Saptarishis

Introduction

The Saptarishis are seven revered sages in Hinduism who are considered to be the pioneers of yoga. They are known for their ability to foretell the future, and the earliest reference to these seven sages can be found in the Jaiminiya Brahmana. The names of the seven sages are Agastya, Atri, Bhardwaja, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vashistha, and Vishwamitra. The Finance Minister introduced the term “Saptarishi” in the Union Budget 2023-24 while identifying the seven key focus areas of the government.

Inclusivity

The Budget 2023 aims at empowering the underprivileged and includes a sustained focus on Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and the North East. A digital public infrastructure for agriculture will be built as an open source, open-standard, and interoperable public good, which will enable inclusive farmer-centric solutions. An agriculture accelerator fund will be set up to help agri-startups by young entrepreneurs in rural areas, and a “atmanirbhar” clean plant program will be launched to boost the availability of disease-free quality planting material for high value horticulture crops.

Reaching the Last Mile

157 new nursing colleges will be established in collaboration with existing medical colleges established since 2014. A mission to eliminate sickle cell anemia by 2047 will be launched, which will include awareness creation, universal screening, and counseling. A new pharma program to promote research in pharmaceuticals will be taken up through Centers of Excellence, and a national digital library for children and adolescents will also be set up.

Infrastructure and Investment

Under Mission Karmayogi, the government is making and implementing capacity-building plans for civil servants, and has also launched an integrated online training platform, iGOT Karmayogi, to provide continuous learning opportunities for government employees. Three Centers of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence will be set up in top educational institutions, and a National Data Governance Policy will be brought out to unleash innovation and research by startups and academia.

Unleashing Potential

The budget aims to unleash India’s potential by supporting civil servants through Mission Karmayogi and the iGOT Karmayogi platform. The government also plans to set up three Centers of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and bring out a National Data Governance Policy to enable access to anonymized data.

Green Growth

The budget aims to promote India as a global hub for millets, and the Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad will be supported as a center of excellence for sharing best practices, research, and technologies at the international level. The agricultural credit target will be increased to Rs 20 lakh crore with a focus on promoting green growth.

Youth Power

The budget will focus on empowering the youth by providing access to quality books and financial literacy programs. National and regional libraries will be encouraged to provide and replenish non-curricular titles in regional languages and English, and collaboration with NGOs will also be a part of this initiative. Financial sector regulators and organizations will be required to provide age-appropriate reading material to these libraries.

Strengthening the Financial Sector

The government will focus on strengthening the financial sector by increasing the agricultural credit target to Rs 20 lakh crore and promoting green growth. Financial literacy programs will also be a part of the initiative to empower the youth.

Conclusion

The Saptarishis, or the seven key focus areas of the government, are guiding India towards an era of inclusive growth, sustainable development, and empowerment for all