Chapter 5 Government Budget and The Economy Notes Class 12 - FREE PDF Download
FAQs on Government Budget and The Economy Class 12 Notes: CBSE Economics Chapter 5 (Introductory Macroeconomics)
1. What is a government budget as per the Class 12 Macroeconomics syllabus?
A government budget is an annual financial statement that outlines the estimated government receipts and planned government expenditure for the upcoming fiscal year, which in India runs from April 1st to March 31st. It serves as a comprehensive plan for managing the country's finances according to its economic and social objectives for the 2025-26 session.
2. What are the key objectives of a government budget?
The government budget aims to achieve several key economic and social objectives. For a quick revision, the main goals are:
- Reallocation of Resources: Directing resources towards socially and economically desirable sectors through taxation and subsidies.
- Reducing Inequalities: Using progressive taxation and social welfare spending to lessen the gap between the rich and poor.
- Economic Stability: Controlling inflation or deflation by adjusting government expenditure and taxation (fiscal policy).
- Management of Public Enterprises: Allocating funds and setting policies for government-owned corporations.
- Economic Growth: Promoting savings and investment to increase the country's production capacity.
3. What is the main difference between revenue receipts and capital receipts?
The key difference lies in their impact on the government's assets and liabilities. Revenue receipts are those that do not create any liability or cause a reduction in the assets of the government (e.g., tax revenue, fines). In contrast, capital receipts either create a liability for the government (e.g., borrowings) or lead to a decrease in its assets (e.g., disinvestment).
4. How can you quickly distinguish between revenue expenditure and capital expenditure?
For revision, remember this simple distinction: Revenue expenditure is recurring in nature and does not create any physical or financial assets for the government. It includes expenses on salaries, pensions, and interest payments. On the other hand, capital expenditure is non-recurring and results in the creation of long-term assets like roads, hospitals, or machinery, or causes a reduction in liability.
5. What are the three main concepts of government deficit that need to be revised?
The three key measures of government deficit according to the CBSE syllabus are:
- Revenue Deficit: This is the excess of the government's total revenue expenditure over its total revenue receipts. It shows the government's dissaving.
- Fiscal Deficit: This represents the difference between the government's total expenditure and its total receipts, excluding borrowings. It indicates the total borrowing requirements of the government.
- Primary Deficit: This is calculated by subtracting interest payments from the fiscal deficit. It reflects the government's borrowing needs for expenses other than interest payments on past debt.
6. How does the fiscal deficit in a budget relate to government borrowings?
The fiscal deficit is a direct indicator of the total amount of money the government needs to borrow during a fiscal year to meet its expenditure. Essentially, the fiscal deficit is equal to the net borrowing requirement of the government from all sources, including the central bank, the public, and foreign countries. A higher fiscal deficit implies a higher level of borrowing, which adds to the national debt.
7. Why is a primary deficit a better indicator of a government's current fiscal discipline than a fiscal deficit?
The primary deficit is considered a better indicator of current fiscal discipline because it isolates the borrowing required to cover the current year's excess expenditure, excluding the interest payments on past borrowings. The fiscal deficit includes these interest payments, which are a committed liability from previous years. Therefore, the primary deficit provides a clearer picture of how responsibly the current government is managing its finances in the present fiscal year.
8. How does fiscal policy, as implemented through the budget, work to stabilise the economy?
Fiscal policy uses government spending and taxation to influence the economy. During a recession (deflation), the government can implement an expansionary policy by increasing its expenditure or cutting taxes to boost aggregate demand and employment. Conversely, during a period of high inflation, it can use a contractionary policy by reducing expenditure or increasing taxes to curb aggregate demand and control rising prices, thereby ensuring economic stability.

















