Publications

Featured Opinions

Role and Relevance of Planning Commission and Finance Commission

  • (Employment News;  March 23, 2013)

Two institutions that play a key role in influencing the scope of budgetary spending by the Union Government and
State Governments are Planning Commission and Finance Commission.

Budget 2013: 10 Per cent Surcharge on the Super Rich is Justified and Needed

  • (Down To Earth;  March 1, 2013)

Growing needs for financing development interventions and strict borrowing limits set by the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act forced the Union Government in India to look out for ways for increasing its revenue.

Renewable Energy: Areas of Concern for Union Budget 2013-14

  • (Down To Earth;  February 21, 2013)

As the country continues to strive to achieve energy security, there is ample evidence of unmet demand for access to electricity and cleaner energy in rural areas.

Budget 2013-14: Provisioning for Universal Healthcare or Moving away from Agenda?

  • (Down To Earth;  February 20, 2013)

The government of India is yet to recognise and institutionalise the right to health as a universal right of every citizen. India’s public spending on health, at about one per cent of the country’s GDP, has been among the lowest in the world.

Plan Spending on Social Sectors and a Paradox in Budgetary Policies

  • (Down To Earth;  February 19, 2013)

In the context of Union Budget for 2013-14, to be presented on February 28, some of the reports in the print media have indicated that the finance ministry could reduce the budget outlay for some of the social sectors in 2013-14 as compared to the outlay in 2012-13.

Taxation and Inequality: Expectations from Union Budget 2013-14

  • (Down To Earth;  February 18, 2013)

Union Budget 2013-14 is an opportunity for the government to address key concerns related to tax policies in the country which have wide socio-political ramifications.

Planning and Budgetary Strategies for Disadvantaged Sections

  • (Employment News;  February 16, 2013)

The need for focusing on the concerns of the most disadvantaged sections of population has remained at the core of development planning in India since early 1950s. Planning and budgetary strategies for disadvantaged and excluded groups such as the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), religious minorities and women are discussed in this piece.

Union Budget: Understanding the Concepts

  • (Employment News;  February 2, 2013)

Budget of a government refers to a comprehensive statement of its expenditures and receipts for a particular financial year.

Revitalising Agriculture in Eastern India: Investment and Policy Priorities

  • (IDS Bulletin, Volume 43;  July 1, 2012)

This article examines the priority accorded to agriculture and allied sectors in India’s public expenditure over the last two decades, with specific attention to budgetary spending by the eastern region states.