* In last nine months several steps taken to effectively deal with problem of black money

* Comprehensive new law to be brought against black money
* New structure to be put in place in banking sector for seamless integration of data
* Adequate provision for defence with Rs.246,727 crore earmarked this year
* Fully IT-based student-help facility for needy students
* Eastern states to be given opportunity to develop faster. Special boost to Bihar and West Bengal as in the case of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
* Good progress in DMIC corridor and other infra-projects. Rs.1,200 crore earmarked and additional funds if pace of work picks up on ongoing projects
* Procurement law to be drawn up to ensure transparency and remove corruption
* Centenary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay to be celebrated; committee for this to be set up soon
* During 2015-16 AIIMS-like institutes to be set up in Jamu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh; Bihar to get second AIIMS-like institution
* Karnataka to get an IIT; Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad to be upgraded to IIT
* Good progress being made on Digital India
* To discourage transactions in cash, Rupee debit card to incentivise credit transactions
* In line with ‘Act East Policy’, steps to catalyse investment in this sector through a project development company to oversee investments in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

* Tourism has increased after Visa on Arrival introduced for 43 countries. This facility to be increased to 150 countries in different stages

* Public Debt Management Agency to be created to strengthen the bond market

* Gold Monetisation Scheme to be introduced; sovereign gold bonds to be introduced; working on developing Indian gold coin with Ashok Chakra on face

* Vision of making India cashless society

* Foreign Investment in alternative investment funds to be permitted

* Ports in public sector to be encouraged to utilise land under their control

* Make India investment-destination by streamlining permission procedures

* Five ultra-mega power projects each of 4,000 MW to be set up

* MGNREGA allocation to be enhanced by Rs.5,000 crore, if additional funds available

* Integrated education and livelihood scheme to be launched

* “The Everlasting Flame” exhibition on Parsis to be launched

* National investment and infrastructure fund to be launched with corpus of Rs.20,000 crore to generate more funds

* Innovation initiative to be launched in NITI Aayog in the name of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee

* Government committed to increasing access of people to the banking system

* Universal social security system for all Indians, especially poor and disadvantaged sections

* Atal Pension Yojna for economically disadvantaged

* PPF and EPF corpus to be utilised for senior citizens’ welfare fund

* Physical aids and assisting devices for physically challenged senior citizens

* Main challenges: increasing agricultural production; increasing investment in infrastructure; with manufacturing declining, Make in India will create jobs; cooperative federalism

* Agriculture credit targetted at Rs.8.5 lakh crore

* Rural jobs scheme to get Rs.34,699 crore; Every poor to get a job

* To work with NITI Aayog for creating a National Agricultural Market

* Need well-targeted system for subsidies.

* Direct transfer of subsidy to LPG consumers

* Appeal to well-off consumers to surrender subsidised LPG connections

* Organic farm schemes of agriculture ministry to be supported

* ‘Per drop More crop’ scheme for better irrigation

* Three achievements – Jan Dhan Yojna, coal auctions, Swachh Bharat

* Two more gamechanging reforms: Goods and Services Tax, JAM trinity (Jan Dhan Yojna, Aadhar, Mobile number) to ensure transparency

* Our achievement to conquer inflation, CPI inflation at five percent by year-end

* GDP growth at 7.4 percent in 2014-15 and at 8-8.5 percent in 2015-16; double-digit growth feasible

* We are in an economic environment far more positive than in the recent past

* Undertaken several significant steps to energise the Indian economy in last nine months

* India’s chance to fly

* Budget proposals lay down roadmap for economic growth.

* Total expenditure in 2014-15 estimated at Rs.17,97,892 crore; plan expenditure estimated at Rs.12,19,892 crore

* Government to take a view on Direct Tax Code
* Six debt recovery tribunals to be set up
* Five new tourist circuits to be established
* World class convention centre to come up in Goa
* IT exemption limit for those below 60 raised from Rs.2 lakhs to Rs.2.5 lakhs; from Rs.2.5 lakhs to Rs.3 lakhs for senior citizens
* No change in surcharge for corporates; education cess to continue
* Allocation of Rs.1,000 crore for implementing One Rank One Pension scheme
* War Memorial and War Museum to be established at Princess Park in New Delhi; Rs.1,000 crore allocated
* Allocation of Rs.50 crore for National Police Memorial
* Allocation of Rs.2.037 crore for creating integrated Ganga conservation mission
* National sports foundations to be set up for disciplines like shooting, wrestling and boxing; Jammu and Kashmir gets Rs.200 crore to upgrade sports facilities; Sports university to come up in Manipur
* Defence allocated Rs.229,000 crore; modernisation gets Rs.5,000 crore over and above interim budget
* Bharat Depository Receipt to be created
* Uniform KYC norms to be introduced across entire financial sector
* Steps to revive SEZs
* Sixteen new port projects to be taken up this fiscal
* Jal Marg Vikas programme to be launched to promote navigation on Ganga from Allahabad to Haldia
* Hastkala Academy to be set up with allocation of Rs.30 crore
* Six more textile clusters to be set up with allocation of Rs.200 crore
* Corpus of Rs.5,000 crore for long-term loans to farmers
* Kisan TV to be launched to disseminate information in real time
* Allocation of Rs.14,389 crore for rural roads
* Allocation of Rs.50 crore for breeding of indigenous cattle
* Export promotion mission to be established to bring all stakeholders under one umbrella
* Lok Sabha takes five-minute break during finance minister’s speech. Jaitley permitted to sit and read out on resumption
* FDI limit in insurance sector raised to 49 percent
* All states to get AIIMS like institutions
* Allocation of Rs.100 crore for soil testing facilities
* Second Green Revolution to be launched with focus on protein revolution
* Allocation of Rs.100 crore to promote good governance
* Allocation of Rs.3,600 crore for drinking water schemes
* Allocation of Rs.500 crore for 5 more IITs and 5 more IIMs
* Allocation of Rs.4,000 crore for National Housing Bank
* Allocation of Rs.500 crore to improve broadband connectivity in rural areas
* To print currency notes with Braille signs
* Allocation of Rs.150 crore to improve safety of women in larger cities
* Allocation of Rs.500 crore to provide 24×7 power in rural areas
* Allocation of Rs.100 crore for “Beti bachao, beti padao” programme
* Allocation of Rs.8,000 crore to improve rural housing
* E-visas to be introduced at nine airports
* New scheme to provide assured irrigation
* Total sanitation in every household by 2019
* Shares of PSU banks to be sold to retail investors
* Aiming at fiscal deficit of 3 percent by 2015-16 and 2 percent by 2016-17
* FDI in defence sector raised to 49 percent from 26 percent
* CBDT to scrutinize all cases under 2012 law on retrospective tax cases
* Problem of black money to be fully addressed
* Expenditure Management Commission to be established this fiscal
* Slow decision-making has resulted in lost opportunities
* Green shoots of recovery in world economy
* Budget will lay down steps aimed at 7-8 percent growth in next few years
* The aim is “Sub ke saath, sub ka vikas” (With everyone, For everyone’s development)
* Should we be victims of populism?

By