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Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.
For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.
This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.
Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.
 
Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?
  • a)
    Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 crore
  • b)
    The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy bill
  • c)
    Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.
  • d)
    Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levels
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at...
Refer to the sentence "Raising diesel prices........ deficit under control," given in the first paragraph. It is clear in
this statement that the increase in the diesel subsidy boll has a direct link with the increasing fiscal deficit. Raising diesel prices will lead to a reduction in the diesel subsidy bill and thus will decrease the fiscal deficit. Option b is the answer. Option a is incorrect as it fails to bring in the link between the diesel prices and the fiscal deficit. Option c is incorrect as the passage does not suggest that raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit. Option d is incorrect as it is vague and does not establish the link between diesel prices and fiscal deficit.
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Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, Indias fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the governments highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full years budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside Indias control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBIs stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization, Kaushik Basu said. Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy. To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Consider the following statements:1.Globalization ensures that economies have less autonomy and thus less say in matters of their economic growth.2.The WTO has adversely affected the Indian farmer and the prospects of agricultural goods in the country. With reference to the above passage, which ofthe following assumptions is/are valid?

Directions forthe following 11 (eleven) items:Read the following three passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based on these passages only. Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, Indias fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the governments highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full years budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside Indias control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBIs stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization, Kaushik Basu said. Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy. To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.From the passage, it can be inferred that the main aim of the author is

Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, Indias fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the governments highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full years budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside Indias control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBIs stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization, Kaushik Basu said. Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy. To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following would help explain the relationship between the interest rates and a high fiscal deficit?

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Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2024 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for UPSC. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for UPSC Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Passage 1Any government that runs on a huge fiscal deficit has to, at some point, finance that deficit by creating money through borrowings. When the government does that, there is more money chasing the same number of goods and services in the economy. The result is a hike in prices, or inflation. At 5.1%, India's fiscal deficit is dangerously high, controlling which should have been the government's highest priority. Raising diesel prices by 14% such that the subsidy bill on the fuel falls will help bring this deficit under control. To put that issue in perspective, at Rs.47,800 crore oil subsidies for the first quarter of the current financial year have already exceeded the full year's budgeted figure.For consumers already reeling under a double digit onslaught of food prices, the hike in the diesel prices will hurt, no doubt. Part of this increase can be neutralized, by cutting excise duties on the fuel, for instance. But for successive governments that have been unable to curb spending on vote buying schemes- some of them crucial - or on an inflated and unproductive bureaucracy, the other option is to increase taxes and return to the sky high rates of the coercive 1970s, a regime that is best behind us.This brings us to the next issue: economic growth. With a high fiscal deficit that keeps inflation high, there is no way the RBI will cut interest rates. Even though most ofthe inflationary expectations are coming from goods outside India's control- crude oil imports, a falling rupee and a globally rising food and commodity prices- RBI's stance has been to keep policy rates high so that thousands cut down on discretionary grounds. In the process, home loan EMIs have been rising and along with inflation on one side, scissoring household targets.Making matters more complex is the fact that today the sovereign has very little control over its finances. Like it or nor, India cant and will not grow at 9% if the rest of the world is contracting, thereby closing business opportunities- there, the UPA government is right. "The political power of the sovereign goes down with every move towards globalization," Kaushik Basu said. "Economics has become an instrument of global, political and even military strategy." To illustrate, Indian farmers and businesses get affected by WTO negotiations, Indian workers by ILO negotiations, Indian fiscal policy by G20 communities, Indian markets by QE3.Q.Which of the following best explains why raising diesel prices will control the fiscal deficit?a)Oil subsidies have already exceeded the year's budget by around Rs. 4000 croreb)The raising fiscal deficit linked with the increase in the diesel subsidy billc)Raising diesel prices is the only way to control the fiscal deficit.d)Raising diesel prices will bring in subsequent changes that will help raise inflation levelsCorrect answer is option 'B'. 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