Budget 08 - Provisions for Health

• Comparing with the last year this year there has been an increase of almost 15% in the funds allotted towards the health sector. The amount allotted towards this sector comprises almost Rs. 16,534 crore. This indicates that the government is seriously looking towards betterment of health of the entire society.

• Under the National Rural Health Mission a large number of activists are planned to be trained. Also around 177,924 villages will have sanitation committees that will look after all the sanitation facilities in the village. This will in turn help in reducing all diseases related to improper sanitation facilities such as cholera, diarrhea etc.

• The fund allocation towards the NHRM has been increased by almost 12,000 crore and under this scheme 323 hospitals of various districts have been taken up for up gradation of all the available facilities.

• Special emphasis has been paid to eradication of Polio in our country. The previous strategy has been revised and the polio drive has been targeted towards the northern states that have shown high occurrences of polio in the past.

• Rs. 205 crore have been provided for towards the health insurance scheme for all the workers and their families who come in the unorganized sector falling under BPL category. The insurance cover provided to them is of Rs. 30,000.

• The older population also has its share for health schemes in the budget. They have been allotted Rs. 400 crore for setting up of ageing centres and hospitals for all types of medical care that would be required by the older generation of our country.

Budget 08 - Provisions For Education

• Funds have been provided upto Rs. 80 crore for setting up 410 more schools and building up and renovation of old hostels for girls under the Kasturba Gandhi Baliika Vidyaalaya Scheme. This scheme is targeted towards increasing the female literacy rate of our country. Thus ensure that females do not remain behind in any field and they get a fair amount of share in this Indian society.

• Rs. 800 crore have been allocated to the special scholarship scheme which is targeting around 1 lakh scholarships in the year 2008-09. This would ensure that many of the deserving but economically backward students get a fair chance to complete their education.

• Rs.10 crore have been allocated to set up centres in around 125 districts under the Nehru Yuvva Kendra Scheme. This will help in channelizing the youth power that our country has in abundance and ensure growth of the economy.

• The government has extended its scheme for Mid Day meals to the upper classes of schools which come under government and also government aided. This is perceived to ensure that all students under this scheme get proper nutrition. More than 2.5 crore students are expected to be covered under this scheme in 2008-09 which takes the total tally to 13.9 crore. Rs. 8000 crore have been set aside for this scheme.

• Government has decided to set up sixteen Central Universities in each of the states which were previously uncovered. Also three IIT’s are to be set up in Rajasthan, Bihar and Andra Pradeshh.

• Two IISERs are to come up in Thiruvananthapuram and Bhopal along with 2 institutes of Planing and Architecture located at Bhopal and Vijayawada.

• Also Rs. 5 crore have been granted to the Deccan college, Pune for its research and development activities.

• Rs. 85 crore have been allotted to the various research and development oriented activities in the field of science. This also includes scholarships for students from various age groups. This policy is directed towards increasing more and more students to take up education in pure science and pursue their careers in it.

• The government has started off a programme which ensures education to the female population. This includes compulsory residential education to all enrolled female students and has enrolled more than 1, 75,000 students.

Read my further blogs for information related to budget for other sectors viz. Health, Agriculture, Automobile, Exports etc.