A+| A| A-
Lacking in Substance
Budget 2016-17 was presented after the Economic Survey recognised weaknesses in the Indian economy and raised hopes that the government would usher in major changes to enthuse the private sector to invest and grow once again. The dire situation of the rural sector was sought to be addressed through measures to alleviate suffering. Indeed, the slew of announcements sound impressive but, in reality, are quite modest.
Budget 2016–17 has been hailed, not quite as a game changer, but certainly as one which deserves high marks (Anand 2016). Certainly, some of the announcements relating to agriculture (Bera 2016), rural development (Choudhury 2016), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Deccan Chronicle 2016) and infrastructure (Pandey 2016) have caught the attention of analysts. We will be evaluating these budgetary provisions in the course of this article. However, before we do that, we take a quick look at what was achieved by Budget 2015–16.
Looking Back: Budget 2015–16
Dear Reader,
Or
To gain instant access to this article (download).
(Readers in India)
(Readers outside India)
