UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Ease of Doing Business Performance Strengthened; World Bank B-READY Assessment Scheduled in 2026

Q1. The Business Ready (B-READY) assessment, which replaced the discontinued Doing Business Report, is conducted exclusively by which one of the following institutions?

  • A. World Bank Group
  • B. International Monetary Fund
  • C. World Trade Organization
  • D. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Q2. Which one of the following is the nodal department that operationalises India's business-environment reforms feeding into its engagement with the World Bank's B-READY assessment?

  • A. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
  • B. NITI Aayog
  • C. Department of Economic Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Q3. With reference to India's performance in the World Bank's Doing Business Report, consider the following statements: 1. India was ranked 63rd in the Doing Business Report 2019, up from 142nd in 2014. 2. This improvement of 79 ranks was achieved over a period of three years. 3. The original Doing Business Report was first launched by the World Bank in 2003. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India was ranked 63rd in the Doing Business Report 2019, up from 142nd in 2014.
  2. This improvement of 79 ranks was achieved over a period of three years.
  3. The original Doing Business Report was first launched by the World Bank in 2003.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. India's rank of 63 recorded in 2019 was reported under which one of the following World Bank publications?

  • A. Doing Business Report
  • B. World Development Report
  • C. Global Economic Prospects
  • D. Human Capital Index

Q5. In the context of ease of doing business in India, the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. An annual reform exercise run by DPIIT under which States and Union Territories are assessed on implementation of business-regulation reform action points
  • B. A World Bank ranking of Indian States based on firm-level surveys of the investment climate
  • C. A credit-guarantee programme extending collateral-free loans to micro and small enterprises
  • D. A statutory code consolidating India's central labour laws to ease compliance for industry

Q6. With reference to the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP), consider the following statements: 1. BRAP is administered by DPIIT to drive competitive federalism through the ranking of States and Union Territories. 2. BRAP was first launched by the World Bank in 2003 alongside the Doing Business Report. 3. Unlike the Doing Business Report, which ranked countries, BRAP assesses India's States and Union Territories. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. BRAP is administered by DPIIT to drive competitive federalism through the ranking of States and Union Territories.
  2. BRAP was first launched by the World Bank in 2003 alongside the Doing Business Report.
  3. Unlike the Doing Business Report, which ranked countries, BRAP assesses India's States and Union Territories.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. India's participation in the Third B-READY Report (2026) is coordinated by which department, and under which Union ministry does it function?

  • A. DPIIT, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. DPIIT, under the Ministry of Finance
  • C. NITI Aayog, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. Department of Economic Affairs, under the Ministry of Finance

Q8. India is scheduled to be assessed for the first time in which edition of the World Bank's B-READY report?

  • A. The First B-READY Report (2024)
  • B. The Second B-READY Report (2025)
  • C. The Third B-READY Report (2026)
  • D. The Fourth B-READY Report (2027)

Q9. Regarding the B-READY Methodology Handbook, which one of the following edition–release pairings is correct?

  • A. First Edition — October 2024
  • B. First Edition — 2003
  • C. Third Edition — October 2024
  • D. Second Edition — January 2026

Q10. How many economies were covered by the inaugural B-READY 2024 report?

  • A. 50
  • B. 101
  • C. 180
  • D. 63

Q11. DPIIT formulates India's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy, which is enforced through rules notified under which one of the following Acts?

  • A. Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999
  • B. Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973
  • C. Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010
  • D. Companies Act, 2013

Q12. With reference to the deregulation agenda set out in the Economic Survey 2024-25, consider the following statements: 1. It identifies the regulatory compliance burden as holding back the formalisation and labour productivity of MSMEs. 2. It proposes that Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) 2.0 should be a State-government-led initiative. 3. It outlines a three-step process for States to review regulations for their cost-effectiveness. 4. It recommends abolishing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) entirely for all micro enterprises. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It identifies the regulatory compliance burden as holding back the formalisation and labour productivity of MSMEs.
  2. It proposes that Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) 2.0 should be a State-government-led initiative.
  3. It outlines a three-step process for States to review regulations for their cost-effectiveness.
  4. It recommends abolishing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) entirely for all micro enterprises.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only