BECC 131 key facts: June 2026
- Course code: BECC-131
- Subject: Principles of Microeconomics-I
- Programme: Bachelor of Arts (General), BAG; also studied in BAM
- Credits: 6 (core course, three tutor-marked assignments)
- Blocks and units: 3 blocks, 10 units
- Maximum marks: 100 (term-end exam 70 per cent, assignments 30 per cent)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the June 2026 paper: 11 across three sections (Section I: 4, Section II: 6, Section III: 1 compulsory)
- Expected length: about 500 words in Section I, 250 words in Section II
- Samples shown on this page: 2 (Q1 and Q5); all 11 answers in the paid file
BECC 131 Solved Question Paper June 2026 gives you complete, exam-length answers to every question IGNOU set in the June 2026 Principles of Microeconomics-I term-end exam. Two answers are open below so you can judge the quality; the other nine sit in the full PDF.
1. What the June 2026 Solved Paper Covers
BECC 131 Principles of Microeconomics-I is the 6-credit Economics core course of IGNOU's Bachelor of Arts (General), and this file solves its full June 2026 term-end paper.
The June 2026 paper moves across the whole book. It opens with elasticity of demand and a market equilibrium numerical, then asks for the minimum wage, utility-based demand, indifference curves, the stages of production, isoquants, cost curves, expansion paths and the production possibility curve. Section III closes with five distinction pairs, from public and private goods to Giffen and normal goods.
Two things make this paper worth studying closely. Compensating versus equivalent variation appears for the first time in the official papers we checked, and the PCC question asks about an inferior good rather than the Giffen case IGNOU used in December 2023. Students who only revise from old answers tend to miss both twists.
If you are still collecting older papers for practice, our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper collection has past sessions by course code.
2. Two Answers Solved in Full, Nine Held Back
Two complete answers are shown below exactly as they appear in the paid file: Q1 from Section I (20 marks) and Q5 from Section II (12 marks).
The question text is reproduced as printed on the official June 2026 paper. Read them to check the depth, the diagrams and the step-by-step working before you order.
Elasticity of demand, and a market equilibrium numerical
Question 1(a): What is elasticity of demand? Give examples. What are the determinants of price elasticity of demand? (4 + 6)
Meaning. Elasticity of demand measures how strongly the quantity demanded of a good responds to a change in one of its determinants. Price elasticity of demand (Ep) is the form used most:
Ep = percentage change in quantity demanded ÷ percentage change in price
Because price and quantity move in opposite directions, Ep carries a minus sign, so economists usually read its absolute value.
Examples. If the price of a notebook rises from ₹40 to ₹44 (a 10 per cent rise) and sales fall from 100 to 85 units (a 15 per cent fall), Ep = 15 ÷ 10 = 1.5, so demand is elastic. If the price of salt rises by 10 per cent and purchases fall by only 2 per cent, Ep = 0.2, so demand is inelastic. When the two percentages are equal, Ep = 1 and demand is unitary elastic.
Two related measures complete the idea. Income elasticity compares a change in quantity with a change in income: it is positive for normal goods such as air travel and negative for inferior goods such as coarse grain. Cross elasticity compares the quantity of one good with the price of another: it is positive for substitutes such as tea and coffee and negative for complements such as cars and petrol.
Determinants of price elasticity of demand
- Availability of substitutes: a brand of soap with many close rivals has elastic demand, because buyers switch as soon as its price rises.
- Necessity or luxury: necessities such as salt, rice and medicines have inelastic demand, while luxuries such as jewellery and foreign holidays have elastic demand.
- Share of income spent: a matchbox takes a tiny share of income, so a price rise hardly changes demand; a refrigerator takes a large share, so demand is more elastic.
- Number of uses: a good with many uses, such as milk or electricity, has more elastic demand because a lower price opens up less important uses.
- Time period: demand is less elastic in the short run and more elastic in the long run, when buyers have time to find substitutes or change habits.
- Habits and addiction: goods bought out of habit, such as tea or cigarettes, show inelastic demand even after a sharp price rise.
- Possibility of postponement: purchases of durables such as cars or furniture can be delayed, which makes their demand more elastic than that of daily food.
In short, demand is more elastic when substitutes are close, the good is a luxury, it takes a large slice of the budget, it has many uses, and buyers have time to adjust.
Question 1(b): Given the following demand and supply functions, find the equilibrium price and quantity in the market: (10)
Qs = −5 + 3P Qd = 10 − 2P
Condition for equilibrium. The market clears where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied, so we set Qd = Qs.
Step 1: 10 − 2P = −5 + 3P
Step 2: 10 + 5 = 3P + 2P, so 15 = 5P and P* = 3
Step 3: substitute P = 3 in the demand function: Qd = 10 − 2(3) = 4
Check: Qs = −5 + 3(3) = 4. Both sides give 4, so the equilibrium price is 3 and the equilibrium quantity is 4 units.
| Price (P) | Qd = 10 − 2P | Qs = −5 + 3P | Market situation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 6 | 1 | Shortage of 5 units, price is pushed up |
| 3 | 4 | 4 | Equilibrium, market clears |
| 4 | 2 | 7 | Surplus of 5 units, price is pushed down |
The table shows why P = 3 is stable. At P = 2 buyers want 6 units but sellers offer only 1, so competition among buyers raises the price. At P = 4 sellers offer 7 units but buyers take only 2, so unsold stock forces the price down. Only at P = 3 does neither pressure exist.
Diagram to draw: a market equilibrium graph with quantity (Q) on the horizontal axis and price (P) on the vertical axis. Draw the downward-sloping demand curve D (Qd = 10 − 2P) and the upward-sloping supply curve S (Qs = −5 + 3P). Mark their intersection as E, and drop dashed lines from E to the axes at P = 3 and Q = 4. Label the demand intercept at P = 5 (where Qd = 0) and the supply intercept where the supply curve meets the price axis. Shade or mark the shortage region below P = 3 and the surplus region above it.
Value addition for full marks. The point elasticities at equilibrium link part (b) back to part (a). For demand, Ep = (dQd/dP) × (P/Q) = −2 × 3/4 = −1.5, so demand is elastic at E. For supply, Es = (dQs/dP) × (P/Q) = 3 × 3/4 = 2.25, so supply is also elastic at E.
Conclusion. The market for this good settles at an equilibrium price of 3 and an equilibrium quantity of 4 units. Any other price creates a shortage or a surplus that pushes the market back to this point.
Producer's equilibrium using the isoquant
Question 5: Explain producer's equilibrium using isoquant. Illustrate with a relevant diagram. (12)
Introduction. A producer is in equilibrium when the mix of labour (L) and capital (K) gives a set output at the lowest cost, or the most output for a set cost.
Isoquant. An isoquant joins all combinations of L and K that give the same output. It slopes downward, is convex to the origin because the marginal rate of technical substitution (MRTS) of labour for capital diminishes, and a higher isoquant shows a larger output.
Isocost line. It shows every mix of L and K the firm can buy with outlay C at factor prices w and r:
C = wL + rK, with slope −w/r
Conditions of equilibrium. First, the isocost line must be tangent to an isoquant, so MRTS(L,K) = MPL/MPK = w/r. Second, the isoquant must be convex to the origin at that point, so that the tangency gives a minimum cost and not a maximum.
Diagram to draw: a graph with labour (L) on the horizontal axis and capital (K) on the vertical axis. Draw three downward-sloping, convex isoquants labelled IQ1, IQ2 and IQ3, with IQ3 furthest from the origin. Draw a straight isocost line from point A on the capital axis to point B on the labour axis. The isocost line should be tangent to IQ2 at point E, cut IQ1 at two points labelled M and N, and lie entirely below IQ3. Drop dashed lines from E to the axes, labelling them L* = 10 and K* = 5.
Explanation. M and N lie on AB, so they cost the same as E but reach only IQ1. Moving along AB towards E raises output at no extra cost. IQ3 lies wholly above AB and is unaffordable. E, the tangency with IQ2, is therefore the optimum: OL* of labour and OK* of capital.
Illustration. With an outlay of ₹1,000, w = ₹50 and r = ₹100, AB runs from 10 units of K to 20 units of L. For isoquants of the form LK = constant, MRTS = K/L, so tangency needs K/L = 1/2, giving L* = 10 and K* = 5: 50(10) + 100(5) = ₹1,000.
Conclusion. The producer is in equilibrium where MPL/w = MPK/r, so the last rupee spent on either factor adds the same output and no change in the mix can lower cost.
3. Questions Answered Only in the Full File
The remaining 9 questions of the June 2026 paper are listed below exactly as printed. Their answers are in the full file only.
Section I (any two, 20 marks each)
Question 2: (a) Explain how the minimum wage act lowers the actual employment of workers. (10) (b) Derive the demand curve with the help of the law of diminishing marginal utility. (10)
Question 3: (a) Explain the properties of the indifference curve. What is the shape of an IC curve when two goods are perfect substitutes? (6 + 4) (b) Explain the three stages of production under returns to a factor. (10)
Question 4: (a) Explain consumer's equilibrium in a multi-commodity case. (10) (b) Describe various determinants of elasticity of supply. Explain any two supply curves with different elasticities. (10)
Section II (any four, 12 marks each)
Question 6: Differentiate between compensating and equivalent variation. (12)
Question 7: Discuss the relationship between the long-run and short-run average cost curve. Why is the long-run average cost curve called the envelope curve? (6 + 6)
Question 8: What is the price consumption curve? Derive the demand curve from the PCC of an inferior good. (12)
Question 9: What is meant by a firm's expansion path? Distinguish between the expansion path for a linear homogeneous production function and that for a non-linear production function. (12)
Question 10: What is the production possibility curve? Explain its properties, and when does it shift? (4 + 4 + 4)
Section III (compulsory)
Question 11: Make the distinction between any three of the following. (3 × 4 = 12)
(a) Public vs private good
(b) Explicit vs implicit cost
(c) External vs internal economies
(d) Stock vs flow variables
(e) Giffen vs normal goods
4. Blocks and Units of Principles of Microeconomics-I
The IGNOU book for BECC 131 has 3 blocks and 10 units, and the June 2026 paper drew questions from every one of them.
Unit titles below are taken from the official self-learning material. The topic column shows what each unit is best known for in exams, and the last column shows where it surfaced in June 2026. For unit PDFs and our notes, see BECC 131 Study Material.
| Block | Unit | Key topics | June 2026 questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1: Introduction | Unit 1: Introduction to Economics and Economy | Scarcity and central problems; production possibility curve; stock and flow variables | Q10, Q11(d) |
| Block 1: Introduction | Unit 2: Demand and Elasticity of Demand | Law of demand; price, income and cross elasticity; determinants of elasticity | Q1(a) (Sample 1) |
| Block 1: Introduction | Unit 3: Supply and Elasticity of Supply | Law of supply; degrees of supply elasticity; supply curves through the origin | Q4(b) |
| Block 1: Introduction | Unit 4: Demand and Supply in Practice | Market equilibrium numericals; price floors and minimum wage; tax incidence | Q1(b) (Sample 1), Q2(a) |
| Block 2: Theory of Consumer Behaviour | Unit 5: Consumer Behaviour: Cardinal Approach | Law of diminishing marginal utility; equi-marginal utility; deriving the demand curve | Q2(b), Q4(a) |
| Block 2: Theory of Consumer Behaviour | Unit 6: Consumer Behaviour: Ordinal Approach | Indifference curve properties; price consumption curve; Giffen and inferior goods | Q3(a), Q6, Q8, Q11(e) |
| Block 3: Production and Costs | Unit 7: Production with One Variable Input | Total, average and marginal product; three stages of the law of variable proportions | Q3(b) |
| Block 3: Production and Costs | Unit 8: Production with Two Variable Inputs | Isoquants and isocost lines; producer's equilibrium; ridge lines and expansion path | Q5 (Sample 2), Q9 |
| Block 3: Production and Costs | Unit 9: Returns to Scale | Increasing, constant and decreasing returns; homogeneous production functions; internal and external economies | Q9, Q11(c) |
| Block 3: Production and Costs | Unit 10: The Cost of Production | Explicit and implicit cost; short-run cost curves; LAC as the envelope of SAC curves | Q7, Q11(b) |
5. Question Paper Pattern and Marks Split
The June 2026 paper carries 100 marks over 3 hours, split into three sections with built-in choice.
| Section | Questions printed | You attempt | Word guide on paper | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section I | Q1 to Q4, each with parts (a) and (b) | Any 2 | About 500 words each | 2 × 20 = 40 |
| Section II | Q5 to Q10, single or split questions | Any 4 | About 250 words each | 4 × 12 = 48 |
| Section III | Q11, five distinction pairs | Compulsory; any 3 pairs | Short comparisons | 3 × 4 = 12 |
Section I questions each have two 10-mark parts, so a weak part (b) can cost you half a question even when part (a) is strong. Section II questions carry 12 marks and some, like Q7 and Q10, are split into smaller pieces. To compare this layout with other BAG courses, browse our BAG Question Paper list.
In practice, a balanced script picks one consumer-theory question and one production-and-cost question in Section I, then uses Section II to cover the diagram-heavy topics you know best. The full file solves every option, so you can rehearse whichever combination suits you.
6. Most Repeated Topics, 2022 to 2026
Elasticity of demand, the law of variable proportions and the long-run versus short-run cost link appeared in all five official BECC 131 papers we could open.
We counted topics in five papers from IGNOU's own archive: December 2022, June 2023, December 2023, June 2024 and June 2026. December 2024, June 2025 and December 2025 are listed by IGNOU but their files could not be opened when this table was built, so they are not counted.
| Topic | Unit | Sessions and question numbers | Papers (of 5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elasticity of demand: concepts, measurement, determinants | Unit 2 | Dec 22 Q1(b); Jun 23 Q1(b); Dec 23 Q1(a); Jun 24 Q11(a); Jun 26 Q1(a) | 5 |
| Law of variable proportions, stages and ridge lines | Units 7 and 8 | Dec 22 Q3(a); Jun 23 Q3(b); Dec 23 Q3(a); Jun 24 Q3(a); Jun 26 Q3(b) | 5 |
| Long-run and short-run cost curves, envelope and LMC | Unit 10 | Dec 22 Q9; Jun 23 Q4(b), Q10; Dec 23 Q9; Jun 24 Q4(b); Jun 26 Q7 | 5 |
| Producer's equilibrium with isoquant and isocost | Unit 8 | Dec 22 Q3(b); Dec 23 Q8; Jun 24 Q9; Jun 26 Q5 | 4 |
| Market equilibrium numericals using Qd and Qs | Unit 4 | Dec 22 Q2(b); Dec 23 Q1(b); Jun 24 Q1(b); Jun 26 Q1(b) | 4 |
| Elasticity of supply: degrees and determinants | Unit 3 | Jun 23 Q7; Dec 23 Q2(a); Jun 24 Q6; Jun 26 Q4(b) | 4 |
| Production possibility curve | Unit 1 | Jun 23 Q5; Dec 23 Q5; Jun 24 Q1(a); Jun 26 Q10 | 4 |
| Indifference curves: MRS, properties, consumer equilibrium | Unit 6 | Dec 22 Q2(a); Dec 23 Q2(b); Jun 24 Q2(b); Jun 26 Q3(a) | 4 |
| Internal and external economies or diseconomies | Units 9 and 10 | Dec 22 Q8; Dec 23 Q4(a), Q11(b); Jun 24 Q11(e); Jun 26 Q11(c) | 4 |
| Cost tables and the AC, AVC and MC relationship | Unit 10 | Dec 22 Q4(a), Q4(b); Jun 23 Q4(a); Dec 23 Q4(b); Jun 24 Q8 | 4 |
| Price consumption curve with Giffen or inferior goods | Unit 6 | Dec 23 Q7; Jun 24 Q7; Jun 26 Q8 | 3 |
| Expansion path of the firm | Unit 8 | Jun 23 Q9; Jun 24 Q3(b); Jun 26 Q9 | 3 |
| Minimum price, price floor and minimum wage | Unit 4 | Dec 22 Q2(b)(ii); Dec 23 Q1(b)(ii); Jun 26 Q2(a) | 3 |
| Stock versus flow variables | Unit 1 | Dec 22 Q11(e); Dec 23 Q11(e); Jun 26 Q11(d) | 3 |
| Compensating versus equivalent variation | Unit 6 | Jun 26 Q6 only | 1 |
Cost tables appear in four of the five papers but were skipped in June 2026, which makes them a strong bet for December 2026. For a ranked list across more courses, see our IGNOU Solved Guess Paper page.
7. How Our Answers Are Written and Checked
Every BECC 131 answer is written from the IGNOU self-learning material, sized to the word limit printed on the paper, and re-checked by a second reviewer.
We start from the official June 2026 paper and the unit that each question comes from. Section I answers are written to about 500 words and Section II answers to about 250 words, because those limits are printed on the paper itself. Section III distinctions are set out point by point, so each pair earns its 4 marks quickly.
Microeconomics answers lose marks on small slips, so numericals are solved twice, once by the writer and once during review. Diagram questions such as producer's equilibrium, the envelope curve and the PCC of an inferior good come with labelled diagrams, the way examiners expect to see them.
The file also uses earlier official papers to show which ideas keep returning, so you revise the pattern and not just one year's wording.
8. Solved File Index
BECC 131 is a theory-only course with no practical record, so this index lists all 11 June 2026 questions with their unit and where the answer is available.
| Question | Topic | Unit | Where the answer is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Elasticity of demand and equilibrium numerical | Units 2 and 4 | Sample 1 above |
| Q2 | Minimum wage and demand from marginal utility | Units 4 and 5 | Full file |
| Q3 | Indifference curve properties and three stages of production | Units 6 and 7 | Full file |
| Q4 | Multi-commodity consumer equilibrium and supply elasticity | Units 3 and 5 | Full file |
| Q5 | Producer's equilibrium with isoquant | Unit 8 | Sample 2 above |
| Q6 | Compensating and equivalent variation | Unit 6 | Full file |
| Q7 | LAC, SAC and the envelope curve | Unit 10 | Full file |
| Q8 | PCC and demand for an inferior good | Unit 6 | Full file |
| Q9 | Expansion path, linear and non-linear production functions | Units 8 and 9 | Full file |
| Q10 | Production possibility curve and its shifts | Unit 1 | Full file |
| Q11 | Five distinction pairs, any three | Units 1, 6, 9 and 10 | Full file |
9. Programmes That Include BECC 131
BECC 131 is studied in the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (General) as an Economics core course, and IGNOU's assignment booklet also addresses it to BAM learners.
If you are enrolled in the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (General) with Economics as a discipline, BECC 131 is your first microeconomics paper and leads into BECC 132 Principles of Microeconomics-II. BAM learners sit the same paper with the same syllabus.
Students in the Bachelor of Commerce (General) and the BA (Honours) Economics programmes usually study microeconomics under other codes, such as BCOG-171 and BECC-101. If BECC 131 appears on your own course list, this file fits your exam exactly.
The official unit-wise material for the course is on IGNOU's eGyanKosh page for BECC-131, which is worth keeping open beside our answers.
10. How to Get the Full Solved Question Paper
Message WhatsApp 9899436384 with "BECC 131 June 2026" to get the complete file with all 11 answers, including the 9 that are not shown on this page.
Our team replies with the price and payment details, and the PDF arrives on the same WhatsApp chat. You get the file as one clean document with Section I, II and III answers in paper order, so you can revise straight through or jump to the questions you plan to attempt.
11. BECC 131 Principles of Microeconomics-I FAQs
Quick answers to what students ask most before ordering the June 2026 file.
Which two answers can I read before ordering?
You can read Q1 and Q5 in full on this page. Q1 covers elasticity of demand with its determinants and the equilibrium numerical where Qs = −5 + 3P and Qd = 10 − 2P, giving price 3 and quantity 4. Q5 explains producer's equilibrium with an isoquant and isocost diagram. Both are written to the 500 and 250 word limits printed on the June 2026 paper.
How do I get the complete June 2026 solved file on WhatsApp?
Send a message to WhatsApp 9899436384 with the course code BECC 131 and the session June 2026. Our team replies with the price and payment details, and the PDF reaches you on the same chat. The file answers all 11 questions of the paper: the 2 shown on this page plus the 9 that are listed here as question text only.
Is BECC 131 a 6-credit course?
Yes, BECC 131 is a 6-credit core course, which is why IGNOU sets three tutor-marked assignments for it each cycle. The self-learning material has 3 blocks and 10 units: Introduction, Theory of Consumer Behaviour, and Production and Costs. The term-end exam runs for 3 hours and carries 100 marks, with assignments counting for 30 per cent of the final result.
Which BECC 131 topics repeat most often in IGNOU papers?
Elasticity of demand, the law of variable proportions with its stages and ridge lines, and the link between long-run and short-run cost curves appeared in all five official papers we checked, from December 2022 to June 2026. Producer's equilibrium, demand and supply numericals, elasticity of supply, the production possibility curve and indifference curves each appeared in four of the five papers.
Are the numericals solved step by step?
Yes, every numerical in the file is worked line by line, not just given a final figure. The equilibrium question on this page shows how the two functions are equated, solved for price, substituted back for quantity and then checked against both equations. A price table and a labelled diagram follow, so you can copy the method for any new figures IGNOU sets.
What is the exam pattern in the June 2026 paper?
The June 2026 paper has three sections and 11 questions. Section I asks for any two of four questions at about 500 words each for 40 marks. Section II asks for any four of six at about 250 words each for 48 marks. Section III has one compulsory question where you distinguish any three of five pairs for 12 marks.
Who writes and reviews the BECC 131 answers?
Prateek Talwar writes the answers and Sheetal Kirola reviews them before any file is sold. Each answer is built from the IGNOU self-learning material for the course and checked against earlier papers, so the wording, diagrams and length match what examiners expect. Numerical answers are re-solved separately during review to catch arithmetic slips before students see them.
Can BAM students use the BECC 131 solved paper?
Yes, BAM learners can use it, because IGNOU's own BECC 131 assignment booklet is addressed to both BAG and BAM students. The course code, syllabus and paper pattern are the same, so the June 2026 answers apply directly. If you are in another programme, check your programme guide to confirm that BECC 131 is on your course list before you order.
12. Who Wrote and Checked the BECC 131 Answers
The BECC 131 answers were written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola.
Prateek Talwar, founder of Unnati Educations, leads the IGNOU solved-paper series and prepares answers from the course units and the official term-end paper. Sheetal Kirola, Academic Head (M.Ed.), re-solves every numerical and checks each diagram label before release.