Which of the following statements about revenue and primary deficit is

Which of the following statements about revenue and primary deficit is/are correct?

  • 1. Revenue deficit refers to the excess of revenue expenditure over revenue receipts.
  • 2. Primary deficit is measured as fiscal deficit less interest payments.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023
The correct answer is C, meaning both statements are correct.
– Statement 1 is correct. Revenue deficit is defined as the excess of the government’s total revenue expenditure over its total revenue receipts. It indicates the government’s dissaving on its current account.
– Statement 2 is correct. Primary deficit is defined as the fiscal deficit minus interest payments on past borrowings. It indicates the government’s borrowing requirement excluding the interest burden from previous debts, showing the deficit for current year’s expenditure (excluding interest).
Fiscal deficit is the difference between the government’s total expenditure and its total receipts (excluding borrowing). A primary deficit of zero indicates that the government is borrowing only to pay interest on previous debts. A positive primary deficit means the government is borrowing even to meet current expenditure requirements beyond interest payments.