In interview with ThePrint, finance secretary spoke on Budget, how central govt can encourage states to increase capex, MGNREGA allocation & if food, fertiliser prices will fall.
ThePrint looked at Budget documents since Modi govt came to power in 2014, to calculate gap between budgeted and actual revenue earnings, revenue expenditures & borrowings.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while announcing the allocation for lab-grown diamonds in the 2023 Budget, had called it an 'emerging sector with high employment potential'.
The Union Budget's impetus towards tourism and housing will help generate employment opportunities, plus rationalisation in food and fertiliser subsidy is a welcome development.
Cushion from a high nominal GDP base will not be around in FY24. Budgeted expenditure will be vulnerable to pruning in case of shortfall in revenue realisation.
For years, experts have argued the case for rethinking the Centre-state relationship regarding the police. The time to debate police financing is running out.
A dedicated fund for start-ups in rural India is a much-needed thrust but Budget 2023 has unexpectedly slashed allocation to the agriculture ministry and reduced funds for MGNREGA by 33%.
See the political messaging in this budget. It is an uncluttered continuation from last year and is a statement of confidence, bordering on overconfidence.
Rosneft, the Russian state-owned oil behemoth, has large interests in India. Reliance has a contract to purchase 500,000 barrels of crude per day from the firm.
Fresh details of operation conducted by IAF, Army have come out in gazette notification giving citations of those who were awarded Vir Chakra for their bravery.
Education, reservations, govt jobs are meant to bring equality and dignity. That we are a long way from that is evident in the shoe thrown at the CJI and the suicide of Haryana IPS officer. The film Homebound has a lesson too.
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