Budget 2024: How Modi 3.0 Government Plans To Push Atma Nirbharta

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has unveiled the Union Budget for 2024–25, emphasizing the government’s commitment to its development agenda’s four pillars: ‘Garib’ (poor), ‘Mahilayen’ (women), ‘Yuva’ (youth), and ‘Annadata’ (farmer).

This year’s budget highlights a strong focus on boosting self-sufficiency, or ‘Atma Nirbharta’, through targeted initiatives to empower these key groups.

A major highlight of the budget is the Prime Minister’s package, which aims to create opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over the next five years. With a central allocation of ₹2 lakh crores, this initiative focuses on addressing employment, education, and skill development needs.

1. Employment Incentives
The government will offer a one-month PF contribution for 30 lakh youth entering the job market. New employees will benefit from a direct transfer of up to ₹15,000, applicable to those with a monthly salary of up to ₹1 lakh.

2. Education Loans
Financial support will be provided for education loans up to Rs 10 lakh for higher studies.

3. Internship Opportunities
A new scheme will offer internships to 1 crore youth at top 500 companies, including a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 and a one-time assistance of Rs 6,000.

4. Supporting women
The budget also emphasizes the empowerment of women and girls, with the Modi 3.0 government focusing on enhancing opportunities and support for female beneficiaries.

5. Women-Specific Skilling Programs
Programs will be introduced to enhance women’s skills and increase workforce participation.

6. Hostels and Creches
New hostels and creches will be established to support working women, improving work-life balance.

7. Higher Education Loans
Financial support will be available for loans up to Rs 10 lakh for domestic higher education.

8. Advancing Agricultural Resilience
The agricultural sector will receive several boosts:

*Agricultural Research: A comprehensive review will focus on productivity and climate resilience, with funding from challenge modes and private sector contributions, overseen by domain experts.

*New Crop Varieties: 109 new high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties for 32 field and horticulture crops will be introduced to enhance farmer output and climate adaptability.

*Promoting Natural Farming: Over two years, 1 crore farmers will be introduced to natural farming practices, supported by certification and branding, with 10,000 bio-input resource centers established.

*Strengthening Pulses and Oilseeds: Production, storage, and marketing of pulses and oilseeds will be enhanced to achieve self-sufficiency, focusing on crops like mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower.

*Enhancing Vegetable Production and Supply Chains: Large-scale vegetable production clusters will be developed near major consumption centers, with support for farmer-producer organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, and start-ups to improve supply chains.

*Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture: Building on a successful pilot, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) will be implemented for agriculture, including a digital crop survey for Kharif in 400 districts and the integration of 6 crore farmers into registries. Jan Samarth-based Kisan Credit Cards will be issued in five states.

9. Urban Housing
Under PM Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0, Rs 10 lakh crores will be invested to address the housing needs of 1 crore poor and middle-class families, with central assistance of Rs 2.2 lakh crores over the next five years.

10. Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya, Unnat Gram Abhiyan
This initiative aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities through saturation coverage in tribal-majority villages and aspirational districts, benefiting 5 crore tribal people across 63,000 villages.