Economy MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Economy - Download Free PDF

Key Points 
As per NITI Aayog structure, Ex-Officio Members are nominated from the Union Council of Ministers.

The Prime Minister is the Chairperson.

In 2025, Ex-Officio members include:

Amit Shah – Union Home Minister

Rajnath Singh – Union Defence Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman – Union Finance Minister

Shivraj Singh Chouhan – Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

These members help coordinate inter-ministerial policy planning.

Key Points :
Report: Fiscal Health Index 2025, released in January 2025 by NITI Aayog.

Odisha topped the index with a score of 67.8 out of 100.

Odisha performed strongly in Debt Sustainability, Primary Balance, and Own Tax Revenue.

The Index evaluates 6 key pillars including Revenue Generation, Expenditure Quality, and Fiscal Prudence.

Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka also performed well but lagged behind Odisha.

States are grouped based on population and fiscal size for fair comparison.

The correct answer is - Balanced Budget – Receipts = Expenditure

Key Points

• Balanced Budget – Receipts = Expenditure
  • A balanced budget occurs when total government revenue (receipts) equals total government spending (expenditure).
  • This situation indicates that the government is not running a deficit (where spending exceeds revenue) or a surplus (where revenue exceeds spending).
  • Balanced budgets are often seen as a sign of fiscal responsibility, as they imply that the government is living within its means.

Additional Information

• Budget Surplus
  • A budget surplus occurs when total government revenue (receipts) exceeds total government spending (expenditure).
  • This surplus indicates that the government has extra funds which can be used to pay down debt, save for future expenses, or fund additional programs.
• Fiscal Deficit
  • A fiscal deficit occurs when a government's total expenditures exceed the revenue that it generates, excluding money from borrowings.
  • It is an indication of the total borrowings required by the government.
• Primary Deficit
  • The primary deficit is the difference between the current year's fiscal deficit and the interest paid on previous borrowings.
  • It indicates the borrowing requirements of the government for its current year's expenditure, excluding interest payments.

The correct answer is - 2) 2 and 3 only

Key Points

• Non-plan expenditure includes defense and subsidies.
  • Non-plan expenditure refers to the expenses incurred on various general services such as defense, interest payments, subsidies, and other operational costs.
  • It is not part of the planned development activities but is necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the government.
• Developmental expenditure is incurred on economic and social services.
  • Developmental expenditure includes spending on sectors like education, healthcare, infrastructure, and other services that contribute to the economic and social development of the country.
  • This type of expenditure is aimed at improving the overall quality of life and economic growth.

Additional Information

• Plan and Non-Plan Expenditure
  • Plan expenditure referred to spending outlined in the government's five-year plans, focusing on developmental projects and schemes.
  • In 2017, India abolished the distinction between plan and non-plan expenditure, replacing it with capital and revenue expenditure.
• Capital Expenditure
  • Capital expenditure involves spending on the creation of assets like infrastructure, schools, hospitals, etc., which have long-term benefits.
  • It is focused on investment in projects that will yield returns over time and is crucial for the nation’s growth and development.

The correct answer is - Increase in public debt

Key Points

• Increase in public debt
  • A continuous rise in fiscal deficit means the government is spending more than it is earning.
  • This leads to an increase in government borrowing to cover the deficit.
  • As borrowing increases, the total public debt also rises.
  • Higher public debt can have long-term economic implications, including higher interest payments and potential challenges in fiscal sustainability.

Additional Information

• Decrease in inflation
  • Inflation is more likely to increase with a higher fiscal deficit due to higher government spending or borrowing.
  • Increased demand from government spending can put upward pressure on prices.
• Fall in government borrowing
  • A continuous rise in fiscal deficit generally leads to higher, not lower, government borrowing.
  • The government needs to borrow more to finance the gap between its expenditures and revenues.
• Increase in budget surplus
  • A budget surplus occurs when revenues exceed expenditures, which is the opposite of a fiscal deficit.
  • A continuous rise in fiscal deficit cannot result in a budget surplus.

The correct answer is Russia.

Key Points

• The constitution of India has borrowed most of its provisions from the constitution of different countries in the world.
• According to Dr B R Ambedkar, the constitution of India has been framed after ransacking all the known constitutions of the world.
• The important provisions borrowed from Russia are:
  • Five-year plan.
  • Fundamental duties.

Additional Information

• The important provisions borrowed from Britain are:
  • Parliamentary form of government
  • Rule of Law.
  • Single Citizenship.
  • Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
  • Bicameralism.
  • Writs.
• The important provisions borrowed from the United States are:
  • Fundamental rights.
  • Preamble.
  • Independence of judiciary.
  • Judicial review.
  • Impeachment.
  • Post of vice-president.
• The important provisions borrowed from Germany:
  • Suspension of Fundamental Rights during the emergency.

The correct answer is Horticulture and Honey.

Key Points

• The Golden Revolution is related to Horticulture and Honey.
• It started in 1991 and lasted till 2003.
• Father of Golden Revolution: Nirpakh Tutaj.
• The Golden Fibre Revolution is related to Jute Production.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Second Five Year Plan.

Key Points

• Second Five-year plan (1956 to 1961)
  • The second plan was conceived in an atmosphere of economic stability.
  • It was felt agriculture could be accorded lower priority. 
  • Industries got more importance in the 2nd five-year plan. The focus was mainly on heavy industries. 
  • The Indian government boosted the manufacturing of industrial goods in the country.
  • This was done primarily to develop the public sector.
  • The Plan Focussed on rapid industrialization- heavy & basic industries.
  • Advocated huge imports through foreign loans.
  • Therefore, the Indian Government adopted a mixed economy during the second five-year plan. Hence, Option 2 is correct.
  • The Industrial Policy 1956 was based on the establishment of a socialistic pattern of society as the goal of economic policy.
  • Acute shortage of forex led to pruning of development targets, the price rise was also seen ( about 30%) vis a vis decline in the earlier Plan & the 2nd FYP was only moderately successful.

Important Points

• The 2nd year five-year plan functioned based on the Mahalanobis model. 
• The Mahalanobis model was propounded by the famous Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the year 1953.
• As many as five steel plants including the ones in Durgapur, Rourkela ,Bhilai were set up as per the 2nd five-year plan. 
• During the term of the 2nd five-year plan, Atomic Energy Commission came into being.
• The Commission was established in the year 1957. 
• During the same period, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was born.

Additional Information

• First Five Year Plan:
  • It was launched from 1951 to 1956, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru. 
  • It was based on the Harrod-Domar model with a few modifications. 
  • Its main focus was on the agricultural development of the country.
  • This plan was successful and achieved a growth rate of 3.6% (more than its target of 2.1%). 
  • At the end of this plan, five IITs were set up in the country. 
• Third Five Year Plan:
  • It was made from 1961 to 1966.
  • It is also called ‘Gadgil Yojna’, after the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission D.R. Gadgil.
  • The target of this plan was to make the economy independent.
  • The stress was laid on agriculture and the improvement in the production of wheat. 
  • India was engaged in two wars: (1) the Sino-India war of 1962 and (2) the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. These wars exposed the weakness in our economy and shifted the focus to the defense industry, the Indian Army, and the stabilization of the price (India witnessed inflation). 
  • The plan was a flop due to wars and drought. The target growth was 5.6% while the achieved growth was 2.4%. 
• Fourth Five Year Plan:
  • Its duration was from 1969 to 1974, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. 
  • The two main objectives of this plan i.e. growth with stability and progressive achievement of self-reliance.
  • Fourteen major Indian banks were nationalized.
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War took place. 
  • Implementation of Family Planning Programmes was amongst major targets of the Plan
  • It failed and could achieve a growth rate of 3.3% only against the target of 5.7%.

The correct answer is Primary sector.

Key Points:

• Activities that generate income are termed as economic activities.
• On the basis of economic activities, the Indian economy can be divided into 3 major sectors that are the primary sector, the secondary sector, and the tertiary sector.
• Dairy comes under the primary sector.
• Primary sector: Primary activities are directly dependent on the environment as these refer to the utilization of the earth’s resources. It, thus includes hunting and gathering, pastoral activities, fishing, apiculture, etc.
• Secondary sector: Secondary activities add value to natural resources by transforming raw materials into valuable products. Therefore, they are concerned with manufacturing, processing and construction industries. For eg: Shoe factory.
• Tertiary sector: Tertiary activities include both production and exchange. The production involves the ‘provision’ of services that are consumed. The exchange involves trade, transport and communication facilities that are used to overcome distance. For eg: Consultancy.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e 1950.

Key Points

• The Planning Commission was an institution which formulated Five-Year Plans in India.
  • Planning Commission set up in 1950.
  • Planning commission was established based on the recommendation of an advisory planning board under the chairmanship of KC Neogy.
  • Headquarters: Yojana Bhavan, New Delhi.
  • Planning commission is only an advisory body.
  • The concept of planning was based on the Russian model introduced by Joseph Stalin.
  • The Prime Minister is the chairman of the planning commission.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru was the first chairman of the planning commission.
  • Deputy chairman of the planning commission was appointed by the Union Cabinet.
  • Gulzarilal Nanda was the first deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
• Narendra Modi government dissolved the Planning Commission in 2014.
• The planning commission was replaced by the newly formed NITI Aayog in 2015.

The correct answer is 1956-61.

Key Points

• 1956-61 was the duration of the Second Five Year Plan.
• The Second Five Year Plan was based on Mahalanobis Model.
• ​Its main focus was on the industrial development of the country.
• P. C. Mahalanobis was a famous Indian statistician who founded the Indian Statistical Institute.
• The plan lagged behind the target growth rate of 4.5% and achieved a growth rate of 4.27%.

Additional Information

• The five-year plans were one of the central plans.
• The plans were formulated and were financed by the central government.
• These were launched in 1951, with the first five-year plans covering the years 1951-56.
• There were three breaks in five-year plans during 1966-69, 1978-80, and 1991-92.
• "Twelfth Five Year Plan" duration is from 2012 to 2017, and it was under the leadership of Manmohan Singh.
• It was the last five-year plan because Niti Aayog replaced it with the planning commission.
• Its main theme was “Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth”.
• Its growth rate target was 8%.​

​

The correct answer is Third five year plan.

Key Points

• The third Five Year Plan was launched from 1961-1966 under the leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • The Deputy Chairman of the Planning commission at the time of the third five-year plan was D. R. Gadgil.
  • The plan was also known as the Gadgil Yojana.
  • The independent economy (establishment of a self-reliant and self-generating economy), agriculture, and improvement in the production of wheat were the major objectives of the plan.
  • The third Five Year Plan was affected due to drought and two wars (Sino-India war of 1962 and Indo-Pakistani war of 1965).

Additional Information

• The First five-year plan 
  • This plan was launched from 1951-1956 under the leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • It was based on the Harrod-Domar model.
  • The targeted growth rate of the plan was 2.1%.
  • The plan was successful and achieved a growth rate of 3.6% which was more than its target.
  • The agricultural development of the country was the major objective of the plan.
  • At the end of this plan, five IITs were set up in the country.
• The second five-year plan
  • ​​​This plan is based on P.C Mahalanobis Model.
  • It was planned from 1 April 1956 to 31 March 1961.
  • It is popularly known as Mahalanobis Plan.
  • The second five-year plan accords high priority to industrialization, and especially to the development of basic and heavy industries.
  • This plan includes substantial investment in iron and steel, coal and Heavy engineering, Machine building, Heavy chemicals, and Cement Industries.​
• ​Fourth-Five year Plan:
  • ​The duration of this Plan is 1969-1974 under the leadership of Indira Gandhi.
  • The two main objectives of this Plan are growth with Stability and Progressive achievement with self-reliance.
  • During this Plan, 14 major Indian Banks were nationalized.
  • At this time, the Indo-Pak war of 1971 and the Bangladesh liberation war took Place.
  • The main emphasis was on the growth rate of agriculture to enable other sectors to move forward.
  • First, two years of the plan saw record production.
  • The last three years did not measure up due to poor monsoon.
  • Implementation of Family Planning Programmes was amongst the major targets of the Plan.

Important Points

The correct answer is Ellora Caves.

Key Points

• In April 2019, RBI issued new Rs. 20 currency notes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) series. 
• The new Rs 20 notes have the signature of the Reserve Bank's Governor.
• The base colour of the new note is Greenish Yellow.
• The new (Rs 20) denomination has the motif of Ellora Caves on the reverse side of the note.
• The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 129 mm.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Custom duties.

Important Points

• The tax imposed on the import and export of commodities is called Custom duties.
• This is a form of foreign trade control and a policy that taxes foreign goods to encourage or protect domestic industry.
• Tariffs may be set (a constant sum per unit of imported goods or a percentage of the price) or variable (the amount varies by price). Import taxation means that consumers are less likely to purchase them because they are more costly.
• An excise tax is an indirect tax on the sale of a particular good or service charged by the Government.
• A VAT (Value-added tax) is a consumption tax that is imposed on a product whenever a value is added at each stage of the supply chain, from production to point of sale.
• Goods and Services Tax(GST) is an Indirect tax on the purchase of goods and services used in India.

The correct answer is Sanchi Stupa.

Key Points 

• Rs 200 note
  • The motif of the new denomination Rs. 200 is Sanchi Stupa on the reverse and its colour is Bright Yellow.
  • The dimension of the banknote is 66 mm*146 mm.
  • It is released on 25 August 2017.
  • The obverse design is of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The Reserve Bank of India has the sole authority to issue banknotes in India except for the one-rupee note which is released by the Ministry of Finance.
• The Government of India is the issuing authority of coins and supplies coins to the Reserve Bank on demand.
• Along with new 200 Rs. note Rs. 2000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20,10 banknotes were also released.

Additional Information