Which of the following is not included in the assets of a commercial bank in India?
- (a) Advances
- (b) Deposits ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) Investments
- (d) Money at call and short notice
Why the answer is (b)
• A bank's balance sheet lists what it owns (assets) and what it owes (liabilities).
• Deposits are money the bank owes to customers, so they are liabilities — option (b) is the one not included in assets.
• Advances (loans) (a), investments in securities (c) and money lent at call and short notice in the interbank market (d) are all claims the bank holds — assets.
• Other assets include cash in hand and balances with the RBI.
• Hence option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) Advances
- Advances are loans made by the bank — an asset.
- (c) Investments
- Investments in securities are assets.
- (d) Money at call and short notice
- Money lent at call is an asset.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2019, held on 2 June 2019. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.