Union Budget 2023-24 focusses on ‘Saptrishi in Amrit Kaal’, a laudable document
Sumanta Kar
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should be lauded for the meticulously curating the Union Budget 2023-24 focusing on Saptrishi in Amrit Kaal. The budget proposing inclusive development, has struck the right balance addressing the social concerns, women & youth empowerment, education, and digitisation. With prime focus of equipping India for sustainable growth in the coming years, the budget also puts emphasis on generating livelihood opportunities for women and vulnerable tribal groups.
The government’s vision to improve socio-economic conditions of vulnerable tribal groups under the PVTG Development mission will help in enhancing holistic child-development by availing basic facilities including safe housing, clean drinking water, sanitation, health, nutrition and education. An amount of Rs 15,000 crore will be allocated to better implement this programme which will offer the tribal communities with livelihood support which will allow them to further enhance means to attain a sustainable life.
The Union Budget quite rightly bets on skill development of farmers, youth, women, healthcare providers and educators on this front by introducing high-tech services in various industries. Such steps will make certain sectors more attractive and more remunerative for the youth while empowering citizens to skill, re-skill and upskill to thrive professionally.
Proposing National Digital Library for Children and adolescents will allow them to upscale their knowledge beyond their school curriculum. For this initiative, the government has proposed on collaborating with NGOs that work in literacy and skilling to instill financial literacy and financial sector regulators. Additionally, the idea of expanding the digital ecosystem with the launch of a Unified Skill India Digital Platform will help facilitate and enable demand-based formal skilling easily accessible to the youth. The budget will have a very positive impact on the youth belonging to the vulnerable families with the availability of stipend support to over 47 lakh youth in three years, encouraging them to pursue higher education and skilling programs without financial obligations. Furthermore, the budget proposed one hundred and fifty-seven new nursing colleges to be established in addition to the existing 157 medical colleges established since 2014, helping strengthen the healthcare industry.
Overall, it is a pragmatic and well-balanced budget that supports skill development, livelihood development, women and child development.
Sumanta Kar is Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages of India
