Snapshot

• Total expenditure of budget 2017-18 is 21.47 lakh crore
• Fiscal deficit at 3.2 per cent of GDP for year starting April 1. Remain committed to achieve 3% in following year
• Defence Expenditure excluding pensions set at 2.74 lakh crore
• 10,000 crores for recapitalization of banks
• Rural employment scheme of MNREGA gets “highest allocation ever” of 48,000 crores
• One page I-T return form for individuals with less than Rs. 5 lakh income
• Maximum cash donation from unknown sources to political parties cut to Rs. 2,000 from Rs. 20,000
• Tax rate on small firms cut to 25 per cent

FARMERS:

• Farmer credit fixed at record level of Rs10 trillion; will ensure adequate flow to underserved areas
•  Soil health cards: Govt to set up mini-labs in Krishi Vigyan Kendras
• Long-term irrigation fund in Nabard-corpus at Rs40,000 crore
• Model law on contract farming to be circulated
• Dairy processing infra fund with corpus of Rs8,000 crore
• Dedicated micro-irrigation fund with Rs5,000 crore corpus

RURAL POPULATION

• Mission Antyodaya to bring 1 crore households of poverty
• MGNREGA: Rs48,000 crore has been allocated; participation of women now at 55%; using space technology in a big way
• Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana: Rs19,000 crore allocated; along with states, Rs27,000 crore will be spent in FY18
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: Rs23,000 crore allocated
• 100% village electrification by May 2018
• Rural livelihood mission: Rs4,500 crore allocated
• Mason training to be provided for 5 lakh people
• Panchayat Raj: Human resource reform programme to be launched
• Rs1,87,223 crore allocated for rural programmes

YOUTH

• ? Education: System of measuring annual learning outcomes, emphasis on science
• ? Innovation fund for secondary education
• ? Reforms in UGC: Colleges to be identified based on ranking and given more autonomy
• ? Propose to leverage information technology with launch of SWAYAM platform for virtual learning
• ? National testing agency to be established for all entrance exams, freeing up CBSE, AICTE and other bodies
• ? 100 Indian international skill centres to be established with courses in foreign languages
• ? Rs4,000 crore allocated to launch skill acquisition and knowledge awareness
• ? Special scheme for creating employment in leather/footwear sector

POOR AND UNPRIVILEGED

• ? Women: Mahila Shakti Kendras with Rs500 crore corpus
• ? Stepped up allocation to Rs1.84 trillion for various schemes for women and children
• ? Affordable housing to be given infrastructure status
• ? Action plan to eliminate leprosy by 2018, TB by 2025, reduce IMR to 29 in 2019
• ? To create additional PG medical seats per annum
• ? Two new AIIMS in Jharkhand and Gujarat
• ? New rules to be introduced for medical devices
• ? Labour rights: Legislative reforms to simplify and amalgamate existing labour laws
• ? Allocation to SCs increased to Rs52,393 crore; STs given Rs31,920 crore, minority affairs allocated Rs4,195 crore
• ? Senior citizens: Aadhaar-based smart cards with health details to be provided

INFRASTRUCTURE

• ? Total capex and development expenditure of railways pegged at Rs1.31 trillion
• ? Railways: Passenger safety fund corpus set up; unmanned level crossings to go by 2020
• ? Railway lines of 3,500km to be commissioned
• ? To launch dedicated tourism/pilgrimage trains
• ? 500 stations to be made differently-abled friendly
• ? Cleanliness in railways: To introduce Coach Mitra facility; By 2019, biotoilets for all coaches
• ? Railways to offer competitive ticket-booking facility; service charge withdrawn for tickets
• booked on IRCTC
• ? New metro rail policy to be announced
• ? Roads sector: Allocation for national highways at Rs64,000 crore