Economics MCQs – Set 16: Economic & Social Development for UPSC/PCS

  1. The Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) is –
    (A) Nominal exchange rate
    (B) Trade-weighted exchange rate adjusted for inflation
    (C) Exchange rate fixed by RBI
    (D) Spot market exchange rate
    Answer: (B)
  2. The Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) in GST context means –
    (A) Rate at which revenue remains constant after GST
    (B) Rate that yields no revenue
    (C) Rate without tax burden
    (D) Fixed subsidy rate
    Answer: (A)
  3. Hick’s compensation principle is used to –
    (A) Assess government budgets
    (B) Compare welfare between two situations
    (C) Determine subsidies
    (D) Measure inflation
    Answer: (B)
  4. Capital adequacy ratio (CAR) is the ratio of –
    (A) Deposits to loans
    (B) Bank’s capital to its risk-weighted assets
    (C) Profit to expenditure
    (D) Capital to cash reserves
    Answer: (B)
  5. The CRISIL index is associated with –
    (A) Stock markets
    (B) Credit ratings
    (C) Government spending
    (D) Agricultural prices
    Answer: (B)
  6. A liquidity trap occurs when –
    (A) Inflation is high
    (B) Interest rate is low and demand for money is perfectly elastic
    (C) Money supply is restricted
    (D) Budget is in surplus
    Answer: (B)
  7. Effective demand in Keynesian theory is determined by –
    (A) AS and AD intersection
    (B) Investment only
    (C) Wage levels
    (D) Full employment
    Answer: (A)
  8. Philips Curve in the long run is –
    (A) Downward sloping
    (B) Vertical
    (C) Horizontal
    (D) U-shaped
    Answer: (B)
  9. Dual economy refers to coexistence of –
    (A) Capitalism and socialism
    (B) Agriculture and industry
    (C) Traditional and modern sectors
    (D) Private and public sectors
    Answer: (C)
  10. Incremental Capital Output Ratio (ICOR) measures –
    (A) Return on investment
    (B) Output generated per unit of additional capital
    (C) Total production
    (D) Labor efficiency
    Answer: (B)
  11. The Golden Rule of accumulation in growth theory refers to –
    (A) Optimal savings rate for maximum consumption
    (B) Equal income distribution
    (C) Balanced trade
    (D) Government spending equals revenue
    Answer: (A)
  12. Base money does not include –
    (A) Currency with public
    (B) Bank deposits with RBI
    (C) Treasury bills
    (D) Vault cash
    Answer: (C)
  13. Moral suasion is a –
    (A) Quantitative tool
    (B) Fiscal measure
    (C) Qualitative tool of monetary policy
    (D) Legal enforcement
    Answer: (C)
  14. Public expenditure multiplier will be higher if –
    (A) MPC is high
    (B) MPC is low
    (C) Tax rate is high
    (D) Government savings rise
    Answer: (A)
  15. A deadweight loss from taxation occurs due to –
    (A) Black money
    (B) Market distortion and efficiency loss
    (C) Inflation
    (D) Transfer payments
    Answer: (B)
  16. The supply of land in the short run is –
    (A) Perfectly elastic
    (B) Inelastic
    (C) Unit elastic
    (D) Negative
    Answer: (B)
  17. Tax incidence depends on –
    (A) Legal liability
    (B) Price elasticity of demand and supply
    (C) Government policy
    (D) Revenue deficit
    Answer: (B)
  18. General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) aims to –
    (A) Encourage tax exemptions
    (B) Prevent aggressive tax planning
    (C) Promote FDI
    (D) Subsidize exports
    Answer: (B)
  19. GDP at factor cost excludes –
    (A) Depreciation
    (B) Indirect taxes
    (C) Subsidies
    (D) Gross profit
    Answer: (B)
  20. Tragedy of the commons occurs because –
    (A) Overexploitation of non-excludable resources
    (B) Underuse of technology
    (C) High taxes
    (D) Budget surplus
    Answer: (A)
  21. Hot money refers to –
    (A) Long-term FDI
    (B) Speculative capital flows
    (C) Government borrowing
    (D) Agricultural subsidies
    Answer: (B)
  22. Adaptive expectations theory assumes –
    (A) Perfect foresight
    (B) Current expectations based on past data
    (C) Rational behavior
    (D) Policy consistency
    Answer: (B)
  23. Structural adjustment programs (SAPs) are linked with –
    (A) WTO
    (B) UNDP
    (C) IMF and World Bank loans
    (D) NITI Aayog
    Answer: (C)
  24. Primary deficit is calculated as –
    (A) Fiscal deficit – interest payments
    (B) Revenue deficit – capital expenditure
    (C) Total expenditure – capital receipts
    (D) Borrowings – subsidies
    Answer: (A)
  25. Net Domestic Product (NDP) =
    (A) GDP – Net exports
    (B) GDP – Depreciation
    (C) GNP – Transfers
    (D) GDP – Fiscal deficit
    Answer: (B)
  26. Open market operations are conducted by RBI to –
    (A) Manage inflation
    (B) Regulate bank capital
    (C) Control foreign trade
    (D) Finance deficit
    Answer: (A)
  27. The working age population in labor force terms refers to –
    (A) 0–14 years
    (B) 15–59 years
    (C) 18–60 years
    (D) 25–65 years
    Answer: (B)
  28. Monetarism emphasizes –
    (A) Fiscal policy
    (B) Government control
    (C) Role of money supply in economic activity
    (D) Deficit financing
    Answer: (C)
  29. Compensating variation measures –
    (A) Wage rate changes
    (B) Cost to maintain utility after a price change
    (C) Savings per capita
    (D) GNP deviation
    Answer: (B)
  30. Dumping in trade refers to –
    (A) Selling below production cost abroad
    (B) Buying in bulk
    (C) Import bans
    (D) Foreign investment restrictions
    Answer: (A)
  31. The money market is a market for –
    (A) Long-term securities
    (B) Real estate
    (C) Short-term funds and instruments
    (D) Currency exchange only
    Answer: (C)
  32. Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) are owned by –
    (A) Private investors
    (B) Central banks
    (C) Governments
    (D) Corporates
    Answer: (C)
  33. Price mechanism under perfect competition ensures –
    (A) Excess demand
    (B) Government intervention
    (C) Efficient resource allocation
    (D) Monopolies
    Answer: (C)
  34. Engel’s Law relates income changes to –
    (A) Exports
    (B) Government spending
    (C) Consumption pattern
    (D) Output growth
    Answer: (C)
  35. Decoupling in global trade implies –
    (A) Increased dependence on global economy
    (B) Domestic economy unaffected by global shocks
    (C) Higher fiscal deficit
    (D) Tightening credit
    Answer: (B)
  36. A perpetuity is a –
    (A) Temporary investment
    (B) Fixed annuity
    (C) Financial instrument with infinite life
    (D) Stock option
    Answer: (C)
  37. Lumpiness in investment refers to –
    (A) Smooth capital flow
    (B) Small investments
    (C) Investments that require large initial cost
    (D) Portfolio diversification
    Answer: (C)
  38. The gig economy primarily involves –
    (A) Contractual and freelance work
    (B) Full-time jobs
    (C) Government services
    (D) Rural employment
    Answer: (A)
  39. Accelerator theory relates –
    (A) Tax growth
    (B) Interest and inflation
    (C) Investment to changes in output
    (D) Capital gains
    Answer: (C)
  40. Inclusive development focuses on –
    (A) GDP only
    (B) Equity and participation across sectors
    (C) Urban industrialization
    (D) Fiscal deficit control
    Answer: (B)
  41. Terms of trade improvement occurs when –
    (A) Export prices fall
    (B) Import prices rise
    (C) Export prices rise relative to import prices
    (D) GDP falls
    Answer: (C)
  42. Harrod’s model has –
    (A) Unique equilibrium
    (B) Multiple growth paths
    (C) Warranted, actual, and natural growth rates
    (D) No capital role
    Answer: (C)
  43. National income at market prices includes –
    (A) Direct taxes
    (B) Net indirect taxes
    (C) Depreciation
    (D) Transfers
    Answer: (B)
  44. Informal sector is characterized by –
    (A) Regular contracts
    (B) Legal benefits
    (C) No written contracts and limited regulation
    (D) Organized employment
    Answer: (C)
  45. Bretton Woods Conference (1944) led to creation of –
    (A) World Bank and IMF
    (B) WTO
    (C) OECD
    (D) UNDP
    Answer: (A)
  46. Money neutrality means –
    (A) Inflation depends on money
    (B) Money supply affects only nominal variables
    (C) Money causes real growth
    (D) Fiscal policy is ineffective
    Answer: (B)
  47. The digital divide in economics refers to –
    (A) Inequality in digital access and use
    (B) Trade imbalance
    (C) Urban–rural income gap
    (D) Global internet governance
    Answer: (A)
  48. Elasticity of intertemporal substitution affects –
    (A) Labor mobility
    (B) Consumption across time
    (C) Investment efficiency
    (D) Wages
    Answer: (B)
  49. Effective revenue deficit =
    (A) Revenue deficit – grants for capital creation
    (B) Revenue deficit – interest
    (C) Fiscal deficit – subsidies
    (D) Budget deficit – taxes
    Answer: (A)
  50. The Kuznets curve hypothesizes –
    (A) Trade grows with GDP
    (B) Inequality first rises, then falls with income
    (C) Consumption rises exponentially
    (D) Investment always declines
    Answer: (B)

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