Union Budget 2021-22

• The budget for the year 2021 has been presented amidst exceptional circumstances.
• Today’s Budget contains a vision of self-reliance as well as inclusiveness for every individual and class.
• The budget has principles of new opportunities for growth, expansion of new opportunities, creation of new opportunities for the youth, a new dimension to human resources, development of new areas for infrastructure, move towards modernity and introduce new reforms.
• This budget will bring several positive changes for individuals, investors, industry and the infrastructure sector.
• This budget has given special emphasis on equality of health, sanitation, nutrition, pure water and opportunities to make the lives of the common man and women of the country easier.
• The outlay for Annual Budget 2021-22 of Ministry of Culture is Rs. 2687.99 Crore as against the outlay (Rs. 2211.85 Crore) approved for the revised Budget Plan 2020-21. The annual outlay in FY 2021-22 is 21.53% higher than the revised annual outlay in FY 2020-21.
• Out of the total outlay for annual budget, Rs. 1042.62 Crore has been allocated to the Archaeological Survey of India.
• In FY 2021-22, Ministry has kept Rs. 455.20 Crore for Kala SanskritiVikasYojana, Development of Museums, International Co-operation and Centenary and Anniversary Celebration Scheme of Ministry.
• Defence allocation in the budget has been increased to Rs 4,78,195.62 crore for the Financial Year 2021-22.
• The Army Dental Corps is celebrating its 80^th Raising Day today on February 01, 2021. The Corps was raised on this day in 1941.
• This is the highest ever increase in capital outlay of Defence in the last 15 years.
• The Capital allocation for DRDO has been increased to Rs 11,375.50 crore. This is an increase of 8 per cent over 2020-21 and 8.5 per cent over 2019-20.
• The allocation for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been increased to Rs 6004.08 crore which is 7.48 per cent increase over FY 2021-22 and 14.49 per cent over FY 2019-20.
• The Budget allocation for the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS), has been substantially increased from Rs. 175 Cr to Rs. 500 Cr in next FY 2021-22 for providing post-education apprenticeship, training of graduates and diploma holders in Engineering.
• An outlay of Rs. 50,000 Cr over next 5 years for National Research Foundation (NRF) will give a major boost to Innovation and R&D.
• The budget allocation of NCERT increased to Rs.110.08 crore from RE 2020-21.
• In the flagship scheme RashtriyaUchchatarShikshaAbhiyan (RUSA), a budget provision of Rs. 3000 Cr has been kept for the next FY 2021-22, in comparison to   Rs. 300 Cr in current year.
• The Budget proposals will further strengthen the Sankalp of Nation First, Doubling Farmer’s Income, Strong Infrastructure, Healthy India, Good Governance, Opportunities for youth, Education for All, Women Empowerment, and Inclusive Development among others.

The Budget proposals for 2021-22 rest on 6 pillars.

1. Health and Wellbeing
2. Physical & Financial Capital, and Infrastructure
3. Inclusive Development for Aspirational India
4. Reinvigorating Human Capital
5. Innovation and R&D
6. Minimum Government and Maximum Governance

Health and Wellbeing:

• There is substantial increase in investment in Health Infrastructure and the Budget outlay for Health and Wellbeing is Rs 2,23,846 crore in BE 2021-22 as against this year’s BE of Rs 94,452 crore, an increase of 137 percentage.
• Focus on strengthening three areas: Preventive, Curative, and Wellbeing
• Rs. 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccine in BE 2021-22
• The Made-in-India Pneumococcal Vaccine to be rolled out across the country, from present 5 states – to avert 50,000 child deaths annually
• Rs. 64,180 crore outlay over 6 years for PM AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana – a new centrally sponsored scheme to be launched, in addition to NHM
• Main interventions under PM AatmaNirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana
• Mission Poshan 2.0 to be launched to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach, and outcome
• Rs. 2,87,000 crore over 5 years for Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) – to be launched with an aim to provide 2.86 crore household tap connections
• Rs. 1,41,678 crore over 5 years for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0
• Rs. 2,217 crore to tackle air pollution, for 42 urban centers with a million-plus population
• Voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles
• Rs. 1.97 lakh crore in next 5 years for PLI schemes in 13 Sectors
• National Rail Plan for India (2030): to create a ‘future ready’ Railway system by 2030
• 100% electrification of Broad-Gauge routes to be completed by December, 2023
• To increase the permissible FDI limit from 49% to 74% and allow foreign ownership and control with safeguards
• Rs.  20,000 crore in 2021-22 to further consolidate the financial capacity of PSBs
• Strategic disinvestment of BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, Neelachal Ispat Nigam limited etc. to be completed in 2021-22.
• Ensured MSP at minimum 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities.
• Agricultural credit target enhanced to Rs. 16.5 lakh crore in FY22 – animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries to be the focus areas
• One Nation One Ration Card scheme for beneficiaries to claim rations anywhere in the country – migrant workers to benefit the most
• Portal to collect information on unorganized labour force, migrant workers especially, to help formulate schemes for them
• Exemption from filing tax returns for senior citizens over 75 years of age and having only pension and interest income; tax to be deducted by paying bank
• Tax holiday for Affordable Housing projects extended till March 2022