Gist Budget 2018 19

An online educational Platform
https://currentaffairsonly.com/
This Edition of magazine is contribution and hard work of our team who gave their best efforts in all
perspective. We express our gratitude to all our team members and thankful to all the advisors for making
first step in publishing a small magazine.
▪ Editor-in-Chief Sandeep Sajwan

▪ Advisory Board Dr. M.K Laxman, Prof. Vinod Jain, Shri Vijay Pal, IPS, Manish Singh
(EG Classes), Mayank Dwivedi, Deepanshu Singh, Atal Tiwari, A. K. Tripathi
▪ Editorial Team Suraj P Modi, Abhijeet Singh, Mukul, Pradeep Kumar
▪ The Information, news and facts published in the magazine

have been duly verified and cross-checked from original source
before publishing. Even, if any information or fact is misinterpreted
or found to have been published incorrectly, the publisher, editor or
printer cannot be held responsible for any loss or damages accruing
to any specific person or institution.
▪ We believe that the articles published in this magazine have
been written originally by the writers to whom they have been
attributed. If any matter of Copyright violation occurs then the
writer would be responsible.
▪ © Copyright: Current Affairs Only, all rights Reserved.
No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
▪ All Disputes would be subject to Delhi Jurisdiction Only.
For suggestions / feedback, Contact:-

Executive Editor: Current Affairs Only©
Phone: +917004505095
Email: feedback.currentaffairsonly@gmail.com
Web: https://currentaffairsonly.com
Sale/Distribution: feedback.currentaffairsonly@gmail.com +918682007120
Social Media Link: fb.com/CurrentAffairsOnlyOfficial |http://t.me/CSE_CurrentAffairs]
For Advertisement Contact: 7004505095

INDEX
1. What is budget? ..................................................................... 2

2. Why is Budgeting So Important? ............................................... 2
3. Purpose of the budget ............................................................. 3
4. Why is Union Budget 2018 crucial? ............................................ 4
5. Union Budget (2018-19) .......................................................... 4
6. Budget Trend ......................................................................... 5
7. Agriculture ............................................................................. 6
8. Rural Economy ..................................................................... 13
9. Education ............................................................................ 16
10.Social Security ..................................................................... 18
11.MSME ................................................................................. 22
12.Petroleum & Diesel sector ...................................................... 23
13.Employee-centric schemes ..................................................... 24
14.Infrastructure ....................................................................... 24
15.Railway ............................................................................... 25
16.Technology .......................................................................... 26
17.Aviation............................................................................... 27
18.Markets ............................................................................... 27
19.Companies........................................................................... 27
20.Fiscal Situation ..................................................................... 28
21.Customs Duties .................................................................... 29
22.Banking............................................................................... 30
23.Industries ............................................................................ 30
24.Miscellaneous ....................................................................... 30
25.BUDGET 2018 MCQ ............................................................... 30
1
Page
Glance of BUDGET 2018-19
What is budget?
It is a financial plan for a defined period of time, usually A budget is the sum of money
allocated for a particular purpose
a year. It may also include planned sales volumes and
and the summary of intended
revenues, resource quantities, costs and expenses,
expenditures along with proposals
assets, liabilities and cash flows. Companies, for how to meet them. It may
governments, families and other organizations use it to include a budget surplus, providing
express strategic plans of activities or events in money for use at a future time, or a
measurable terms. deficit in which expenses exceed
m
income.
o
Let’s understand budget in simple terms
es .c
Budgeting is the process of creating a plan to spend your money. This spending plan is
called a budget. Creating this spending
plan allows you to determine in advance
ss ly
whether you will have enough money to
do the things you need to do or would
la n
like to do.
)
C rso
If you don't have enough money to do
everything you would like to do, then
you can use this planning process to
prioritize your spending and focus your
money on the things that are most
G fai
important to you.
For e.g. a labour earns Rs 500 a day now

he has to manage his daily expense of
( E af
food, cloth, shelter, children education, rent etc. with same amount money and next day if he
does not get job his routine will be disturbed so in order to retain his daily routine he has to
manage his money in such a way that he along with dependents can survive in future.
nt
Why is Budgeting So Important?

re
Since budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your

money, it ensures that you will always have enough money
for the things you need and the things that are important to
ur
you. Following a budget or spending plan will also keep you out of
debt or help you work your way out of debt if you are currently in
debt.
C
Union Budget
According to Article 112 of the Indian Constitution, the Union

Budget of a year, also referred to as the annual financial statement, is
a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the government for that particular year.
Explanation
According to Constitution of India, there is three-tier system of government, namely. Central
(or Union) government.
State government and Local government (like Municipal Corporation, Municipal
Committee, Zila Parishad, etc.). Accordingly, these governments prepare their own respective
2
budgets (called Union Budget, State Budget and Municipal Budget) containing estimates of
Page
expected revenue and proposed expenditure.
https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

The basic structure of government budget is almost the same at all levels of government but
items of expenditure and sources of revenue differ from budget to budget. Again, there is no clash
with regard to sources of revenue because functions of Central, State and local government have
been clearly demarcated and laid down in the Indian Constitution. However, we shall discuss here
the budget of the Central Government.
Let it be noted that Central Government is constitutionally required to lay an “annual

financial statement” before both the houses of Parliament. This statement is conventionally
called Government Budget. Accordingly, in India, every year Central (or Union) Budget for the
coming financial year is presented by the Union Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha normally on the
m
last working day of the month of February.
It gives item wise details of government receipts and expenditure for three consecutive years,
o
i.e., Actuals for the preceding year. Budget estimates for the current year. Revised estimates for
the current year and Budget estimates for the ensuing (coming) year.
es .c
ss ly
The budget is divided into two parts
la n
✓ Revenue Budget
)
✓ Capital Budget.
C rso
The Revenue Budget comprises
revenue receipts and expenditure met
from these revenues. The revenue
G fai
receipts include both tax revenue (like

income tax, excise duty) and non-tax
revenue (like interest receipts, profits).
( E af
Capital Budget consists of capital

nt
receipts (like borrowing, disinvestment)

and long period capital expenditure
(creation of assets, investment).
re
Capital receipts are receipts of the government which create liabilities or reduce financial assets,
e.g., market borrowing, recovery of loan, etc. Capital expenditure is the expenditure of the
ur
government which either creates assets or reduces liability. Capital budget is an account of assets
and liabilities of the government which takes into consideration changes in capital
C
Purpose of the budget

A budget helps in planning actual operations by forcing managers to consider how the conditions
might change and what steps should be taken now, and by encouraging managers to consider
problems before they arise. It also helps to co-ordinate the activities of the organization by
compelling managers to examine relationships between their own operation and those of other
departments. Other essentials of budget include
✓ To control resources
✓ To communicate plans to various responsibility center managers
✓ To motivate managers to strive to achieve budget goals
✓ To evaluate the performance of managers
3
✓ To provide visibility into the company's performance

Page
✓ For accountability

Why is Union Budget 2018 crucial?
Arun Jaitley will be presenting the last full year budget of the government before the general
elections most likely to be held in May 2019. This is also the first full year budget after the
implementation of GST in July 2017 and special attention will be paid to estimates pertaining to
indirect taxes.
Given the rising oil prices, the future of how monetary policy is likely to be shaped this year will
depend to a great degree on the fiscal deficit target. The market has factored in the possibility that
m
the interest rate cycle has bottomed out in India. The real risk lies in the scenario of the RBI raising
rates prematurely if fiscal targets are not met going forward.
o
The big question the industry is asking is whether this budget will be a populist one. Given the
recent neck to neck political battle in Gujarat, a political pundit sitting in New Delhi would most
es .c
likely be putting his or her money on the above.
ss ly
Union Budget (2018-19)
la n
)
C rso
Key Focus Areas of Union Budget 2018
Agriculture and Health Sectors dominated the Budget speech. Employment and Education are
also the main focussed areas.
G fai
✓ Agriculture ✓ Technology
✓ Rural Economy ✓ Aviation
✓ Education ✓ Market
( E af
✓ Social Security ✓ Companies

✓ MSME ✓ Fiscal situation
Petroleum & Diesel sector
nt
✓ ✓ Custom Duties
✓ Employee-centric schemes ✓ Banking
✓ Infrastructure ✓ Industries
re
✓ Railway ✓ Miscellaneous
ur
Themes
C
Farmers: for whom we have committed to double the income in 5 years.
Rural Population: providing employment and basic infrastructure.
Youth: energising them through education, skills and jobs.
Poor and the Underprivileged: strengthening the systems of social security, health care and
affordable housing.
Infrastructure: for efficiency, productivity and quality of life.
Financial Sector: growth and stability through stronger institutions.
Digital Economy: for speed, accountability and transparency.

4
Public Service: effective governance and efficient service delivery through people’s participation.
Page

Prudent Fiscal Management: to ensure optimal deployment of resources and preserve fiscal
stability
Tax Administration: honouring the honest.
Budget Trend
om
es .c
ss ly
la n
)
C rso
G fai
( E af
nt
re
ur
C
Few Stats
Indian economy has performed very well it has achieved an average growth of 7.5% in first three
years of our Government. Indian economy is now 2.5 trillion-dollar economy – seventh largest
in the world.
India is expected to become the fifth largest economy very soon. On Purchasing Power Parity
(PPP) basis, Indian is the third largest economy.
Indian society, polity and economy had shown remarkable resilience in adjusting with the
5
structural reforms. GDP growth at 6.3% in the second quarter signalled turnaround of the
Page
economy.

IMF, in its latest Update, has forecast that India will grow at 7.4% next year. Manufacturing
sector is back on good growth path. The services, mainstay of our growth, have also resumed
their high growth rates of 8% plus. Exports are expected to grow at 15% in 2017-18.
Major Shift
Improvement of India’s ranking by 42 places in last three years in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of
Doing Business’ with India breaking into top 100 for the first time.
m
Agriculture
o
es .c
ss ly
la n
)
C rso
G fai
( E af
For decades, country’s agriculture policy and programme had remained production centric.
nt
Major emphasis is on generating higher incomes for farmers.
Why?
re
Agriculture is an enterprise and government want to help farmers to produce more from the same
ur
land parcel at lesser cost and simultaneously realize higher prices for their produce. The emphasis
is also on generating productive and gainful on-farm and non-farm employment for the farmers
and landless families.
C
Last year’s record

Food grain production of around 275 million tonnes and around 300 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables.
Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy
Contribution to National Income
From the very beginning, agriculture is contributing a major portion to our national income. In
6
1950-51, agriculture and allied activities contributed about 59 per cent of the total
Page
national income. Although the share of agriculture has been declining gradually with the growth

of other sectors but the share still remained very high as compared to that of the developed
countries of the world.
Source of Livelihood
In India over two-thirds of our working population are engaged directly on agriculture
and also similarly depend for their livelihood. According to an estimate, about 66 per cent of our
working population is engaged in agriculture at present in comparison to that of 2 to 3 per cent in
U.K. and U.S.A., 6 per cent in France and 7 per cent in Australia. Thus, the employment pattern of
our country is very much common to other under-developed countries of the world.
m
Source of Food Supply
o
es .c
Agriculture is the only major source of food supply as it is providing regular supply of food to such
a huge size of population of our country. It has been estimated that about 60 per cent of
household consumption is met by agricultural products.
ss ly
Role of Agriculture for Industrial Development
la n
)
Agriculture in India has been the major source of supply of raw materials to various important
C rso
industries of our country. Cotton and jute textiles, sugar, vanaspati, edible oil plantation
industries (viz. tea, coffee, rubber) and agro-based cottage industries are also regularly collecting
their raw materials directly from agriculture.
About 50 per cent of income generated in the manufacturing sector comes from all these agro-
G fai
based industries in India. Moreover, agriculture can provide a market for industrial products as
increase in the level of agricultural income may lead to expansion of market for industrial
products.
( E af
Commercial Importance
nt
Indian Agriculture is playing a very important role both in the internal and external trade of the
country. Agricultural products like tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, spices, cashew-nuts etc.
are the main items of our exports and constitute about 50 per cent of our total exports.
re
Besides manufactured jute, cotton textiles and sugar also contribute another 20 per cent of the
total exports of the country. Thus nearly 70 per cent of India’s exports are originated from
agricultural sector. Further, agriculture is helping the country in earning precious foreign
ur
exchange to meet the required import bill of the country.
Source of Government Revenue

C
Agriculture is one of the major sources of revenue to both the Central and State Governments of
the country.
Role of Agriculture in Economic Planning
The prospect of planning in India also depends much on agricultural sector. A good crop always
provides impetus towards a planned economic development of the country by creating a better
business climate for the transport system, manufacturing industries, internal trade etc.
A good crop also brings a good amount of finance to the Government for meeting its planned
7
expenditure. Similarly, a bad crop lead to a total depression in business of the country, which
Page
ultimately lead to a failure of economic planning.

Thus, the agricultural sector is playing a very important role in a country like India and the
prosperity of the Indian economy still largely depends on agricultural sector.
Thus, from the foregoing analysis it is observed that agricultural development is the basic
precondition of sectoral diversification and development of the economy.
An increasing marketable surplus of agricultural output is very much essential in India for
✓ Increasing supply of food and raw materials at non-inflationary prices.

✓ Widening the domestic market for industrial products through higher purchasing capacities
m
in the rural sector.
✓ Facilitating inter-sectoral transfers of capital needed for industrial development along-with
infra-structural development.
o
✓ Increasing foreign exchange earnings through increasing volume of agricultural exports.
es .c
Budget 2018 Announcement
ss ly
la n
)
C rso
G fai
( E af
nt
✓ Finance minister announces raising institutional credit for agriculture sector to Rs.11 Lakh
crore for 2018-19 from Rs.10 Lakh Crore in 2017-18.
re
✓ Rs. 500 Crore ‘operation greens’ announced to address price volatility of perishable
commodities like potato, tomato and onion and benefit both producers and consumers
ur
✓ Rs.200 Crore allocated to support organized cultivation of highly specialized medicinal and
aromatic plants and associated industry.
C
✓ 22,000 rural Haats to be developed and upgraded into Gramin agricultural markets
(grams) for farmers to directly sell to consumers and bulk purchasers.
✓ Rs.2000 Crore fund to be set up for developing and upgrading agricultural marketing
infrastructure in the 22000 grams and 585 APMCS.
✓ Doubling allocation for food processing sector to Rs.1400 Crore, government to promote
establishment of specialized agro-processing financial institutions.
✓ Facility of Kisan credit cards extended to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers to help
them meet their working capital needs; Rs.10,000 Crore funds announced cumulatively for
infrastructure development in the two sectors
✓ Rs.1290 Crore re-structured national bamboo mission announced to promote bamboo

8
sector in a holistic manner.

Page

✓ Govt to create mechanism for post-

harvest facilities
✓ Next kharif crop MSP to be at least

1.5 times of cost
✓ Emphasis on generating gainful

farm, non-farm jobs
m
✓ Focus on low-cost farming, higher
selling price
o
✓ Institutional system for farm goods
price, demand forecast
es .c
✓ NITI Aayog to make robust system
for fair price to farmers
ss ly
✓ Export of farm commodities to be liberalised
la n
)
✓ 470 APMCs connected to e-NAM, rest to be connected by Mar
C rso
✓ To set up 42 mega food parks for farm exports.
Brief description of schemes and terms

G fai
Operation greens
Operation is essentially a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right
( E af
price for their produce.
Objective
nt
To promote farmer producers organisations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional

management. The operation aims to aid farmers and help control and limit the erratic fluctuations
re
in the prices of onions, potatoes and tomatoes.
To address price volatility

ur
C
Gramin agricultural markets (grams)
86% of farmers in India are small and marginal who are not always in a position to directly
transact at APMCs and other wholesale markets.
How will it be beneficial?
In these GrAMs, physical infrastructure will be strengthened using MGNREGA and other
Government Schemes and would be electronically linked to e-NAM and exempted from
regulations of APMCs. This would provide farmers facility to make direct sale to consumers and
bulk purchasers.
9 Page

A Kisan Credit Card (KCC)
It is a credit delivery mechanism that is

aimed at enabling farmers to have quick
and timely access to affordable credit. It
was launched in 1998 by the Reserve Bank
of India and NABARD. The scheme aims to
reduce farmer dependence on the informal
banking sector for credit – which can be
very expensive and suck them into a debt
m
spiral. The card is offered by cooperative
banks, regional rural banks and public
sector banks. Based on a review of the
o
working of the KCC, the government has
advised banks to convert the KCC into a
es .c
smart card cum debit card.
Features of the Kisan Credit Card
ss ly
✓ All farmers including small and marginal
la n
)
farmers, share croppers and tenants are
eligible for the Kisan Credit Card.
C rso
✓ It simplifies the screening and credit
delivery process for farmers who may not
be aware of banking procedures and
practices. It requires one –time
G fai
documentation, and all subsequent

documentation is based on the farmer’s
declaration of crops to be raised etc.
✓ It simplifies the multi-layered credit evaluation process of urban centric credit schemes.
( E af
The credit limit is based on the land holding, income and credit history of the farmer.
✓ Because of the simplified documentation and screening process, the Kisan Credit Card
nt
offers quick and timely credit.

✓ Offers flexible repayment schedule after the harvest season and enables rescheduling of
payments in case of a bad crop season.
re
✓ Farmer can use it to make cash withdrawals or to take loans.

✓ The Credit Card is now linked to a Savings bank account so that the farmer has one single
ur
account. Any credit balance in the account earns interest.

✓ Offers insurance coverage
C
✓ Acts as a single credit facility for the farmer for all agriculture requirements
National bamboo mission
With a view to harness the potential of bamboo crop, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation
(DAC), Ministry of Agriculture is implementing a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme called Mission
for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) in which National Bamboo Mission (NBM) is
being implemented as a sub scheme.
10Page

Objective
✓ To promote the growth of the bamboo sector through as an area based regionally
differentiated strategy.
✓ To increase the coverage of area under bamboo in potential areas, with improved varieties
to enhance yields.
✓ To promote marketing of bamboo and bamboo-based handicrafts.
✓ To establish convergence and synergy among stake-holders for the development of
bamboo.
m
✓ To promote, develop and disseminate technologies through a seamless blend of traditional
wisdom and modern scientific knowledge.
✓ To generate employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled persons, especially
o
unemployed youths.
es .c
Minimum Support Price (MSP)
ss ly
It is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers
against any sharp fall in farm prices.
la n
)
The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the
C rso
sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for
Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
MSP is price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer - farmers - against excessive
fall in price during bumper production years. The minimum support prices are a guarantee price
G fai
for their produce from the Government.

( E af
nt
re
ur
C
Objectives
To support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution. In
case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper
production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by
the farmers at the announced minimum price.
11
Page

Mega Food Park
The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural
production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to
ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers’ income and creating
employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art
support infrastructure in a well-defined agri/ horticultural zone for setting up of modern food
processing units along with well-established supply chain. Mega food park typically consist of supply
m
chain infrastructure including collection centers, primary processing centers, central processing
centers, cold chain and around 30-35 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food
processing units
o
Agricultural produce market committee (APMC)
es .c
It is a marketing board established by a state government in India.
ss ly
APMC operate on two principles:
•
la n
Ensure that farmers are not exploited by intermediaries (or money lenders) who compel
)
farmers to sell their produce at the farm gate for an extremely low price.
C rso
• All food produce should first be brought to a market yard and then sold through auction.
Features
Each state which operates APMC markets geographically divide the state and markets (mandis)
G fai
are established at different places within the state. Farmers are required to sell their produce via
auction at the mandi in their region. Traders require a license to operate within a mandi.
Wholesale and retail traders (e.g. shopping mall owners) and food processing companies cannot
( E af
buy produce directly from a farmer.
Some of the salient features of the APMC Model Act 2003 are as follows
nt
✓ Facilitates contract farming model

✓ Special market for perishables
re
✓ Farmers, private persons can set up own market

✓ Licensing norms relaxed
ur
✓ Single market fee

✓ APMC revenue to be used for improving market infrastructure.
C
However, not all states have passed the bill. Some states have passed but neither framed rules
nor notified it. Thus, inter-state barriers continue. Further, Union Budget 2015 proposed to create
United National Agriculture Market with the help of State Government and NITI Ayog.
Electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM)
It is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC mandis to create
a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
12
e-NAM is a virtual market but it is connected to a physical market (mandi) at the back end and
Page
promotes genuine price discovery.

Funding - Funded by Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) which is set up through the
Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).
License - Liberal licensing of

traders and commission
agents by state authorities
and one license for a trader
is valid across all markets
in the state.
m
Market Fee - Single point
levy on the first wholesale
o
purchase from the farmer.
es .c
Implementation - A Central
Sector Scheme. Willing
ss ly
states enact suitable
provisions in their APMC
act for integration with the
la n
)
e-platform.
C rso
Soil Testing Laboratories available in the mandis itself.
G fai
Rural Economy
The rural economy holds significant potential for
( E af
creating decent and productive jobs and contributing

to sustainable development and economic growth. It
accounts for a significant share of employment and
nt
output in many developing countries but is widely

characterized by severe decent work deficits and
poverty, hosting nearly 80 per cent of the world’s
re
poor.
Rural Society under the Impact of Urbanism

ur
The past five decades has witnessed the rural

society of India in getting exposed to the waves of
C
urbanism. Most of the features of urban areas have

been modified and diluted into the rural society. This
has led to a new way of urbanism called rural-
urbanism.
Urbanism has induced the disintegration of traditional joint family, disappearance of

neighbourhood, sophistication, emergence of individualism, etc. Urbanism also created new social
institutions, which were absent in the traditional rural set up. Urbanism has also brought about
modernization.
13
Contacts between the rural and urban areas have been increased due to the development of the
Page
means of transportation.

✓ 8 crore poor women will get new LPG connections.

✓ PM Saubhagya Yojana: 4 crore poor people will get power connection. The government
will spend Rs 16,000 crore on this scheme.
✓ Govt plans to construct 2 crore toilets in next fiscal year under Swach Bharat Mission
✓ Government target house for all by 2022. 51 lakh houses have been constructed affordable
m
houses in rural and further 50 lakh houses in urban areas. 1 cr houses to be built under
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in rural areas
o
✓ National livelihood scheme gets Rs 5,750 crore .
✓ In 2018-19, ministries will be able to spend Rs 14.34 lakh crores for creation of livelihood
es .c
in rural areas.
✓ Govt gives Rs 9,975 crore for social security schemes for the next fiscal year.
ss ly
✓ Government next year will be on providing maximum livelihood opportunities in the rural
la n
areas by spending more on livelihood, agriculture and allied activities and construction of
)
rural infrastructure.
C rso
Ujjwala Scheme
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala

G fai
Yojana is a scheme of the

Ministry of Petroleum &
( E af
Natural Gas for providing

LPG connections to women
nt
from Below Poverty Line

(BPL) households.
re
In India, the poor have

limited access to cooking gas
ur
(LPG). The spread of LPG

cylinders has been
predominantly in the urban
C
and semi-urban areas with

the coverage mostly in
middle class and affluent households. But there are serious health hazards associated with
cooking based on fossil fuels. According to WHO estimates, about 5 lakh deaths in India alone due
to unclean cooking fuels. Most of these premature deaths were due to non-communicable
diseases such as heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
Indoor air pollution is also responsible for a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses in
young children. According to experts, having an open fire in the kitchen is like burning 400
cigarettes an hour.
14
Page

Target beneficiaries
Under the scheme, five crore LPG connections are to be provided to BPL households. The
identification of eligible BPL families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and
the Union Territories.
BPL is a person/ household who suffers from at least one deprivation under the Socio-Economic
Caste census (SECC) - 2011 (Rural) Database.
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –“Saubhagya”
om
It is a scheme to ensure electrification of all willing
households in the country in rural as well as urban
es .c
areas.
Objective
ss ly
The objective of the ‘Saubhagya’ is to provide energy
access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity
la n
)
connections to all remaining un-electrified households
in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal
C rso
household electrification in the country.
Beneficiaries of the project

G fai
The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would

be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census
(SECC) 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would
( E af
also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be
recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.
nt
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana

re
ur
C
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is a scheme that aims to provide “Housing for all by 2022”. This is the
15
reason why this scheme is also known as HFA (Housing for all) scheme. As per the government,
this scheme will provide houses to all the Indian citizens by the year 2022.
Page

Objective
To provide pucca house to all who are

houseless and living in dilapidated
houses in rural areas by 2022.
m
Education
Quality of education is still a cause of
o
serious concern. We have now defined
learning outcomes and National Survey
es .c
of more than 20 lakh children has been
conducted to assess the status on the
ss ly
ground.
Improvement in quality of teachers

la n
)
can improve the quality of education in the country
C rso
Technology will be the biggest driver in improving the quality of education
Majority of India still lives in villages and so the topic of rural education in India is of utmost
importance. A survey named called the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), shows
that even though the number of rural students attending schools is rising, but more than half of
G fai
the students in fifth grade are unable to read a second-grade text book and are not able
to solve simple mathematical problems.
( E af
Some government schools in rural India are overly packed with students, leading to a distorted
teacher- student ratio. In one such remote village in Arunachal Pradesh there are more than 300
students in class X which makes nearly 100 students in each classroom. In such a situation it is
nt
impossible for teachers to pay full attention towards each and every student, even if they are
willing to help.
re
✓ Government’s goal is to assist and provide opportunity to every Indian to realize her full
ur
potential capable of achieving her economic and social dreams.

✓ Allocation on National Social Assistance Programme this year has been kept at `9975
C
crore.
✓ Over the next four years, a total of Rs. 1, 00, 000 crore will be invested in the Revitalising
Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE)”.
✓ Rs. 1 lakh crore allocated to revitalisation and upgradation of education sector. Promoting
learning based outcomes and research.
✓ By 2022, every block with more than 50 per cent ST population will have Ekalvya schools at
par with Navodaya Vidyalayas
✓ Aims to move from black board to digital board schools by 2022.
16
Page

✓ PM reasearch fellows: Govt will

identify 1000 Btech students
each years and provide them
to do PHDs in IIT and IISc,
while also teaching
undergraduate students once a
week at that time.
m
✓ Aayushman Bharat
programme: 1.5 lakh centres
o
will be set up to provide health
facilities closer to home. Rs
es .c
1,200 crore to be allocated for
this programme
ss ly
✓ Flagship National Healthcare protection scheme, with approximately 50 crore beneficiaries. Up
la n
to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. World's largest
)
government-funded healthcare programme.
C rso
✓ Universal health coverage will be expanded after seeing the performance of the scheme
✓ Rs 600 crore allocated for tuberculosis patients, at the rate Rs 500 per month during the
course of their treatment.
G fai
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

( E af
It is a welfare programme being administered by the Ministry of Rural Development. This

programme is being implemented in rural areas as well as urban areas. NSAP represents a
nt
significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles of State Policy
enshrined in the Constitution of India which enjoin upon the State to undertake within its means a
re
number of welfare measures.

ur
The programme introduced a National Policy for Social Assistance for the poor and aims at
ensuring minimum national standard for social assistance in addition to the benefits that states
are currently providing or might provide in future. NSAP at present, comprises of Indira Gandhi
C
National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme
(IGNWPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), National Family Benefit
Scheme (NFBS) and Annapurna.
Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
In the context of the trend of establishing quality residential schools for the promotion of
education in all areas and habitations in the country, the Eklavya Model Residential Schools
(EMRS) for ST students take their place among the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, the Kasturba
17
Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and the Kendriya Vidyalayas. Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
Page
are set up in States/UTs with grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution of India.

The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
Objectives of EMRS
The objective of EMRS is to provide quality middle and high level education to Scheduled Tribe
(ST) students in remote areas, not only to enable them to avail of reservation in high and
professional educational courses and as jobs in government and public and private sectors but
also to have access to the best opportunities in education at par with the non ST population. This
would be achieved by:
m
✓ Comprehensive physical, mental and socially relevant development of all students enrolled in each and
every EMRS. Students will be empowered to be change agent, beginning in their school, in their homes,
o
in their village and finally in a larger context.
✓ Focus differentially on the educational support to be made available to those in Standards XI and XII,
es .c
and those in standards VI to X, so that their distinctive needs can be met.
✓ Support the annual running expenses in a manner that offers reasonable remuneration to the staff and
ss ly
upkeep of the facilities.
✓ Support the construction of infrastructure that provides education, physical, environmental and cultural
la n
)
needs of student life.
Coverage of the scheme
C rso
As per existing EMRS Guidelines of 2010, at least one EMRS is to be set up in each Integrated
Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) / Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) having 50% ST
population in the area.
G fai
( E af
Social Security
nt
What is Social Security?
✓ Any of the measures established by legislation to maintain individual or family income or to

re
provide income when some or all sources of income are disrupted or terminated or when
exceptionally heavy expenditures have to be incurred (e.g., in bringing up children or
paying for health care)
ur
✓ social security may provide cash benefits to persons faced with sickness and disability,
unemployment, crop failure, loss of the marital partner, maternity, responsibility for the
care of young children, or retirement from work
C
✓ Social security benefits may be provided in cash or kind for medical need, rehabilitation,
domestic help during illness at home, legal aid, or funeral expenses
✓ It acts as a facilitator – it helps people to plan their own future through insurance and
assistance.
History of Social security
✓ Germany was the first country to introduce Social security scheme (1883)
✓ each member of a particular trade (blacksmiths, painters, weavers etc) was required to
contribute at regular intervals;
✓ Money from this fund was used for food,lodging, hospital and feneral expenses of aged and
disabled members.
18
✓ In USA, Social Security Act came into existence in 1935. (years not important, this is only
Page
fodder material for Essay.)

Social Security in India
om
es .c
ss ly
la n
✓ India has always had a Joint Family system that took care of the social security needs.
)
✓ However with rise of migration, urbanization, nuclear families and demographic changes,
C rso
Joint family system has declined. Hence we need a formal system of social security.
India’s social security schemes cover the following types of social insurances
G fai
✓ Pension
✓ Health Insurance and Medical Benefit
✓ Disability Benefit
✓ Maternity Benefit
( E af
✓ Gratuity
nt
Health Insurance and Medical Benefit

India has a national health service, but this does not include free medical care for the whole
re
population. The Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act creates a fund to provide medical care
to employees and their families, as well as cash benefits during sickness and maternity, and
ur
monthly payments in case of death or disablement for those working in factories and
establishments with 10 or more employees.
C
Disability Benefit
The Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923, formerly known as the ‘Workmen’s Compensation
Act, 1923’, requires the employer to pay compensation to employees or their families in cases of
employment related injuries that result in death or disability.
In addition, workers employed in certain types of occupations are exposed to the risk of
contracting certain diseases, which are peculiar and inherent to those occupations. A worker
contracting an occupational disease is deemed to have suffered an accident out of and in the
19
course of employment, and the employer is liable to pay compensation for the same.
Page

Maternity Benefit
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 came into force on April 1, 2017, and
increases some of the key benefits mandated under the previous Maternity Benefit Act of 1961.
The amended law provides women in the organized sector with paid maternity leave of 26 weeks,
up from 12 weeks, for the first two children. For the third child, the maternity leave entitled will
be 12 weeks. India now has the third most maternity leave in the world, following Canada (50
weeks) and Norway (44 weeks).
m
The Act also secures 12 weeks of maternity leave for mothers adopting a child below the age of
three months as well as to commissioning mothers (biological mothers) who opt for surrogacy.
o
The 12-week period in these cases will be calculated from the date the child is handed over to the
es .c
adoptive or commissioning mother.
ss ly
Gratuity
la n
)
The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 directs establishments with ten or more employees to
C rso
provide the payment of 15 days of additional wages for each year of service to employees who
have worked at a company for five years or more.
Gratuity is provided as a lump sum payout by a company. In the event of the death or
G fai
disablement of the employee, the gratuity must still be paid to the nominee or the heir of the
employee.
( E af
The employer can, however, reject the payment of gratuity to an employee if the individual has
been terminated from the job due to any misconduct. In such a case of forfeiture, there must be a
nt
termination order containing the charges and the misconduct of the employee.
re
Gratuity is calculated through the formula mentioned below:

ur
Gratuity = Last Drawn Salary × 15/26 × Years of Service
where
C
✓ The ratio 15/26 represents 15 days out of 26 working days in a month.

✓ Last Drawn Salary = Basic Salary + Dearness Allowance.
✓ Years of Service are rounded up or down to the nearest full year. For example, if the
employee has a total service of 10 years, 10 months and 25 days, 11 years will be
factored into the calculation.
Gratuity is exempt from taxation provided that the amount does not exceed 15 days’ salary for
every completed year of service calculated on the last drawn salary (subject to a maximum of
20
US$15,467.62 or Rs 10 lakh). It is important to note that an employer can cho

Page

✓ PM Jivan Bima Yojana has benefited 5.22 crore families. Govt will expand PM Jan Dhan
Yojana: Al 16 crore accounts will be included under micro insurance and pension schemes.
✓ 1.26 cr accounts opened under Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme.
✓ Social inclusion schemes for Scheduled Castes - Rs 52,719 crore.
✓ Social inclusion schemes for Scheduled Tribes Rs 39,139 crore
m
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
o
It is a one-year life insurance scheme, renewable
from year to year, offering coverage for death.
es .c
The cover under PMJJBY is for death only and
hence benefit will accrue only to the nominee.
ss ly
PMJJBY is a pure term insurance policy, which
covers only mortality with no investment
component.
la n
)
C rso
PMJJBY is available to people in the age group
of 18 to 50 years (life cover up to age 55)
having a savings bank account who give their
consent to join and enable auto-debit. The
cover is for a one-year period, starting June 1 to
G fai
May 31. As on May 8, 2017, nearly 3.11 crore

people had enrolled under PMJJBY, and the total
number of claims received till date were nearly
65,083
( E af
Under PMJJBY scheme, life cover of Rs. 2 lakhs is

nt
available at a premium of Rs.330 per annum per

member and is renewable every year. In the case of a joint account, all holders of the said
account can join the scheme provided they meet its eligibility criteria and pay the premium at the
re
rate of Rs.330 per person per annum.

ur
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY)

C
It is a small deposit scheme for the girl

child launched as a part of the 'Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao' campaign. It is currently 8.1 per cent and
provides income-tax benefit.
A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any

time after the birth of a girl till she turns 10, with a
minimum deposit of Rs 1,000. A maximum of Rs 1.5
lakh can be deposited during the ongoing financial
year.
21
The account can be opened in any post office or

authorised branches of commercial banks.
Page

The account will remain operative for 21 years from the date of its opening or till the marriage of
the girl after she turns 18.
To meet the requirement of her higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50 per cent of
the balance is allowed after she turns 18.
MSME
m
Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) are a major engine of growth and employment in
the country.
o
Importance of MSME in Indian Economy
es .c
To generate large scale employment
ss ly
✓ In India, capital is scarce and labor abundant. MSMEs are thought to have lower capital-output
la n
and capital-labour ratios than large-scale industries, and therefore, better serve growth and
)
employment objectives.
C rso
✓ The MSME sector in India has grown significantly since 1960 – with an average annual growth
rate of 4.4% in the number of units and 4.62% in employment (currently employing 30
million).
G fai
✓ Not only do MSMEs generate the highest employment per capita investment, they also
go a long way in checking rural-urban migration by providing people living in isolated areas
with a sustainable source of employment.
( E af
To sustain economic growth and increase exports

nt
✓ Non-traditional products account for more than 95% of the MSME exports (dominating in the
export of sports goods, readymade garments, plastic products etc.).
re
✓ Since these products are mostly handcrafted and hence eco-friendly, there exists a
ur
tremendous potential to expand the quantum of MSME led exports.
✓ Also, MSMEs act as ancillary industries for Large Scale Industries providing them with raw
C
materials, vital components and backward linkages e.g. large scale cycle manufacturers of
Ludhiana rely heavily on the MSMEs of Malerkotla which produce cycle parts.
Making Growth Inclusive
MSMEs are instruments of inclusive growth which touch upon the lives of the most vulnerable and
marginalized. For many families, it is the only source of livelihood.
Thus, instead of taking a welfare approach, this sector seeks to empower people to break the
cycle of poverty and deprivation. It focuses on people’s skills and agency. However, different
22
segments of the MSME sector are dominated by different social groups.

Page

Rs 3,794 crore allocated to the MSME sector in the form of capital support and interest subsidy By
2022, every block with more than 50 per cent ST population will have Ekalvya schools at par with
Navodaya Vidyalayas
Rs 3 lakh crore target has been set for the Mudra Yojana Rs 4.6 lakh cr sanctioned under
MUDRA Scheme Petroleum/ Diesel Sector.
m
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)
o
es .c
ss ly
la n
)
C rso
G fai
It is a scheme launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on April 8, 2015 for providing loans upto 10
lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. These loans are classified as MUDRA
( E af
loans under PMMY. These loans are given by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks,
Cooperative Banks, MFIs and NBFCs.
nt
The borrower can approach any of the lending institutions mentioned above or can apply online
through this portal. Under the aegis of PMMY, MUDRA has created three products namely 'Shishu',
'Kishore' and 'Tarun' to signify the stage of growth / development and funding needs of the
re
beneficiary micro unit / entrepreneur and also provide a reference point for the next phase of
graduation / growth.
ur
MUDRA Vision
C
To be an integrated financial and support services provider par excellence benchmarked with global
best practices and standards for the bottom of the pyramid universe for their comprehensive
economic and social development.
MUDRA Mission
To create an inclusive, sustainable and value based entrepreneurial culture, in collaboration with
our partner institutions in achieving economic success and financial security.
Petroleum & Diesel sector

23
Page
✓ Excise on unbranded diesel cut by 2 rupees to 6.33 rupee/ltr,

✓ Excise on unbranded petrol cut by 2 rupees to 4.48 rupee/ltr
Employee-centric schemes
Govt will contribute 12% of the wages of new employees in EPF in all sectors for next 3 years
Women contribution to EPF reduced to 8% for first 3 years Infrastructure
Infrastructure
om
Infrastructure is the basic requirement of economic development. It does not directly produce
goods and services but facilitates production in primary, secondary and tertiary economic
es .c
activities by creating positive external economies. It is an admitted fact that the level of economic
development in any country directly depends on the development of infrastructure.
ss ly
The developed countries have made a lot of progress due to tremendous growth of social and
la n
)
economic infrastructure.
C rso
There has been revolutionary progress in transport and communication in these countries.
Large financial facilities are available due to the existence of well organised banking and
insurance.
G fai
There is revolutionary progress in science and technology. These countries follow advanced
technique of production.
( E af
Simply speaking, “Infrastructure means those basic facilities and services which facilitate different
economic activities and thereby help in economic development of the country, Education, Health,
nt
Transport and Communication, banking and insurance, irrigation and power and science and
technology etc. are the examples of infrastructure. These are also called social over head capital.
re
These do not directly produce goods and services but induce production in agriculture, industry
and trade by generating external economies. For example, an industry situated on or near the
railway line or national highway will produce commodities at less cost.
ur
Here railway line or national highways are the examples of economic infrastructure.
They generate external economies and thus induce investment.
C
✓ India needs investment of Rs 50 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector

✓ Construction of new tunnel in Sera Pass to promote tourism
✓ Out of 100 smart cities 99 cities have been selected, with an outlay of Rs 2.04 lakh crore
✓ 10 prominent tourist sites will be made iconic tourist destinations, with an amalgamation of
24
private funding, marketing and branding

Page

✓ Bharatmala project: To develop 35,000 KM under phase 1 with an outlay of Rs 5.35 lakh
crore Govt to introduce pay-as-you-use system for toll payments
Railway
Indian Railways play a pivotal role for the entire lower and upper middle class sectoral travel
segment. It serves as the most economical mode of transport among the prevailing travel modes
in India. With a modest beginning in India from 1853, the Indian Railways has emerged today as
the main vehicle for socio-economic development of the country. Indian railway is a labor
m
intensive industry having a workforce of over 13.6 lakhs employees. Indian railway is one of the
largest employment providers in India
o
Railways is the backbone for India economy but due to its neglect from last many years it couldn't
be utlized to drive the GDP of the country.
es .c
Now new government is looking to tap this potential of Indian railways and in the Rail budget they
have announced lot of steps that will be taken to improve the Railways which will in turn effect
ss ly
the rest of the economy positively.
New budget has proposed a investment of more than 8 lakh crores in railways in next five years.
la n
)
The main problem is from where this money will come, Railways have proposed some very good
C rso
ways.
They are looking at passenger and freight increase, monetization of assets and
borrowing,partnership with states, ministeries of coal, iron ore, cement, fertilizers to co-develop
projects, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds.
G fai
All this help in driving the economy in many ways.

( E af
✓ Capacity building on existing routes will help in carrying more and more freight , also in
increasing passenger travelling.
✓ Operating ratio improvement will be focussed which will help in better financing of projects in
nt
future.
✓ e-catering to select meals from an array of choices and Onboard entertainment on select
Shatabdi trains . These will help in generating jobs.
re
✓ Transport Logistics Corporation of India will be set up to provide end-to-end solutions at select
railway terminals through PPP, and that the PPP cell in the railway ministry will be revamped to
“make it result-oriented”. This will help in improving the management and improving the
ur
decision making process.

✓ Proposes to revamp policy and simplify processes for entrepreneurs through open bids, to be
processed by
C
✓ Railway capex has been pegged at Rs 1.48 lakh crore , up from Rs 1.31 lakh crore last year
✓ Eliminate unmanned railway crossing
✓ All stations with footfall of greater than 25,000 will have escalators.
✓ More stations and trains will progressively be built with WiFi and CCTV camera
✓ Govt to eliminate 4267 unmanned rail crossing in broad gauge in 2 years
✓ Allocates Rs 11,000 crore Mumbai rail network and Rs 17,000 crore for the Bengaluru metro
✓ 150 km of additional suburban railway networks to be set up in Bengaluru at the cost of Rs
17,000 cr.
25
Page

Technology
Technology in Economic Development
The technology can be regarded as primary source in economic development and the various
technological changes contribute significantly in the development of underdeveloped countries.
m
Technological advancement and economic growth are truly related to each other.
o
The level of technology is also an important determinant of economic growth. The rapid rate of
growth can be achieved through high level of technology. Schumpeter observed that innovation or
es .c
technological progress is the only determinant of economic progress. But if the level of technology
becomes constant the process of growth stops. Thus, it is the technological progress which keeps
ss ly
the economy moving. Inventions and innovations have been largely responsible for rapid
economic growth in developed countries.
la n
)
C rso
Direct job creation
The ICT sector is, and is expected to remain, one of the largest employers. In the US alone,
computer and information technology jobs are expected to grow by 22% up to 2020, creating
758,800 new jobs. In Australia, building and running the new super-fast National Broadband
G fai
Network will support 25,000 jobs annually.
Naturally, the growth in different segments is uneven. In the US, for each job in the high-tech
industry, five additional jobs, on average, are created in other sectors. In 2013, the global tech
( E af
market will grow by 8%, creating jobs, salaries and a widening range of services and products.
Contribution to GDP growth

nt
Findings from various countries confirm the positive effect of ICT on growth. For example, a 10%
re
increase in broadband penetration is associated with a 1.4% increase in GDP growth in

emerging markets.
ur
In China, this number can reach 2.5%. The doubling of mobile data use caused by the increase in
3G connections boosts GDP per capita growth rate by 0.5% globally. The Internet accounts
for 3.4% of overall GDP in some economies. Most of this effect is driven by e-commerce – people
C
advertising and selling goods online.
Emergence of new services and industries
Numerous public services have become available online and through mobile phones. The
transition to cloud computing is one of the key trends for modernization. The government
of Moldova is one of the first countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to shift its government
IT infrastructure into the cloud and launch mobile and e-services for citizens and businesses. ICT
has enabled the emergence of a completely new sector: the app industry. Research shows that
Facebook apps alone created over 182,000 jobs in 2011, and that the aggregate value of the
Facebook app economy exceeds $$12 billion.
26
Page

Workforce transformation
New “microwork” platforms, developed by companies like oDesk, Amazon and Samasource, help
to divide tasks into small components that can then be outsourced to contract workers. The
contractors are often based in emerging economies. Microwork platforms allow entrepreneurs to
significantly cut costs and get access to qualified workers. In 2012, oDesk alone had over 3 million
registered contractors who performed 1.5 million tasks. This trend had spillover effects on other
industries, such as online payment systems. ICT has also contributed to the rise of
entrepreneurship, making it much easier for self-starters to access best practices, legal and
regulatory information, marketing and investment resources.
m
Business innovation
o
In OECD countries, more than 95% of businesses have an online presence. The Internet provides
them with new ways of reaching out to customers and competing for market share. Over the past
es .c
few years, social media has established itself as a powerful marketing tool. ICT tools employed
within companies help to streamline business processes and improve efficiency. The
ss ly
unprecedented explosion of connected devices throughout the world has created new ways for
businesses to serve their customers.
la n
)
Budget 2018 announcement
C rso
✓ Allocation to Digital India scheme doubled to Rs 3073 cr.
✓ 5 lakh WiFi HotSpots to provide Broadband access to 5 crore rural citizens, at the cost of Rs
10,000 cr.
G fai
✓ Government will take measures to stop cryptocurrency circulation, as it is not considered

legal tender
( E af
Government will explore the usage of Blockchain technology

nt
Aviation
re
Airport Authority of India (AAI) has 124 airports. Propose to increase the number by at least 5
times 1 billion trips a year, Rs 60 cr has been allocated to kickstart the initiative
ur
UDAN Scheme to connect 64 unconnected airports across the country
Markets
C
✓ Govt to take additional measures to strengthen environment for venture capitalists and
angel investors SEBI to mull asking large cos to meet 25% debt from bond market
✓ RBI norms to nudge companies to access bond market for funds
Companies
27
✓ AADHAAR FOR CORPORATES? Govt will evolve a scheme to assign a Unique ID for cos
Page
✓ Disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for FY19

✓ National Insurance Co, Oriental Insurance Co and United Assurance Co to be merged into
one entity and subsequently listed
✓ Govt revises divestment target for the current fiscal to Rs 1 lakh crore for FY 18.
Fiscal Situation
The difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government is termed as fiscal
deficit. It is an indication of the total borrowings needed by the government. While calculating the
m
total revenue, borrowings are not included.
Description: The gross fiscal deficit (GFD) is the excess of total expenditure including loans net
o
of recovery over revenue receipts (including external grants) and non-debt capital receipts. The
net fiscal deficit is the gross fiscal deficit less net lending of the Central government.
es .c
Generally fiscal deficit takes place either due to revenue deficit or a major hike in capital
expenditure. Capital expenditure is incurred to create long-term assets such as factories, buildings
ss ly
and other development.
A deficit is usually financed through borrowing from either the central bank of the country or
la n
)
raising money from capital markets by issuing different instruments like treasury bills and bonds.
C rso
✓ Fiscal deficit is 3.5% of GDP at Rs 5.95 lakh crore in 2017-18. Projecting fiscal deficit to be
3.3% of GDP in the next fiscal
✓ Rs 21.57 lakh crores transferred as net GST to states against a projection of Rs 21.47 lakh
G fai
crores Tax
✓ 85.51 lakh new tax payers filed income tax returns in FY17
✓ NO PERSONAL INCOME TAX CHANGES PROPOSED IN BUDGET
( E af
✓ Growth in direct taxes (till Jan 15) is 18.7 %

✓ Surcharge of 10% on income above Rs 50 lakh but less than Rs 1 cr to be continued next
nt
year; 15% on income above Rs 1 cr to also continue.

✓ 100% tax deduction is allowed to co-operative societies
re
✓ Corporate Tax of 25% extended to companies with turnover up to Rs 250 cr in financial

year 2016-17
ur
✓ Incentives for Senior citizens: Exemptions in income of Rs 10,000 from Banks FD and post
offices
C
✓ Rs 7.5 lakh per senior citizen limit for investment in interest-bearing LIC schemes doubled
to Rs 15 lakh
✓ Standard deduction of Rs 40,000 allowed for transport, medical reimbursement for salaried
tax payers
✓ Govt to reduce hardships faced in realty deals; no adjustment to be made in case circle
rate does not exceed 5 pc of sale consideration
✓ Rs 8,000 crore revenue lost due to standard deduction allowed to salaried employees
✓ Rs 7,000 cr revenue forgone on account of lower corporate tax for Rs 250 crore turnover
28
companies
Page
✓ Rs 19,000 cr revenue loss on direct tax in last fiscal

✓ LONG TERM CAPITAL GAINS EXCEEDING RS 1 L AKH WILL BE TAXED AT 10% WITHOUT
INDEXING
✓ Short term capital tax remains at 15%
✓ A tax on distributed income at 10%
✓ Education cess increased to 4% from 3% to collect additional Rs 11,000 crore
✓ GST revenue will be received only for 11 months, that will have an effect on balance sheets
✓ GST collections projection pegged at Rs 7.43 lakh crore in full year 2018-19 as against Rs
m
4.44 lakh crore in nine months of current fiscal.
✓ Govt makes PAN mandatory for any entity entering into a financial transaction of Rs 2.5
o
lakh or more.
es .c
ss ly
la n
)
C rso
G fai
( E af
Customs Duties
nt
✓ Customs Duty on certain products, such as mobile phones and televisions has been
✓ Social welfare surcharge of 10% on imported goods.
re
✓ Central Board of Excise and Customs renamed as Central Board of Indirect Taxes and
Customs
ur
✓ Import of solar tempered glass for manufacture of solar cells exempted from customs duty.
✓ Customs duty on crude edible vegetable oils like groundnut oil, safflower seed oil hiked
C
from 12.5% to 30%; on refined edible vegetable oil from 20% to 35%
✓ Customs duty on sunglasses, cigarette lighter, toys, bus and truck tyres, select furniture
hiked.
✓ Customs duty on imitation jewellery hiked from 15% to 20%; doubled on all watches to
20%.
✓ Import duty on LCD/LED/OLED panels, parts of TVs hiked to 15%; duty on smart watches,
wearable devices, footwear doubled to 20%.
29
New scheme for providing electronic assessment to eliminate person-to-person contact

Page

Banking
Recapitalisation will pave the way for public banks to lend an additional Rs 5 lakh crore
Industries
Rs 7,148 cr allocated for textile sector
m
Miscellaneous
✓ Defence outlay raised to Rs 2.82 lakh crore in 2018-19 from Rs 2.67 lakh crore in current
o
year
es .c
✓ Food subsidy to rise to Rs 1.69 lakh crore in 2018-19 from Rs 1.4 lakh crore in current
year.
ss ly
✓ Emoluments for Parliamentrians: Law for increase in pay based on index to inflation
✓ Govt earmarks Rs 150 cr to commemorate 150 years of birth of Mahatma Gandhi
la n
)
C rso
BUDGET 2018 MCQ
G fai
Q.1- Which of the following are the New Funds announced in union Budget 2018-19.
( E af
i) Fisheries and Aqua culture Infrastructure Development Fund

ii) Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund
nt
iii) National Bamboo Mission Fund

iv) Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund
re
Select the answer using the codes given below:

ur
a) i and ii only
b) i, ii and iv only
c) iii and iv only
d) i, ii, iii and iv
C
Q.2- The Union Budget 2018-19 has proposed a reduced corporate tax rate to 25% of companies that have
reported turnover up to Rs 250 crores in financial year 2016-17, Consider the following statement about this.
i) This will benefit the almost 99% of companies filing their tax returns.
ii) This will leave the companies with higher investible surplus.
iii) This will create more jobs.
30

Page

a) i and ii only
b) ii and iii only
c) iii only
d) i, ii and iii
Q.3- Referring to the Government’s commitment to the welfare of farmers and doubling farmers’ income by
2022, the government announced a slew of new schemes and measures in union Budget 2018-19.
m
i) MSP for all unannounced kharif crops.
ii) Institutional Farm Credit raised to 11 lakh crore in 2018-19.
iii) Operation Greens launched to address the challenge of price volatility of perishable
o
commodities.
iv) New 50000 Rural Haats to protect the interests of small and marginal farmers.
es .c
v) To set up state-of-the-art testing facilities in all the forty two Mega Food Parks.
ss ly
Which of the statement given above is/are INCORRECT?
la n
)
a) i and ii only
C rso
b) ii and iv only
c) iii only
d) ii, iv and v
G fai
Q.4- Consider the following targets in the union budget 2018-19

( E af
i) Under Ujjwala Scheme distribution of free LPG connections will be given to 8 crore
women.
ii) Under Saubahagya Yojana 4 crore poor households are being provided with electricity
nt
connection.
iii) More than one crore houses will be built by 2019 in rural areas, to fulfil target of
housing for All by 2022.
re
iv) 6 crore toilets will be constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission till March 2019.
Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

ur

C
a) i, iii and iv only

b) ii and iii only
c) ii only
Q.5- Consider the following statement regarding the Loans to Women Self Help Groups in union budget 2018-
19
i) Loans to Women Self Help Groups will increase to Rs.75,000 crore in 2019.
31
ii) It increased to grow about 37% over previous year.

Page

a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
d) None
Q.6- In union budget 2018-19, the government announced setting up Ekalavya Model Residential School,
m
Consider the following statement about it.
i) It will provide the best quality education to the tribal childrenin their own environment
o
ii) by 2022 it will be build in every block with more than 50% ST population.
iii) It will focus on preserving local art and culture.
es .c
ss ly
la n
)
a) i and ii only
C rso
b) ii and iii only
c) iii only
d) i, ii and iii
G fai
Q.7- Which of the following statement is correct about the RISE by 2022 announced by government in Union
budget 2018-19?
( E af
a) It is to step up investments in Education.

b) It is to step up investments in health.
c) It is to step up investments in telecommunication.
nt
d) It is to step up investments in sports.

re
Q.8- Consider the following statement regarding the National Health Protection Scheme.
ur
i) It is world’s largest government-funded health care programme.

ii) It covers over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families
iii) It covers nearly 50 crore beneficiaries.
C
iv) It provides coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year.

v) It is provided for primary and secondary care hospitalization.
a) i and ii only
b) iii and v only
c) v only
d) ii, iv and v
32
Page

Q.9- The Government allocated Rs.600 crore to provide nutritional support to which whom an at what rate
per month for the duration of their treatment.
a) TB patients at Rs.500
b) Pregnant women at Rs.1200
c) Malnutrition patient Rs.1000
d) TB patients at which Rs.800
m
Q.10- Consider the following statement regarding the MUDRA Yojana.
o
i) MUDRA Yojana launched in April 2016.
es .c
ii) 76% of loan accounts are of women it now.
iii) It is proposed to set a target of Rs.3 lakh crore for lending for 2018-19.
iv) It has successfully exceeded the targets in all previous years.
ss ly
la n
)
C rso
a) i and ii only
b) iii only
c) iii and iv only
d) ii, iii and iv
G fai
Q.11.- Which of the Public-Sector Insurance companies will be merged into a single insurance entity?
( E af
i) National Insurance Co. Ltd.

ii) United India Assurance Co. Ltd.
nt
iii) Oriental India insurance Co. Ltd

iv) Life Insurance Corporation of India
v) Agriculture Insurance Company Of India Limited.
re

ur
a) i, ii and iii only

b) i, ii, iii and v only
c) iv and v only
C
d) i, ii, iii, iii and v
Q.12- Consider the following statement with reference to Indian economy?
i) India among the fastest growing economies of the world.

ii) Country is on course to achieve over 8 % growth as manufacturing, services and exports back
on good growth path.

33

Page

a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
d) None
Q.13- Consider the following statement with reference Fiscal Deficit
i) Revised Fiscal Deficit estimates for 2017-18 are `5.95 lakh crore at 3.5% of GDP.
ii) The projected Fiscal Deficit of 3.3% of GDP for the year 2018-19.
m
o
es .c
a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
ss ly
d) None
la n
)
Q.14- Consider the following statement with reference to cleaning the Ganga.
C rso
i) A total of 187 projects have been sanctioned under the Namami Gange programme in union
budget 2018-19.
ii) All 4465 Ganga Grams have been declared open defecation free.
G fai

( E af
a) i only
b) ii only
nt
c) Both i and ii
d) None
re
Q.15- Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana an estimated cost of Rs.5,35,000 crore has been approved its Phase-
ur
I, about how much kms road constructioned in its Phase-I.
a) 35,000 kms
C
b) 87,430 kms
c) 20,000 kms
d) 12,000 kms
Q.16- Consider the following statements reference to the infrastructure need of India
i) Infrastructure is the one of the growth driver of Indian economy.

ii) It is estimated that investment in excess of Rs.50 lakh crore is needed for development
Infrastructure.
34
iii) Government announced on infrastructure for 2018-19 to Rs.5.97 lakh crore.

Page

a) i, and iii only

b) ii and iii only
c) ii only
d) i, ii, and iii
Q.17- The Prime Minister personally reviews the targets and achievements in infrastructure sectors on a
m
regular basis, Using which among the online monitoring system
a) RMSA Academic Monitoring System
o
b) DelREMO
c) eSuvidha
es .c
d) PRAGATI
ss ly
Q.18- Consider the following statement with regarding the potential of agri-exports.
la n
)
i) India’s agri-exports potential is as high as US $ 50 billion
C rso
ii) Indian current agri-exports is US $ 30 billion.
iii) To realize this potential, export of agri-commodities will be liberalized.

G fai
a) i, and iii only

b) ii and iii only
( E af
c) ii only
d) i, ii, and iii
nt
Q.19- Which of the following new Scheme launched by government to address price fluctuations in potato,
re
tomato and onion for benefit of farmers and consumers.

ur
a) Operation Flood
b) Operation Greens
c) Operation Reds
C
d) Operation Round
Q.20- Consider the following statement about the Food Processing in India
i) Food Processing sector is growing at an average rate of 8% per annum.

ii) Prime Minister Krishi Sampada Yojana is our flagship programme for boosting investment in
food processing.
iii) Allocation of Ministry of Food Processing is being doubled from `715 crore in RE 2017-18 to
`1400 crore in BE 2018-19.
iv) Government will promote establishment of specialized agro-processing financial institutions in
35
this sector.
Page

1. a) i, iii and iv only

b) ii and iii only
c) ii only
m
Q.21- Which among the following steps will be taken by Government for promotion of organic farming.
o
i) Farmer Producer Organizations and Village Producers Organizations in large clusters, preferably
of 1000 hectares each, will be encouraged.
es .c
ii) Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) will also be encouraged to take up organic agriculture in
clusters under National Rural Livelihood Programme.
ss ly
a) i only
la n
)
b) ii only
C rso
c) Both i and ii
d) None
G fai
Q.22- For developing and upgrading agricultural marketing infrastructure, which among the following steps
will be taken
i) An Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of 1000 crore will be set up.
( E af
ii) The Grameen Agricultural Markets and agricultural produce market committee will be
connected online.
nt

re
a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
ur
d) None
C
Q.23- Consider the following agriculture production in India in the year 2016-17.
i) India food grain production was around 265 million tonnes.

ii) fruits and vegetables production was around 275 million tonnes.
a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
36
d) None
Page

Q.24- Which among the following recently launched digital portal will also be used to upgrade the skills of
teachers.
a) DIKSHA
b) VIDHYA
c) SIKSHA
d) GURUKUL
m
Q.25- The specialized Railways University will be set up at-
o
a) Gurugram
es .c
b) Vadodara.
c) Hyderabad
ss ly
d) Nagpur
la n
)
Q.26- GOBAR-DHAN scheme is associated with which among the following sector.
C rso
a) Milk production
b) Organic fertilizer production
c) Organic farming
d) Cattle production
G fai
Q.27- Consider the following statements in reference to Indian Rail Budget 2018-19.
( E af
i) It is moving fast towards optimal electrification as 4000 kilometers are targeted for
commissioning during 2017-18.
nt
ii) 4267 unmanned level crossings in the broad gauge network in the next two years will be
eliminating.
iii) All railway stations and trains will be progressively provided with wi-fi & CCTVs.
re

ur
a) i, and iii only

C
b) ii and iii only

c) ii only
d) i, ii, and iii
Answer: - C
Q.28- Which among the following statement is given INCORRECT?
a) The domestic air passenger traffic grew at slow pase 18% per annum
b) Regional connectivity scheme of UDAN connect 56 unserved airports and 31 unserved helipads
37
across the country.

c) Airport Authority of India (AAI) has 124 airports.
Page

d) Government has expand airport capacity more than five times to handle a billion trips a year
under a new initiative - NABH Nirman
Q.29- Which among the following will initiate a national program to direct our efforts in the area of artificial
intelligence, including research and development of its applications?
a) NITI Aayog
b) Department of Computer Science & Engineering
m
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) None of the above
o
es .c
Q.30- Consider the following statements in reference to phase I of Bharatnet project.
i) Task of connecting one lakh gram panchayat through high speed optical fiber network has been
ss ly
completed under it.
ii) This has enabled broadband access to over 20 crore rural Indians in about two lakh fifty
la n
thousand villages.
)
C rso
a) i only
G fai
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
d) None
( E af
Q.31- To harness the benefit of emerging new technologies, particularly the ‘Fifth Generation’ (5G)
nt
technologies and its adoption, the Department of Telecom will support establishment of an indigenous 5G Test
Bed at-
re
a) IIT, Chennai.
b) IIT, Kanpur
ur
c) IIT, Mumbai
d) IIT, New delhi
C
Q.32- Consider the following statements in reference to block chain technology.
i) It allows organization of any chain of records or transactions without the need of intermediaries.
ii) The Government does not consider crypto-currencies legal.
iii) The Indian Government will explore use of block chain technology proactively for ushering in
digital economy.

38

Page

a) i, and iii only

b) ii and iii only
c) ii only
d) i, ii, and iii
Q.33- What is the disinvestment target for Financial Year 2018-19:
a) 80,000 crore
b) 1,00,000 crore
m
c) 50,000 crore
d) 75,000 crore
o
es .c
Q.34- The direct taxes growth rate up to 15th January, 2018 is-
ss ly
a) 18.7%
b) 12.5%
c) 16.7%
la n
)
d) 14.5%
C rso
Q.35- Consider the following statements regarding the taxpayers in financial year 2016-17.
i) 85.51 lakhs new taxpayers filed their returns of income.

G fai
ii) The number of effective tax payer base was 8.27 crores at the end of F.Y.16-17

( E af
Select the answer using the codes given below

nt
a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
re
d) None
ur
Q.36- Which of the statement is correct about is the average tax payment of individual salaried taxpayer and
individual business taxpayer.
C
a) Average tax payment of individual salaried taxpayer is more than individual business taxpayer.
b) Average tax payment of individual salaried taxpayer is less than individual business taxpayer.
c) Average tax payment of individual salaried taxpayer is equal to individual business taxpayer.
d) Average tax payment of individual salaried taxpayer is similar to individual business taxpayer.
Q.37- Consider the following statements regarding Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana
i) The Proposed Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana extend up to March, 2022.
39
ii) Current investment limit proposed to be increased to Rs. 15 lakh per senior citizen.
Page

a) i only
b) ii only
c) Both i and ii
d) None
Q.38- Payments exceeding who much amount in cash made by trusts and institutions to be disallowed and
m
would be subject to tax.
a) Rs. 10,000
o
b) Rs. 20,000
c) Rs. 25,000
es .c
d) Rs. 50,000
ss ly
Q.39- Union budget 2018-19 Proposed to increase Health and Education Cess on personal income tax and
la n
corporation tax to 4 percent from present-
)
C rso
a) 3 percent
b) 3.25 percent
c) 3.5 percent
d) 3.75 percent
G fai
Q.40- Union budget 2018-19 Proposed to introduce tax on distributed income by equity oriented mutual funds
at the rate of-
( E af
a) 5 percent
nt
b) 12 percent
c) 8 percent
d) 10 percent
re
Q.41- Consider the following Reliefs to Senior Citizens proposed in Union budget 2018-19
ur
i) Exemption of interest income on deposits with banks and post offices to Rs. 50,000.
C
ii) Hike in deduction limit for health insurance premium.

iii) Increase in deduction limit for medical expenditure for certain critical illness
a) i, and iii only

b) ii and iii only
c) i only
d) i, ii, and iii
40
Page

Q.42- Which among the following is major source of receipts to government of India?
a) Income-Tax
b) Borrowings & Other Liabilities
c) Corporation-Tax
d) Goods and Service Tax & Other Taxes
m
Q.43- Which among the following is the major expenditure of Government of India?
o
a) States' share of taxes & duties
b) Interest Payments
es .c
c) Central Sector Scheme
d) Subsidies
ss ly
Q.44- Arrange the following in their descending order of receipt.
la n
)
a) Income-Tax> Corporation-Tax > Goods and Service Tax & Other Taxes
C rso
b) Goods and Service Tax & Other Taxes> Income-Tax> Corporation-Tax
c) Corporation-Tax> Goods and Service Tax & Other Taxes> Income-Tax
d) Goods and Service Tax & Other Taxes> Corporation-Tax> Income-Tax
G fai
Q.45- Consider the following statements.

( E af
Assertion (A): The tax buoyancy has improved in recent years.

Reason (R): The government many efforts to curb evasion.
nt
In the context of the above, which of these is correct?
a) A is correct, and R is an appropriate explanation of A.

re
b) A is correct, but R is not an appropriate explanation of A.

c) A is correct, but R is not an appropriate explanation of A.A is correct, but R is incorrect.
d) Both A and R are incorrect
ur
C
41 Page

Gist Budget 2018 19

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Gist Budget 2018 19

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

An online educational Platform

▪ Editor-in-Chief Sandeep Sajwan

▪ The Information, news and facts published in the magazine

For suggestions / feedback, Contact:-

For Advertisement Contact: 7004505095

1. What is budget? ..................................................................... 2

For e.g. a labour earns Rs 500 a day now

Why is Budgeting So Important?

Since budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your

According to Article 112 of the Indian Constitution, the Union

expected revenue and proposed expenditure.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Let it be noted that Central Government is constitutionally required to lay an “annual

receipts include both tax revenue (like

Capital Budget consists of capital

receipts (like borrowing, disinvestment)

Purpose of the budget

✓ To provide visibility into the company's performance

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Why is Union Budget 2018 crucial?

✓ Social Security ✓ Companies

Farmers: for whom we have committed to double the income in 5 years.

Rural Population: providing employment and basic infrastructure.

Youth: energising them through education, skills and jobs.

Infrastructure: for efficiency, productivity and quality of life.

Financial Sector: growth and stability through stronger institutions.

Digital Economy: for speed, accountability and transparency.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Tax Administration: honouring the honest.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

Major emphasis is on generating higher incomes for farmers.

Last year’s record

Role of Agriculture in Indian Economy

Contribution to National Income

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

exchange to meet the required import bill of the country.

Source of Government Revenue

Role of Agriculture in Economic Planning

ultimately lead to a failure of economic planning.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

✓ Increasing supply of food and raw materials at non-inflationary prices.

✓ Rs.1290 Crore re-structured national bamboo mission announced to promote bamboo

sector in a holistic manner.

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

✓ Govt to create mechanism for post-

✓ Next kharif crop MSP to be at least

✓ Emphasis on generating gainful

Brief description of schemes and terms

price for their produce.

To promote farmer producers organisations, agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional

in the prices of onions, potatoes and tomatoes.

To address price volatility

Gramin agricultural markets (grams)

How will it be beneficial?

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)

A Kisan Credit Card (KCC)

It is a credit delivery mechanism that is

Features of the Kisan Credit Card

documentation, and all subsequent

offers quick and timely credit.

✓ Farmer can use it to make cash withdrawals or to take loans.

account. Any credit balance in the account earns interest.

National bamboo mission

https://currentaffairsonly.com EG Classes (Mukherjee Nagar)