Minimalist IAS
Prelims 2021 paper

UPSC CSE Prelims 2021 · GS Paper I · Question 9 · Budget, taxation & public finance

भारत में काले धन के सृजन के निम्नलिखित प्रभावों में से कौन-सा भारत सरकार की चिन्ता का प्रमुख कारण…

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2021, General Studies Paper I, Question 9 — Budget, taxation & public finance.

भारत में काले धन के सृजन के निम्नलिखित प्रभावों में से कौन-सा भारत सरकार की चिन्ता का प्रमुख कारण है?

Read this question in English

Which one of the following effects of creation of black money in India has been the main cause of worry to the Government of India?

(a) Diversion of resources to the purchase of real estate and investment in luxury housing · (b) Investment in unproductive activities and purchase of precious stones, jewellery, gold, etc. · (c) Large donations to political parties and growth of regionalism · (d) Loss of revenue to the State Exchequer due to tax evasion

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (d) कर अपवंचन के कारण राजकोष में राजस्व की हानि

Black money is, at its core, income hidden from the tax authorities. The Finance Ministry's White Paper on Black Money (2012) describes it as wealth built up by failing to pay dues to the public exchequer, so the loss of tax revenue is the government's central worry; the other options are side effects.

  • ✓ (d) Unreported income escapes tax, shrinking the revenue the State needs for public spending and shifting the burden to honest taxpayers.
  • ✗ (a) Parking black money in real estate and luxury housing does happen, but it is a consequence of the hidden income, not the main concern.
  • ✗ (b) Buying gold and jewellery with black money is a way of storing it; the harm the government stresses is the tax that was never paid.

Remember · Black money = income or wealth concealed from tax authorities; its chief cost to the State is lost revenue through tax evasion.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Introductory Macroeconomics, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE Prelims 2021, Q9 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/prelims/2021/q9

In the UPSC syllabus: Budget, taxation & public finance › Taxation: direct, indirect & GST See it and tick it covered →

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