गेल्या काही वर्षातील केंद्र सरकारच्या नियोजन बाह्य खर्चातील सर्वात मोठी बाब कोणती ?

The correct answer is Option A (Interest payment).

Key Points:
• Non-Plan Expenditure (योजनाबाह्य खर्च) constituted the dominant portion of the Union Budget, consisting of mandatory maintenance and committed public obligations.
• Breakdown of the major components of Non-Plan Expenditure:
• 1. Interest Payments (व्याज परतावा): Consistently the single largest item, accounting for over 30% to 35% of total non-plan outlays and absorbing over 20% to 25% of gross revenue receipts.
• 2. Defence Expenditure: Second largest head, absorbing around 15% to 18% of non-plan spending.
• 3. Subsidies (Food, Fertilizer, and Petroleum): Absorbing around 10% to 14%.
• 4. Grants to States and Union Territories and Pensions.
• Continuous past borrowing created a massive cumulative debt stock, rendering debt-servicing (interest obligations) the single largest non-discretionary drain on the budget.
• The official MPSC final answer key confirms Option 1 (Interest payment).
• Key Takeaway: Interest payments consistently constitute the single largest component of the Central Government's non-plan expenditure.