The selected cartoons appeared first in other publications, either in print or online, or on social media, and are credited appropriately.
In today’s featured cartoon, Manjul takes a dig at leaders who have blamed events that took place decades and centuries ago for India’s present troubles, and those who speak of a shining future. The reference is to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement in her Budget speech Tuesday that it “seeks to lay the foundation to steer the economy from India at 75 to India at 100”.
R Prasad, while looking at the Budget’s stark increase of 20 per cent in customs duty for umbrellas, targets the government’s decision to launch various schemes under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, including the National Ropeway Development Programme and the delivery of digital and high-tech services to farmers, among others.
While the Union Budget 2022-23 made several provisions in line with the Modi government’s ‘Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat’ agenda, Sajith Kumar illustrates the criticism that it contained little to benefit middle-class taxpayers.
Alok Nirantar depicts the 30 per cent tax rate proposed in the Budget on income from the transfer of any virtual digital assets, including cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens.
Kirtish Bhat comments on Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will be introducing a digital rupee, backed by blockchain technology, in the next fiscal year. In the cartoon, one person describes cryptocurrency as the money you own but cannot see. The other asks if there is something called crypto ‘vikas‘ (development), because he is unable to see any of it.
E.P. Unny takes a jibe at Sitharaman’s use of a ‘Made in India’ tablet to deliver a paperless Budget.