2011 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2011 · GS Paper I

Question 74: Economy and Social Development

What is the difference between "vote-on-account" and "interim budget" ?

  1. 1.The provision of a "vote-on-account" is used by a regular Government, while an "interim budget" is a provision used by a caretaker Government.
  2. 2.A "vote-on-account" only deals with the expenditure in Government's budget, while an "interim budget" includes both expenditure and receipts.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerThe answer is (b).

A vote-on-account is Parliament's advance sanction for expenditure for part of a year, usually a few months, so that the government can function until the full budget is passed. It deals only with expenditure. An interim budget is a full statement of accounts with both expenditure and receipts, presented by a government in the last year before elections. Either may be used by a government facing elections, so the claim linking them to regular and caretaker governments is wrong.

  • 1. The difference is not regular against caretaker government.
  • 2. A vote-on-account covers expenditure only; an interim budget covers expenditure and receipts.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 2 is correct, (a) and (d) go: each of them leaves 2 out.

    What you needed to know: A vote-on-account covers expenditure only; an interim budget covers expenditure and receipts.

    The red flag in statement 2 is “only”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “only” were true 27% of the time (82 statements). A hint, not a rule.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (c) goes: it includes 1.

    What you needed to know: The difference is not regular against caretaker government.

Only (b) is left. This one needs every statement.

This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Statement 1 is wrong: the distinction is not regular against caretaker government.
  • (b) Right: a vote-on-account covers only expenditure; an interim budget covers both.
  • (c) Statement 1 is wrong, so 'both' fails.
  • (d) Statement 2 is correct, so 'neither' fails.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2011, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.