-Hindustan Times Nawanshahr: “The budget is far removed from reality.” That is how young Meet Pal Singh, an MBA who has set up a polyhouse in Mahalon village of Nawanshahr, dismisses the budget. The tall light-eyed youth, who is feted as a progressive farmer in the area, says the Modi government should first focus on implementing the MS Swaminathan report for farmers before coming up with a new set of proposals. Dr...

-Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability Budget 2017-18 is placed at an important juncture when there has been a thrust by the government for a digitised and a consequent cashless economy with the demonetisation of high value currency notes undertaken in November last year. A number of claims have been made in the budget speech by the Finance Minister regarding longer term benefits of this move for the Indian Economy. To...

-NDTV The "highest ever allocation" to NREGA (which also led to it trending on Twitter)  in the Union Budget has provided a useful opportunity to raise some pressing issues related to the implementation of the scheme. It is natural, and welcome, that the government turn to NREGA to provide much-needed relief to those whose already precarious lives have been disrupted by demonetization, a man-made economic disaster. Widespread reports of job losses...

-Deccan Chronicle Arun Jaitley has reiterated the government’s resolve to help farmers double their income in another four years. Keeping in view the problems faced by farm families, who comprise over 60 per cent of our population, the finance minister Arun Jaitley has reiterated the government’s resolve to help farmers double their income in another four years. The various measures suggested for doubling income include distribution of soil health cards, promotion of more crop per drop,...

-Livemint.com It should lay to rest the ongoing debate about this government’s attempt to radically restructure India’s welfare architecture There were no surprises—no helicopter drop of money into Jan-Dhan accounts, no move to dismantle ongoing welfare schemes in favour of a universal basic income (UBI). Far from being the populist, game-changing budget that many had expected, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley presented a sombre, status quo budget which, apart from some tinkering...