio etc

    3. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) acts as a bankers’ bank. This would imply which of the following?

    1. Other banks retain their deposits with the RBI.
    2. The RBI lends funds to the commercial banks in times of need.
    3. The RBI advises the commercial banks on monetary matters.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

    (a) 2 and 3 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Functions of RBI asked several times

    4. Under which of the following circumstances may ‘capital gains’ arise?

    1. When there is an increase in the sales of a product
    2. When there is a. natural increase in the value of the property owned
    3. When you purchase a painting and there is a growth in its value due to increase in its popularity

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    • Capital means asset, capital gains means rise in the value of asset.
    • Sale increase is not asset price rise, property value rise is asset value rise, similar is the case with painting

    Learning – Capital gains tax and FII, Security transaction tax

    5. Which of the following measures would result in an increase in the money supply in the economy?

    1. Purchase of government securities from the public by the Central Bank
    2. Deposit of currency in commercial banks by the public
    3. Borrowing by the government from the Central Bank
    4. Sale of government securities to the public by the Central Bank

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 4 only

    (c) 1 and 3

    (d) 2, 3 and 4

    • From the holy bundle
    • 1 and 3 options are similar, only Public and govt are interchanged so net effect would be the same. Both have to be correct or incorrect simultaneously. RBI by securities # give money to people or govt # more money in the market # money supply increased

    6. Which of the following would include Foreign Direct Investment in India?

    1. Subsidiaries of companies in India
    2. Majority foreign equity holding in Indian companies
    3. Companies exclusively financed by foreign companies
    4. Portfolio investment

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

    (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    (b) 2 and 4 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3 only

    • Obviously portfolio investment is FII or FPI not FDI, eliminate 4
    • Now check 4, majority foreign equity holding means ownership, management in foreign hands, clearly FDI

    Learning – FDI v/s FII, Arvind Mayaram committee recommendations, sectors attracting maximum FDI

    7. The price of any currency in international market is decided by the

    1. World Bank
    2. demand for goods/services provided by the country concerned
    3. stability of the government of the concerned country
    4. economic potential of the country in question

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1 and 4 only

    • From the holy bundle
    • 1 is definitely wrong as prices are market determined
    • 2 is definitely correct as prices depend on demand supply
    • Eliminate 1, include 2, you reach the correct answer

    8. The basic aim of Lead Bank Scheme is that:

    (a) big banks should try to open offices in each district

    (b) there should be stiff competition among the various nationalized banks

    (c) individual banks should adopt particular districts for intensive development

    (d) all the banks should make intensive efforts to mobilize deposits

    Lead means leading a district, 1 bank adopting 1 district

    Learning – Local area bank, RRB, NABARD, SIDBI, Cooperative bank

    9. In India, in the overall Index of Industrial Production, the Indices of Eight Core Industries have a combined weight of 37-90%. Which of the following are among those Eight Core Industries?

    1. Cement
    2. Fertilizers
    3. Natural gas
    4. Refinery products
    5. Textiles

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

    (a) 1 and 5 only

    (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

    • Question on core sector asked again in 2015
    • Core is huge likely impact on general economic activity as well as other industrial activity
    • Obviously textile can’t be core, it’s finished thing, not used in other activities
    • Remove textile, look at cement, indicates construction, real estate etc.

    Learning – IIP, Core sector <both with weightage>, organization publishing IIP and Core sector data <different organizations>, volatility and Reforms in IIP

    10. The balance of payments of a country is a systematic record of

    (a) all import and transactions of a during a given period normally a year

    (b) goods exported from a country during a year

    (c) economic transaction between the government of one country to another

    (d) capital movements from one country to another

    From the holy bundle

    Pre 2011

    1. 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?

    (a.) 1 and 2 only

    (b.) 2 and 3 only

    (c.) 1 and 3 only

    (d.) 1, 2 and 3

    1st is obviously wrong. 2 and 3 are correct

    Learning – inflation in food products v/s food articles, Core v/s headline inflation, PDS reform, Shantakumar recommendations

    2. In terms of economy, the visit by foreign nationals to witness the XIX Common Wealth Games in India amounted to

    (a.) Export

    (b.) Import

    (c.) Production

    (d.)Consumption

    Simple, service consumption abroad, India gains forex, tourism is services export <mode 2 as per GATS>

    Learning – all 4 modes of GATS

    3. Which one of the following statements appropriately describes the “fiscal stimulus”?

    (a.) It is a massive investment by the Government in manufacturing sector to ensure the supply of goods to meet the demand surge caused by rapid economic growth

    (b.) It is an intense affirmative action of the Government to boost economic activity in the country

    (c.) It is Government’s intensive action on financial institutions to ensure disbursement of loans to agriculture and allied sectors to promote greater food production and contain food inflation

    (d.) It is an extreme affirmative action by the Government to pursue its policy of financial inclusion

    • From the holy bundle
    • Fiscal stimulus is pump priming the economy to boost growth by increasing the expenditure and slashing the taxes

    4. 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?

    (a.) 1 and 2

    (b.) 2 and 3

    (c.) 3 only

    (d.) 1 and 3

    • From the holy bundle
    • Devaluation makes domestic products cheaper in terms of foreign currency thsu exports increase
    • Reduce export subsidy, exports would obviously decline
    • Eliminate 3

    5. A rapid increase in the rate of inflation is sometimes attributed to the “base effect”. What is “base effect”?

    (a.) It is the impact of drastic deficiency in supply due to failure of crops

    (b.) It is the impact of the surge in demand due to rapid economic growth

    (c.) It is the impact of the price levels of previous year on the calculation of inflation rate

    (d.)None of the statements (a), (b) and (c) ‘given above is correct in this context

    • From the holy bundle
    • Note that base effect and base year are different

    Learning – Base years of CPI, WPI, GDP, IIP

    6. 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?

    (a.) 1 only

    (b.) 2 only

    (c.) Both 1 and 2

    (d.) Neither 1 nor 2

    • Teaser loan is loan which teases i.e at low rates initially with interest rate rising with time.
    • It was one of the main causes of subprime crisis, given to gullible customers

    Learning – Don’t lose too much sleep over this question, This issue was very much in news at that time

    7. 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?

    (a.) 1 only

    (b.) 2 only

    (c.) Both 1 and 2

    (d.) Neither 1 nor 2

    • Asked in 2015 as well
    • Growth rate is never steady. There was financial crisis in 2008 and growth rate had come down
    • If GDP growth rate is not steady, per capita income growth rate would also not be steady

    8. In India, which of the following have the highest share in the disbursement of credit to agriculture and allied activities?

    (a.) Commercial Banks

    (b.) Cooperative Banks

    (c.) Regional Rural Banks

    (d.) Microfinance Institutions

    Commercial banks dominate credit off take in all the sector and even in them Public sector banks

    Learning – RRB, Rural cooperative credit structure, Kisan credit cards

    9. Economic growth is usually coupled with

    (a.) Deflation

    (b.) Inflation

    (c.) Stagflation

    (d.) Hyperinflation

    From the holy bundle

    10. The lowering of Bank Rate by the Reserve Bank of India leads to

    (a.) More liquidity in the market

    (b.) Less liquidity in the market

    (c.) No change in the liquidity in the market

    (d.) Mobilization of more deposits by commercial banks

    From the holy bundle

    11. Which one of the following is not a feature of “Value Added Tax”?

    (a.) It is a multi-point destination-based system of taxation

    (b.) It is a tax levied on value addition at each stage of transaction in the production-distribution chain

    (c.) It is a tax on the final consumption of goods or services and must ultimately be borne by the consumer

    (d.) It is basically a subject of the Central Government and the State Governments are only a facilitator for its successful implementation

    • VAT is your sales tax, imposed and collected by state govt
    • That tax on buying toothapste wala question was an indirect repeat in 2014

    Learning – Concept of GST which is a VAT, Amendment bill, roadblocks

    12. A “closed economy” is an economy in which

    (a.) the money supply is fully controlled

    (b.) deficit financing takes place

    (c.) only exports take place

    (d.) neither exports nor imports take place

    Closed to the world, no trade. India was relatively closed economy before reforms of 1991

    Learning – India’s export, import share in world market, major trading partners, top imports and exports, Foreign trade policy

    13. 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?

    (a.) FII helps bring better management skills and technology, while FDI only brings in capital

    (b.) FII helps in increasing capital availability in general, while FDI only targets specific sectors

    (c.) FDI flows only into the secondary market, while FII targets primary market

    (d.) FII is considered to be more stable than FDI

    • FDI is invested in specific sector say build a nuclear power plant while FII buy shares in stock market and increse liquidity and capital availability in general
    • 1st statement, FDI brings tech and know how, FDI target primary market, FDI is stable, FII is hot money

    14. 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 micro-finance 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:

    (a.) 1 only

    (b.) 1 and 4 only

    (c.) 2 and 3 only

    (d.) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    Obviously all

    Learning – MFI, small banks payment banks

    15. 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:

    (a.) 1 only

    (b.) 1 and 2 only

    (c.) 2 and 3 only

    (d.) 1, 2 and 3

    Obviously all

    16. 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?

    (a.) I only

    (b.) 2 only

    (c.) Both 1 and 2

    (d.) Neither 1 nor 2

    • Divestment money comes in rupees, won’t pay back dollar debt
    • Management control is given up by privatization or strategic sale not divestment

    Learning – Divestment v/s privatization, strategic sale, NIF, sectors reserved for public sector, sectors requiring licenses, sectors reserve for MSEs

    17. India is regarded as a country with “Demographic Dividend”. This is due to:

    (a.) Its high population in the age group below 15 years

    (b.) Its high population in the age group of 15-64 years

    (c.) Its high population in the age group above 65 years

    (d.) Its high total population

    Youth bulge, more population in 15 – 64

  • Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam, 2016 admit card released by UPSC

    Click on the link to download: http://upsconline.nic.in/eadmitcard/upsc_ac2/admitcard_csp_2016/

  • UPSC Prelims Economy Trend Analysis: Part 2

    1. The terms ‘Marginal Standing Facility Rate’ and ‘Net Demand and Time Liabilities’, sometimes appearing in news, are used in relation to

    1. banking operations
    2. communication networking
    3. military strategies
    4. supply and demand of agricultural product

    Simple, from that holy bundle – Economy concepts simplified

    2. What is/are the facility/facilities the beneficiaries can get from the services of Business Correspondent (Bank Saathi) in branchless areas?

    1. It enables the beneficiaries to draw their subsidies and social security benefits in their villages.
    2. It enables the beneficiaries in the rural areas to make deposits and withdrawals.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

    Financial inclusion programme, common sense, both the statements talk about the same thing, deposits and withdrawl

    Learning – Financial inclusion – Swabhimaan, Swavlamban, Jan Dhan Yojana, Atal Pension, Jivan Jyoti Bima, NPS v/s EPF, small bank, payment bank

    3. If the interest rate is decreased in an economy, it will 

    1. decrease the consumption expenditure in the economy
    2. increase the tax collection of the Government
    3. increase the investment expenditure in the economy
    4. increase the total savings in the economy
    • From that holy bundle again
    • Decreased interest rate # low cost of borrowing # more borrowing # more investment # more consumption
    • Decreased rate # less interest # less incentive to deposit your money # less savings

    4. In the context of Indian economy which of the following is/are the purpose/purposes of ‘Statutory Reserve Requirements’?

    1. To enable the Central Bank to control the amount of advances the banks can create
    2. To make the people’s deposits with banks safe and liquid
    3. To prevent the commercial banks from making excessive profits
    4. To force the banks to have sufficient vault cash to meet their day-to-day requirements

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    1. 1 only
    2. 1 and 2 only
    3. 2 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2, 3 and 4
    • From that holy bundle
    • 3 is definitely wrong as to control excess profit, margins would have to be reduced, not CRR, SLR
    • 1 is definitely correct as CRR. SLR is used to control money supply and credit off take
    • 2 may or may not be correct, To make people’s deposit safe, capital adequacy ratio is the norm.
    • UPSC says only 1

    6. With reference to Union Budget, which of the following is/are covered under Non-Plan Expenditure?

    1. Defense -expenditure
    2. Interest payments
    3. Salaries and pensions
    4. Subsidies

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1, 2, 3 and 4
    4. None
    • Covered in titbits, covered in holy bundle
    • Plan expenditure is expenditure according to five year plans i.e development expenditure which is mainly capital expenditure except defense capital as defense capital is not for the developmental expenditure
    • Maintenance expenditure such as wages, pension, interest, military is non plan

    Learning – 14th FC on plan- non plan classification, zero based budgeting, gender budget etc

    7. The sales tax you pay while purchasing a toothpaste is a

    1. tax imposed by the Central Government.
    2. tax imposed by the Central Government but collected by the State Government
    3. tax imposed by the State Government but collected by the Central Government
    4. tax imposed and collected by the State Government
    • Many such questions have been asked.
    • Sales tax is your state VAT. Centre levies tax on production stage i,e central excise while state levies on consumption i.e sales tax
    • On interstate movement, central sales tax is levied and collected by centre but goes to originating state’s kitty
    • Remember there is no tax which is levied by state but collected by centre or which accrue to centre

    Learning – Direct v/s indirect tax, Concept of VAT, octroi,salient provisions of GST and opposition concerns, distribution of tax proceeds, Cess v/s surcharge

    8. The main objective of the 12th Five-Year Plan is

    1. inclusive growth and poverty reductions
    2. inclusive and sustainable growth
    3. sustainable and inclusive growth to reduce unemployment
    4. Faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth

    Learning – Remember theme of all 5 year plans, shift to heavy industry in 2nd , indicative planning in 8th, emergency during which plan?, emphasis on infrastructure during which plan?, garibi Hatao during which plan? Plan holidays. Just 3 points about every plan

    9. What does venture capital mean?

    1. A short-term capital provided to industries
    2. A long-term start-up capital provided to new entrepreneurs
    3. Funds provided to industries at times of incurring losses
    4. Funds provided for replacement and renovation of industries

    Venture capital is for startups.

    Learning – Venture capital v/s Angel investors, Private Equity, Mutual Fund, alternative investment funds under SEBI, chit funds – regulation <just basic understanding>

    10. With reference to Balance of Payments, which of the following constitutes/constitute the Current Account?

    1. Balance of trade
    2. Foreign assets
    3. Balance of invisibles
    4. Special Drawing Right

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3
    3. 1 and 3
    4. 1, 2 and 4
    • Asset is capital, eliminate statement 2, you reach the conclusion
    • Again from the holy bundle

    11. Which of the following organizations brings out the publication known as ‘World Economic Outlook’?

    1. The International Monetary Fund
    2. The United Nations Development Programme
    3. The World Economic Forum
    4. The World Bank

    Reports are very important

    Prelims 2013

    1. The Reserve Bank of India regulates the commercial banks in matters of 

    1. liquidity of assets
    2. branch expansion
    3. merger of banks
    4. winding-up of banks

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

    (a) 1 and 4 only

    (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    • Common sense. RBI doe it all.
    • Please remember that in other companies, mergers and acquisitions are regulated by competition commission of India

    Learning – Role of RBI and Role of CCI

    2. An increase in the Bank Rate generally indicates that the:

    (a) market rate of interest is likely to fall

    (b) Central Bank is no longer making loans to commercial banks

    (c) Central Bank is following an easy money policy

    (d) Central Bank is following a tight money policy

    • From the holy bundle
    • Increase CRR # less money to lend # liquidity tightened # raised interest rate # tight money policy
    • c and d are contradictory, one has to be true

    3. In India, deficit financing is used for raising resources for 

    (a) economic development

    (b) redemption of public debt

    (c) adjusting the balance of  payments

    (d) reducing the foreign debt

    • c and d are useless options, BoP and foreign debt can not be repaid by domestic borrowings
    • Redemption of public debt is by monetizing deficits i.e RBI printing money for he govt # as it’s very inflationary # not followed in India after reforms
    • Govt borrow for economic development

    Learning – Deficit financing, monetizing deficit, Treasury Bill v/s bond, State development bond, Commercial paper v/s certificate of deposit

    4. Which of the following constitute Capital Account?

    1. Foreign Loans
    2. Foreign Direct Investment
    3. Private Remittances
    4. Portfolio Investment

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

    (a) 1, 2 and 3

    (b) 1, 2 and 4

    (c) 2, 3 and 4

    (d) 1, 3 and 4

    • From the holy bundle
    • Remittances do not create any asset or liability, hence included in current account, eliminate that, we get to the right answer

    Learning – Top remittance country order <India, China, Philippines, Mexico, arrange in correct order>, MAx remittance from where, Maximum FDI and FII from which countries and maximum FDI in which sectors

    5. Consider the following statements :

    1. Inflation benefits the debtors.
    2. Inflation benefits the bond-holders.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    • From that holy bundle again
    • Debtor is borrower, bond holder is creditor. Obviously both can’t benefit at the same time or be in loss at the same time so c and d are eliminated.
    • As real interest rate is nominal – inflation, inflation means debtor would have t pay less real interest, thus it benefits debtor
    • That’s the reason, savings decline during inflation as Creditors are harmed

    6. Disguised unemployment generally means 

    (a) large number of people remain unemployed

    (b) alternative employment is not available

    (c) marginal productivity of labour is zero

    (d) productivity of workers is low

    • Disguised means hidden i.e unemployment is hidden i.e people are employed but not actually adding any value i.e marginal productivity is zero
    • For instance, son starts working on the field with father but production remains the same. He is employed but is not adding any extra value

    Learning – Employment and Labour force participation of males and females, Frictional unemployment, structural unemployment, Misery index

    7. Consider the following liquid assets:

    1.Demand deposits with the banks

    2.Time deposits with the banks

    3.Savings deposits with the banks

    4.Currency

    The correct sequence of these decreasing order of Liquidity is

    (a) 1-4-3-2

    (b) 4-3-2-1

    (c) 2-3-1-4

    (d) 4-1-3-2

    • Liquidity is ease of conversion into cash so obviously currency would be most liquid
    • Time deposit i,e your FD – can not withdraw money without paying penalty so least liquid
    • Only option with 4 at 1st place and 2 at last place

    Learning – fiat money, high powered money, broad money, narrow money (M0, M1, M2, M3)

    8. In the context of Indian economy,Open Market Operations’ refers to:

    (a) borrowing by scheduled banks from the RBI

    (b) lending by commercial banks to industry and trade

    (c) purchase and sale of government securities by the RBI

    (d) None of the above

    From the holy bundle

    Learning – Market stabilization scheme, sterilization , automatic sterilization Quantitative easing

    9. Priority Sector Lending by banks in India constitutes the lending to: 

    (a) agriculture

    (b) micro and small enterprises

    (c) weaker sections

    (d) All of the above

    • Simple, can be solved with common sense
    • topic covered in that bundle

    Learning – New PSL norms, Urjit, Nachiket Mor recommendations <not important for prelims but name of committee and terms of reference imp.>

    10. A rise in general level of prices may be caused by:

    1. an increase in the money supply
    2. a decrease in the aggregate level of output
    3. an increase in the effective demand

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    • Again from the bundle
    • Increased demand, decreased supply # apply demand supply principle # price rise
    • Increase money supply # more money chasing same goods # price rise

    11. Which one of the following groups of items is included in India’s foreign-exchange reserves?

    (a) Foreign-currency assets, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and loans from foreign countries

    (b) Foreign-currency assets, gold holdings of the RBI and SDRs

    (c) Foreign-currency assets, loans from the World Bank and SDRs

    (d) Foreign-currency assets, gold holdings of the RBI and loans from the World Bank

    Obviously loan can not be counted in reserves. Eliminate that, answer reached

    Learning – World bank’s concessional lending, IDA v/s IBRD, Forex reserve of RBI, SDR, IMF quota and governance reform

    12. Which one of the following is likely to be the most inflationary in its effect?

    (a) Repayment of public debt

    (b) Borrowing from the public to finance a budget deficit

    (c) Borrowing from banks to finance a budget deficit

    (d) Creating new money to finance a budget deficit

    • From that bundle
    • Obviously printing new money or creating new money out of nowhere would be most inflationary as money is increased without any increase in supply

    13. Supply of money remaining the same when there is an increase in demand for money, there will be

    (a) a fall in the level of prices

    (b) an increase in the rate of interest

    (c) a decrease in the rate of interest

    (d) an increase in the level of income and employment

    • From that holy bundle
    • Increased demand for money # increase price of money # price of money is interest rate
    • b and c are contradictory, one has to be true

    14. Economic growth in country X will necessarily have to occur if

    (a) there is technical progress in the world economy

    (b) there is population growth in X

    (c) there is capital formation in X

    (d) the volume of trade grows in the world economy

    • c and d are happening in world economy so no necessary effect on country X
    • Population growth may be due to children who would not produce anything so no growth
    • Capital formation is investment, investment leads to growth

    15. The national income of a country for a given period is equal to the:

    (a) total value of goods and services produced by the nationals

    (b) sum of total consumption and investment expenditure

    (c) sum of personal income of all individuals

    (d) money value of final goods and services produced

    • GDP, GNP covered in the bundle
    • national income is production by nationals , domestic income production inside the country

    16. Which of the following grants/ grant direct credit assistance to rural households?

    1. Regional Rural Banks
    2. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
    3. Land Development Banks

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    NABARD is regulator, financier to Regional rural banks , Obviously no direct credit offtake

    Learning – NABARD v/s SIDBI, RRB, Cooperative banks

    17. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) acts as a bankers’ bank. This would imply which of the following?

    1. Other banks retain their deposits with the RBI.
    2. The RBI lends funds to the commercial banks in times of need.
    3. The RBI advises the commercial banks on monetary matters.

    Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

    (a) 2 and 3 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    • RBI does all these things. Similar question on RBI functions asked before
    • Learning – Autonomy of RBI, Monetary Policy Committee, Debt management office, FERA v/s FEMA and Panama papers

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