Event Report Sana Ansari The 5th Annual Series of Thematic Deliberations and Analysis of the Union Budget 2024-25, organized by the Gender Impact Studies Center at IMPRI, included a discussion on “Gender, Social Inclusion, and the Union Budget 2024-25.” The session was introduced by Ms Reet Lath, a researcher at IMPRI, and chaired by Prof. Vibhuti Patel. The expert panel comprised Dr Sanghamitra Dhar, Prof. N. Manimekalai, Shri Shailesh Mishra, Ms Deepa Pawar, Dr Neha Shah, Prof. Paramita Saha, Dr Aditi Kapoor, and Dr Aditi Sawant. Prof. Vibhuti Patel ji began the session by highlighting the budget’s promises in agriculture, employment, skilling, inclusive human resource development, social justice, MSMEs, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, and R&D. These areas are crucial for gender equity and social inclusion, especially for marginalized populations facing intersecting disadvantages of class, caste, ethnicity, religion, location, ability, and gender. Prof. Vibhuti ji stressed the need for intersectional, participatory, decentralised, and outcome-based gender-responsive budgeting. The budget is divided into three parts: Part A for schemes 100% targeted at women, Part B for schemes with 33-99% allocation for women, and Part C for schemes with less than 30% allocation. However, it has a binary approach to gender, neglecting the transgender community’s needs in education, employment, health, shelter, and decision-making. Additionally, allocations for women’s initiatives often lack clear timelines and strategies, and schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao frequently divert funds to advertisements instead of directly empowering girls. Prof. Paramita Saha ji discussed the budget’s focus on “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas,” aiming for social inclusion across all societal strata and geographical regions. Despite robust GDP growth of around 8%, issues like food inflation, inequality, and a shrinking budget relative to GDP pose risks to those dependent on public expenditure and social security. Employment and skilling are key areas, with incentives for corporate first-time job seekers expected to benefit 210 lakh youth. Plans for women’s workforce participation through working women hostels and skilling initiatives lack specific implementation details. The budget allocation for SC and ST communities has seen a slight increase, but the Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ budget has decreased from 12,938.32 crores in 2023 to 12,386 crores in 2024. For the Northeast, the allocation stands at 10,893 crores, a 9.9% increase, but key projects have stagnant allocations. Prof. N. Manimekalai ji highlighted trends in budget allocation across sectors, noting that economic liberalization since 1990 has exacerbated both economic and gender inequalities. She emphasized the importance of decent employment, pointing out that government internship schemes in corporates often lack proper training and permanent employment. The budget’s focus on capital expenditures is expected to generate income that should benefit marginalized populations, but this is not happening. Inflation and the rising cost of living disproportionately affect the poor, who need support in education, food, and security. Sustainable development and gender equality are crucial for achieving “Vishit Bharat” by 2047. The Gender Economic Forum’s report shows fluctuating progress in gender equality, emphasizing the need to address inequalities across all genders and recognize the diversity among women. The budget should prioritize employability, education, and skill development to improve gender equality and social inclusion in India. Dr. Aditi Kapoor ji discussed the misconception that climate change is solely about increased pollution. She emphasized the rapid urbanization in India and the lack of attention to pollution in growing towns and cities. The budget’s focus on productivity and resilience should address air, water, and noise pollution, especially for vulnerable populations like street vendors, construction workers, slum dwellers, and traffic police. Despite the availability of LPG, indoor pollution from cooking remains a significant issue for women in slums. The budget’s allocation for the Central Pollution Control Board increased by 6.5%, but without clear plans for new equipment or mitigation efforts. Climate resilience is also underfunded, with minimal focus on disaster and climate change resilience for low-income and marginalized communities. The informal sector, including small producers and fisherfolk, significantly contributes to the GDP but is underrecognized. Investments in rooftop solar panels and the PM Awas Yojna promoting female house ownership are positive steps, but subsidies should target female-owned houses. The budget lacks specific targets for women’s participation in agriculture and overlooks skill-building and labor-saving devices crucial for women in rural areas. Ms Aditi Sawant ji explained that the budget is a financial statement reflecting the government’s priorities across different sectors in the process of economic development. Although India is among the top five GDPs in the world, with over 17% of its GDP derived from agriculture, there is a significant mismatch between the agricultural sector’s GDP contribution and its share in budget allocation. Agriculture and rural development receive only 3% of the budget despite their critical roles in consumption and employment. Aditi Sawant ji highlighted three main areas of concern: women’s participation and empowerment in agriculture, social inclusion and technology penetration, and budget allocation for research and development. The speaker emphasized that studies in Maharashtra reveal only 5% of women participate in significant household financial decisions. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reported that the number of female cultivators and workers is significantly lower than their male counterparts, reflecting poor land ownership among women. Despite initiatives like PM AWAS YOJNA, which promotes women’s property rights, many states still lag in implementation. Moreover, official records often do not accurately reflect the number of female agricultural workers, exacerbating the issue of gender disparity in this sector. Self-help groups, often involved in activities like stitching, pickle making, and candle making, do not provide long-term professional growth for women. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of digital devices in agriculture, yet many farmers with smartphones do not use them for agricultural purposes. Sawant stressed the need for government investment in professional and vocational training for farmers, as outlined in the new education policy, which proposes agriculture as a vocational course from the 9th grade. However, the implementation of this course has been insufficient. Sawant criticized the budget as a temporary fix rather than a fundamental solution to the … Continue reading Gender, Social Inclusion and Union Budget 2024-25