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Economy2022
With reference to the Indian economy, what are the advantages of “Inflation-Indexed Bonds (IIBs)”?
  1. Government can reduce the coupon rates on its
  2. IIBs provide protection to the investors from
  3. The interest received as well as capital gains on IIBs
are not taxable. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Explanation

The correct option is 1 and 2 only because Inflation-Indexed Bonds (IIBs) are designed to provide a real return to investors, as the coupon payments and principal are adjusted for inflation, thus offering protection against the erosive effects of inflation (statement 2). This feature enables the government to lower the coupon rates since investors are assured of inflation-adjusted returns, making borrowing cheaper for the government (statement 1). However, statement 3 is incorrect because the interest income from IIBs is taxable in most jurisdictions, which includes India. This nuanced understanding of IIBs is crucial for grasping their role in managing government debt while safeguarding investors' purchasing power in an inflationary environment.

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