RBI Grade B ESI Preparation 2025, ESI Syllabus, Expert Tips & More

Saloni Singhal

2 months ago

RBI Grade B ESI Preparation

Economic & Social Issues (ESI) is an important section of the RBI Grade B Phase II exam. It tests a candidate’s knowledge of the Economic & Social concepts (static knowledge) and the various issues related to national economic & social issues (current affairs). In the following blog, we have provided the exam pattern, syllabus, resources, and some tips for RBI Grade B ESI Preparation.

RBI Grade B ESI Target Score

Here, we will discuss what should be the ideal RBI Grade B ESI Target Score. We will also know how much marks should be target in objective, descriptive & total.

ESI Target Score (Objective)	ESI Target Score (Descriptive)	ESI Target Score (Total)
30+ Marks	15+ Marks	70-75 Marks

How to Cover ESI for RBI Grade B?

After a thorough analysis of last year’s RBI Grade B question papers, it is found that most of the questions asked in the Economic & Social Issues section come from the following sources:

Economic Survey of India
Budget Summary
Concept Based Books or Notes
NCERT Basic Knowledge
Newspapers (Current events, factual in nature)
Press Information Bureau

Most of the questions are based on facts, figures, numbers, and percentages which makes it important for the candidates to remember these figures. Following are the most important sources:

Topics	RBI Grade B ESI Preparation Sources
Government schemes and Campaigns	Schemes in News – PIB Analysis by Lakshmi Maam (6 months) Static Schemes/Landmark Schemes – Schemes Playlist on YT and Revision sessions
Reports and Indices	Budget, Economic Survey, PLFS, NFHS-5, AISHE, ASER, NEP, Census, State of forest report, 15th Finance Commission, Multidimensional Poverty index
International and Regional Organizations	WTO, World Bank, IMF, OECD, WEF, WHO, ASEAN, SCO etc.
National and International Current events	PIB Analysis by Laxmi Maam (6 Months) and Daily CA- Pooja Maam (3Months)
Committees	Daily CA- Pooja Maam(6 Months)
GDP Forecasts	Daily CA- Pooja Maam(6 Months)
Constitution Articles	Laxmikanth – FR, FD, DPSP, Panchayats and Municipalities (73rd and 74th Amendments)
Static	Notes + Nitin Singhania + Ramesh Singh

Along with all the above mentioned sources, do not forget to attempt the mock tests. Taking RBI Grade B Mock Tests will help you familiarize yourself with the pattern, nature, difficulty level of the exam, figure out exactly what you need to focus on for the exam from your study material so you can be smart & selective and save time. It will help you determine your speed, accuracy, your strengths & weaknesses.

ESI Syllabus for RBI Grade B

In this section, we have provided the complete ESI Syllabus for RBI Grade B. Check out the table below:

ESI Syllabus for RBI Grade B

Growth and Development

Measurement of growth: National Income and per capita income – Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation in India – Sustainable Development and Environmental issues.

Indian Economy

Economic History of India – Changes in Industrial and Labor Policy, Monetary and Fiscal Policy since reforms of 1991 – Priorities and recommendations of Economic Survey and Union Budget – Indian Money and Financial Markets: Linkages with the economy – Role of Indian banks and Reserve Bank in the development process – Public Finance – Political Economy – Industrial Developments in India- Indian Agriculture – Services sector in India.

Social Structure in India

Multiculturalism – Demographic Trends – Urbanization and Migration – Gender Issues – Social Justice

RBI Grade B ESI Preparation 2025

First of all, go through the sample paper given by RBI to get an idea of what kind of questions will be asked in the examination. From that, you will get an idea of how deep you need to go into the topics while preparing. These sample papers are generally released by the RBI at the time of the RBI Grade B Notification release. This paper can be divided into two parts.

One is the static part i.e. conceptual which includes basic knowledge of different concepts of macroeconomics like national income, the repo rate, bank rate, fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, budget, inflation, banking sector in India, etc.
The other part of this paper is the dynamic part i.e. the factual part which is current affairs based.

RBI Grade B ESI Important Chapters

In the table below, we have mentioned the important chapters of economic and social issues for RBI Grade B. Please note that these chapters are written in the sequence of their priority. Candidates must first prioritize the chapter “Introduction to Economics” and subsequently cover other chapters. Also, check out Important Economic Terms and download PDF.

RBI Grade B ESI Important Chapters

Introduction to Economics

Measurement of growth

Poverty Alleviation & Employment Generation

Environmental Issues

Sustainable Development

History of Indian Economy

Agricultural Sector

Industrial Sector and Policy

Labor Policy

Service Sector

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy and Public Finance

Role of RBI

Role of Indian Banks

Political Economy

Balance Of Payments

New Economic Policy and Reforms

Foreign trade policy

International economic institutions (World Bank, IMF, WTO)

REC and Int. Economic Issues

Demographic Trends, Multiculturalism, Urbanization and migration & Social justice

RBI Grade B ESI Preparation – Static Part Strategy

The preparation depends on your background. Check out the below points to understand this more clearly:

If you are a category 1 candidate, i.e. either you have an academic background in finance/economics or you are a civil services aspirant, this part won’t be much of a problem for you. Just revise your old notes or economics books that you have already studied a couple of times and that will do.
If you are in category 2 i.e. you are new to economics, you should start by reading economics NCERT textbooks of Class 10, 11, and 12 to get an idea of the basic concepts of macroeconomics. For detailed reading after this, you can refer to RBI Grade B Books.
Another option is to go through the General Studies notes of Economics by Sriram IAS Coaching Institute as the syllabus for this paper is a subset of the economics syllabus for the General Studies paper of Civil services. Moreover, these notes are very lucid, easy to understand, and to the point cover important current events of economic significance which gives a better understanding of the concepts.
For social issues, the questions asked are very generic and you need not go through any book for that. Just google search the various topics mentioned in the syllabus and read any relevant documents. Apart from this, you should go through a summary of the socio-economic and caste census, etc.

RBI Grade B ESI Preparation – Dynamic Part Strategy

Check out the below mentioned points to know how you can cover the complete dynamic part of RBI Grade B Phase 2 exam.

Make sure you go through all the social sector schemes, welfare programs, and current affairs related to the economics of at least the last 6 months thoroughly.
Go through the budget and economic survey. Remember that you need to read only the summary of the economic survey and not go through the complete survey unless you have ample free time. You will easily get all these notes free of cost online very easily.
After you’re done with this, you can do a selective topic-wise study from IGNOU B.A. economy booklets, if time permits. You can also go through the RBI’s Annual Report very selectively only if time permits.

This will suffice for the dynamic/ current affairs-related part.

Download RBI Grade B Phase 2 Trend Analysis & Preparation Roadmap

RBI Grade B ESI Books

Many books will help you prepare for RBI Grade B ESI. You must review only the topics related to this section in the following books. Do not spend time reading the entire book;

Class 10th NCERT book ‘Understanding Economic Development’
Class 11th NCERT book ‘Indian Economic Development’
Class 12th NCERT book ‘Introductory Macroeconomics’
Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
Indian Economy by V.K. Puri, S.K. Misra, and Bharat Garg
Social Problems in India by Ram Ahuja

RBI Grade B ESI Preparation – Expert Tips

Along with the general tips, the candidates will get to know the important chapters for objective and descriptive papers. Also, check out a few questions from previous year’s papers.

RBI Grade B Strategy for ESI – General Tips

Brush up on your basic concepts.
Current Affairs would dominate here.
Know the latest developments related to the topics given in the syllabus.
Descriptive Questions can be of three types: Completely static, Static + Current Affairs + Completely Current Affairs Based, or Opinion Based.

RBI Grade B Strategy for ESI – Important Chapters for Objective Paper

You might expect objective questions from the following topics:

Get thorough with the basic concepts (fundamentals)
Cover these basic chapters of ESI & FM like Measurement of Growth – Various Indicators like GDP, GNP, NNP, National Income, etc.
What is Monetary and Fiscal Policy?
Various tools are used by RBI (as part of Monetary policy) and the Government as part of Fiscal Policy.
Balance of Payments
Industrial & Labour Policy
Sustainable Development
Indian Political System (important articles)

Related Links	Related Links	Related Links
RBI Grade B Apply Online	RBI Grade B Eligibility	RBI Grade B Syllabus
RBI Grade B Selection Process	RBI Grade B Exam Date	RBI Grade B Admit Card
RBI Grade B Previous Year Papers	RBI Grade B Result	RBI Grade B Salary

RBI Grade B Strategy for ESI – Key Takeaways from PYQs

Current Affairs linked to the chapters given in the syllabus are asked.
A few questions are very simple (like Phase 1 level) and some questions go one step deeper.

RBI Grade B Strategy for ESI – Important Chapters for Descriptive Paper

You might expect some descriptive questions from the following topics:

Poverty Alleviation
Employment Generation
Changes in Industrial Policy & Labour Policy
Monetary & Fiscal Policy
Priorities & recommendations of Economic Survey& Union Budget.
Indian Agriculture
Export & Import Policy
Human Development
Social Sectors in India
Health & Education

RBI Grade B ESI Approach for Descriptive Paper

Check out the step-wise guide for RBI Grade B ESI Preparation for the descriptive paper:

Step 1: Get a grip on all imp. concepts. List them down and make sure to understand each one.
Step 2: Expect questions related to Current Affairs, so track all the important events, reports, schemes, and policies and have key points ready for these. Coverage: Last 6-8 months.
Step 3: Make a list of imp. points mentioned in the Union Budget and Economic Survey. Note the points such that you can use them for any type of questions asked from these two sources.
Step 4: For opinion based questions which would mostly be asked from the Social Issues section, you need to justify the stand you take. Do not spend time preparing points for these. You can use a few data points noted down while studying current affairs for these answers.
Step 5: Practice at least 12-15 answers before you go for the examination.

Check out Approach to RBI Grade B ESI Descriptive Paper

RBI Grade B ESI Preparation 2025 – FAQs

Q1. How do I use RBI Grade B notes?

Go through the RBI Grade B notes PDF and take topic-wise notes. Use flowcharts, mind maps and mnemonics while taking notes to make your preparation efficient.

Q2. Is studying from all the suggested books for RBI Grade B ESI necessary?

No. You should choose a minimum of two suggested books by RBI to study for the ESI paper. For example, you can choose Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh and NCERT’s Indian Economic Development and supplement your study with free study materials and previous year’s question papers with answers.

Q3. How should I prepare for RBI Grade B ESI if I have a non-commerce background?

Study basic fundamentals of Economics from NCERT textbooks. Use reports from government ministries and agencies like NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to gain more knowledge on social issues. Develop your writing skills by practising daily and taking mock tests to assess your understanding.

Q4. Can online courses and coaching help me prepare effectively for RBI Grade B ESI?

Yes. Online courses and coaching for RBI Grade B ESI provide personalized mentorship and exam-specific study notes and PDFs. You also get the benefit of one-on-one problem-solving sessions.

Q5. How do I improve my descriptive writing skills for the RBI Grade B ESI?

Read the editorial section of a major newspaper or Indian publication and rewrite it in your own words. Then analyze how you have written it and aim to do better next time.

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Saloni Singhal

Hello there! I’m a dedicated Government Job aspirant turned passionate writer & content marketer. My blogs are a one-stop destination for accurate and comprehensive information on exams like Regulatory Bodies, Banking, SSC, State PSCs, and more. I’m on a mission to provide you with all the details you need, conveniently in one place. When I’m not writing and marketing, you’ll find me happily experimenting in the kitchen, cooking up delightful treats. Join me on this journey of knowledge and flavors!

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