17. Which of the following statements is/are correct about Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) 2003?
A. The FRBM Act made it mandatory for the Government to place Long Term Fiscal Policy Statement, Microeconomic Framework Statement, and Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement along with the Union Budget documents in Parliament annually.
B. The FRBM Act proposed that revenue deficit, fiscal deficit, tax revenue, and the total outstanding liabilities be projected as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GDP) in the medium-term fiscal policy statement.
C. Under no circumstances can the set targets of fiscal deficits and revenue be exceeded.
D. After the enactment of FRBM Act, Government has met the targets only twice till now.
Options:
Only one statement is correct
Only two statements are correct
Only three statements are correct
None of the above
Answer: (2) Only two statements are correct
Explanation:
Statement A: The FRBM Act made it mandatory for the Government to place Long Term Fiscal Policy Statement, Microeconomic Framework Statement, and Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement along with the Union Budget documents in Parliament annually.
Correct: The government is required to present these documents annually under the FRBM Act.
Statement B: The FRBM Act proposed that revenue deficit, fiscal deficit, tax revenue, and the total outstanding liabilities be projected as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GDP) in the medium-term fiscal policy statement.
Incorrect: The FRBM Act requires these to be projected as a percentage of the national GDP, not Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
Statement C: Under no circumstances can the set targets of fiscal deficits and revenue be exceeded.
Incorrect: The FRBM Act allows for deviations from fiscal deficit targets in exceptional circumstances, such as natural calamities or national security concerns.
Statement D: After the enactment of the FRBM Act, the Government has met the targets only twice till now.
Correct: The government has only met the fiscal deficit targets a few times since the enactment of the FRBM Act.
After the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act in 2003, the Government of India successfully met the fiscal deficit targets twice—once in the fiscal year 2007-08 and again in the fiscal year 2017-18.
In 2007-08, India achieved a fiscal deficit of 2.7% of GDP, meeting the FRBM target of 3%. The target was met again in 2017-18 when the fiscal deficit was 3.5% of GDP, aligning with the revised FRBM target.
Conclusion:
Correct Statements: A and D
Incorrect Statements: B and C
Answer: Only two statements are correct.