Chapter 3: Money Class 12 Economics NCERT Solutions
Learn about the functions, types, and significance of money with Class 12 Economics Chapter 3 NCERT Solutions. Download free PDFs for quick and organized revision. Scroll down for complete solved questions and important notes.
What You Will Learn in Chapter 3 – Money and Banking
In this chapter, you will understand the concept of money, its evolution from the barter system, and its essential characteristics. You\’ll explore how money is created in modern economies and how banks function in the financial system. The chapter also covers the structure and functions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the central bank of the country, and how it controls credit and maintains economic stability.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Barter System and Its Limitations
The barter system involved the direct exchange of goods and services.
It suffered from key issues like lack of double coincidence of wants, difficulty in storing value, and lack of a common measure of value, making trade inefficient.
2. Definition and Functions of Money
Money is anything that is generally accepted as a medium of exchange. It performs four key functions:
Medium of Exchange – Facilitates transactions.
Unit of Account – Measures the value of goods and services.
Store of Value – Stores purchasing power over time.
Standard of Deferred Payments – Used to settle debts.
3. Money Supply and Its Measures
Money supply refers to the total volume of money held by the public at a particular time in an economy. It is measured in different ways:
M1 = Currency + Demand Deposits + Other Deposits with RBI
M2, M3, and M4 include broader definitions, adding savings and time deposits.
4. Commercial Banks and Credit Creation
Commercial banks play a central role in the economy by accepting deposits and providing loans. One of their key roles is credit creation.
When a bank gives out loans, it does not physically hand out all the money—it creates deposits in the borrower\’s account. This is called credit creation.
This process multiplies the money supply in the economy.
5. Functions of Commercial Banks
Accepting deposits – Savings, Current, and Fixed Deposits.
Lending money – Personal loans, business loans, and overdrafts.
Agency functions – Collecting cheques, paying bills, etc.
General utility services – Locker facility, foreign exchange dealings.
6. Central Bank – Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
The RBI is India’s central bank, responsible for maintaining the monetary and financial stability of the country.
7. Functions of the Central Bank (RBI)
Currency Issuer – Sole authority to issue currency notes in India.
Government’s Banker – Manages government accounts and public debt.
Banker’s Bank – Regulates and supervises commercial banks.
Lender of Last Resort – Provides emergency funds to banks in crisis.
Controller of Credit – Uses various tools to manage the money supply and inflation.
8. Quantitative and Qualitative Credit Control Tools
The RBI controls the money supply using:
Quantitative Methods (affect overall credit):
CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio) – Percentage of deposits banks must keep with RBI.
SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) – Percentage of deposits banks must maintain in liquid assets.
Bank Rate – Interest rate at which RBI lends to commercial banks.
Open Market Operations (OMO) – Buying/selling of government securities.
Qualitative Method
s (target specific sectors):
Margin Requirements
Moral Suasion
Selective Credit Controls
Why Use Our NCERT Solutions for Chapter 3?
Our NCERT solutions for Chapter 3: Money and Banking provide crystal-clear explanations of money creation, the role of banks, and RBI’s regulatory functions. These solutions are perfect for strengthening your conceptual understanding and scoring better in board exams.
Highlights of Our Solutions:
Simple definitions and clear explanations of complex concepts like money supply measures, CRR, SLR, and credit creation.
Diagrams and flowcharts to show the credit creation process.
Well-structured answers to all intext and exercise questions.
Key distinctions (e.g., Commercial Bank vs Central Bank) clearly laid out.
Real-life examples to connect textbook concepts to practical banking operations.
NCERT Solutions for Chapter 3 – Money and Banking
Intext Questions:
Clear explanations on the limitations of barter.
Detailed definitions and types of money.
Steps in the credit creation process.
Differences between RBI and commercial banks.
Exercise Questions (Q.1 to Q.10):
Full solutions to questions on:
Functions of money
Components of money supply
Role and functions of the RBI
Credit control methods used by the RBI
Banking system\’s contribution to the economy
Download Chapter 3 Solutions PDF – Money and Banking
Get your free PDF download for Chapter 3, containing:
Complete NCERT solutions for all textbook exercises.
Key formulae, diagrams, and concept maps.
Quick revision summaries and extra examples.
Recommended Preparation Tips:
Understand how credit is created by banks through an example with a numerical case.
Memorize the tools of RBI’s monetary policy – both quantitative and qualitative.
Distinguish clearly between money functions, money supply measures (M1 to M4), and types of deposits.
Practice difference-based questions, like:
Barter vs Money
Central Bank vs Commercial Bank
CRR vs SLR
Additional Study Resources:
Chapter 3 Class 12 Notes – Money and Banking
Flashcards for quick revision
Previous year board questions and model answers
MCQs and assertion-reason questions for practice
Mastering Money and Banking
Chapter 3 is a cornerstone of macroeconomics as it builds a clear picture of how the financial system functions and how economic stability is managed through banking and monetary policy. A thorough understanding of this chapter will empower you to analyze economic issues like inflation, liquidity, and financial regulation in real life.
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Economics Chapter 3 – Money
NCERT Textbook Questions Solved
Question 1. What is Barter system? What are its drawbacks?
Answer:
The barter system is an old method of exchange where goods are traded directly for other goods without using money.
Drawbacks of the barter system include:
- Lack of double coincidence of wants: Exchange can happen only if both parties need each other’s goods.
- Indivisibility of certain goods: It’s difficult to divide goods like animals or tools for smaller exchanges.
- Difficulty in storing wealth: Goods may perish, decay, or take up too much space.
- No common measure of value: It was hard to decide how much of one item equaled another.
- No standard of deferred payments: Future payments or contracts were nearly impossible to establish.
Question 2. What are the main functions of money? How does money overcome the shortcoming of a barter system?
Answer:
Money eliminates the limitations of the barter system in the following ways:
- Medium of Exchange: Money simplifies transactions by eliminating the need for double coincidence of wants.
- Measure of Value: Money provides a common unit to express prices, simplifying trade and value comparison.
- Store of Value: Money can be stored easily without loss in value and used when needed.
- Standard of Deferred Payments: Money enables deferred payments as it is widely accepted, stable, and durable.
Question 3. What is transaction demand for money? How is it related to the value of transactions over specified period of time?
Answer:
Deleted from syllabus.
Question 4. Why is speculative demand for money inversely related to the rate of interest?
Answer:
Deleted from syllabus.
Question 5. What are the alternative definitions of money supply in India?
Answer:
In India, money supply is categorized into four measures: M1, M2, M3, and M4.
- M1: Currency with the public + Demand deposits + Other deposits with RBI.
- M2: M1 + Post office savings deposits.
- M3: M1 + Time deposits with banks.
- M4: M3 + Total post office deposits (excluding National Savings Certificates).
Question 6. What is a ‘legal tender’? What is ‘fiat money’?
Answer:
Legal Tender: Money that must be accepted for all debts and transactions by law.
Fiat Money: Money that has no intrinsic value but is backed by the government’s authority.
Question 7. What is High powered money?
Answer:
High powered money refers to the money produced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Government of India. It includes:
- Currency held by the public.
- Cash reserves of commercial banks with the RBI.
IV. True or False
- Standard of deferred payments led to capital formation and economic development of the economy. — True
- Measure of value function has removed the difficulty of lack of double coincidence of wants. — False
- Store of value function of money facilitates transfer of purchasing power from present to future. — True
- Money supply is a stock concept. — True
- M1 includes time deposits of commercial banks. — False
- Money supply does not include money held by government and banking system. — True
- Lack of double coincidence of wants exists in barter exchange due to difficulty in simultaneous fulfillment of mutual wants. — True
V. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
Question 1. Define high-powered money.
Answer:
High-powered money is the money produced by the RBI and the government. It consists of:
- Currency held by the public.
- Cash reserves with the banks.
Question 2. What are other deposit measures of M1?
Answer:
Other deposits are the demand deposits held by the RBI from economic units like public financial institutions, foreign governments, IMF, World Bank, etc.
Question 3. Why are post office savings less liquid than demand deposits?
Answer:
Post office savings are less liquid because they are not chequeable accounts, unlike bank demand deposits.
Question 4. Explain why time deposit measures of M3 are less liquid than the demand deposit measure of M1.
Answer:
Time deposits are not directly withdrawable via cheques and may have penalties for premature withdrawal, making them less liquid than demand deposits.
Question 5. What are the characteristics or features of money?
Answer:
- Durability: Money should last long without deteriorating.
- Medium of Exchange: It should facilitate buying and selling of goods and services.
- Weight: Money should be light and easy to carry.
- Measure of Value: It provides a common standard for valuing goods and services.
VI. Value Based Questions
Question 1. Why is the use of money more convenient for exchange than the barter system?
Answer:
- Medium of Exchange: Eliminates the double coincidence of wants.
- Store of Value: Money can be stored and used in the future.
- Standard of Deferred Payment: Facilitates future payments and credit transactions.
Question 2. Why are all compensations in the form of money rather than toys more convenient to an employee working in a toy manufacturing factory?
Answer:
Money is universally acceptable, unlike toys, and can be used to purchase any goods or services at any time, solving the problem of lack of general acceptability.
Value: Empathy.