#Budget2014
came around the rhetoric ‘against populism’ (meaning social sector expenditure for the poor) and ended up pandering to populism for the middle classes.
So, while the social sector expenditure in key areas like MGNREGA, Food Security, health and education saw minor increases (going minus realistically in face of rampant inflation), the tax exemption to middle classes on income tax, housing etc were driven by the desire to see middle class friendly media showering praises on it. The latest Economic Survey had outlined the need to streamline a plethora of social sector schemes into a few, focus on service delivery reforms etc. None of this was evident in the budget. Instead, what we saw is so many more schemes announced with paltry sums of 100 crore rupees scattered around.
It’s a strange thing however that so much noise is created around ‘wasteful expenditure in the name of the poor’ while India’s record on health and education combined spend of 4.7% of GDP is lower than even sub-Saharan Africa (7%) and the Least Developed Countries (6.4%) as pointed out by Jean Dreze in a recent article. On the other hand, ‘incentive’ being given to the Corporate sector is to the tune of 5.73 lakh crore rupees equivalent to 5% of GDP as revenue forgone. Very little evidence is available in terms of the benefits they raise for the general populace. It’s a very well known secret that the jobs are in the informal sector and not the organised corporate sector which provides just about 7% of the total employment. More importantly, India’s extremely low tax: GDP ratio hovering around 17% is among the lowest across countries. The need of the hour was to go beyond the usual platitudes around rolling out Goods & Services Tax to re-introducing direct taxes like inheritance and wealth tax, better regulatory framework the plug the loss of huge amount of revenues through skewed tax policies which allow 40% of the total invested money in the stock market in India routed through Mauritius. Also important is the crucial step to outline policies which widen the tax net which covers just about 3% of the total population currently.
A range of social sector initiatives are dying because of lack of funding. Principal among them are recent Right to Education Act, recently revised National Health Mission, Domestic Violence Act. These are critical not just in themselves but as better economics to build a healthy, educated, violence free skilled work force. Unfortunately, there’s more rhetoric on these than substantial steps. Symbolic moneys on outcome related reforms e.g. 30 crores for school assessment, 500 crores for teacher trainings in education, a few new medical colleges will just gain us the epithet of tokenism, neither here, nor there. In education we need a progressive realisation of the target of 6% of GDP, in health a similar process for the target of 3% of GDP including universal access to essential generic drugs (something promised in the 12thPlan document but far from realisation). The budget should definitely pay more attention to investing in internal reforms processes for better service delivery through a better regulated and accountable public delivery system rather than a fanciful flight towards public private partnerships where you throw the baby out of bathwater. A people’s budget has to go beyond the rhetoric of FDIs, GDP growth and divestments to make it real for those who matter!
We work towards fair sharing of natural resources and ensuring better livelihoods for forest-dependent communities
Read MoreAug 4, 2023 | Savvy
Jul 6, 2023 | Savvy
May 30, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 31, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 30, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 2, 2023 | Savvy
Jan 17, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 9, 2023 | Savvy
Dec 23, 2022 | Savvy
Dec 2, 2022 | Savvy
Nov 28, 2022 |
Nov 22, 2022 | Savvy
Nov 14, 2022 | Savvy
Oct 31, 2022 | mahika@oxfamindia.org
Oct 3, 2022 | Savvy
Sep 15, 2022 | Savvy
Aug 12, 2022 | Savvy
Aug 9, 2022 | Savvy
Jun 29, 2022 | Savvy
Jun 29, 2022 | Savvy
May 30, 2022 | Savvy
May 30, 2022 | Savvy
May 5, 2022 | Savvy
May 26, 2022 | Savvy
Mar 21, 2022 | Savvy
Feb 20, 2022 | Savvy
Feb 16, 2022 | Savvy
Jan 25, 2022 | Savvy
Jan 13, 2022 | Savvy
Jan 9, 2022 | Savvy
Dec 31, 2021 | Savvy
Jan 17, 2022 | Savvy
Dec 17, 2021 | admin
Dec 16, 2021 | Savvy
Dec 14, 2021 | Savvy
Feb 28, 2022 | Savvy
Oct 15, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 12, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 10, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 10, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 8, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 6, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 4, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 29, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 10, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 16, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 5, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 1, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 15, 2021 | Savvy
Aug 7, 2021 | Savvy
Jul 23, 2021 | Savvy
Jul 7, 2021 | Savvy
Jun 4, 2021 | Savvy
May 17, 2021 | Savvy
Jun 7, 2021 | Savvy
Apr 15, 2021 | Savvy
Apr 9, 2021 | Savvy
Apr 1, 2021 | Anisha
Mar 14, 2021 | Savvy
Mar 12, 2021 | Savvy
Mar 2, 2021 | Savvy
Feb 19, 2021 | Savvy
Feb 14, 2021 | Savvy
Jan 12, 2021 | Savvy
Jan 12, 2021 | Savvy
Dec 23, 2020 | Savvy
Dec 3, 2020 | Savvy
Jan 4, 2021 | radhika
Apr 1, 2021 | radhika
Dec 23, 2020 | radhika
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Aug 25, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | radhika
Aug 9, 2020 | Savvy
Aug 5, 2020 | Savvy
Aug 21, 2020 | radhika
Aug 4, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | radhika
Sep 30, 2020 | radhika
Aug 1, 2020 | Savvy
Jul 17, 2020 | Savvy
Jul 15, 2020 | Savvy
Mar 5, 2021 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | radhika
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 |
Jun 30, 2020 | radhika
Jun 24, 2020 |
Jun 24, 2020 |
Jun 30, 2020 |
Jun 15, 2021 |
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | radhika
Jul 29, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
Jul 29, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
May 28, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 |
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 | Animesh Prakash
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | Anisha
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Oct 23, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Oct 9, 2019 | radhika
Oct 9, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Sep 25, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Sep 25, 2019 | radhika
Sep 25, 2019 | radhika
Nov 21, 2019 | radhika
Sep 19, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Feb 20, 2020 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | Anisha
Aug 19, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Aug 1, 2019 | radhika
Jul 31, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Jun 27, 2019 | radhika
Jun 19, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | Anisha
Jun 19, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 18, 2019 | Anisha
May 27, 2019 | sanya
May 24, 2019 | Anisha
Jul 23, 2020 | ursila
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Sep 9, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
May 13, 2019 | ursila
Sep 30, 2019 | ursila
Sep 19, 2022 | ursila
Sep 10, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Feb 20, 2020 | ursila
Nov 11, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 | ursila
Jun 3, 2020 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
May 31, 2020 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Feb 20, 2020 | ursila
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Sep 23, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 31, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | ursila
Feb 20, 2020 | admin
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | admin
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | admin
Oct 7, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Apr 5, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Oct 7, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Apr 5, 2019 | admin
Sep 27, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 12, 2022 | admin
Apr 5, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 30, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Apr 5, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 |
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 1, 2019 | ursila
Nov 14, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 9, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Nov 21, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Sep 20, 2022 | Anisha
Nov 11, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 30, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Sep 10, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Nov 11, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Nov 11, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | Ravi
Oct 1, 2019 | Ravi
Sep 27, 2019 | Ravi
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Ravi
Sep 27, 2019 | Ravi
Dec 5, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Jan 9, 2020 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 10, 2019 | Avantika
Nov 18, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 9, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 9, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 27, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 27, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 10, 2019 | Avantika
May 13, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Apr 5, 2019 | Avantika
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Nov 14, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 27, 2019 | Ravi
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
May 27, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jun 12, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 3, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 19, 2023 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 6, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 16, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Feb 20, 2020 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 21, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 15, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 16, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Feb 20, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 3, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 16, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 3, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 5, 2019 |
Nov 18, 2019 |
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 |
Oct 7, 2019 |
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 15, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin