Budget 2023: Inclusive development first among ‘saptarishis’, but not much for women and SC

For the economic empowerment of women, Sitharaman said the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (National Rural Livelihood Mission) has achieved “remarkable success’’ by mobilising rural women into 81 lakh self-help groups.

“We will enable these groups to reach the next stage of economic empowerment through the formation of large producer enterprises or collectives with each having several thousand members and managed professionally,’’said the finance minister.

Sitharaman announced a one-time small savings scheme, the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate, allowing deposits of up to Rs 2 lakh in the name of women or girls for a tenure of two years (up to March 2025) at a fixed interest rate of 7.5 per cent with a partial withdrawal option.

But despite stressing on women’s empowerment several times in her speech, saying that the government recognises “the importance of Nari Shakti as the harbinger of our bright future and for women-led development during the Amrit Kaal’’, there is nothing significant for the welfare schemes targeting women and children.

Sitharaman instead talked about the revamp of the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s schemes that the government had undertaken and the consolidation of the launches of Mission Shakti, Mission Vatsalya, Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0. Two lakh anganwadis are to be upgraded under Saksham Anganwadi.

There has been no significant increase in the women’s ministry’s budget of Rs 25,448 crore from Rs 25,172 crore in 2022-23. The revised estimate for the ministry last year was Rs 23,912 crore.

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan Abhiyan 2.0, the government’s flagship nutrition programme for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, also saw no significant increase–from Rs 20,263 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 20,554 crore–at a time when the Centre has been criticised for high levels of child malnutrition in the country.

Budgetary allocations for other women-specific schemes Mission Vatsalya, Mission Shakti, the Nirbhaya Fund and the SAMBAL scheme, which includes Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and One-Stop centres, have shown no increase.

Under the women and child development ministry’s welfare heads, funds for social security and welfare have seen a steady decline from Rs 3,437 crore in the 2022-23 budgetary estimate to Rs 2,729 in the revised estimate and to Rs 1,429 crore this year. Grants in aid to state governments, however, have been increased from Rs 18,383 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 20,506 crore.

The finance minister also pointed to the government’s “vision to improve the quality of life of citizens in the most backward districts of the country’’ through the Aspirational Districts Programme, with 95 per cent of 112 districts making “significant progress in key sectors such as health, nutrition, financial inclusion and basic infrastructure’’, and reiterated its aim to focus on aspirational blocks, which was announced in the 2022-23 budget. As many as 500 blocks will be covered under the scheme.

Sitharaman has, however, announced an outlay of Rs 15,000 crore for implementing the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission over the next three years under the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes, which will also extensively cover the northeastern region.

The Centre will recruit 38,800 teachers and support staff for the 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, serving 3.5 lakh tribal students over the next three years.

While there is no significant announcement for Scheduled Caste communities, the budget allocation for the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment’s post-matric scholarships, one of the largest such educational schemes in the country, has been increased from Rs 5,660 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 6,359 crore.

Union Budget 2023: All you need to know

• ↗️ Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2023 has some big takeaways
• ↗️ First, what everyone has been looking forward to: changes in the new income tax regime. She has made the new tax regime more attractive. There are changes in the rebate limit and in tax slabs. What does this mean for the taxpayer?
• ↗️ FM Sitharaman proposed a 33% increase in capital investment outlay, raising it to Rs 10 lakh crore. This is the biggest in the past decade. What does it mean?
• ↗️ Some articles get cheaper and others get costlier due to changes in customs duty. Here is a list
• ↗️ The capital outlay for the railways has been increased to the highest ever – Rs 2.40 lakh crore. The government is trying to create more jobs
• ↗️ FM Sitharaman said the fiscal deficit will fall to 5.9% of the GDP. What does it mean for the stakeholders?
• ↗️ The FM called it the ‘first Budget of Amrit Kaal’. PM Narendra Modi said it will build a strong foundation for a developed India. What did opposition leaders say?