Economic Survey

Every year, the Ministry of Finance publishes a report called the Economic Survey of India. This report usually comes out a day before the Union Budget is presented in the Parliament. The Economics Division of the Department of Economic Affairs creates this report with guidance from the Chief Economic Advisor. It looks back at what happened in the Indian economy during the last 12 months and also gives an idea of how the economy will do in the current year. The economic survey report also gives a snapshot of the current condition of the Indian economy. This includes information about things like the size of the economy (GDP), inflation, jobs, and trade.

The first time this Economic Survey was made in India was during 1950-51. Back then, it used to be presented along with the Union Budget. But from 1964 onwards, it has been presented separately, not at the same time as the Budget.

What is the Economic Survey 2023?

The Economic Survey of the Financial Year 2022-23 was presented by the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitaraman, on 31 January 2023, right after the President’s Address. The Survey provided a comprehensive overview of the Indian economy's performance, prospects, challenges, and policy recommendations in the Previous Year.

According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, India has recovered economically from the losses caused by the Pandemic, and now the economy is expected to grow at the rate of 6%- 6.8% in the coming Financial Year 2023-34.

Economic Survey 2022-23 Highlights

Here are the Major highlights from the Economic Survey 2022-23.

• Indian economy staging a broad-based recovery across sectors, positioning itself to ascend to the pre-pandemic growth path in FY23.
• Retail inflation was back within RBI's target range in November 2022.
• Direct Tax collections for the period April-November 2022 remain buoyant.
• Enhanced Employment generation is seen in the declining urban unemployment rate and in the faster net registration in the Employee Provident Fund.
• Creating public goods to enhance opportunities, efficiencies, ease of living, trust-based governance, enhancing agricultural productivity and promoting the private sector as a co-partner in development are the focus of the government reforms.
• Cleaner balance sheets led to enhanced lending by financial institutions
• Growth in credit offtake and increased private capex to usher virtuous investment cycle
• Non-food credit offtake by Scheduled Commercial Banks growing in double digits since April 2022
• The Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio of SCBs has fallen to a seven-year low of 5.0
• Social sector expenditure (Centre and States combined) increases to Rs. 21.3 lakh crore in FY23 (BE) from Rs. 9.1 lakh crore in FY16
• Central and State Government’s budgeted expenditure on the health sector touched 2.1% of GDP in FY23 (BE) and 2.2% in FY22 (RE) against 1.6% in FY21
• More than 220 crore COVID vaccine doses administered
• The economic survey highlights the findings of the 2022 report of the UNDP on Multidimensional Poverty Index, which says that 41.5 crore people exit poverty in India between 2005-06 and 2019-20
• India declared Net Zero Pledge, to achieve net zero emissions goal by 2070
• A mass movement LIFE– Lifestyle for Environment launched
• National Green Hydrogen Mission to enable India to be energy independent by 2047
• Private investment in agriculture increases to 9.3% in 2020-21
• Free foodgrains to about 81.4 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act for one year
• About 11.3 crore farmers were covered under PM KISAN in its April-July 2022-23 payment cycle
• India stands at the forefront of promoting millets through the International Year of Millets initiative
• Investment of ₹47,500 crores under the PLI schemes in FY22- 106% of the designated target for the year
• India’s e-commerce market is projected to grow at 18 per cent annually through 2025
• Merchandise exports of US$ 332.8 billion for April-December 2022
• India is the largest recipient of remittances globally, receiving US$ 100 billion in 2022
• PM GatiShakti National Master Plan creates a comprehensive database for integrated planning and synchronised implementation across Ministries/ Departments
• UPI-based transactions grew in value (121%) and volume (115%) terms between 2019-2022, paving the way for its international adoption

Importance of Economic Survey

The Economic Survey brings attention to the economic patterns of the country and simplifies the comprehension of how funds are gathered and distributed in the Union Budget. Within the survey, there's an examination of patterns in things like infrastructure, jobs, money availability, prices, imports, exports, foreign money reserves, and other vital economic measures that have an impact on the budget.

The Economic Survey holds significance across different stages of the UPSC Civil Services Exam: Prelims, Mains, and Interview.

• In the Prelims test, the Economic Survey content is directly asked. Roughly half of the 15-20 economics-related questions in the UPSC Prelims Test pertain to information from the Economic Survey of India.
• For the Mains exam, including the General Studies (GS) Papers covering topics like Polity, Society and Social Issues, and Economic Development, as well as the Essay Paper, incorporating data, facts, figures, and statistics from the Economic Survey can enhance scores. Responses can also integrate analysed issues and recommended reforms. For those with Economics as their optional subject, this information is especially valuable for Paper I.
• During the Personality Test, candidates can draw upon data and analysis from the Economic Survey 2023 when addressing interview questions.

Economic Survey Videos

Recognising the significance of the Economic Survey Document, we at Vajiram comprehend the value and have meticulously shaped the content, crafting concise videos from it.

Vajiram & Ravi Economic Survey Youtube Playlist

 Each video encompasses:

• Pertinent subject matter from the UPSC perspective.
• Incorporation of flowcharts and diagrams to enhance comprehension and illustrate connections between subjects.
• An introductory overview of fundamental economic concepts before delving into the specific Economic Survey content related to that subject.
• Exploration of Main exam-focused questions linked to the pertinent Economic Survey topics.
• Each session culminates in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) accompanied by explained answers, offering aspirants an insight into the type of questions UPSC could present on that topic.

Through our videos and interactive sessions in the Economic Survey Series, Vajiram & Ravi is committed to aiding your preparation. The lecture series for the Economic Survey 2023, along with its concise summary, is accessible on the official Vajiram & Ravi YouTube channel.