Estimates

Prominent themes of the Budget 2020

Agriculture

• A budget allocation of ₹2.83 lakh crore for the sector comprising agriculture and allied activities.
• Doubling farmers incomes by 2022.
• Agri-credit availability set at ₹15 lakh crore for 2020-21.
• Comprehensive measures for 100 water stressed districts.
• Provide 20 lakh farmers to set up standalone solar pumps. Help another 15 lakh farmers to solarise their power grid.
• Village storage scheme proposed to be run by women SHGs.
• Indian Railways to have refrigerated coaches capability in ‘kisan trains’ to carry perishables and milk.
• Krishi UDAN on international and national routes.

Health and Sanitation

• An allocation of ₹69,000 crore for the health sector.
• ₹12,300 crore for Swachh Bharat this year.
• Proposal to set up hospitals in Tier-II and Tier-III cities with the private sector using PPP.
• Expand Jan Aushadhi scheme to provide for all hospitals under Ayushman Bharat by 2025.

Education

• ₹99,300 crore for 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 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

• 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.
• Aim to achieve electrification of 27,000 km of lines.
• Plan to have a large solar power capacity for Indian Railways.
• The government also proposes a Bengaluru suburban rail project at a cost of ₹18,600 crore.
• Govt to monetise 12 lots of national highways by 2024.
• 100 more airports will be developed by 2024 to support UDAN.

Culture and Tourism

• Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation has been proposed under the Ministry of Culture. This will be given a status of deemed university.
• 5 sites will be developed as iconic sites with on-site museums

1. Rakhigarhi (Haryana)
2. Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh)
3. Shivsagar (Assam)
4. Dholavira (Gujarat)
5. Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu)

• Maritime museum to be set up at Lothal- the Harappan age maritime site near Ahmedabad, by Ministry of Shipping.

Tax

• A new tax regime has been announced. Those who want to be in the old regime with exemptions, can continue to pay at the old rates.

• Over 70 deductions have been removed.
• Companies will no longer be required to pay Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT).
• Aadhaar-based verification for GST compliance to be introduced.

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