Which of the following statements is/are correct? Most of India’s re

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • Most of India’s reserves is held in the form of foreign currency.
  • There is no cost of holding foreign currency as reserves by a nation.

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 CDS-1 – 2024
A) 1 only
– Statement 1 is correct. India’s foreign exchange reserves are composed of Foreign Currency Assets (FCA), Gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), and Reserve Tranche Position (RTP) in the IMF. Foreign Currency Assets, held in major currencies, consistently form the largest component, typically accounting for over 90% of the total reserves.
– Statement 2 is incorrect. Holding foreign currency reserves incurs costs. These include the opportunity cost (the return that could have been earned if the funds were invested domestically or in higher-yield assets instead of low-yield reserves), potential losses due to exchange rate fluctuations (if the reserve currency depreciates), and administrative costs of managing the reserves.
– Foreign exchange reserves are crucial for managing exchange rate volatility, providing confidence to markets, and meeting balance of payments needs. However, maintaining excessively high levels can be costly due to the reasons mentioned in statement 2.