1. Committee will study ‘fast population growth’ and demographic changes: FM
A high-power committee will be constituted to consider the challenges arising from “fast population growth and demographic changes”, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her interim Budget speech on Friday.
The Finance Minister said the committee would be mandated to make recommendations to comprehensively address these challenges in relation to the goal of Viksit Bharat, or a developed India.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of an indefinitely postponed Census, which means that there is little reliable data to back up her assertion of “fast” population growth in the country; the little data that exist suggest that the country’s fertility rate is falling below replacement levels.
Security concerns
Despite the absence of sound statistics, security concerns in border areas are also being highlighted on the basis of purported demographic changes.
To a question from The Hindu on whether the committee was aimed at population stabilisation and if it would be set in motion after the next Census, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth said: “India’s demographics are an opportunity as well as a challenge. The committee will look at those aspects and the final terms of reference will reflect the focus.”
The Minister’s speech suggested there has been a “fast” population growth in the country, though there is no accurate data.
The latest Sample Registration System report for 2020 said that the total fertility fate (TFR), or the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime, dropped to 2, from 2.1 in 2019.
The National Family Health Survey)-5 for 2019 to 2021, released in May 2022, stated that the TFR declined from 2.2 to 2 at the national level, in comparison to the last such survey held in 2015 and 2016.
2. Fertilizer subsidy set to decline, food subsidy sees increase
The Centre has decreased fertilizer subsidies, apparently hoping the improving situation in Ukraine and increased domestic production will help in managing the situation.
The Fertilizer and Chemicals Ministry has been claiming the increase in domestic production of essential fertilizers such as urea will result in decreasing fertilizer subsidies.
Allocation for the Fertilizer Department in this Budget is ₹1,64,150.81 crore. It was ₹1,75,148.48 crore in the last Budget. In the Revised Estimates of the last financial year, it was ₹1,88,947.29 crore. The amount actually used in 2022-23 was ₹2,51,369.18 crore, with payments for indigenous and imported urea estimated to have accounted for the bulk of the expenditure.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Budget that after the successful adoption of Nano Urea, application of Nano Di Ammonium Phosphate (Nano DAP) on various crops will be expanded to all agro-climatic zones. She said the pandemic had led to a crisis of food, fertilizer, fuel and finances for the world, while India successfully navigated its way.
Food subsidy has seen an increase in the allocation compared with the last year. The total food subsidy includes ₹2,05,250 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) and ₹1 lakh crore for the Sugar Subsidy payable under Public Distribution System. In the last Budget, the amount was 1,97,350 crore, while in 2022-23, the actual expenditure was ₹2,72,802.38 crore.
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman also said worries about food have been eliminated through free ration for 80 crore people.
3. ASHA, anganwadi staff get health cover
Interim Budget enhances allocation to Health Ministry to ₹90,658.63 crore; newly designed U-WIN platform for managing immunisation and intensified efforts of Mission Indradhanush to be rolled out expeditiously; maternity, childcare schemes proposed to be integrated
Health cover under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana will be extended to all Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and anganwadi workers and helpers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday, announcing the interim Budget for 2024-25.
While a full Budget for 2024-25 will be announced after a new government is formed post the Lok Sabha elections later this year, the allocation in the interim Budget for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been increased to ₹90,658.63 crore, from ₹89,155 crore in 2023-24, while the Ayush Ministry has seen the allocation increased to ₹3,712.49 crore from ₹3,647.50 crore.
For the health sector, the Minister said that India would utilise the services of the newly designed U-WIN platform for managing immunisation and the intensified efforts of Mission Indradhanush. “This is to be rolled out expeditiously throughout the country,” the Minister said.
Other major announcements for the sector included utilising existing hospital infrastructure under various departments to offer medical seats to students and ‘encouraging’ HPV vaccination for girls in the 9-14 years age group for prevention of cervical cancer. The government also proposed to combine various schemes for maternity and childcare and bring them under one comprehensive programme.
Skill training
Ms. Sitharaman added that as part of the Skill India Mission, youth were being trained at various world-class institutes, including 15 newly constructed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Anganwadi centres would be upgraded under ‘Saksham Anganwadi’, while Poshan 2.0 would be expedited to improve nutrition delivery and ensure early childhood care and development.
Welcoming the extension of health cover to ASHA and anganwadi workers under Ayushman Bharat, Roderico H. Ofrin, WHO’s representative in India, said that various other health-related in the interim Budget would further strengthen systems and healthcare services across the country. “WHO welcomes investments in these areas and will continue to support the Government of India in achieving health for all and meeting its disease elimination goals,” he added.
The Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), on the other hand, said it is awaiting the Budget fine print to check whether the recommendations of the Department of Pharmaceuticals with regard to the sector had been addressed.
The Budget had seemingly fallen short of expectations for addressing the rising import graph of medical devices and soaring import bills worth more than ₹63,200 crore, said AiMeD forum coordinator Rajiv Nath.
