Budget for Children 2017-18

“The budget is not just a collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations” and the Union Budget 2017-18 once again gives us an opportunity to look at how the government of the day looks at children and their development. Whether it is the overall allocation within the budget or for specific sectors like health, development, education and protection, or flagship programmes, do they cater to the needs of the future of our country.

As part of financial reforms to improve the country’s economic situation, the government has made structural changes in this year’s budgeting exercise – the Plan and Non-Plan distinction have been dispensed with and the budget has been classified under revenue and capital heads. The Budget session of the Parliament was preponed and the Railway Budget has been subsumed in the General Budget. The Statement 22, initiated in 2008, earmarking the allocation for the welfare of children, has been renamed as Statement 12 in the Union Budget 2017-18.

The NDA government presented its fourth budget on 1^st February 2017, putting forth its agenda of “Transform, Energise and Clean India” – TEC India. It seeks to transform the quality of governance and quality of life of our people; energise various sections of society, especially the youth and the vulnerable; and clean the country from the evils of corruption.

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