UPSC Mains 2024 Economics Optional Paper I questions

28 questions from the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2024. Official UPSC paper (PDF) · All Economics Optional PYQs

1. Differentiate between perceived demand curve and proportional demand curve in a monopolistic competitive market. Explain why the proportional demand curve is steeper than the perceived demand curve.

2. Discuss critically the phenomenon of classical dichotomy.

3. Show that ad valorem tax is preferable to specific sales tax from a firm's point of view in generating the same level of tax revenue.

4. Examine the role of treasury bills in controlling money supply.

5. Write down the major assumptions behind Neoclassical Loanable Funds Theory of Interest.

6. Derive Pareto optimality conditions in production in a two commodities-two factors-two producers framework. Show that Pareto optimality does not necessarily guarantee for equity.

   20 marks

7. Write down the behavioural assumptions used in Marshallian and Walrasian approaches of market stability. Show that these two approaches become conflicting when both the demand and supply curves are positively sloped.

   5 marks

8. Describe the short-run and long-run equilibrium of a firm ung monopolistic competition.

   5 marks

9. Explain the concept of underemployment equilibrium with graphical illustration. Why full employment cannot be reached automatically in Keynes' approach? Analyse.

   20 marks

10. Calculate the equilibrium national income and interest rate (r) by using an appropriate macroeconomic model from the information given below: Aggregate saving function: s=-40+0-5(Y —-T)+0-25r Tax function: T=20+0-2Y Investment function: J=20-0-25r Money demand function: L =0-4Y-0-5r Aggregate money supply: M =40 (rupees in crore); How will the equilibrium values change when money supply is increased by? 20 crore?

    5 marks

11. Critically analyse classical theory of interest.

    5 marks

12. Describe the mechanism of credit creation by commercial banks and its implications on multiplier effect. Analyse some of the limitations that can jeopardise the implications on multiplier effect.

    20 marks

13. Distir suish between public goods and private goods. Explain how market failure >ccurs in the case of public goods. 7+8=5 What 3

14. What is the difference between Fisher's theory and Cambridge cash balance approach to quantity theory of money? What is the criticism of each? Which one is more relevant in present context? Justify.

    5 marks

15. Critically examine 'per capita' GDP as a crude indicator of development.

16. Explain managed floating and sterilized interventions for exchange rate.

17. Discuss how carbon trading is helpful in reducing environmental degradation.

18. "Higher tariffs do not increase employment, they just redistribute the unemployed." Do you agree with the statement? Explain.

19. Explain how the equilibrium terms of trade are determined by using offer curves of the trading partners.

20. Discuss the elasticity approach and absorption approach for adjustments in balance of payments.

    20 marks

21. By using Stolper-Samuelson theorem, discuss the possible effects of free trade on income inequalities in developing countries.

22. Explain how the elasticity of demand for foreign exchange is influenced by the elasticity of home demand for imports and by the elasticity of home supply of import-competing goods.

    5 marks

23. Explain how the structural transformation, in the economy, takes place with surplus labour as per Lewis theory of economic development.

    20 marks

24. What are the advantages and disadvantages of public-private partnership model for economic development? What are the key prerequisites for success of PPP model? Explain giving examples.

    5 marks

25. Discuss the issues (pros and cons) in the debate over import substitution and export promotion strategy for developing countries. Which strategy would you favour and why? Explain.

    5 marks

26. Describe the major components used in Human Development Index (HDI) by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Write down the methodological limitations of this index. Suggest appropriate method to eliminate these limitations.

    20 marks

27. Discuss the inverted 'U' shaped hypothesis by Kuznets in describing the relationship between inequality and economic growth. How is this hypothesis useful for developing countries?

    5 marks

28. Distinguish between warranted rate of growth and natural rate of growth. Explain how knife-edge instability problem occurs in Harrod's model of economic growth.