Planning, growth, employment

Current affairs on this topic 27

• One year of two-slab GST: Finance Minister cites a wider base and higher collections 5 October 2026

  Rates were cut, yet collections rose 11.6%. Is that proof the reform worked, or simply the government's own scorecard?

• Op-ed: In a trade deal with the US, India should value terms that are hard to reverse 5 October 2026

  India's concessions would be permanent; America's tariff rate can change overnight. What should India ask for instead?

• Op-ed: India's factories are growing, but not creating jobs at the scale needed 2 October 2026

  Factory output and wage bills are rising. So why are most non-farm workers still in informal units?

• Industrial output grows 8% in August 2026, but consumer non-durables lag at 2.1% 29 September 2026

  Factories are humming and capital goods are up 16.9%. So why are everyday consumer goods barely growing?

• RBI's listing rule for large NBFCs and the Tata Sons debate 28 September 2026

  Why should a privately held holding company be forced onto the stock market?

• Centre and banks to settle UPI subsidy once merchant charges begin 26 September 2026

  If large merchants start paying for UPI, how much should the government still subsidise it?

• Make in India turns 12 with a patchy scorecard 25 September 2026

  Output grew. Did manufacturing's share of jobs and exports?

• What are the alternatives to the SWIFT payment system? 25 September 2026

  When a messaging network becomes a sanctions tool, countries build their own.

• India and the EU to sign their trade deal on 16 December 24 September 2026

  Negotiated for nearly two decades, closed in January. What does India actually get?

• Trump extends the $100,000 H-1B fee by a year and orders tighter vetting of employers 20 September 2026

  Outsourcing firms' H-1B registrations fell 92% in a year. Is the $100,000 fee here to stay?

• RBI may raise rates twice by the end of 2026, analysts say 19 September 2026

  Inflation is back in the conversation. Why a rate hike now?

• EPFO wage ceiling raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month 18 September 2026

  About 51 lakh more workers brought under mandatory provident fund and pension cover.

• PM Vishwakarma completes three years 18 September 2026

  30 lakh artisans registered. Only about 6 lakh got loans.

• Op-ed: Section 9D of mining law curbs States' mineral taxes, undercutting a 2024 verdict 17 September 2026

  The Supreme Court said States may tax mineral land. Can Parliament make that power depend on Central conditions?

• Unemployment steady at 5% in August 2026 as rural rate falls to 4.1%, says PLFS 16 September 2026

  More people are working in villages, but urban joblessness is stuck near 7%. What does the monthly survey show?

• After a 99.97% haircut order, IBBI proposes safeguards in personal guarantor insolvency 15 September 2026

  Claims of ₹22,006 crore settled for ₹6.5 crore. What stops a guarantor's friends from voting the deal through?

• India-EU trade deal: a 1.64 million tonne steel quota for India, a car quota for the EU 14 September 2026

  India sends about 4 million tonnes of steel to Europe a year. Only 1.64 million tonnes get a quota. What about the rest?

• NSO releases first district-level estimates of the unincorporated non-farm sector 11 September 2026

  Women are 78% of informal workers in Telangana's Nirmal but 6.7% in Rudraprayag. What does district data change?

• Op-ed: Fast growth, weak jobs and India's risk of a middle-income trap 11 September 2026

  India is the fastest-growing major economy. Why do some economists still fear it could stall before it gets rich?

• Producer prices and double deflation: what changed in India's new GDP series 10 September 2026

  Can real growth outrun nominal growth? In the new GDP series it sometimes can. Here is why.

• UK recognises India's carbon credit trading scheme under its carbon border tax 8 September 2026

  Can a carbon market at home cut the border tax that Indian steel and aluminium will pay in Britain?

• Ten years of inflation targeting: does the RBI's framework work in India? 7 September 2026

  If faster growth barely moves prices in India, can raising the repo rate tame inflation without hurting output?

• Why is BRICS exploring its own cross-border payment links? 6 September 2026

  Can linking national payment systems make trade cheaper without a showdown over the dollar?

• As India revises its Model BIT, an op-ed seeks consultation and Parliament's scrutiny 5 September 2026

  India's investment treaty template is being rewritten. Who gets a say before the Cabinet signs off?

• RBI's special forex swap window draws $136.38 billion, led by FCNR(B) deposits 3 September 2026

  The RBI pulled in over $136 billion to steady the rupee. What happens when it has to give the dollars back?

• India's current account deficit widens to $4.2 billion in April-June 2026 2 September 2026

  Services and remittances grew, so why did the balance of payments slip into an $8.1 billion deficit?

• GDP grows 7.8% in April-June 2026, beating the RBI's 7% projection 1 September 2026

  Investment jumped and factories sped up, but farm growth slowed. How durable is 7.8%?

Background from the reference shelf

• MGNREGA
• PM Vishwakarma
• Urjit Patel Committee

Previous-year questions 20

1. 2026 · GS3 · 10 marks Examine the view that financial inclusion is an integral part of social and economic inclusion in a country like India. Also throw light on the usefulness of the R.B.I.'s Financial Inclusion Index.
2. 2026 · GS3 · 10 marks What do you mean by Digital Rupee? In this context, explain the working and progress of India's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
3. 2025 · GS3 · 10 marks What are the challenges before the Indian economy when the world is moving away from free trade and multilateralism to protectionism and bilateralism? How can these challenges be met?
4. 2025 · GS3 · 15 marks Discuss the rationale of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. What are its achievements? In what way can the functioning and outcomes of the scheme be improved?
5. 2024 · GS3 · 10 marks What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.
6. 2024 · GS3 · 15 marks Discuss the merits and demerits of the four 'Labour Codes' in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard?
7. 2023 · GS3 · 10 marks Faster economic growth requires increased share of the manufacturing sector in GDP, particularly of MSMEs. Comment on the present policies of the Government in this regard.
8. 2022 · GS3 · 10 marks Is inclusive growth possible under market economy? State the significance of financial inclusion in achieving economic growth in India.
9. 2020 · GS3 · 15 marks Explain the rationale behind the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act of 2017. How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions?
10. 2019 · GS3 · 10 marks Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017.
11. 2019 · GS3 · 10 marks Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments.
12. 2018 · GS3 · 15 marks How would the recent phenomena of protectionism and currency manipulations in world trade affect macroeconomic stability of India?
13. 2017 · GS3 · 10 marks Account for the failure of manufacturing sector in achieving the goal of labour-intensive exports rather than capital-intensive exports. Suggest measures for more labour-intensive rather than…
14. 2017 · GS3 · 15 marks "Industrial growth rate has lagged behind in the overall growth of Gross-Domestic-Product (GDP) in the post-reform period" Give reasons. How far the recent changes in Industrial Policy are capable…
15. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marks How globalization has led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country?
16. 2016 · GS3 · 12.5 marks Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is necessary for bringing unbanked to the institutional finance fold. Do you agree with this for financial inclusion of the poor section of the Indian society?…
17. 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marks "Success of Make in India program depends on the success of Skill India programme and radical labour reforms." Discuss with logical arguments.
18. 2015 · GS3 · 12.5 marks 'Success of 'Make in India' programme depends on the success of 'Skill India' programme and radical labour reforms.' Discuss with logical arguments.
19. 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marks Normally countries shift from agriculture to industry and then later to services, but India shifted directly from agriculture to services. What are the reasons for the huge growth of services…
20. 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marks Should the pursuit of carbon credits and clean development mechanisms set up under UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the value of a carbon credit? Discuss with…