Union Budget 2024: These four 'castes' are govt's highest priority

While presenting the Interim Budget, the Finance Minister asserted that the welfare of poor, women, youth and farmers, 'the four major castes', is the government's highest priority.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday presented her sixth Budget, which also marks the Modi government's last Budget ahead of this year's Lok Sabha elections. Listing government's achievements during her Budget speech, Sitharaman asserted that the welfare of poor, women, youth and farmers (the four "castes") is the government's highest priority.

Presenting the Budget, she said that the government was working with an approach to ensure a development that is all-round, all-pervasive and all-inclusive.

"There is a need to focus on 'four major castes' that are 'garib' (the poor), 'mahilayen' (women), 'yuva' (the youth) and 'annadata' (the farmer)." Their needs, aspirations and welfare are 'our highest priority'," she said in her Budget speech.

In her pre-elections Budget, the Finance Minister further emphasised, "The country progresses, when they progress. All the four require and receive the government's support in their quest for better lives. Their empowerment and wellbeing will drive the country forward."

Poor

"We believe in empowering the poor. When the poor become empowered partners in the development process, government’s power to assist them also increases manifold. ‘Direct Benefit Transfer’ of Rs 34 lakh crore from the government using PM-Jan Dhan accounts has led to savings of Rs 2.7 lakh crore for the government. PM-SVANidhi has provided credit assistance to 78 lakh street vendors," Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

Farmer

Listing initiatives taken for 'anandaata', Sitharaman highlighted that every year, under PM-KISAN SAMMAN Yojana, direct financial assistance is provided to 11.8 crore farmers, including marginal and small farmers.

Crop insurance is given to 4 crore farmers under PM Fasal Bima Yojana.

Youth

The Skill India Mission has trained 1.4 crore youth, upskilled and reskilled 54 lakh youth, and established 3,000 new ITIs, she said.

A large number of new institutions of higher learning, namely 7 IITs, 16 IIITs, 7 IIMs, 15 AIIMS and 390 universities have been set up.

Women

Thirty crore Mudra Yojana loans have been given to women entrepreneurs, Sitharaman said. Female enrolment in higher education has gone up by twenty eight per cent in ten years. In STEM courses, girls and women constitute forty three per cent of enrolment – one of the highest in the world, she added.

Making ‘Triple Talaq’ illegal, reservation of one-third seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies and giving over seventy per cent houses under PM Awas Yojana in rural areas to women who are sole or joint owners have enhanced their dignity, the government added.