Digital Payments & Financial Inclusion — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
18 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Digital Payments & Financial Inclusion (Indian Economy). Spanning from 2010 to 2024. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
What UPSC Asks About Digital Payments & Financial Inclusion
Since 2010, UPSC has asked 20 questions on Digital Payments & Financial Inclusion, mirroring India’s fintech revolution. The Prelims paper expects awareness of UPI architecture, NPCI’s role, RBI’s PPI guidelines, and instruments like BHIM, Rupay, AePS, e-RUPI, CBDC-Retail, and Bharat BillPay. Questions blend technology with policy—PMJDY, JAM Trinity, Direct Benefit Transfer, Payment Banks, Small Finance Banks, and the Financial Inclusion Index. Recent regulatory developments (RBI’s 123Pay, Digital Lending Guidelines) along with cybersecurity issues like tokenisation also feature. Memorise usage milestones: UPI crossing 100 billion annual transactions or Rupay’s share in debit cards. Constant PIB reading and RBI circular digests will help tackle statement-based questions that juxtapose technical terms with social-sector outcomes.
Q: Consider the following statements in respect of the digital rupee :
1. It is a sovereign currency issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in alignment with its monetary policy.
2. It appears as a liability on the RBI's balance sheet.
3. It is insured against inflation by its very design.
4. It is freely convertible against commercial bank money and cash.
Which of the statements given above are
correct ?
Q: With reference to Central Bank digital currencies, consider the following statements :
1. It is possible to make payments in a digital currency without using US dollar or SWIFT system.
2. A digital currency can be distributed with a condition programmed into it such as a time-frame for spending it.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements :
1. The Self-Help Group (SHG) programme was originally initiated by the State Bank of India by providing microcredit to the financially deprived.
2. In an SHG, all members of a group take responsibility for a loan that an individual member takes.
3. The Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Commercial Banks support SHGs.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Q: With reference to ‘WaterCredit’, consider the following statements :
1. It puts microfinance tools to work in the water and sanitation sector.
2. It is a global initiative launched under the aegis of the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
3. It aims to enable the poor people to meet their water needs without depending on subsidies.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements: The Reserve Bank of India’s recent directives relating to ‘Storage of Payment System Data’, popularly known as data diktat, command the payment system providers that
1. They shall ensure that entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India.
2. They shall ensure that the systems are owned and operated by public sector enterprises.
3. They shall submit the consolidated system audit report to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India by the end of the calendar year.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Which one of the following best describes the term “Merchant Discount Rate” sometimes seen in news ?
(a)The incentive given by a bank to a merchant for accepting payments through debit cards pertaining to that bank.
(b)The amount paid back by banks to their customers when they use debit cards for financial transactions for purchasing goods or services.
(c)The charge to a merchant by a bank for accepting payments from his customers through the bank’s debit cards.
(d)The incentive given by the Government to merchants for promoting digital payments by their customers through Point of Sale (PoS) machines and debit cards.
Q: What is the purpose of setting up of Small Finance Banks (SFBs) in India?
1. To supply credit to small business units
2. To supply credit to small and marginal farmers
3. To encourage young entrepreneurs to set up business particularly in rural areas.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below:
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) helps in promoting financial inclusion in the country.
2. NPCI has launched RuPay, a card payment scheme.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Q: The establishment of ‘Payment Banks’ is being allowed in India to promote financial inclusion. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this context?
1. Mobile telephone companies and supermarket chains that are owned and controlled by residents are eligible to be promoters of Payment Banks.
2. Payment Banks can issue both credit cards and debit cards.
3. Payment Banks cannot undertake lending activities.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below.
Q: With reference to ‘Stand Up India Scheme’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
2. It provides for refinance through SIDBI.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below:
Q: The term 'Core Banking Solutions' is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following statements best describes/describe this term?
1. It is a networking of a bank's branches which enables customers to operate their accounts from any branch of the bank on its network regardless of where they open their accounts.
2. It is an effort to increase RBI's control over commercial banks through computerization.
3. It is a detailed procedure by which a bank with huge non-performing assets is taken over by another bank.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below.
Q: What is/are the facility/facilities the beneficiaries can get from the services of Business Correspondent (Bank Saathi) in branchless areas?
1. It enables the beneficiaries to draw their subsidies and social security benefits in their villages.
2. It enables the beneficiaries in the rural areas to make deposits and withdrawals.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below.
Q: Microfinance is the provision of financial services to people of low-income groups. This includes both the consumers and the self-employed. The service/services rendered under microfinance is/are:
1. Credit facilities
2. Savings facilities
3. Insurance facilities
4. Fund Transfer facilities
Select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:
Q: With reference to India, consider the following :
1. Nationalization of Banks
2. Formation of Regional Rural Banks
3. Adoption of villages by Bank Branches
Which of the above can be considered as steps taken to achieve the “financial inclusion” in India ?
Do I need to know the exact UPI transaction limit for the exam?▼
Yes, but only broad caps such as the ₹1 lakh per-transaction general limit and the higher cap for specific categories like IPO subscriptions or credit card on UPI. UPSC may test these thresholds in statements.
Is coding knowledge required for understanding UPI architecture?▼
No. Conceptual clarity on layers—Issuer, PSP, NPCI switch—and terms like VPA and IMPS settlement suffices. UPSC focuses on policy, operation flow and regulatory oversight, not programming details.