ICSE Class 10 Economic Applications Syllabus 2026-27
ICSE Class 10 Syllabus |
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
A visit to a local industrial unit and analyse the combination of the factors of production being used in the production process
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
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 |

