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ICSE Class 10 Economic Applications Syllabus 2026-27

ICSE Class 10 Economics Syllabus 2026-27


Board: CISCE | Examination Year: 2028 | Subject: Economics


Exam Structure

Component

Marks

Theory (Written Paper — 2 hours)

80

Internal Assessment

20

Total

100

Note: Economics follows the standard 80 + 20 scheme.

THEORY — 80 Marks


1. The Productive Mechanism


Factors of production: Land, labour, capital and entrepreneur — their impact on the production structure in an economy.


(a) Land

  • Meaning and characteristics

  • Productivity of land — meaning only

  • Factors affecting productivity of land


(b) Labour

  • Meaning and characteristics

  • Division of labour: meaning, types and advantages

  • Efficiency of labour: meaning, reasons for low efficiency of Indian labour


(c) Capital

  • Meaning and characteristics

  • Types: physical and financial capital — meaning with examples

  • Capital Formation: meaning, process of capital formation, need for capital formation


(d) Entrepreneur

  • Meaning, functions and role of entrepreneur in economic development


2. Theory of Demand and Supply


(a) Meaning and Concept of Demand and Supply

Meaning of demand and supply; the concept of demand, types of demand and concept of supply to be explained (with examples). A basic understanding of the law of demand and supply in which demand and supply schedules to be used to explain the demand and supply curves.

  • Law of demand and supply

  • Demand and supply schedule and curve (both individual and market)

  • The individual demand and supply curves must be distinguished from market demand and supply curves

  • Movement and shift of the demand and supply curve

  • Determinants of demand and supply are to be specified

  • Exceptions to the law of demand are to be discussed


(b) Elasticity of Demand and Elasticity of Supply

The concept of price elasticity of demand and elasticity of supply are to be explained with percentage method. Factors affecting the elasticity of demand and supply are to be specified.

  • Meaning, types

  • Percentage method of measuring elasticity of demand and elasticity of supply

  • Factors affecting elasticity of demand and supply

"(Numerical problems are not for testing.)"

3. Market


Meaning of market; types of markets:

Type

Details

Perfect Competition

Meaning with examples

Monopoly

Meaning with examples

Monopolistic Competition

Meaning with examples

Oligopoly

Meaning with examples

A brief understanding of the features of the different types of markets along with differences.


4. Banking in India


(a) Money

A basic understanding of:

  • The inconvenience of the barter system and the evolution of money

  • Legal definition of money

  • Functions of money: medium of exchange, measure of value, standard of deferred payment, store of value


(b) Commercial Banks: Meaning and Functions

Meaning. Functions of Commercial Banks:

  • Accepting deposits — a brief understanding of the types of deposits

  • Advancing loans — a brief understanding of the types of loans, methods of advancing loans

  • Credit creation — a brief understanding of credit creation on the basis of primary and derivative deposits


(c) Central Bank

Meaning. Functions of Central Bank:

  • Monopoly of note issue

  • Bankers' bank

  • Banker, agent and advisor to the government

  • Custodian of foreign exchange

  • Lender of the last resort


(d) Monetary Policy of the Central Bank


(i) Qualitative Credit Control Measures:

  • Margin requirements

  • Credit rationing

  • Moral suasion

(ii) Quantitative Credit Control Measures:

  • Bank Rate

  • Open Market Operations

  • Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)

  • Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)

(e) Demonetisation


(f) Public Finance

(i) Meaning of Public Finance

(ii) Sources of Public Revenue:

Tax Revenue:

  • Direct Tax — meaning, merits and demerits

  • Indirect Tax — meaning, merits and demerits

  • Difference between direct and indirect taxes

  • Goods and Services Tax (GST) — meaning and objectives

  • Progressive, proportional, regressive and degressive taxes — meaning only

Non-tax Revenue:

  • Meaning with examples

(iii) Public Expenditure:

  • Meaning of public expenditure

  • Revenue and capital expenditure with examples

  • Reason for growth of public expenditure in India

(iv) Public Debt:

  • Meaning and types of public debts


5. Inflation


(a) Inflation

  • Meaning of inflation

(b) Stages of Inflation

  • Creeping, walking, running and hyper — meaning only

(c) Types of Inflation: Cost Push Inflation and Demand-Pull Inflation

  • Meaning, causes and differences only

  • Negative effects of inflation on production

  • Positive and negative effects of inflation on distribution with reference to fixed income group and business income group only


6. Consumer Awareness


(a) Consumer Exploitation and Consumer Awareness

  • Meaning of consumer exploitation

  • A brief understanding of the forms of consumer exploitation

  • Reasons for exploitation of consumers in India — a brief understanding

  • Meaning of Consumer Awareness

(b) Consumer Rights and Duties

  • A brief understanding of the above

  • COPRA — 2019: meaning and features

  • RTI: meaning and significance

(c) Food Adulteration

  • Meaning and harmful effects

(d) Technical and Administrative Measures for Consumer Protection

A brief understanding of:

  • Public Distribution System (PDS)

  • Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

  • AGMARK

  • ECOMARK


INTERNAL ASSESSMENT — 20 Marks


Minimum number of assignments: One project/assignment as prescribed by the teacher from the syllabus.


Suggested Assignments

  1. A visit to a local industrial unit and analyse the combination of the factors of production being used in the production process

  2. Survey 15 people from your neighbourhood about the type of taxes they pay; from your survey conclude which type of tax is easier to pay and why

  3. Visit a nearby store; select five items of regular consumption; study the following: the impact of GST on these five products; how this has impacted the demand for these products; how it has benefitted the producer, consumer and the government.


Evaluation

The assignments/project works are to be evaluated by the subject teacher and by an External Examiner. The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but not teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of Economics of Class XI may be deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X Economics projects.

The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently.

Evaluator

Marks

Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner)

10 marks

External Examiner

10 marks

Total

20 marks

The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to CISCE by the Head of the school via the CAREERS portal.


Internal Assessment Marking Criteria (Grade-Based)

Grade

Preparation / Research

Information

Observation

Inference

Presentation

Marks

Grade I

Follows instructions with understanding; masters research techniques easily; reference work is orderly

A good deal of relevant matter; uses wide range of sources

Systematic record of data; good arrangement of data; creative representation

Work indicates understanding; good comprehension of subject

Methodical, precise and clear expression; neat and tidy presentation; optimum utilisation of skills

4

Grade II

Follows instructions but needs a little help in research techniques; reference notes quite orderly

Selects matter relevant to context; limited use of references/sources

Able to record data correctly

Can judge and grasp information correctly; conclusion quantitatively evaluated

Work neat and tidy and clearly presented; methodical and appropriate techniques used

3

Grade III

Follows instructions but needs constant guidance; reference notes at times disorderly

Relevant matter but limited reference work; matter is sketchy

Assistance required in presenting, recording and arranging data

Requires some assistance to grasp the relevance and validity of information; able to relate to economic scenario

Reasonably clear but work disorganised in places; writing untidy in places

2

Grade IV

Struggles with research methods and needs constant guidance; reference notes copied without reference to keywords

Hardly any reference material; use of irrelevant matter; matter is quite sketchy

Tends to make mistakes in organising data

Assistance required in order to grasp the relevance and validity of information; tends to make errors

Sequence of work acceptable but not very neat; poor presentation

1

Grade V

Cannot follow instructions; works 'blindly' without reference to keywords

No reference work/copied from other textbooks/sketchy matter

Makes mistakes in organising data; not able to proceed even with assistance

Cannot process results; faulty conclusions in spite of assistance provided

Data presentation untidy and disorganised; effort and initiative lacking

0


Flags Summary

#

Flag

Details

1

Elasticity — numerical problems

"Numerical problems are not for testing"

2

Inflation diagram

"Diagram not required" for cost push and demand-pull inflation

3

Stages of inflation

Creeping, walking, running and hyper — meaning only

4

Progressive/proportional/regressive/degressive taxes

Meaning only — no further analysis required

5

Central Bank functions

Brief understanding only

6

Monetary policy measures

Brief understanding only

7

Demonetisation

Brief understanding only

8

Inflation effects on distribution

With reference to fixed income group and business income group only

9

COPRA

Specifically COPRA — 2019 (not older version)

10

Minimum assignments

One project/assignment (not multiple)

11

Internal assessment marks

10 internal + 10 external = 20 marks

12

Productivity of land

Meaning only — no detailed analysis required


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