UPSC Prelims 2022·GS1·economy·money and banking

With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: 1. If the inflation is too high, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to buy government securities. 2. If the rupee is rapidly depreciating, RBI is likely to sell dollars in the market. 3. If interest rates in the USA or European Union were to fall, that is likely to induce RBI to buy dollars. Which of the statements given above are correct?

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  1. A1 and 2 only
  2. B2 and 3 onlyCorrect
  3. C1 and 3 only
  4. D1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Let's evaluate each statement: 1. If the inflation is too high, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to buy government securities: To control high inflation, RBI typically aims to reduce the money supply in the economy. Buying government securities (Open Market Operations - OMOs) injects liquidity into the system, which would worsen inflation. Instead, RBI would sell government securities to absorb liquidity. Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect. 2. If the rupee is rapidly depreciating, RBI is likely to sell dollars in the market: When the rupee depreciates rapidly, it means the rupee is losing value against the dollar. To arrest this depreciation and strengthen the rupee, RBI can intervene in the foreign exchange market by selling dollars from its foreign exchange reserves. This increases the supply of dollars and reduces the supply of rupees, thereby supporting the rupee's value. Therefore, statement 2 is correct. 3. If interest rates in the USA or European Union were to fall, that is likely to induce RBI to buy dollars: A fall in interest rates in the USA or EU would make investments in those regions less attractive for global investors. This could lead to capital (dollars) flowing out of those economies and into economies like India, where returns might be relatively higher. An increased inflow of dollars into India would put upward pressure on the rupee (rupee appreciation). To prevent a sharp appreciation of the rupee, which could hurt exports, RBI might intervene by buying dollars from the market, thus injecting rupees and maintaining exchange rate stability. Therefore, statement 3 is correct.
economy: With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements: 1. If the inflation is too high, Reserve Bank o

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