Indian Economy
Union Budget 2020-21: Social Sector and Infrastructure
- 03 Feb 2020
- 3 min read
Why in News
The Union Minister of Finance has presented the Budget 2020-21. Given below are the provisions related to the social sector and infrastructure.
Agriculture
- A budget allocation of ₹2.83 lakh crore for 16 action points.
- The action points include measures to provide farmers access to faraway markets by running trains (Kisan Rail) and flights (Krishi Udaan) and providing relief to farmers from water shortage.
- It will also include ‘One-Product One-District’ for better marketing and export in the Horticulture sector. The scheme is already functional in Uttar Pradesh.
- The focus is also on Jaivik Kheti Portal (online national organic products market), Zero-Budget Natural Farming, PM-KUSUM.
- Agri-credit availability set at ₹15 lakh crore for 2020-21.
Health
- An allocation of ₹69,000 crore for the health sector.
- Proposal to set up hospitals in Tier-II and Tier-III cities with the private sector using PPP model.
- Expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendra Scheme to all districts by 2024.
- A task force to be appointed to recommend regarding steps required to lower the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and improving nutrition.
Education
- ₹99,300 crore for the education sector in 2021 and about ₹3,000 crore for skill development.
- Urban local bodies to provide internship to young engineers for a year.
- Degree-level full fledged online education programmes by institutions ranked in the top 100 in NIRF rankings, especially to benefit underprivileged students.
- A national police university and a national forensic science university is proposed to be setup.
- IND SAT exam for students of Asia and Africa to promote “study in India” programme.
Infrastructure
- Infrastructure Financing
- Rs. 103 lakh crore for National Infrastructure Pipeline projects announced.
- An international bullion exchange to be set up at GIFT City.
- Proceeds from divestment will go only into capital expenditure and not revenue expenditure.
- Transport
- Budget proposes to provide ₹1.7 lakh crore for transport infrastructure in 2021.
- National Logistics Policy to be released soon.
- Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway to be started.
- Government to monetise 12 lots of national highways by 2024.
- Railways
- Aims to achieve electrification of 27,000 km of railway lines.
- Plan to have a large solar power capacity for Indian Railways.
- 100 more airports will be developed by 2024 to support UDAN.
- 5 new smart cities in public-private partnership mode.
Culture and Tourism
- Proposal to establish Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation.
- 5 archaeological sites to be developed as iconic sites:
- Rakhigarhi (Haryana)
- Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh)
- Shivsagar (Assam)
- Dholavira (Gujarat)
- Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu)
- Maritime museum to be set up at Lothal (Gujarat).
- Tribal Museum in Ranchi
- A museum on Numismatics and Trade to be established.
