The Union Minister of Finance recently presented the 2020-21 budget. Variious allocations have been made for diverse sectors, including agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure.
Agricultural Provisions
For the financial year 2020-21, a budget allocation of ₹2.83 lakh crore has been set aside for 16 action points pertaining to agriculture. These include measures to improve farmers’ accessibility to remote markets through Kisan Rail and Krishi Udaan, initiatives aimed at alleviating water scarcity issues, and promoting the ‘One-Product One-District’ scheme for enhanced marketing and exports in the Horticulture sector, already in operation in Uttar Pradesh. Other important aspects under consideration include the Jaivik Kheti Portal (an online national organic products market), Zero-Budget Natural Farming, and PM-KUSUM. Moreover, an agricultural credit availability of ₹15 lakh crore for 2020-21 has been proposed.
Health Sector Initiatives
For the health sector, there is a proposed allocation of ₹69,000 crore. Key features include plans to establish hospitals in Tier-II and Tier-III cities by collaborating with the private sector under the PPP model, expanding the Jan Aushadhi Kendra Scheme to all districts by 2024, and creating a task force to recommend ways to reduce the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and improve nutrition levels.
Education Budget and Skill Development
The education sector has been allocated ₹99,300 crore for 2021, with an additional ₹3,000 crore for skill development. Proposals also include provisions for online education programs by institutions ranked in the top 100 in NIRF rankings, especially targeting underprivileged students, and a one-year internship program for young engineers provided by urban local bodies. Additional proposals include the establishment of a national police university and a national forensic science university, and initiating the IND SAT exam for students in Asia and Africa to promote the “study in India” programme.
Infrastructure and Transportation Budget
The budget allocation for National Infrastructure Pipeline projects stands at Rs. 103 lakh crore. In addition, the proposal includes setting up an international bullion exchange at GIFT City and earmarking proceeds from divestment solely for capital expenditure. The transportation infrastructure budget for 2021 is proposed to be ₹1.7 lakh crore. This includes provisions for a soon-to-be-released National Logistics Policy, the commencement of the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway project, and monetising 12 lots of national highways by 2024.
Railways Budget and Initiatives
The railway sector aims to accomplish electrification of 27,000 km of railway lines. There are also plans to develop a substantial solar power capacity dedicated to Indian Railways. The budget also mentions the development of 100 additional airports by 2024 to support UDAN, along with the creation of 5 new smart cities in a public-private partnership mode.
Culture and Tourism Proposals
As part of the culture and tourism proposals, there are plans to establish the Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation, develop five archaeological sites as iconic sites: Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Shivsagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat), and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu). Also, a maritime museum at Lothal (Gujarat), a tribal museum in Ranchi, and a museum on Numismatics and Trade will be established.
