Outlays for the major schemes of the Centre for 2025-26 clearly shows that workers and people of the country can't hope for major improvement in their current status due to low funding. On Education, Budget estimate for 2025-26 is Rs 1,28,650 crore as against Rs 1,25,638 crore for 2024-25 in BE which was revised downward to Rs1,14,054 crore. Health sector is also not getting much since it is being provided Rs 98,311 crore for 2025-26 as against Rs 89287 (BE) for 2024-25 which was downward revised to Rs 88,032 crore. It shows that the actual expenditure may be downwardly revised over the current allotment shown presently in the Union Budget 2025-26, especially in the event of economic slowdown as it happened in the current year.
Another example can be taken from the expenditure budget for the Central Sector schemes. The glaring case in point is India's only employment guarantee scheme under MGNREGA for rural areas, which got the same amount Rs 86,000 crore for 2025-26 as it was for 2024-25 RE and BE. However, the expenditure was Rs 89,154 crore in 2023-24.
As for social welfare, a provision of Rs 60,052 crore is made for 2025-26 as against Rs 56,501 crore (BE) for 2024-25, which has been downwardly revised to Rs 46,482 crore. Which means government did not provide the money it allocated to social welfare, or did not spend the available amount. If this is the practice, people can't hope much relief from the meagre amount of social welfare programmes.
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Nevertheless, Ms Sitharaman has made numerous vague promises in her budget speech saying this budget continues efforts to accelerate growth, secure inclusive development, invigorate private sector investments, uplift household sentiments, and enhance spending power of India's rising middle class. There is no clear roadmap supported by enough fund.
A comprehensive multi-sectoral 'Rural Prosperity and Resilience' programme will be launched in partnership with states, she said. This aims to address under-employment in agriculture through skilling, investment, technology, and invigorating the rural economy. The goal is to generate ample opportunity in rural areas so that migration is an option, but not a necessity. Obviously, much will depend on how the States and the Centre, collaborate to make it realise, and how the schemes are really funded and spend.
Classification for MSMEs is to be revised. There are over 1 crore registered MSMEs in the country employing 7.5 crore people. The purported aim of revising classification is to help them achieve higher efficiencies of scale, technological upgradation and better access to capital. For this the investment and turnover limits will be enhanced to 2.5 and 2 times respectively. The government thinks that it would given them confidence to grow and generate employment for our youth. Credit guarantee cover will be enhanced, customised Credit Cards with Rs 5 lakh limit for micro-enterprises will be introduced, a new Fund of Funds, with expanded scope and fresh contribution of another Rs 10,000 crore will be set up, a new scheme will be launched for first-time entrepreneurs, are among chief initiatives apart from promise for measures for labour-intensive sectors.
A National Manufacturing Mission covering small, medium and large industries for furthering“Make in India” will be set up by providing policy support, execution roadmaps, governance and monitoring framework for central ministries and states.
The budget talks about investing in people, in economy, and innovation, though decelerating economy has already have limited its scope. It talks about Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and promised enhancement in cost norms for the nutritional support appropriately. Fifty thousand Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools in the next 5 year to cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation, and foster a scientific temper among young minds. Broadband connectivity will be provided to all government secondary schools and primary health centres in rural areas under the Bharatnet project.
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Budget has proposed to implement a Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme to provide digital-form Indian language books for school and higher education.
Building on the initiative announced in the July 2024 Budget, five National Centres of Excellence for skilling will be set up with global expertise and partnerships to equip our youth with the skills required for“Make for India, Make for the World” manufacturing. The partnerships will cover curriculum design, training of trainers, a skills certification framework, and periodic reviews.
Capacity for IITs will be expanded, and a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education will be set up with a total outlay of Rs500crore the next year,10,000 additional seats will be added in medical colleges and hospitals, towards the goal of adding 75,000 seats in the next 5 years.
Government will facilitate setting up of Day Care Cancer Centres in all district hospitals in the next 3 years. 200 Centres will be established in2025-26.
A scheme for socio-economic upliftment of urban workers will be implemented to help them improve their incomes, have sustainable livelihoods and a better quality of life SVANidhi will be revamped with enhanced loans from banks, UPI-linked credit cards with Rs30,000 limit, and capacity building support.
Gig workers will be given identity cards and healthcare under PM Jan Arogya Yojna, which may assist nearly 1 crore gig-workers.
There is obviously very wide gap between what is required for our workforce, job generation, social sectors including social welfare, education, and health, and what is provided in the Union Budget 2025-26. Moreover, there is total mismatch between the actual provisions and the dream projected for the people of India under Vikasit Bharat. (IPA Service )
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