FEB 2023 PIB

Government of India focus on integrating Ayush system in National Health ecosystem had got a boost in the Budget 2023-24 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. The total allocation of budget to Ayush Ministry has increased by 20 percent to Rs 3647 crores.

Budget allocation to centrally sponsored National Ayush Mission (NAM) has got 50 percent increase in allocation from Rs 800 cores to Rs 1200 crores.

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On the occasion of India's presidency of the G-20, through the theme 'One Earth, One Family, One Future', a one-day workshop on Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and Madhya Pradesh Farm Gate App is being organized on February 02, 2023 at Noronha Administrative Academy, Bhopal and on February 8, 2023 at Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur with the aim of encouraging the sense of global unity and increasing the participation of women in the field of agriculture

The main objective of this workshop is to increase the participation of women in the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) and MP Farm Gate.

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Union Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar said that the total budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, including Agricultural Education and Research, is aboute Rs 1.25 lakh cror this time. Out of this, provision of Rs. 60,000 crore has been made for the Modi Government's ambitious scheme, - the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan). There are about 86 per cent small farmers in the country, who have been greatly benefited through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC). This time, Rs 23,000 crores has been allocated for this, to enable our farmer brothers and sisters to continue to avail its benefit. Focusing on Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries, the agricultural loan target has been increased to Rs 20 lakh crore. Provision of Rs 450 crore has been made for the Digital Agriculture Mission started by the Modi Government, and about Rs. 600 crore allocated for the promotion of Agriculture sector through technology.

Shri Tomar said that the Prime Minister took the initiative to make Natural Farming a mass movement, for which a provision of Rs 459 crore has been made. In 3 years, 1 crore farmers will be supported for Natural Farming, for which 10,000 Bio Input Research Centers will be opened. While organizing Small and Medium Farmers through FPOs, a target has been set to provide them all facilities related to agriculture, for which 10,000 new FPOs are being constituted. This FPO is a revolutionary step in the direction of raising the standard of living of small and medium farmers, whose benefits have started percolating to these farmers. In order to maintain the same momentum in the future, a budget provision of Rs 955 crore has been earmarked for the formation of new FPOs this year, while the Agriculture Infra Fund and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, beneficial for the farmers, are also being promoted. Food and nutritional security is one of the priorities of the Union Government, for which the budget has been hiked to Rs 1,623 crore. Shri Tomar said that priority will be given to Startups related to agriculture. The Agriculture Accelerator Fund will be set up to encourage agri-startups by young entrepreneurs, for which Rs 500 crore has been allocated over a period of 5 years. Millets will now be known as Shri-Anna. India is at the forefront of programmes to popularize Srianna. The Indian Millets Research Centre, Hyderabad will be promoted as a Center of Excellence, so that it can excel at the global level as well. For the development of Horticulture sector, the budget has been increased to Rs 2,200 crore.

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Union Budget to give a boost to exports and manufacturing

In a major push to LGD (lab grown diamonds) manufacturing, duty on LGD seeds reduced  from 5% to 0%;  research grant of Rs. 242 crore to IIT Madras approved

Custom duty on articles of precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum has been increased from 20% to 25% thereby increasing the duty differential to 10% over gold/silver/platinum bars. This will boost domestic manufacturing in the sector and result in import substitution. Custom duty on imitation jewellery has been enhanced from 20% to 25%. This will discourage cheap imports from China and encourage domestic manufacturing.

Import duty of fish meal reduced from 15% to 5% ; move will make shrimp industry more competitive

The recommendation of Department of Commerce for increase in import duty on compound rubber from 10% to 25% has been agreed to.

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Shri Amit Shah also expressed his gratitude to Shri Modi for keeping the cooperative societies of manufacturing sector formed till March 31, 2024 in the 15% tax net only. The decision to cap TDS on cash withdrawal at Rs 3 crore and making the limit upto Rs 2 lakh per member for cash deposits and loans for Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS) and Primary Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Banks (PCARDBs) is laudable.

The Union Cooperation Minister also added that he welcomes another important decision taken for the cooperative sector, in which sugar cooperatives have been given the facility to show the payments made to farmers before 2016-17 in their expenditure. Cooperative sugar mills will get a relief of Rs 10,000 crore.

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The annual outlay for Ministry of Culture in FY 2023-24 increased by 12.97% to Rs. 3,399.65 Crore

Rs. 1102.83 Crore has been allocated to the ASI for protection, preservation, and conservation of Centrally Protected Monuments/sites

Bharat Shared Repository of Inscriptions (BharatSHRI), a digital epigraphy museum, with digitization of one lakh ancient inscriptions to be set up at Hyderabad.

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There is a step-jump in the budget outlay for the MDoNER during the Financial Year 2023-24. The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation is Rs. 5892.00 crore

The allocation for Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) out of the B.E. outlay for 2023-24 has been enhanced to Rs. 1690.00 crore or over twice

The total B.E. 2023-2024 allocation for the infrastructure, social development and livelihoods targeted Prime Ministers Development Initiative for North-East (PMDevINE) Scheme is Rs. 2,200.00 crore

The allocation for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) out of the B.E. outlay for 2023-24 has been enhanced to Rs. 488.00 crore

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Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh says, the world today recognises India's Blue Economy resources and the International Seabed Authority with headquarters in Jamaica has officially designated India as a "Pioneer Investor".

Under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership for the first time, blue economy has been given high priority and the same is now being recognised globally

International Seabed Authority and M/o Earth Sciences exchange PMN (Polymetallic Nodules) exploration extension contract in presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh

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Shri Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted that Ministry of Education has been allocated Rs 112899.47 crore. This is the highest allocation ever to the Education Ministry. The budgetary allocation witnessed the jump of 13% (over revised estimates) which is 13,018.34 cr from FY 2022-23, he added. The Department of School Education has been allocated Rs 68,804.85 crore and Department of Higher Education gets Rs 44,094.62 crore.

Setting up of a National Digital Library for Children and Adolescents for facilitating availability of quality books across geographies, languages, genres and levels, and device agnostic accessibility. States will be encouraged to set up physical libraries at Panchayat and ward level.

Budget Allocation for FY 2023-24 in the Flagship Scheme of PM Poshan has increased by Rs. 1366.25 cr (13.35%) from Rs. 10233.75 cr in BE 2022-23 to Rs. 11600.00 cr in BE 2023-24.

Budget Allocation for FY 2023-24 for the World Bank aided Scheme of STARS has increased by Rs. 250.00 cr (45.45%) from Rs. 550.00 cr in BE 2022-23 to Rs. 800.00 cr in BE 2023-24.

Budget Allocation for FY 2023-24 in the Flagship Scheme of Samagra Shiksha has increased by Rs. 70.11 cr(0.18%) from Rs. 37383.36 cr in BE 2022-23 to Rs. 37453.47 cr in BE 2023-24.

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An amount of Rs. 250 crores has been allocated for the PRASHAD Scheme. The PRASHAD Scheme aims for holistic development of selected pilgrimage destinations in the country.

The Champion Service Sector Scheme has been provided an allocation of Rs. 196.22 crores. Allocation of Rs. 105 crore has been made for Human Resource Development and capacity building to meet the requirement of trained manpower in the tourism and hospitality sector.

The Ministry has earmarked an allocation of Rs. 229 crore for tourism infrastructure, promotion of North-Eastern States under this year’s Budget allocation.

The Finance Minister announced that an App will be developed covering all relevant aspects of tourism. States will be encouraged to set up Unity Malls in State Capital as the most prominent tourism centres to promote One District One Product, GI products, handicrafts and products of other States.

Rs. 2400 crores allocated to Ministry of Tourism as the sector holds huge opportunities for jobs and entrepreneurship for youth

50 tourist destinations to be developed for providing a wholesome tourism experience under ‘Swadesh Darshan Scheme’

Integrated and innovative ‘Vibrant Village Programme’ for development of tourism infrastructure and facilities in border villages proposed

Revamping of the credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs through infusion of Rs. 9,000 crore in the corpus, enabling additional collateral-free guaranteed credit of Rs. 2 lakh crore

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