Budget 2021: Rejigging Social Sector Spending Priorities in the Wake of COVID-19
Besides the health sector, which obviously needs to be strengthened, both NREGA and NRLM deserve an allocation boost.
A woman worker in the construction sector. Photo: Reuters/Adnan Abidi
Preparation for the presentation of Union Budget 2021-22 is underway.
Unlike in the past, it is expected that the priorities of this yearâs budget will be different. The pandemic-battered Indian economy is struggling to bring itself back on track due to its falling GDP growth rate, the rise in unemployment and the impact that COVID-19 has left on peopleâs health. While COVID-19, followed by the lockdown, has contracted Indiaâs GDP and revenue, demand for jobs, especially in the rural sector, and a shortage of health infrastructure need greater attention of the government.