English
Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary EducationHSC Commerce Class 12

Supply of Money

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Estimated time: 19 minutes
  • Introduction
  • Components of Money Supply
  • Narrow vs Broad Definition of Money
  • Measures of Money Supply in India
  • High-powered Money
  • New Measures (V.K. Reddy Committee)
  • Key Points: Supply of Money
CISCE: Class 12

Introduction

Supply of money refers to the total stock of money held by the public in a country at a point in time, used both as a means of payment and a store of value.

Two Essential Rules

  • Rule 1 — "Public" excludes: the Government, the Central Bank (RBI), and Commercial Banks. Money held in government treasuries, RBI vaults, or bank reserves is not counted because it is not in active circulation and including it would cause double-counting.
  • Rule 2 — Stock concept: Money supply is always measured at a specific point in time (e.g., money in circulation in India on 1 January 2026), not over a period.
CISCE: Class 12

Components of Money Supply

Money supply has two main components:

A. Currency Component

Type Issued By Key Feature
Coins Government of India Token coins — face value > intrinsic metallic value
Paper Currency Notes RBI (all denominations); Govt (₹1 note only) Largest component of money supply
  • Both are fiat money — they carry value by government order (fiat), not because of intrinsic worth
  • Both are legal tender — no person can legally refuse to accept them in settlement of a debt

India vs USA: Currency makes up ~50% of India's total money supply, compared with ~18% in the USA — reflecting lower banking penetration and banking habits in India.

B. Deposit Component (Bank Money / Demand Deposits)

  • Demand deposits are funds held by the public with commercial banks, withdrawable on demand via cheques
  • Also called bank money or chequable deposits
  • Convenient and safe for making exact payments
  • NOT legal tender — a person may legally refuse a cheque and insist on cash payment

Analogy: Your bank account balance works like money because people trust banks. But unlike cash, no one is legally forced to accept your cheque.

CISCE: Class 12

Narrow vs Broad Definition of Money

Feature Narrow Money Broad Money
Function stressed Medium of exchange Store of value + Medium of exchange
Assets included Highly liquid assets only Also includes time deposits
Measures M₁, M₂ M₃, M₄
Key proponent Traditional economists Milton Friedman and monetarists
CISCE: Class 12

Measures of Money Supply in India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) uses four official measures: M₁, M₂, M₃, and M₄, differing in liquidity (how easily an asset converts to cash) and rate of return.

Measure Formula Components Added Liquidity
M₁ C + DD + OD Base measure Highest
M₂ M₁ + SD Post Office savings deposits High
M₃ M₁ + TD Time deposits with commercial banks Moderate
M₄ M₃ + TDP Total Post Office deposits (excl. NSC) Lowest
M₀ Currency in circulation + Banks' deposits with RBI + Other RBI deposits High-Powered Money (Reserve money)
CISCE: Class 12

High-Powered Money

High-powered money is the total money issued by the central bank (RBI). It forms the foundation upon which the entire money supply is built.
M0 = Currency in Circulation + Commercial Banks’ Deposits with RBI + Other Deposits with RBI

Why "High-Powered"?
Because ₹1 of central bank money creates more than ₹1 in total money supply, through the money multiplier effect.
Analogy: High-powered money is like yeast in bread dough — a small quantity of yeast causes the entire loaf to rise far beyond its original size. A small increase in M₀ leads to a multiplied increase in total money supply.

Components of M₀

Component Role
Currency held by the public Directly part of money supply
Currency in bank vaults (reserves) Backs people's deposits at banks
Commercial banks' deposits with RBI Reserve base for credit creation
CISCE: Class 12

New Measures (V.K. Reddy Committee)

In recent years, the RBI adopted revised measures of money supply as recommended by the V.K. Reddy Committee. The revised framework introduces M₀ (high-powered money) as a formal measure and redefines M₁ through M₃ with updated components. The key addition is M₀ — the monetary base — which underpins all other measures.

CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Supply of Money

  • Money supply = the public's stock of money at a point in time; excludes government, RBI, and bank holdings.
  • Two components: Currency (fiat money, legal tender) and Demand Deposits (bank money, not legal tender).
  • RBI uses 4 measures: M₁ (narrowest, most liquid) → M₂ → M₃ → M₄ (broadest, least liquid).
  • M₁ captures money purely as a medium of exchange; M₃ adds the store-of-value dimension (time deposits).
  • M₃ is the most widely monitored by the RBI and macroeconomic policymakers.
  • High-Powered Money (M₀) is the foundation — a small increase in M₀ leads to a multiplied increase in total money supply via the money multiplier.
  • India's currency share (~50%) in the money supply is far higher than in developed countries like the USA (~18%), reflecting lower banking penetration.

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