Budget 2022 Highlights
Budget 2022 Highlights
Budget 2022 Highlights
The Budget 2022 focused on ‘digital and technology’ and sectors like infrastructure, health, education
and provision of e-services to the masses. This Union Budget laid a foundation and blueprint of the
economy over ‘Amrit Kal’ of the next 25 years - from India at 75 to India at 100.
India posted a 9.2% GDP growth, the highest among all economies. We are amid the Omicron wave, the
speed of our vaccination campaign has helped dramatically. The FM stated that ‘Sabka Prayaas’ will
continue with strong growth. Budget 2022 has provided a sharp increase in public investment and capital
expenditure provision. Strategic transfer of ownership of Air India has been completed.
Budget allocation
● A 6.4% fiscal deficit has been projected for India in FY23.
● Revised fiscal deficit estimated at 6.9% of GDP.
● States to get Rs 1 lakh crore as 50-year interest-free loans to help fund PM Gati Shakti-related
investments.
● The government's effective capital expenditure is estimated at Rs 10.68 lakh crore in 2022-23,
about 4.1% of GDP.
● The outlay for capital expenditure to be stepped up sharply by 35.4% from Rs 4.54 lakh crore to
Rs 7.50 lakh crore in 2022-23.
Education
● 2 lakh Anganwadis to be upgraded for improving child health.
● Two years of education regression for school going children means we need to double-up efforts
and spending to bridge education gaps. NEP had advocated a 6% of GDP to be directed towards
education. While we remain far short, the announcement of tech-based platforms 'One class,
one TV channel' program of PM eVIDYA for school children and the establishment of a digital
university were the need of the hour.
● Digital university to set up for online education focusing on ICT using a hub and spoke model.
● Select ITIs in all states that will offer skilling courses.
● One class, one TV channel' programme of PM eVIDYA will be expanded from 12 to 200 TV
channels. This will enable all states to provide supplementary education in regional languages for
classes 1 to 12.
Agriculture
● Government to promote funds for blended finance (government share limited to 20%) for
sunrise opportunities such as climate action, agri-tech, etc.
● Fund to be facilitated through NABARD to finance startups for agriculture and rural enterprise,
relevant for farm produce value chain. Startups will support FPOs and provide tech to farmers.
● Use of Kisan Drones to be promoted for crop assessment, digitisation of land records, spraying of
insecticides and nutrients.
● Procurement of wheat in Rabi season 2021-22 and the estimated procurement of paddy in Kharif
season 2021-22 will give cover 1208 lakh metric tonnes of wheat & paddy from 163 lakh farmers
with Rs 2.37 lakh crore will be the direct payment of MSP value to their accounts.
● Delivery of hi-tech services for farmers to be launched.
● MSP for farmers to be transferred directly into bank accounts.
● Chemical-free natural farming to be promoted in India.
Virtual currency
● RBI to introduce the digital rupee using blockchain technology starting 2022-23.
MSME
● The next phase of ease of doing business and living will be launched.
● To support sectors disproportionately affected by the pandemic, FM announces extension of
ECLGS till Mar-23. Given that nearly 95% of ECLGS borrowers are MSMEs, this measure will
ensure the continued handholding of MSMEs and the services sector. The services sector, which
accounts for more than 60% of India's GDP, remains an important engine of economic growth,
job creation, income generation and livelihood support.
● The extension of ECLG will provide a boon to lending to the MSME sector. Simultaneously, the
revamp of CGTSME will be an added incentive for banks to extend lending: SBI's Soumya Kanti
Ghosh.
● Experts say ECLGS (emergency credit line) extension till March 2023 is a critical step.
● The govt took measures to make MSMEs more resilient and competitive.
● Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme has helped 130 lakh MSMEs mitigate the worst impact
of the pandemic.
Digital banking
● An online bill system will be launched to reduce the delay in payment. All central ministries will
use it.
● Credit growth increased by Rs 5.4 lakh crore this year, the highest in many years.
Internet connectivity
● 5G spectrum auction in 2022-23.
● Bharatnet project contracts for optical fibre networks will be handed out under the PPP model.
● All villages should have the same access to digital resources as urban areas.
Defence
● 68% of the capital procurement budget in defence will be earmarked for the domestic industry
in 2022-23.
e-Passport
● Issuance of e-passports with futuristic tech to be introduced in 2022-23.
● The finance minister has said India would start issuing e-passports in 2022-23. When first
announced in 2019, these were some of the features proposed:
○ These e-passports will take a few seconds to read.
○ The prototype was tested in a US government identified laboratory.
○ They are expected to have thicker front and back covers.
○ The back cover is expected to have a small silicon chip.
○ The chip will have 64 kilobytes of memory space.
○ Holder’s photograph and fingerprints will be stored in the chip.
○ Will have the capacity to store 30 visits.