Keyword : Budget

No more borrowing, says Jaitley and talks of cuts in spending

Finance minister Arun Jaitley does not believe in living on borrowed money. This means the government will not overshoot limits imposed on fiscal deficit. However, to maintain 4.1% f

Deepak Parekh slams govt for talking and not acting

Chairman of HDFC Deepak Parekh, who has been praising and warning Modi government during the last few months, has come out in strong terms against the administration as India gets into budget seaso

RBI governor for better education loans regime

Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan on Saturday sought better student loan schemes as he felt that there were lot of stress on education loans. Taking the theme of rationalizing t

Passengers get first class treatment

After computerization of ticket booking that was a big relief to passengers, railway minister Suresh Prabhu took another big leap in passengers’ amenities on Thursday. These co

Jaitley’s budget prepares India for a big take off

Announcing a budget aimed at high growth finance minister Arun Jaitley delivered his first full-year budget with proposals to boost investment and benefits to ordinary people. "

Budget extends financial inclusion, banks get big boss

What can be seen as a major step in making ‘financial inclusion’ a reality, finance minister Arun Jaitley announced in budget of 2015 the creation of MUDRA Bank to refinance microfinanc

Jaitley’s budget not going to increase India’s ratings

Despite finance minister Arun Jaitley’s good budget the country’s ratings are not likely to change due to subsidies, debt and missing reforms.The budget has in fact slowed the pace of f

Delhi is a capital of contradictions: Highest per capita income & fall in taxes

The national capital is a cradle of contradictions. Consider these numbers and the paradox hits you squarely. Delhi registered an all-time high per capita income of Rs.2.41 lakh in 2014-15, an incr

Krishi Kalyan Cess to make eating out, mobile bills costlier

 June 1 onwards, people will have to pay an addition 0.5 percent tax whenever they go out to dine or buy a movie ticket. The Krishi Kalyan Cess, announced by finance minister Arun Jait

Railway budget is history. Here’s the rationale behind ‘budget reforms’

Doing away with yet another long-standing tradition, the cabinet has decided to do away with the

Party funds: A step forward or a leap backward into the era of secrecy?

While presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha, the finance minister made some announcements about the manner in which he sought to make donations to political parties more transparent. If the propos

Assam gets less money from centre for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

The Assam government has proposed to provide eggs twice a week to all 42.61 lakh children under the mid-day meal programme. The estimated cost will be Rs 130 crore. In order to make funds available

Delhi budget: No new tax, focus on water and education

It seems that Delhi is slowly sprinting ahead of other states, in terms of being the lowest tax state. In the state budget announced on Wednesday, Delhi Jal Board’s revenue has gone up by a

“Right to health should have been part of the Health Policy”

  To evaluate the new health policy, we turned to a leading expert in this area, Dr K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India. The former head of the de

Spike in dengue, TB cases in Mumbai: Report

 Dengue cases in Mumbai have increased by a whopping 265% from 2013-2017, said a report which added that almost 18 people have died every day from tuberculosis (TB) in 2016-17. Accor

No central government scheme to run endlessly

Centrally sponsored schemes will now onwards run for a fixed period of time, thanks to a sunset date. An outcome review will also be carried out.   In public policy, a su

Why not do away with personal income tax

The pre-budget days are here again and there cannot be a better time than this to once again seek an end to personal income tax.   Ending taxes on personal income will be

Budget estimate for disinvestment is Rs 72,500 crore

The budget estimate (BE) for disinvestment during the year 2017-18 is Rs.72,500 crore, parliament was informed. Union minister Subhash Bhamre said that this comprised Rs.46,500 crore

Government looks at additional borrowing of Rs 20,000 crore

Additional borrowing of Rs 20,000 crore, and not Rs 50,000 crore, is being considered by the government to meet financial needs.   Upon a review of trends of revenue rece

Let’s make the budget more meaningful

Cloaked in obsessive secrecy, our budget process is rooted in our colonial past. By a single document, the government tries to lay down the roadmap of the economy for the coming financial year. I

Key recommendations for Budget 2018 for better healthcare

In India public sector accounts for only 30 percent of the total healthcare expenditure and investment in building and maintaining public health infrastructure needs priority in the upcoming budget

10 things people expect from budget 2018

When finance minister Arun Jaitley rises to present the union budget 2018 in parliament on Thursday, most Indians will be hoping that he leaves them with more money in their pockets. &nbs

Rs 171.15 crore was revenue in India’s first budget

India’s first budget was presented by RK Shanmukham Chetty, minister of finance, on November 26, 1947.   Here are the key highlights of the budget for the y

Budget 2018: Railways expect more funds for safety

Ahead of the union budget 2018-19, Indian railways is hoping to get adequate funds to strengthen safety and introduce modern signaling system for its gigantic rail network of over 65,000 kms. 

India loses 4% of GDP to malnutrition, say experts ahead of budget

Nearly 4 percent of India’s GDP is estimated to have been lost due to malnutrition and certainly women and children deserve a better deal in expenditure outlay, since the country hosts 50 per

Gandhi sesquicentennial: Govt announces celebration plans

2019 will mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and finance minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech has announced that the government plans to celebrate the occasion.

Up next: Artificial intelligence for governance

 The allocation on Digital India program has been doubled to Rs 3073 crore in 2018-19, with a part of this fund likely to b spent on research and development in cyber physical systems, robotic

Budget aims to strengthen rural economy

 A significant portion of the budget pie on Thursday went to the farm sector. Union minister Arun Jaitley, who presented the union budget 2018-19, said the effort was to particularly

Common man, don’t worry: Budget promises ‘Ease of Leaving’

The budget promises to make it easier for the common man too – easier to leave, though it is not clear leave what.

Budget: Modi launches political psy-ops to rattle rivals

Prime minister Narendra Modi used the occasion of the budget presentation by finance minister Arun Jaitley to launch a “political psy-op”, to borrow a phrase used by intelligence agenci

Committed to doubling farmers’ income: Krishna Raj

 There were several announcements for farmers and the farm sector in the union budget 2018. Which among them would be most important in realising the target of doubling the farmers&rsq

Budget: How Modi is shifting BJP’s social base

Political parties rarely survive on static social bases in a democracy. The BJP has been experimenting with shifting its social bases and coalescing them in a formidable vote bank in every round of

Health budget just one-third of the 2025 target

In the union budget for 2018-19, some big announcements have been made especially for the health sector but not supported by corresponding budgetary allocations. While, on the one hand, allocations

National Health Mission needs a leg up

The National Health Mission, which is aimed at achieving universal access to health care by strengthening health systems, institutions and capabilities, needs to be significantly improved to become

How transparent is our budget?

The ideas of ‘good governance’ and ‘budget transparency’ are intricately related where one practice often influences the other. Over the past few years, the importance of tr

There has been a 25 percent jump in highway construction: Mansukh L Mandaviya

Union minister Mansukh L Mandaviya, 45, is among the younger politicians to have made it to the cabinet. He is in charge of road transport and highways, shipping, chemicals and fertilisers. In

Interim Budget 2019 rides high on elections

The interim budget for 2019-20, presented by the interim finance minister Piyush Goyal, is predictably focused on the coming elections. From agriculture to defence, and pleasing the middle class, t

Budget a helping hand for neo-middle class

An official who worked closely with Narendra Modi during his stint as the chief minister of Gujarat told me an anecdote to explain his style of working. Just before the 2007 state assembly election

Even with sufficient funds, several projects under MCGM delayed: Report

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s (MCGM) presented the budget for the FY 2017-18 which have highlighted current state of financial management. A report released by Janaagraha Cent

Schooling in freedom

This year’s interim budget allocated Rs 93,847.64 crore for education. Of this, Rs 56,386.63 crore was for school education, a hike of 10 percent over the allocation made in the previous budg

Corporate taxes cut to spur economy

Aiming to dispel the clouds of a slowdown, the government on Friday announced a series of measures including corporate tax breaks to revive economic activities. The stock market, depressed for a wh

FM concludes pre-budget meets

Union minister for finance & corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday chaired the last of a series of pre-budget consultation meetings for the union budget 2021-22, interacting via vir

As budget session commences, PM underlines “propriety of democracy”

As the budget session of parliament commenced on Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as the farmers protests, prime minister Narendra Modi urged fellow parliamentarians to make “full

Mumbai budget up by 16.74%, focus on health, infra, amenities

With Covid-19 putting huge strains on the city’s health care system, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), one of the richest civic bodies in Asia, has allocated a major chunk o

Budget will further enhance investment ecosystem: DPIIT secy

The Union Budget 2021 is aimed at restoring growth in the aftermath of heavy economic losses suffered by the country due to Covid-19 pandemic by enhancing the investment ecosystem in the country, s

How should budget 2022 handle the water and sanitation sector?

Why sanitation in budget 2022-23 is important? The upcoming budget 2022-23 will be of significant value as India is in the middle of the third wave of the pandemic. The bud

Harnessing the Power of Circular Economy through Budget 2022-23

The Union Budget 2022-23 will be presented on February 1, amidst the third COVID-19 wave. After the two waves of the pandemic, the GDP for FY 21 contracted by 7.3% but following a V-shaped recovery

GDP to grow 8-8.5% next year: Economic Survey

The Indian economy is estimated to grow by 9.2 percent in real terms in 2021-22 (as per first advanced estimates) subsequent to a contraction of 7.3 percent in 2020-21. Next year, GDP is projected

Macro growth + micro focus = inclusive welfare

The Union Budget, tabled in Parliament by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, seeks to complement macro-economic level growth with a focus on micro-economic level all inclusive welfare.

Climate change risks strongest negative externalities: Budget 2022-23

The government aims to attain the vision of promoting energy transition and climate action during the “Amrit kaal”. While presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 in Parliament Tuesday, Fina

Budget 22: RBI to introduce ‘Digital Rupee’

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday announced the introduction of Digital Rupee to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India starting 2022-23. Presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 in the Parlia

What does Budget 2022 mean for the common man?

Amidst the third Covid-19 wave raging the country, India`s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her shortest ever budget speech and presented the budget of 2022-23 on February 1. With a vi

Budget merely a vision document; not an annual financial statement: Arvind Mayaram

Calling the union budget merely a vision document and not a financial statement that is presented in parliament, Arvind Mayaram, former finance secretary, has said that the budget this year has lef

Budget allocation and implications

The union budget for 2022-23, presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in parliament Tuesday, has been described as growth-oriented. In Prime minister Narendra Modi’s words, “Th

Budget 2022 and mental health: Good start, but a long way to go

The Union Budget 2022-23 was introduced on February 1, near the end of the third wave of COVID-19 –and two years since the beginning of the pandemic and the mania brought with it. The pandemi

Does Budget 2022 nudge India towards a green transition?

At the COP26 Climate Change Summit, held in November 2021, India pledged to become a net-zero carbon emission country by 2070. Hence, the expectations from the union budget to nudge India towards a

LIC IPO on schedule: Nirmala Sitharaman

Escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine have made the Indian government worried if the market situation is conducive but it will go ahead with the upcoming initial public offering of the sta

BMC announces Rs 52,619.07 crore budget

Mumbai’s municipal commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal on Saturday announced a Budget of Rs 52,619.07 crore for 2023-2024, an increase of 20.67% over a revised budget estimate o

Budget creates the ground – now it’s time for these steps

On February 1, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget. As Dr. Rajiv Kumar, the Pahle India Foundation chairman and former NITI Aayog vice chairman, succinctly summed up, &ld

Interim Budget 2024: What to expect?

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting the Budget for FY2024-25 on February 1, 2024. Since this is an election year, the finance minister will table a “vote-on account”

Third successive year of 7+% growth: Economic Review

FY24 marks the third successive year of 7% plus strong growth of the Indian economy even as the global economy struggles to grow at more than 3%, the finance ministry has said. At th

Interim budget: What various sectors, taxpayers can expect

As the fiscal year concludes, heightened expectations surround the upcoming interim budget, which serves as a precursor to the comprehensive budget. This interim budget is anticipated to address ke

Interim Budget: Real GDP projected to grow at 7.3% in FY 2023-24

A Summary of the Interim Union Budget 2024-25 * CAPITAL EXPENDITURE OUTLAY FOR THE NEXT YEAR IS BEING INCREASED BY 11.1 PER CENT TO RS 11,11,111 CRORE, WHICH WOULD BE 3.4 PE

Interim Budget: Economy resilient, maintains healthy fundamentals

Despite uncertainty from adverse geopolitical developments and expansionary fiscal measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian economy has demonstrated resilience and maintained healthy

Budgeting for healthcare, the key factor for Viksit Bharat

The unveiling of the interim union budget 2024 has underscored significant strides in the healthcare sector, accentuating its pivotal role in the nation’s well-being. With the goal to make In

Interim Budget and frontier technology: Sab ka Vikas, Sab ki Technology

The world is at the cusp of a revolution based on Industry 4.0 and green technologies, including AI, big data, IoT, EVs, solar power, etc., which offer developing countries the opportunity to leapf

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


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