Economics ยท General Awareness
Fiscal Policy and Government Budget
1,089 Questions
Fiscal policy and government budget questions evaluate your knowledge of economic stabilization, public expenditure, and deficit management. These topics are crucial for civil services and banking examinations. Practice these questions to master macroeconomic principles.
Budget deficitsFiscal policy toolsGovernment expenditureExpansionary fiscal policyPublic debt benefits
Fiscal Policy and Government Budget Questions
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To ensure corresponding increase in the supply of goods
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To concentrate on quick yielding projects
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To ensure rise in wages of labourers
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To ensure decrease in tax rates
D
Correct answer
Explanation
It is a precaution that is not to be taken in use of deficit financing.
In the deficit financing, there is extra purchasing power in the hands of people as there is issue of currency. If the tax rates are decreased, it will leave even more purchasing power. Hence, tax rate is not to be decreased at the time of deficit financing so that the prices do not increase further.
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Increase in wasteful expenses
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Increase in inequality
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Increase in cost of projects
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None of these
B
Correct answer
Explanation
It is the biggest ill-effect of deficit financing.
There is inflationary pressure at the time of deficit financing that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. The fix wage earners are badly affected as their wages are not increased and their standard of living goes down. Thus, the gap between the rich and the poor widens, and thus there is increase in inequalities that is the biggest ill-effect of deficit financing because it is an injustice for an economy.
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Increase in government expenditure
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Increase in transfer payments
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Increase in taxes
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Repayment of public debt
C
Correct answer
Explanation
It is not the policy adopted at the time of deflation.
At the time of deflation, there is already a decline in demand, and less purchasing power. If the government increases taxes, it will leave less money and thus less purchasing power in the hands of people. Hence, the demand will decrease further. So, this policy is not adopted at the time of deflation.
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Decrease in tax rates
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Increase in transfer payments
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Borrowing debt from public
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Increase in government expenditure
C
Correct answer
Explanation
It is not an expansionary fiscal policy.
When the debt is borrowed from public, supply of money will be transferred from the hands of public to the government. Hence, the funds or cash in the hands of public will be decreased. Thus, it is not an expansionary fiscal policy.
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Policy of deficit financing
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Policy of regressive taxation
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Policy of non-developmental expenses
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Imposing higher taxes on luxury items
D
Correct answer
Explanation
It restricts the concentration of wealth in fewer hands.
When high tax is imposed on luxury items (which are purchased mainly by the rich), it restricts the concentration of wealth in fewer hands. As the rich can easily pay the higher tax, the revenue is taken from the pockets of the rich and is used for the welfare of the poor.
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Increasing the taxes
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Repaying public debt
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Decreasing transfer payments
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Adopting seigniorage policy
B
Correct answer
Explanation
It is a contractory fiscal policy.
When the public debt borrowed from public is redeemed or repaid back to public, the revenue in the hands of government will decrease. Thus, that policy by which the money, funds or revenue in the hands of government decreases is contractory fiscal policy.
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source of tax revenue for central government
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source of non-tax revenue for central government
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source of non-tax revenue for state government
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none of these
B
Correct answer
Explanation
It is a source of non-tax revenue for central government.
The grant in aid from foreign countries is a financial assistance. This financial assistance is received by central government of India and it is not earned by imposing any tax. The tax is imposed on the citizens of India, but grant in aid is received from foreign countries.
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capital expenditure
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deferred revenue expenditure
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revenue expenditure
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direct expenses
B
Correct answer
Explanation
It is the correct option. These expenditures are called deferred revenue expenditures.
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Development by effective mobilisation of resources
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Efficient allocation of financial resources
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Reduction in inequalities of income and wealth
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Price stability and control of inflation
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Fixing statutory liquidity ratio
E
Correct answer
Explanation
This is not covered under fiscal policy. It is a monetary policy.
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balance from the current revenue
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contribution of the public enterprises
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the government borrowings
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the deficit financing
D
Correct answer
Explanation
Under deficit financing, the government spends more money than it collects as revenue, the difference being made up by borrowing from the Reserve Bank of India by issue of promissory notes.
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Fiscal Deficit minus Interest Payments
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Net Deficit minus Revenue Deficit
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Fiscal Deficit minus Revenue Payments
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Budget Deficit minus Interest Payments
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Primary deficit represents the fiscal deficit minus interest payments on past debt. It shows the government's current year fiscal shortfall excluding debt servicing obligations. Options A and D both mention 'minus Interest Payments', but only A correctly uses Fiscal Deficit as the base (Budget Deficit is an outdated concept).
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Appropriation Bill
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Finance Bill
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Vote on Account
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Money Bill
B
Correct answer
Explanation
The Finance Bill contains all taxation proposals for the financial year because it deals with imposition, abolition, remission, alteration, or regulation of taxes. While Money Bills relate to taxation and government finances generally, the Finance Bill specifically gives effect to the government's taxation proposals announced in the Union Budget. The Appropriation Bill only authorizes government expenditure from the Consolidated Fund.
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fiscal policy
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industrial policy
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monetary policy
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national policy
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Interest rates are set by the central bank (RBI in India) through tools like repo rate, reverse repo rate, and bank rate. This is monetary policy - managing money supply and credit. Fiscal policy deals with government revenue (taxation) and expenditure. Industrial policy regulates specific sectors. There is no 'national policy' as a formal economic framework.
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Market borrowings
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Loans from the State Government
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Loans from the financial institutes
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Loans from Provident Funds
A
Correct answer
Explanation
Market borrowings (issuing government securities, bonds, treasury bills) are the primary source of financing India's gross fiscal deficit. The government borrows from the public, banks, and financial institutions by selling these instruments. While other options contribute, market borrowings constitute the largest share (typically 80%+) of deficit financing. Loans from state governments are negligible (states borrow from center, not vice versa), and other institutional loans are much smaller components.