UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Reforms 3.0 — towards the Bharat rate of growth

Q1. The expression 'Hindu rate of growth', used to describe India's sluggish pre-1991 growth trajectory, was first coined by which one of the following economists?

  • A. Raj Krishna
  • B. Raghuram Rajan
  • C. Amartya Sen
  • D. Jagdish Bhagwati

Q2. In the 'Reforms 3.0' framework, the term 'Bharat rate of growth' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A sustained real GDP growth of 8% or more powered by AI-led structural transformation
  • B. The roughly 3.5% trend growth rate that prevailed in the four decades after Independence
  • C. The average growth achieved during the first decade after the 1991 LPG reforms
  • D. A purely nominal (current-price) growth target unadjusted for inflation

Q3. The first wave of structural reforms ('Reforms 1.0'), centred on Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation, was launched in 1991 under the Prime Ministership of whom?

  • A. P.V. Narasimha Rao
  • B. Chandra Shekhar
  • C. Rajiv Gandhi
  • D. Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Q4. Which of the following are correctly identified as constituent pillars of the IndiaAI Mission?

  1. IndiaAI FutureSkills
  2. IndiaAI Startup Financing
  3. IndiaAI Compute Capacity
  4. IndiaAI Semiconductor Fabrication
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. With reference to the IndiaAI Mission, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It has a total outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore spread over five years.
  2. It was approved by the Union Cabinet in March 2024.
  3. It seeks to provide affordable AI compute access to start-ups and academia.
  4. Its GPU compute capacity was capped at the initial target of 10,000 GPUs.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q6. With reference to the components of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) stack, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Aadhaar constitutes the world's largest biometric digital identity system.
  2. India accounts for nearly half of the world's real-time digital payment transactions, largely through UPI.
  3. The 'JAM trinity' underpinning the DPI base layer comprises Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and MGNREGA.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. As per the latest official figures, approximately how many Aadhaar numbers had been generated in India?

  • A. About 144 crore
  • B. About 100 crore
  • C. About 120 crore
  • D. About 160 crore

Q8. With reference to the 1991 economic crisis and the reforms that followed, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 1991 reforms dismantled the industrial licensing system, popularly known as the License Raj.
  2. The landmark reform Budget was presented by Finance Minister Manmohan Singh in July 1991.
  3. The reforms were prompted by a large current-account surplus that India sought to deploy overseas.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. The 'IndiaAI FutureSkills' pillar, which seeks to expand AI skilling and talent for India's AI-led structural transformation, is operationalised by which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • B. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
  • C. Ministry of Education
  • D. Ministry of Labour and Employment

Q10. With reference to the First Advance Estimates of national income for FY 2025-26, which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Real GDP is estimated to grow by 7.4% in FY 2025-26.
  2. Nominal GDP growth is estimated at 8.0% for FY 2025-26.
  3. The estimated real growth marks an acceleration over the 6.5% recorded in FY 2024-25.
  4. Real GDP at constant prices is estimated to reach ₹357.14 lakh crore.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q11. Under the India AI Governance Guidelines, which one of the following is recommended as the apex inter-ministerial body to coordinate AI governance?

  • A. AI Governance Group
  • B. AI Safety Institute
  • C. Technology & Policy Expert Committee
  • D. NITI Aayog