TOPIC
GS3
2013–2026
Indian Economy, Growth and Employment — PYQ Trend Intelligence
MATCHES
69
mapped PYQs
What the data shows
In the mapped 2013–2026 GS 3 dataset, 69 questions connect to indian economy, growth and employment across 14 exam years. The highest observed count is 9 in 2013. These counts describe historical coverage, not the probability of a future exam question.
Method: topic hierarchy adapted from the supplied GS1–GS4 topic-map PDFs (2013–2025); questions are linked using MainsBuddy metadata term matching, restricted to GS3. Overlapping themes may include the same question. 2026 questions are mapped as a separate extension beyond the PDFs. Cross-topic matches may occur; these are provisional classifications, not verified question-level PDF mappings.
Questions by year
2026
4
2025
3
2024
5
2023
3
2022
4
2021
4
2020
4
2019
4
2018
4
2017
6
2016
7
2015
6
2014
6
2013
9
Answer-writing intelligence
Directives recorded for mapped questions include Explain, Examine, Discuss, Distinguish, Comment. Compare how the demand changes across years: identify the directive, split the question into its components, and practise within the stated mark allocation.
Mapped previous year questions
- What do you mean by Digital Rupee? In this context, explain the working and progress of India’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
- ‘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.
- Explain the key challenges for India’s energy security. What measures do you suggest for ensuring energy security along with economic growth and sustainability?
- How are startups in India promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and employment? Discuss the global and domestic challenges in their working and suggest suitable measures to overcome these challenges.
- Distinguish between the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) with special reference to India. Why is the IHDI considered a better indicator of inclusive growth?
- 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?
- Explain how the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) can be used as a tool for assessing the fiscal performance of states in India. In what way would it encourage the states to adopt prudent and sustainable fiscal policies?
- Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth?
- 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.
- What is the technology being employed for electronic toll collection on highways? What are its advantages and limitations? What are the proposed changes that will make this process seamless? Would this transition carry any potential hazards?
- 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?
- What is the need for expanding the regional air connectivity in India? In this context, discuss the government's UDAN Scheme and its achievements.
- What is the status of digitalization in the Indian economy? Examine the problems faced in this regard and suggest improvements.
- Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements.
- Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetised economy’. How can care economy be brought into monetised economy through women empowerment?
- Why is Public Private Partnership (PPP) required in infrastructural projects? Examine the role of PPP model in the redevelopment of Railway Stations in India
- Is inclusive growth possible under market economy? State the significance of financial inclusion in achieving economic growth in India.
- “Economic growth in the recent past has been led by increase in labour productivity.” Explain this statement. Suggest the growth pattern that will lead to creation of more jobs without compromising labour productivity.
- Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? Explain.
- Explain the difference between computing methodology of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015.
- Distinguish between Capital Budget and Revenue Budget. Explain the components of both these Budgets.
- Do you agree that the Indian economy has recently experienced V-shaped recovery? Give reasons in support of your answer.
- “Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth.” Discuss in the light of India’s experience.
- Explain intra-generational and inter-generational issues of equity from the perspective of inclusive growth and sustainable development.
- Define potential GDP and explain its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realizing its potential GDP?
- Explain the meaning of investment in an economy in terms of capital formation. Discuss the factors to be considered while designing a concession agreement between a public entity and a private entity.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- It is argued that the strategy of inclusive growth is intended to meet the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability together. Comment on this statement.
- The public expenditure management is a challenge to the Government of India in the context of budget making during the post-liberalization period. Clarify it.
- “Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Comment on the progress made in India in this regard.
- Comment on the important changes introduced in respect of the Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LCGT) and Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) in the Union Budget for 2018-2019.
- How are the principles followed by the NITI Aayog different from those followed by the erstwhile Planning Commission in India?
- With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy.
- Among several factors for India’s potential growth, savings rate is the most effective one. Do you agree? What are the other factors available for growth potential?
- 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 capital-intensive exports.
- Examine the development of Airports in India through joint ventures under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. What are the challenges faced by the authorities in this regard?
- One of the intended objectives of the Union Budget 2017-18 is to ‘transform, energise and clean India’. Analyse the measures proposed in the Budget 2017-18 to achieve the objective.
- “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 of increasing the industrial growth rate?
- What are the salient features of ‘inclusive growth’? Has India been experiencing such a growth process? Analyse and suggest measures for inclusive growth.
- How has globalization led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country?
- Justify the need for FDI for the development of the Indian economy. Why is there a gap between MOUs signed and actual FDIs? Suggest remedial steps to be taken for increasing actual FDIs in India.
- Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is necessary for bringing the unbanked to the institutional finance fold. Do you agree with this for financial inclusion of the poorer section of Indian society? Give arguments to justify your opinion.
- What are ‘Smart Cities’? Examine their relevance for urban development in India. Will it increase rural-urban differences? Give arguments for ‘Smart Villages’ in the light of PURA and RURBAN Mission.
- Comment on the challenges for inclusive growth which include careless and useless manpower in the Indian context. Suggest measures to be taken for facing these challenges.
- Women empowerment in India needs gender budgeting. What are the requirements and status of gender budgeting in the Indian context?
- Give an account of the current status and targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss briefly the importance of the National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
- The nature of economic growth in India in recent times is often described as jobless growth. Do you agree with this view? Give arguments in favour of your answer.
- Craze for gold in Indians has led to a surge in import of gold in recent years and put pressure on balance of payments and external value of rupee. In view of this, examine the merits of the Gold Monetization Scheme.
- Livestock rearing has a big potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas. Discuss, suggesting suitable measures to promote this sector in India.
- ‘Success of Make in India programme depends on the success of Skill India programme and radical labour reforms.’ Discuss with logical arguments.
- There is a clear acknowledgement that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are a tool of industrial development, manufacturing and exports. Recognising this potential, the whole instrumentality of SEZs requires augmentation. Discuss issues plaguing their success with respect to taxation, governing laws and administration.
- To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment cost and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does the trend have for thermal power producers and related industry?
- Normally countries shift from agriculture to industry and later to services, but India shifted directly from agriculture to services. What are the reasons for the huge growth of services vis-a-vis industry? Can India become a developed country without a strong industrial base?
- While we flaunt India’s demographic dividend, we ignore dropping rates of employability. What are we missing? Where will the jobs that India desperately needs come from? Explain.
- Capitalism has guided the world economy to unprecedented prosperity. However, it often encourages short-sightedness and contributes to wide disparities between rich and poor. In this light, would it be correct to believe and adopt capitalism for bringing inclusive growth in India? Discuss.
- National Urban Transport Policy emphasises on ‘moving people’ instead of ‘moving vehicles’. Discuss critically the success of various Government strategies in this regard.
- Explain how Public-Private Partnership arrangements in long-gestation infrastructure projects can transfer unsustainable liabilities to the future. What arrangements need to be put in place to ensure that successive generations’ capacities are not compromised?
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the defence sector is now set to be liberalized. What influence is this expected to have on Indian defence and economy in the short and long run?
- With a consideration towards the strategy of inclusive growth, the new Companies Bill, 2013 has indirectly made CSR a mandatory obligation. Discuss challenges expected in its implementation in right earnest. Also discuss other provisions in the Bill and their implications.
- What were the reasons for introduction of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003? Discuss critically its salient features and their effectiveness.
- What is the meaning of the term ‘tax expenditure’? Taking housing sector as an example, discuss how it influences budgetary policies of government.
- Examine the impact of liberalization on companies owned by Indians. Are they competing with MNCs satisfactorily? Discuss.
- Discuss the impact of FDI entry into multi-brand retail sector on supply chain management in commodity trade pattern of the economy.
- Though India allowed FDI in multi-brand retail through the joint venture route in September 2012, the FDI, even after a year, has not picked up. Discuss the reasons.
- Discuss the rationale for introducing Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Bring out critically the reasons for delay in roll out of its regime.
- Write a note on India’s green energy corridor to alleviate the problem of conventional energy.
- Adoption of PPP model for infrastructure development of the country has not been free of criticism. Critically discuss pros and cons of the model.
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