The preliminary reactions of many people after the Budget presentation gave the impression that farm sector got a boost in terms of a significant increase in budget outlays for the sector.

समाजीक क्षेत्र है अहम

Preparation of budgets is traditionally an incremental process: the first railway budget of the present government took off from the landscape sketched in the 12th Five Year Plan. Expansion, modernisation and development of railway infrastructure were to be given thrust through 3Ps: Public-Private Partnerships.

Most states are left with unspent balances in development schemes of different departments, which in turns impairs achievement of objectives of these schemes. Though, the extent and quality of fund utilization varies across states and across schemes, this is a rampant problem.

Providing free and compulsory education to all children is enshrined in the Indian Constitution as a Fundamental Right. Adoption of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 gave further impetus to the national efforts for ensuring ‘quality education’ for all in a time-bound manner.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, in vogue for some time in India now, have surfaced with renewed fervour over the last year and a half. DBT, as the term suggests, is a strategy aimed to electronically transfer price subsidies and benefits provided under various welfare schemes as cash directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.

The high incidence of violence against women and the ensuing public outcry has brought the issue to the forefront of the policy discourse in the last few years, underscoring the need for the government to undertake substantive interventions to address gender based violence.

Open Budget Survey 2015 What does it say about budget transparency in India

It is generally and quite correctly argued that within an economy, women’s work participation is determined by several factors such as age, education level, skill levels, wages, household income level, marital status and several other economic, socio-political and cultural factors.

The Government’s claim of increased resources to the States is misleading unless the resource pool is substantially increased to cover for cuts in the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

In 2014, G20 countries endorsed a new system of information exchange, automatic exchange of financial information, developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The article analyses this new standard for information exchange on offshore accounts, specifically focusing on the loopholes that impact developing countries.

The upcoming international conference on Financing for Development to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in July 2015 will have a vital role in formulating a comprehensive approach for strengthening global development cooperation.