UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions

Q1. With reference to the Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions, consider the following statements regarding its institutional features. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. It is conducted by the National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
2. It is an enterprise-level survey covering the private corporate (non-government) sector.
3. It is conducted exclusively by the Reserve Bank of India as part of its order-books and capacity-utilisation survey.
4. It is a first-of-its-kind survey to capture forward-looking capital expenditure intentions of private companies.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 2 and 4
• C. 3 only
• D. 1, 3 and 4

Q2. The National Statistical Office that conducts the Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions functions under which one of the following Ministries?

• A. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
• B. Ministry of Finance
• C. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
• D. Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Q3. Consider the following statements about the design of the Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX Investment Intentions. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. Its sampling frame was drawn from active enterprises registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
2. It is a self-administered, web-based survey.
3. The inaugural round had 3,064 responding enterprises.
4. Participation in the survey is legally mandatory for all enterprises in the frame.

• A. 1 and 3
• B. 2 only
• C. 4 only
• D. 3 and 4

Q4. In the inaugural round of the survey, out of the 3,064 responding enterprises, how many reported their CAPEX investment intentions for 2025-26?

• A. 2,172
• B. 2,072
• C. 3,064
• D. 1,272

Q5. With reference to the data sources for private capital expenditure in India, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. The RBI's 'Phasing of Capital Expenditure of Companies' study is based on bank-sanctioned project loans.
2. Before the NSO survey, private CAPEX intentions were tracked mainly through the RBI's project-finance-based study.
3. The Annual Survey of Industries is conducted by the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
4. The NSO forward-looking survey provides an enterprise-level benchmark broader than the bank-loan-based proxy.

• A. 1 and 3
• B. 2 and 3
• C. 1, 2 and 4
• D. 1, 3 and 4

Q6. In the Forward-Looking Survey on Private Corporate Sector CAPEX, the 'realisation ratio' (96.3% for 2024-25) refers to which one of the following?

• A. The ratio of actual CAPEX to the intended/planned CAPEX
• B. The ratio of internal accruals to total CAPEX financing
• C. The ratio of manufacturing-sector CAPEX to total CAPEX
• D. The ratio of FDI-financed CAPEX to total CAPEX

Q7. With reference to the findings of the second (forward-looking) round of the survey, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. The estimated provisional CAPEX for 2025-26 is about Rs 11.44 lakh crore.
2. The reference period of the second round was October–December 2025.
3. Aggregate CAPEX intentions for 2026-27 are projected to rise by 16.5% over 2025-26.
4. The realisation ratio reported for 2024-25 was 96.3%.

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 2 and 3
• C. 1, 2 and 4
• D. 1 and 3 only

Q8. As per the survey, which one of the following sectors accounts for the single largest share of the private corporate CAPEX intentions for 2025-26?

• A. Manufacturing
• B. Electricity and Gas
• C. Mining and Quarrying
• D. Construction

Q9. The inaugural round of the survey (November 2024–January 2025) was notable as the first time MoSPI engaged the corporate sector through which one of the following modes?

• A. A self-administered, web-based survey platform
• B. Mandatory paper schedules delivered by enumerators
• C. Telephonic interviews conducted by the RBI
• D. A decennial census of all registered companies

Q10. The inaugural round of the survey captured CAPEX investment intentions spanning exactly how many financial years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26?

• A. Five
• B. Three
• C. Four
• D. Six

Q11. Regarding the policy relevance of the Forward-Looking Survey and the tracking of capital expenditure in India, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. The survey fills a data gap by providing enterprise-level estimates of private CAPEX intentions.
2. Public (government) capital expenditure is tracked through the capital outlays of the Union Budget.
3. The survey replaces the RBI's monetary policy framework for setting interest rates.
4. Internal accruals are the dominant source of financing for private CAPEX in 2025-26.

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1, 2 and 4
• C. 2 and 3
• D. 1 and 4 only

Q12. Which one of the following statistical instruments of NSO/MoSPI has revised its schedule to begin tracking private capital expenditure, thereby complementing the new forward-looking survey?

• A. Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)
• B. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
• C. Consumer Price Index (CPI)
• D. Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES)