The allocations earmarked for women as a proportion of the total Union Budget outlay has gone up from 3% in 2007-08 (revised estimate) to 6.1% in 2010-11 (Budget estimate) It will be seven years since the government, acknowledging a gender imbalance, introduced gender Budgeting in 2005-06. Ever since then, the annual Budget has been accompanied by a gender Budgeting statement. An analysis of the last four Union Budgets reveals two things....

Estimated expenditure on farm and irrigation sectors is Rs. 17,857 crore The agricultural sector has been given prime place in the State Budget presented to the Legislative Assembly on Thursday by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio. Mr. Yeddyurappa's focus on agriculture is reminiscent of the Union Budget presented by the first Janata Party Government of Morarji Desai in the post-Emergency era. The estimated expenditure on agriculture and irrigation...

The B S Yeddyurappa government rolled out a whole new slew of populist schemes in its 2011-12 revenue surplus Budget on Thursday, targeting an increase in the number of ‘direct beneficiaries’, especially in the agriculture sector. New schemes announced in Yeddyurappa’s Budget include a provision of Rs 10,000 each to 10 lakh small farmers in dry lands, reduction of interest rates on co-operative bank loans from three to one per...

Although finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had promised food security and inclusive growth in his Budget speech last year, hunger continues to stalk over 300 million citizens of the country. India slipped to 67th place in the Global Hunger Index 2010 rankings of 122 countries prepared by International Food Policy Research Institute. An Oxford University report said that 410 million Indians live in poverty. While there may be nit-picking over the...

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government is trying to introduce the proposed National Food Security Bill that seeks to provide a legal guarantee for cheaper foodgrains to the poor, in the Budget session of Parliament. "...we hope to bring to this session of Parliament the National Food Security Bill, which would give the people the right to food as the constitutional right," Singh told Rajya Sabha while replying...