Tag: Budget

Budget 2024: MGNREGA boost to ₹86,000 cr, rooftop solarisation to EV expansion, all that will create more jobs

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

A year after the Union Budget 2023 cut allocation to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) to the lowest in four years, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has increased it this time to ₹86,000 crore in her Budget Estimate (BE) for 2024-25.

Apart from raising the MGNREGA allocation from ₹60,000 crore in the previous Budget estimate, FM Sitharaman also gave a report card for the current fiscal 2023-24. She pointed out that structural reforms were undertaken, and pro-people programmes were formulated and implemented. “Conditions were created for more opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship,” she said in her interim Budget 2024 presentation.

A key announcement that Sitharaman made was that the capital expenditure outlay for the next year is being increased by 11.1% to ₹11.11 lakh crore or 3.4% of GDP, which she said will lead to economic growth and generate jobs.

India’s new tourist hotspot Lakshadweep also found a mention in the finance minister’s Budget speech. “To address the emerging fervour for domestic tourism, projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities will be taken up on our islands, including Lakshadweep. This will help in generating employment also,” she said.

Also Read: Budget 2024 keeps tax slabs unchanged — here’s a look at key personal finance changes done in last 5 budgets

Talking about employment opportunities in other sectors, Sitharaman said the government’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, an initiative to establish a framework and reduce infrastructural gaps in the fisheries sector, will be stepped up and that will not only enhance aquaculture productivity and double exports but also generate 55 lakh jobs opportunities in the near future.

Similarly, the efforts for value addition in the agricultural sector and boosting farmers’ income will be stepped up, she said. She highlighted that the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana has benefitted 38 lakh farmers and generated 10 lakh employment. Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Yojana has assisted 2.4 lakh SHGs and sixty thousand individuals with credit linkages.

Also Read | Budget 2024 key highlights: Capex hike, Ayushman Bharat inclusions, EV ecosystem expansion to no tax changes

One of the key talking points was the rooftop solarisation scheme, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Under the scheme, one crore households will be enabled to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity every month. How will this help with job creation? The FM explained that employment opportunities for the youth with technical skills in manufacturing, installation and maintenance will be created on the back of this initiative.

Sitharaman also said the government is looking to expand and strengthen the electric vehicle ecosystem by supporting manufacturing and charging infrastructure. “Greater adoption of e-buses for public transport networks will be encouraged through payment security mechanisms,” she said, which will create jobs for the youth who will be required to manufacture, install, and maintain EV charging stations using technical skills.

Finance Secretary T. V. Somanathan said that rooftop solarisation will provide households with income generation or savings. “One crore houses being solarised would need at least one lakh teams to install them, this will be a big job and skill-creator.”

“Economy is doing well, there is ample growth and jobs are being created,” Somanathan said.

Catch latest Budget 2024 live coverage here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 Highlights: Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana gets ₹ 2,400 crore

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

In the interim budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (February 1)  ₹ 2,400 crore has been allocated for the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

The PMSSY was launched in August 2023 by the Central government to bolster health infrastructure in the country. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is the nodal ministry for the PMSSY scheme. The primary objective of the scheme is to rectify the regional imbalances in the availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare services in the country. The scheme also aims to boost the infrastructure for quality medical education in India.

The PMSSY scheme has two major components. The first component is to set up institutions like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the second component focuses on the upgradation of government medical colleges and institutes.

The initiative has been undertaken in three major phases since its launch. In the first phase of PMSSY, six AIIMS were built in different states. It included the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. As per the official data, the estimated budget for each AIIMS in these states was ₹840 crore.

In the second phase, the scheme included two more AIIMS in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh with an estimated budget of ₹823 crore for each institution.

The upgradation of medical colleges was also undertaken by the government by contributing around ₹125 crore for each institution. In the third phase, the scheme undertook to upgrade the existing seven medical colleges and institutes.

In Budget 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated ₹89,155 crore to the Union Health Ministry.

Allocation for PMSSY stood at ₹3,365 crore in 2023-24 as per Budget estimates.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 Highlights: ₹700 crore for Sagarmala programme

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

In the interim budget presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday (February 1), ₹700 core has been allocated for the Sagarmala programme.

The government launched the Sagarmala programme in 2015 to transform India’s 7,500 km long coastline and 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways into a hub of maritime activity.

The programme aims to connect Indian ports with industrial clusters through a network of efficient transport and communication systems, logistics infrastructure, and coastal communities.

Reducing logistics costs, increasing port capacity through modernisation, development of coastal communities and enhancing maritime security are some of the key objectives of the Sagarmala programme.

Click here for live updates of Budget 2024

The government looks to modernise and expand existing ports, set up new ports and develop special economic zones (SEZs) around ports. At the same time, coastal connectivity will be improved through rail, road and inland waterways for faster movement of shipments.

The programme also aims to develop fisheries, tourism, and other maritime activities in coastal communities. Logistics infrastructure such as warehouses, cold chains, and other facilities will be developed in participation with the private sector.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has launched several initiatives in the maritime industry to bolster India’s socio-economic and regulatory environment.

The government has identified more than 574 projects involving a total cost of ₹6.01 lakh crore under the Sagarmala programme for implementation until 2035. As of 30 September 2019, a total of 121 projects with a cost of ₹ 30,228 crore were completed and 201 projects worth ₹309, 048 crore were under implementation.

Finance Minister Nirmal Sitharaman allocated a total ₹450 crore for supporting Sagarmala schemes and projects and Sagarmala Development Company in 2023-24 financial year.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 highlights: ₹ 3,849 crore for Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The Centre has allocated ₹ 3,849 crore for the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) in the budget 2024-25.  Under the scheme, the Government of India, through the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), extends concessional credit to partner countries. The scheme is aimed at sharing India’s development experience by way of infrastructure development, capacity building, trade, and skill transfer. Exim Bank has offered concessional credit aggregating $33.56 billion to 66 countries across Africa, Asia (excluding Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan), Latin America, Oceania, and the CIS region.

Exim Bank was established as a manager of export credit and mirroring global export credit agencies by the Government of India under the Export-Import Bank Act of 1981.

The bank acts as a growth engine for industries and small and medium-sized enterprises through a wide range of products and services.

Before the establishment of the Exim Bank, the Department of Economic Affairs had been extending Lines of Credit (LOCs) to friendly developing foreign countries on behalf of the Government of India.

Since these LOCs were effectively “Government to Government” (G to G), the credit agreements were signed by the governments of India and the recipient country.

Till 2003-04, the LOCs were from government to government. Accordingly, the full amount covered by the LOCs has an outlay in the Budget. Thereafter, this system has been substituted by extending GOI-supported Lines of Credit through the Exim Bank of India.

The Budget 2023 made an outlay of Rs 1300 crore for IDEAS, a marginal cut from the revised estimate of Rs 1320 in the preceding budget.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 highlights: Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana gets ₹ 205,250 crore

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The Government of India, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), supplies free food grains to migrants and the poor. It provides 5 kg of food grain to each family holding a ration card for free and another 5 kg of subsidised food grain already offered through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The Centre has allocated ₹ 205,250 crore for the scheme in the 2024-25 interim budget.

Under the scheme, wheat has been allotted to 6 States and Union Territories – Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Gujarat. In the remaining states and UTs, the government provides rice.

PM-GKAY was announced in 2020 as a measure to help the poor in the wake of the unprecedented economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme received multiple extensions through periodic reviews since then.

Click here for live updates of Budget 2024

Phase-I and Phase-II of PMGKAY were operational from April to June 2020 and July to November 2020, respectively. It was followed by Phase III from May to June 2021, Phase IV from July to November 2021, and Phase V from December 202 to March 2022.

The government extended PM-GKAY till December 31, 2023, and the additional cost was factored in the FY24 food subsidy of ₹1.97 lakh crore. The PM-GKAY scheme is implemented by the Department of Food and Public Distribution of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

The scheme received yet another extension in November 2023. The government, through a cabinet decision on November 28, 2023, extended the scheme for another 5 years from January 1, 2023. A total of Rs 11.80 lakh crore will be spent in these five years to provide free food grains to more than 80 crore beneficiaries across the country.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 Highlights: FM allocates ₹60,000 crore for PM-KISAN Yojana

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has earmarked ₹ 60,000 crore in the Budget 2024-25 for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana, which is a flagship scheme of the Central Government to provide minimum income support to all eligible landholding farmers’ families across the country. It became operational on December 1, 2018.

The scheme was introduced in the interim Budget 2019 with an outlay of ₹75,000 crore. It is fully funded by the Central government.

As per the scheme, an income support of ₹6,000 is provided to the families of land-holding farmers every year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000. The PM-KISAN Yojana defines a farmer family as a husband, wife and minor children. The state governments as well as UT administrations have been mandated to identify the number of farmer families in their territories, eligible for financial support under this scheme.

Click here for live updates of Budget 2024

The government disbursed over ₹2.6 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers as of July 31, 2023. The total number of beneficiaries in FY24 stood at over 8.56 crore as of July 31, 2023.

In FY 2022-23, a total amount of ₹58,201.85 crore was disbursed to eligible beneficiaries. In the previous Budget, the government allocated ₹60,000 crore to the scheme.

The government is likely to release the 16th instalment of the PM-KISAN Yojana in February-March 2024. The 15th instalment of the scheme was released on November 15, 2023.

“For ensuring faster growth of the sector, our government will further promote private and public investment in
post-harvest activities including aggregation, modern storage, efficient supply chains, primary and secondary processing and marketing and branding,” FM Sitharaman said.

Other schemes to supplement farmers’ income

The Crop Insurance Scheme (Fasal Bima Yojana) has witnessed a reduction of 2.6% from ₹15,000 crore in the revised estimates of FY24 to ₹14,600 crore in FY25. 

The Finance Minister said, “Every year, under PM-KISAN SAMMAN Yojana, direct financial assistance is provided to 
11.8 crore farmers, including marginal and small farmers. Crop insurance is given to 4 crore farmers under PM Fasal Bima Yojana.”

The allocation for the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana has also been slashed by 2.1% to ₹729 crore for FY25 in comparison to ₹745 crore in the revised estimates of FY24. The scheme’s objective is to supplement agriculture, modernise processing and decrease agri-waste.

FM further added, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana has benefitted 38 lakh farmers and generated employment for 10 lakh people.

She also highlighted that under the Electronic National Agriculture Market the government has integrated 1,361 mandis, and is providing services to 1.8 crore farmers with a trading volume of ₹3 lakh crore.

Sitharaman also suggested that the government is aiming to expand the application of Nano diammonium phosphate (DAP) in all agro-climatic zones, following the successful adoption of Nano Urea.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 Highlights: ₹ 70,163 crore allocated for Jal Jeevan Mission

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The Union government has allocated ₹ 70,163 crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the budget 2024-25.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) on August 15, 2019, during his address from the Red Fort. The mission aims to ensure access to an adequate supply of drinking water for every rural household by 2024 through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs). The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) has been responsible for the mission since its launch. DDWS comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Jal Jeevan Mission also subsumed the National Rural Drinking Water Programme launched in 2009. The total estimated cost of the Jal Jeevan Mission amounted to Rs 3.6 lakh crore over five years (2019-24).

Click here for live updates of Budget 2024

For the fiscal year 2022-23, the Jal Jeevan Mission has been allocated Rs 60,000 crore, marking a 33% rise compared to the expenditure in the previous fiscal year 2021-22. Following a decline in spending on schemes related to drinking water coverage from 2015-16 to 2018-19, expenditures on such initiatives have seen an upward trend since 2019-20. In FY 2021-22, the revised Government of India allocations for the Jal Jeevan Mission amounted to Rs 45,011 crore.

Jal Jeevan Mission has made significant progress since its inception. Out of a total of 19,26,75,600 target households, approximately 16.80% (3,23,62,838 households) had tap water connections, as of August 15, 2019. As of January 30, 2024, the number stood at 14,21,22,013 households, which accounts for approximately 73.76% of the total covered under the mission. In fact, at the start of the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme, only 3.23 crore (16.65%) rural households had tap water connections.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024 Highlights: Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) Allocation

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The government has extended 43 crore loans aggregating to ₹22.5 lakh crore under the PM Mudra Yojana, according to the expenditure Budget document.

Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) was launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Limited (MUDRA) is a government-owned financial institution aimed at enhancing the development and refinancing of micro-unit enterprises. The scheme offers loans up to ₹10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. The MUDRA loans under PMMY are provided by commercial banks, rural banks, small finance banks, and NBFCs. Borrowers can approach any of these lending institutions for availing loans. The online application option is also available.

The loans are offered under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana in three categories- ‘Shishu’, ‘Kishor’, and ‘Tarun’, indicating the growth stage and funding requirements of the beneficiary micro unit or entrepreneur. The loan amount varies depending on the category. ‘Shishu’ covers loans up to ₹50,000, ‘Kishor’ covers loans above ₹50,000 and up to ₹5 lakh, and ‘Tarun’ covers loans above ₹5 lakh up to ₹10 lakh.

Since its launch in 2015, a total amount of ₹23.2 lakh crore has been sanctioned across 40.82 crore loan accounts as of March 24, 2023. Of these accounts, around 68% belong to women entrepreneurs, while 51% belong to entrepreneurs from the SC/ST and OBC categories.

In the financial year 2015-2016, a total of 34,880,924 PMMY loans were sanctioned, amounting to ₹1.37 lakh crore. Of this sanctioned amount, ₹1.32 lakh crore was disbursed. In the financial year 2022-2023, the number of PMMY loans sanctioned increased to 6.23 crore with the sanctioned amount totalling ₹4.56 lakh crore.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024: FM Sitharaman announces special focus on infrastructure development in Lakshadweep

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Interim Budget 2024 on Thursday said that there will be a special focus on developing infrastructure in Lakshadweep to boost tourism. She announced the provision of long-term interest-free loans to state governments for developing iconic tourist destinations.

Sitharaman said that projects targeting port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities on islands, including Lakshadweep, will gain focus to address the growing interest in domestic tourism, fostering employment opportunities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the scenic shores of Lakshadweep in January 2024, following which controversy erupted on social media after three Maldivian deputy ministers mocked PM Modi’s post. Soon, a diplomatic rift ensued between the two countries, leading to Indian holidaymakers ditching Maldives to visit India and other foreign destinations. Recently, Maldives released a list of its top travellers, wherein India had fallen to the fifth spot from third.

Also read: Lakshadweep and 9 other destinations to visit in India this February

During his visit to Lakshadweep on January 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that numerous developmental projects were completed in Lakshadweep over the past 10 years and the Centre is committed to the progress of the islands located off the coast of Kerala.

In her Budget 2024 speech, Sitharaman also said that 40,000 normal rail bogies will be converted to Vande Bharat standards for the convenience of passengers. Under the ambitious Udan scheme, she said that 517 new routes were introduced. She said that Indian carriers had proactively ordered 1,000 new aircraft and added that the expansion of existing airports would continue.

Meanwhile, Pradeep Shetty, President of The Federation of Hotel snd  Restaurant Associations of India said, “Enhancing infrastructure aligns with a mission to exceed evolving traveller expectations, making Lakshadweep a premier destination for discerning travellers. This visionary approach transforms the islands into a magnet for tourists, creating new opportunities and propelling the hospitality sector into an era of unparalleled growth within India’s dynamic tourism and hospitality landscape.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Budget 2024: Here’s your guide to key terms

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget 2024 on Thursday, February 1, marking her sixth Budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This Budget takes on heightened significance as it precedes the Lok Sabha elections, positioning it as a crucial vote-on-account. The Interim Budget paves the way for a more comprehensive fiscal roadmap following the Lok Sabha elections later this year.

Here’s our “Budget Dictionary” to help you decode the intricacies of policies and schemes, providing a comprehensive guide to understanding key terms.

PMKSN: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi

Gives farmers up to ₹6,000/year as minimum income support

RKVY: Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

Incentivises states to draw up comprehensive agriculture development plans, taking into account agro-climatic conditions, natural resources and technology for ensuring more inclusive and Integrated development of agriculture and allied sectors.

GKRA: Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

The Rural public works scheme of the Government of India empowers and provides livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens.

PMUY 2.0: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

A flagship scheme to make clean cooking fuel, such as LPG, available to rural and deprived households

SISFS: Startup India Seed Fund Scheme

Aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation

ONORC: One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

The central government’s ambitious programme is aimed at making food security portable throughout the country.

GCP: Green Credit Programme

An innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivise voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders like individuals, communities, private sector industries, and companies.

PM SVANidhi: PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi

This is a Central Sector Scheme i.e. fully funded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, with the following objectives — to facilitate working capital loans up to ₹10,000, incentivise regular repayment, and reward digital transactions

PLI

The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for large-scale manufacturing is meant to provide incentives to producers to boost local manufacturing.

Ayushman Bharat

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, or National Health Protection Scheme, aims to provide quality healthcare to the economically vulnerable sections of society

PMMY: Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

Aims to provide ‘mudra’ loans of up to ₹10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small and micro-enterprises.

Bharatmala

This programme is aimed at developing national road corridors and highways.

Sagarmala

A programme aimed at enhancing port connectivity, modernisation and port-linked industrialisation — aims to improve infrastructure for external trade.

Ja Marg Vikas

A project for capacity augmentation of navigation on national waterways —
aims to smoothen internal trade carried through inland water transport.

UDAN

A scheme to provide air connectivity to smaller cities.

IFSC: International Financial Services Centre

Aims to make India the financial business centre in the region.

FAME

Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
Scheme to encourage faster adoption of electric vehicles

UDAY: Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana

Aims at financial and operational turnaround of power distribution companies

PMKYMS: Pradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maandhan Scheme

Pension benefit to traders & small shopkeepers whose annual turnover is less than `1.5 cr

UJJWALA YOJANA

Scheme for distributing LPG connections to poor families

SAUBHAGYA YOJANA

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana
Aims to provide electricity to all households in the country

PMAY: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

Aims to achieve housing for all by 2022

PMMSY: Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

Aims to address critical gaps in the value chain, including infrastructure, etc, in the fishing sector.

PMSSY: Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana

Aims to correct imbalances in the availability of affordable healthcare facilities in different parts of the country.

PMGSY: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana

Seeks to accelerate universal road connectivity to feasible habitations.

SFURTI: Scheme of Fund for Upgradation and Regeneration of Traditional Industries

Aims to facilitate cluster-based development to make traditional industries more productive and profitable,

e-NAM: E-National Agriculture Market

A platform for online trading in/and price discovery for agricultural commodities.

Jal Jeevan Mission

Scheme for management of water resources and supply to ensure “Har Ghar Jal” (water for every household) to all rural households by 2024

Jal shakti Abhiyan

Water conservation campaign in India’s most water-stressed districts.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Initially aimed at making India open defecation-free by building toilets, the initiative also focuses on sustainable solid waste management in every village.

PMGDSA

Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan — aims to make people digitally literate and bridge the rural-urban digital divide

Khelo India Scheme

Aims to create awareness of sports as an integral part of wellness throughout the country.

PMKVY: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

Aims to provide industry-relevant skill training to create a large pool of skilled manpower.

Stand-Up India Scheme

Promotes entrepreneurship among women and youth from the SC/ST categories by providing financial support.

Ujala Yojana

Mass scaling up of LED bulbs by widespread distribution at the household level to replace incandescent bulbs and CFLs.

IDEAS: Indian Development Assistance Scheme

Provides concessional financing for projects and infrastructure development in developing countries

PMGKAY: PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna

Part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative — aims to supply free food grains to migrants and poor.

NFSA: National Food Security Act

Aims to provide food security with highly subsidised food grains.

Click here for updates on the upcoming Budget 

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow