Now Reading: Sitharaman sets zero poverty, jobs as Viksit Bharat goals
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Sitharaman sets zero poverty, jobs as Viksit Bharat goals
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India may rationalise most customs tariffs by the 2027-28 Budget, with some items excluded. Speaking at the C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture organised by NCAER, she described Viksit…
The Story in Brief
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India may rationalise most customs tariffs by the 2027-28 Budget, with some items excluded. Speaking at the C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture organised by NCAER, she described Viksit Bharat as a 2047 goal centred on zero poverty, quality education, affordable healthcare, skilled employment, women’s economic participation, productive farmers and technology leadership.
Sitharaman said public capital expenditure had helped revive private investment, rising from Rs 3.39 lakh crore in FY20 to Rs 12.22 lakh crore in FY27, according to The Economic Times. She also warned that government borrowing must create assets and said states must explain and manage their debt. NCAER chairman Nandan Nilekani called for more than one million startups by 2035.
The Indian Opinion
The triumphalist claim that a developed India is already within reach is no more useful than the defeatist view that public spending achieves nothing. Higher capital expenditure can support investment, but it does not guarantee enough secure jobs, better schools or healthcare access. The test is whether employment, learning outcomes and household incomes improve, not whether tariff schedules or startup counts look impressive. What will the next jobs data show?
Sources (3): livemint.com, thehindubusinessline.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
