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WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGE

Following are the topics on which our followers have written (and writing essays) every Sunday to hone their essay writing skills. The topics are chosen based on UPSC previous year topics. Writing one essay on each Sunday will help you get better marks in this paper.

ESSAY STRATEGY by Topper – Rank 1 CSE 2017

ESSAY STRATEGY by Topper – Rank 25 CSE 2015

ESSAY STRATEGY by Topper – Rank 40 CSE 2015

• [VIDEO] How to Improve Marks in Essay and Ethics Papers?
• [VIDEO] How to Write Philosophical Essays

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2024

• March 30, 2024 : A Business That Makes Nothing More Than Money Is Poor Business
• March 24, 2024 : If Voting Really Made Difference, They Would Not Let Us Do It
• March 17, 2024 : Cinema Is Not A Slice Of Life, But A Piece Of Cake. 
• March 10, 2024 : Education Can give skill, but a liberal education can give dignity
• March 3, 2024 : Sometimes when you lose your way you find yourself
• February 25, 2024 : Who Looks Inside Awakes, Who Looks Outside Dream
• February 18, 2024 : Never Let School Interfere With Your Education
• February 11, 2024 : Whoever Controls the Media Controls the Mind
• February 04, 2024 : A certain darkness is needed to see the stars
• January 28, 2024 : Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it
• January 21, 2024 : Subtle Is powerful
• January 14, 2024 : The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital. 
• January  07, 2024 : Give them Quality. That’s The Best Kind of Advertising

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2023

• December 31, 2023 : The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain
• December 24, 2023 : All Great Changes Are Preceded By Chaos
• December 17, 2023 : We are drowning in information, but starved for Knowledge
• December 10, 2023 : Violence Is the last resort of the incompetent
• December 03, 2023 : Be a Voice, Not an Echo
• November 26, 2023 : A Society that has more justice is the society that needs less charity
• November 19, 2023 : Sell Your Cleverness and Buy Bewilderment
• November 12, 2023 : love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within
• November 5, 2023 : Clothes Make The Man
• October 29, 2023 : Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
• October 22, 2023 : Mathematics is the music of reason
• October 15, 2023 : Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines
• October 08, 2023 : Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
• October 01, 2023 : Not All Who Wander Are Lost
• September 24, 2023 : Visionary Decision-Making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic
• September 17, 2023 : Thinking Is Like A game. It does not begin unless there is an opposition team.
• September 10, 2023 : Unless we have well-educated people, we are vulnerable on National Security
• September 03, 2023 : Harsh Laws are, at times, better than No laws
• August 27, 2023 : Nations Do Not Die From Invasion. They Die From Internal Rottenness
• August 20, 2023 : In Individuals, insanity is rare; In groups, parties and nations, it is the rule.
• August 13, 2023 : Economics Is Too Important To Leave To The Economists.
• August 06, 2023 : A self without a book-shelf is naked.
• July 30, 2023 : Wrong Choices Lead To Right Places
• July 23, 2023 : Credit where credit is due.
• July 16, 2023 : A right is not what someone gives you; it’s what no one can take away from you.
• July 9, 2023 : The measure of intelligence is the ability to change
• July 2, 2023 : Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. 
• June 25, 2023 : In the long run , the sword will always be conquered by the spirit
• June 18, 2023 : The company you keep determines your Success
• June 11, 2023 : A disciplined mind brings happiness.
• June 4, 2023 : Our moral responsibility is not to stop the future but to shape it
• May 28, 2023 : Action breeds confidence and courage
• May 21, 2023 : A library is a hospital for the mind
• May 14, 2023 : Self-Education is Life-Long Curiosity
• May 7, 2023 : Silence is Spurious Golden
• April 30, 2023 : The price of greatness is responsibility
• April 23, 2023 : Progress is impossible without change
• April 16, 2023 : The Impact of Artificial Intelligence.
• April 9, 2023 : People would rather believe than know.
• April  2, 2023 : Prioritizing education technology for global growth
• March 26, 2023 : Technology is a weapon against poverty
• March 19, 2023 : Every choice you make makes you
• March 12, 2023 : Patience is a virture ; virtue is a grace
• March 5, 2023 : Before any fight, it is the fight of mind
• February 26, 2023 :  The Measure of a man is what he does with Power.
• February 19, 2023 : When you kill time, you kill life.
• February 12, 2023 : Delayed success mostly stays forever.
• February 05, 2023 : The wound is the place where the Light enters you.
• January 29, 2023 : Doubt is an uncomfortable condition, but certainty is a ridiculous one.
• January 22, 2023 : I am what I am, so take me as I am
• January 15, 2023 : Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased
• January 08, 2023 : Time hurts but it also heals. It punishes but it rewards too- it is the greatest teacher ever for a human.
• January 01, 2023 : The Beginning is the End and the End is The Beginning.

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2022

• December 25, 2022 : To tolerate is purely an act of mind
• December 18, 2022 : The arc of moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice
• December 11, 2022 : Religion is a culture of faith; Science is a culture of doubt.
• December 04, 2022 : My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read
• November 27, 2022 : Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
• November 20, 2022 : We are always blind as we want to be
• November 13, 2022  : By your stumbling, the world is perfected.
• November 6, 2022 : You cannot step twice in the same river
• October 30, 2022 : Just because you have a choice, it does not mean that any of them has to be right.
• October 23, 2022 : A smile is the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities
• October 16, 2022 : The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining
• October 9, 2022 : A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ship is for
• October 2, 2022 : History is a series of victories won by the scientific man over the romantic man
• September 25, 2022 : Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world
• September 18, 2022 : Forests are the best case studies for economic excellence
• September 11, 2022 : Culture changes with economic development.
• September 4 2022 : We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
• August 28 2022 :  The obstacle is the path.
• August 21 2022 : What is to give light must endure burning.
• August 14 2022 : “He who has never learned to obey cannot be a good commander.” Aristotle.
• August 7 2022 : Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” Albert Einstein
• July 31, 2022 : A bad conscience is easier to cope with than a bad reputation. Friedrich Nietzsche.
• July 24, 2022 : Time is all we have and don’t
• July 17, 2022 : Life fritters away when distractions become your lifestyle
• July 10, 2022 : After every darkness comes the dawn July 10, 2022 : After every darkness comes the dawn
• July 3, 2022 : Mind – a beautiful servant? Or a dangerous master?
• June 26, 2022 : Education Breeds Peace
• June 19, 2022 : A great leader is never angry
• June 12, 2022 : That which hurts, instructs; That which instructs, creates; Creates Wonders!
• June 05, 2022 : Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do
• May 29, 2022 : The journey is a reward as well as destination
• May 22, 2022 : Imagination creates reality
• May 15, 2022 : The curious paradox is, only if we accept things as they are, things can change
• May 08, 2022:  The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, while wiser people are so full of doubts
• May 01, 2022:  Loyalty To Country Always. Loyalty To Government Only When It Deserves
• April 24, 2022: Successful Investing Is Anticipating The Anticipations of Others
• April 17, 2022: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear
• April 10, 2022 : Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn
• April 03, 2022 : Forgiveness is the final form of love
• March 27, 2022 : The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless
• March 20, 2022 : Reason has always existed, but not always in a reasonable form.
• March 13, 2022 : Everything we hear is an opinion; not a fact
• March 5, 2022 : There are better practices to “best practices”
• February 27, 2022 : History repeats itself first as a tragedy second as a farce.
• February 20, 2022 : What is research, but a blind date with knowledge!
• February 13, 2022 : Hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
• February 6, 2022 : The real is rational and the rational is real.
• January 30, 2022 : Philosophy of Wantlessness Is Utopian, while the philosophy of materialism is chimera.
• January 23, 2022 : Your perception of me is a reflection of you; my reaction to you is an awareness of me.
• January 16, 2022 : The process of self-discovery has now been technologically outsourced.
• January 09, 2022 : Knowing oneself is the beginning of all wisdom
• January 02, 2022 : Biased Media Is A Real Threat To Indian Democracy

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2021

• December 26, 2021 : What Gets Measured Gets Managed
• December 19, 2021 : The enemy of stability is complacency
• December 12, 2021 : A clear conscience fears no accusation
• December 05, 2021 : Power of vested interests is vastly exaggerated compared with the gradual encroachment of ideas
• November 28, 2021 : The whole is more than a sum of its parts
• November 21, 2021 : Scientific and technological progress cannot be equated with the progress of humanity
• November 14, 2021 : The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears
• November 7, 2021 : Lawlessness is the result of failure to cultivate a sense of self-evaluation
• October 30, 2021 : What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make
• October 24, 2021 : Science for the economic freedom of humanity
• October 17, 2021 : An interdependent world cannot be an inequitable world
• October 03, 2021 : Strength comes from an indomitable Will
• SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 : Ethnocracy and concentration of power can derail even an affluent nation
• SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 : Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.
• SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 : Culture of entitlement comes with unreasonable expectations and insecurities 
• SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 : Literacy is a vital skill that enhances dignity, improves health outcomes, empowers people to access their rights and bolsters opportunities
• AUGUST 29, 2021 : A parliamentary system of government rests on a functioning opposition as ‘no democracy can do without it’.
• AUGUST 22, 2021 : Development must lead to dismantle all kinds of human unfreedom
• AUGUST 15, 2021 : Sport is a reflection of larger social phenomena
• AUGUST 8, 2021 : Every social stratum has its own Common Sense and its own good sense
• AUGUST 1, 2021 : Capitalism without competition is not Capitalism. It is Exploitation.
• JULY 25, 2021 : We don’t have to sacrifice a Strong Economy for a Healthy Environment
• JULY 18,2021 : We Need not a social conscience, but a social consciousness.
• JULY 11, 2021 : The cure for evils of democracy is more democracy.
• JULY 04, 2021 : No Constitution by itself achieves perfect justice
• JUNE 27, 2021 : Our world has achieved brilliance without conscience.
• JUNE 20, 2021 : Our common humanity demands that we make the impossible possible.
• JUNE 13, 2021 : Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.
• JUNE 06, 2021 : The political problem of mankind is to combine three things: economic efficiency, social justice and individual liberty.
• MAY 30, 2021 : Economics without ethics is a caricature & ethics without economics is a fairy tale.
• MAY 23 , 2021 : Indecisiveness is the rival of Progression
• MAY 16 , 2021 : Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change.
• May 09, 2021 : The possession of arbitrary power has always, the world over, tended irresistibly to destroy humane sensibility, magnanimity, and truth
• May 02, 2021 : The truth of character is expressed through choice of act ions
• April 25, 2021 : It is not our differences that divide us; It is our inability to recognise, accept, and celebrate those differences.
• April 18, 2021 : Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
• April 11, 2021 : Solutions emerge if situations are not forced
• April 04, 2021 : Morality is subservient to materialistic values in present times
• March 28, 2021 : Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible
• March 21, 2021 : Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence but are a reflection of it
• March 14, 2021 : The Future of Multilateralism : Towards a responsible Globalization
• March 07, 2021 : Subtlety may deceive you; Integrity never will
• February 28, 2021 :Technology as the silent factor in international relations
• February 21, 2021 :Patriarchy is the least noticed yet the most significant structure of social inequality
• February 14, 2021:There can be no social justice without economic prosperity but economic prosperity without social justice is meaningless
• February 07, 2021: Culture is what we are civilization is what we have
• January 31, 2021: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
• January 24, 2021: Ships do not sink because of water around them , ships sink because of water that gets into them
• January 17, 2021: Mindful manifesto is the catalyst to a tranquil self
• January 10, 2021: Life is long journey between human being and being humane
• January 03, 2021: The Covid pandemic has revealed the urgent need for effective governance everywhere”
• December 27, 2020: Challenges of 21st Century – insurmountable?
• December 20, 2020: Too much Democracy is Detrimental to Development
• December 13, 2020: Happiness is not an ideal of reason, but of imagination.

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2020

• December 06, 2020 : As you Start to walk on the way, the Way appears
• November 29, 2020: Need of the Hour is to Maximise Possibilities of Agriculture in India
• November 22, 2020: The survival of democracy depends on its ability to lower social uncertainty
• November 15, 2020: There is no greatness where there is no simplicity
• November 08, 2020: Inequality can be Reduced by the Power of the Market rather than the Government
• November 01, 2020: Civil liberties are fundamental to the functioning of modern democracies
• October 25, 2020: Artificial Intelligence is Not All Evil – It can Promote Social Good Too
• October 18, 2020: Wherever law ends, tyranny begins
• October 11, 2020:Hyper-globalism is threat to human prosperity
• September 27, 2020: Our World is in a Surplus of Multilateral Challenges and a Deficit of Solutions
• September 20, 2020: In India Agriculture and the Farmer are both the Victims of Narrow Political Vision
• September 13, 2020: India Needs Aggressive and Pragmatic Neighbourhood Policy
• September 6, 2020: “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his  attitude .
• August 30, 2020: The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal
• August 23, 2020: Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
• August 16, 2020: Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.
• August 09, 2020: Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value
• August 02, 2020: New Education Policy 2020: A Progressive Policy with Diverse Challenges
• July 26, 2020: In a democracy, the individual enjoys not only the ultimate power but carries the ultimate responsibility
• July 19, 2020: Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance
• July 12, 2020: The human spirit must prevail over technology
• July 05, 2020: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
• June 28, 2020: Today India Needs ‘Harmony in Diversity’, Not Unity in Diversity.
• June 21, 2020: A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
• June 14, 2020: Post Independence, the Issue of Land is at the Core of India’s Non-Achievement of Its Development Aspirations
• June 7, 2020: Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste
• May 31, 2020: Despite Challenges, To be a Healthy and Successful Nation, India must Ensure Universal Health Coverage 
• May 24, 2020: Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
• May 17, 2020:The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little
• May 10, 2020: Urban Exclusion of Migrant Workers in India is a Reality and Needs Urgent Robust Policy Measures
• May 03, 2020: Uncertainty should ignite creativity, not depravity
• April 26, 2020: The fool doth think he is wise but the wise man knows himself to be a fool
• April 19, 2020: Social Harmony, not Social Distancing, is the final solution to all our problems
• April 12, 2020: It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities
• April 05, 2020: Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking
• March 29, 2020: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them”
• March 22, 2020: In order to understand the world one has to turn away from it on occasion
• March 15, 2020: Pandemics such as COVID-19, though Catastrophic, are in the end Meant to Reset Humanity and its Priorities
• March 08, 2020: Those who have wisdom have all: Fools with all have nothing
• March 01, 2020: Indifferentism is the worst kind of disease that can affect people.
• [VIDEO] Perspectives on Essay Topic of Feb 23
• February 23, 2020: To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.
• February 16, 2020 : When civil services does its job, people will not need social service
• February 09, 2020 : The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
• February 02, 2020: Ability will get you success, Character will keep you successful.
• January 26, 2020: Media’s duty is to inform public, not manufacture opinion.
• January 19, 2020: Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes
• January 12, 2020 : Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition
• J anuary 5, 2020 : All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal
• December 29, 2019 : There cannot be daily democracy without daily citizenship
• December 22, 2019: War is the ultimate Price we pay for lasting Peace
• December 15, 2019 : Inclusivity and Plurality are the hallmarks of a peaceful society
• December 08, 2019: Justice Loses Character if it becomes Revenge
• December 01. 2019: Economic Growth and Development are Shaped by the Societies in which they Operate
• November 24, 2019: Social Media is the Fourth Pillar of Democracy
• November 17, 2019: Media is No More a Fourth Pillar of Democracy
• November 10, 2019: Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities through reskilling and upskilling
• November 03, 2019:Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy
• October 27, 2019: Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness
• October 20, 2019: South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures and plural identities
• October 13, 2019: Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success
• October 06, 2019: Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society
• September 29, 2019: Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be
• September 22, 2019: Wisdom finds truth

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2019

• September 15, 2019: Kashmir Problem – Historical Injustice or Misguided Geopolitics?
• September 08, 2019: India’s Space Ambitions – Are they Welfarist?
• September 01, 2019: India – $5 Trillion Economy: Dream or Reality?
• August 25, 2019 Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.
• August 18, 2019 The mind is everything. What you think you become.
• August 11, 2019: Virtue is Knowledge
• August 04, 2019: Inclusive governance begets Inclusive growth
• July 28, 2019: India’s headache: Unemployment or Underemployment?
• July 21, 2019: The road to science and spirituality are opposite, but we should tread both
• July 14, 2019: India is a leading power, rather than just a balancing power
• July 07, 2019: Should the world embrace democratic socialism or progressive capitalism?
• June 30, 2019: Impact of Digital Revolution on Human Wellbeing
• June 23, 20 19: Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty
• June 16, 2019: The definition of happiness is the full use of your powers, along the lines of excellence.
• June 09, 2019: Not Corruption, Communalism is the Greatest Threat India is facing Today
• May 19, 2019: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
• May 12, 2019: Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake
• May 05, 2019: Happiness equals reality minus expectations
• April 28, 2019: Political correctness is tyranny with manners
• April 21, 2019: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
• April 07, 2019: Dogma is the sacrifice of wisdom to consistency
• March 31, 2019: The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
• March 24, 2019: Terrorism has No Religion
• March 17, 2019: Money and Religion – Great Unifiers of Humankind?
• March 10, 2019: Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay
• March 03, 2019: Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower
• February 24,2019: Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens
• February 17, 2019: Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back
• February 10, 2019: Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
• February 03, 2019: You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality
• January 27, 2019: Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever
• January 20, 2019: All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
• January 12, 2019: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.
• January 06, 2019: National security is Irreversibly linked to good economic growth

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2018

• December 28, 2018: To plan for smart development, governments and business must recognize nature’s role in supporting economic activity
• December 23, 2018: Government Surveillance – Good or Bad?
• December 16, 2018: Trade Wars – Economic or Geopolitical?
• December 02, 2018: Immigration is Not a Threat, but Fundamentally it’s an Economic Issue
• November 25, 2018: A people that values its privileges above its principles loses both
• November 18, 2018: “The past’ is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values
• November 11, 2018: A good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge
• November 04, 2018: Management of Indian border disputes – a complex task
• October 28, 2018: Alternative technologies for a climate change resilient India
• October 21, 2018: Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere
• October 14, 2018: Reality does not conform to the ideal, but confirms it
• October 07, 2018: Customary morality cannot be a guide to modern life
• September 30, 2018: Commercialization of Space : Importance and the need for regulation
• September 23, 2018: E-commerce as a new form of trade and its challenges to India.
• September 16, 2018: Ability is nothing without opportunity
• September 09, 2018: Death Penalty eliminates Criminals, not Crime.
• September 02, 2018: Dissent is the foundation of democracy.
• August 26, 2018: Mars Mission and Mob lynchings are two obverse faces of India
• August 19, 2018: Strengthening Land Rights Strengthens Development
• August 12, 2018: Age of Big Data: Data is the New Oil, History is its oldest bank
• August 05, 2018: Strong Institutions and fair procedures, not personalities constitute the fundamentals of good governance
• July 29, 2018: Social reform is a myth if places of worship are open only to all castes and not to all genders.
• July 22, 2018: Section 377, not the carnal acts banned under it is ‘against the order of nature ‘
• July 15, 2018: Schooling Is Not Education
• July 08, 2018: Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster.
• July 01, 2018: Normal human activity is worse for nature than the greatest nuclear accident in history
• June 24, 2018: Gender Sensitive Indian Society is Prerequisite for Women and Child Empowerment
• June 17, 2018: Where Should India Invest More – Human Capital or Human Development?
• June 10, 2018: Has Democracy Taken Backseat Due to the Rise of Populists and Demagogues?
• June 03, 2018: We won’t have a society ,if we destroy the environment
• May 27, 2018: Can Development and Environment Protection Go Together?
• May 20, 2018: Governor is the Choke Point of Federal Circuit of India
• May 13, 2018: Anonymity is the Best and the Worst Feature of Urbanism
• May 06, 2018: A man is but the product of his thoughts; what he thinks, he becomes
• April 29, 2018: Guaranteeing Right to Vote may Establish a Democracy, But Ensuring it’s Right Use Only Will Bring a True Democracy
• April 22, 2018: Stereotyping is an Ideological Force Which Hinders and Endangers Consolidation of India
• April 15, 2018: Can Education and legislation Address Violence Against Women and Children in India?
• April 8, 2018: Banking Crisis in India – Failure of Governance and Regulation?
• April 1, 2018: Privacy is the fountainhead of all other rights
• March 25, 2018: Impact of Technology on Human Relations and Human Productivity
• March 18, 2018: India’s Focus should be on Ease of Living, not on Easy of Doing Business
• March 11, 2018: A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody
• March 04, 2018: Capitalism can not Bring Inclusive Growth
• February 25, 2018: The unprecedented advance of technologies facilitate individual empowerment but at the cost of Institutions and Democratic societies
• February 18, 2018: Threats being Faced by Liberal Democratic Systems are both Dangerous and Permanent
• February 11, 2018: For India, Stigmatised Capitalism is Better than Crony Socialism
• February 04, 2018: Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics.
• January 28, 2018: Politics of Identity is the Politics of the Weak
• January 21, 2018: Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime
• January 14, 2018: Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding
• January 07, 2018: The Root Cause of Agrarian Distress in India – Failure of Policies or Failure of Governance?

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2017

• December 31, 2017: Impact of the new economic measures on fiscal ties between the union and states in India
• December 24, 2017: Fulfilment of ‘new woman’ in India is a myth
• December 17, 2017: Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
• December 10, 2017: Farming has lost the ability to be a source of subsistence for majority of farmers in India
• December 03, 2017: Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms
• November 19, 2017: Has the Non- Alignment Movement(NAM) lost its relevance in a multipolar world
• November 12, 2017: Social media is inherently a selfish medium.
• November 04, 2017: We may brave human laws but cannot resist natural laws
• October 29, 2017: Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
• October 22, 2017: Harith Diwali, Swasth Diwali : What measures are needed to deal with Festivity and Air Pollution?
• October 15, 2017: Biggest Threat to Humanity – Moral Crisis or Climate Change?
• October 08, 2017: The monsoon is a defining aspect of India’s nationhood
• October 01, 2017: India’s Infrastructure Story – Why is India not able to Build like China?
• September 24, 2017: Impact of Digital Technologies on Globalisation
• September 17, 2017: Urbanisation and Solid Waste Management in India – Challenges and Opportunities
• September 10,2017: Gender Equality and Peace: Are They Connected?
• September 03, 2017: Recent Natural Disasters – What do they Reveal about Humanity?
• August 27, 2017: Godmen – A Threat to Indian Society and Culture
• August 20, 2017: Corruption in India: Neither Systemic Reforms nor Surgical Strikes would End it
• August 13,2017: Interrelationship between Gender Equality and Sustainable Development
• August 06, 2017: Utility and relevance of Parliament in our polity
• July 30, 2017: Caste System – Source of India’s Eternal Inequality?
• July 23, 2017: Indian Democracy, Media and Public Opinion – Does Public Opinion Matter in Policymaking?
• July 16, 2017: Poverty and Environment – Their Interrelationship is the Key to Sustainable World
• July 09, 2017: Soft Power is India’s Strength, not its Weakness
• July 02, 2017: Technology and Jobs – Is Technology a Curse?
• June 25, 2017: Democracy’s Relevance in the Face of New Global Threats
• June 18, 2017: Federalism in India – Competitive or Cooperative?
• June 11, 2017: Peace, Environment and Development: Are these Interrelated?
• June 04, 2017: Role of Technology in Development – Is Technology Helping or Hindering Development?
• May 28, 2017: Poverty is a State of Mind
• May 21, 2017: Does India Need Superpower Status?
• May 14, 2017: India’s Achilles Heel – Lack of Ambition or Lack of Leadership in Achieving Greatness?
• May 07, 2017: Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.
• April 29, 2017: The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation
• April 23, 2017: To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom
• April 16, 2017: One-Party-Dominant System – Is it Good for India?
• April 09, 2017: Should Youth in India Consider Politics as Career?
• April 02, 2017: Can World Save Succeeding Generations from the Scourge of War?
• March 26, 2017: Low, stagnating female labour-force participation in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms?
• March 19, 2017: When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw
• March 12, 2017: The marks humans leave are too often scars
• March 05, 2017: Environmental Challenges and Geopolitics: How to save our Environment?
• February 27, 2017: Radical Solutions are Needed to Address Today’s Radical Problems
• February 19, 2017: India’s Importance in the Post-truth World
• February 12, 2017: The Role of Politics in Development
• February 05, 2017: Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored
• January 29, 2017: Building Walls and Banning Refugees – Does this Help Humanity?
• January 22, 2017: Digital economy: A leveller or a source of economic inequality
• January 15, 2017: Cyberspace and internet: Blessing or curse to the human civilization in the long run
• January 08, 2017: Water disputes between states in federal India
• January 01, 2017: Need brings greed, if greed increases it spoils breed

WEEKLY UPSC IAS ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2016

• (December 25, 2016) – Cooperative federalism: Myth or reality
• (December 18, 2016) – Innovation is the key determinant of economic growth and social welfare
• (December 11, 2016) – Near jobless growth in India: An anomaly or an outcome of economic reforms
• (December 04, 2016) – If development is not engendered, it is endangered
• (November 27, 2016) – Social media is better at breaking things than at making things
• (November 20, 2016) – Deglobalization is good for the world
• (November 12, 2016) – Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others
• (November 06, 2016) – It is not inequality which is the real misfortune, it is dependence
• (October 30, 2016) – Reducing Poverty while also Conserving Nature is an Impossible Task
• (October 23, 2016) – Poverty can be eliminated by putting science at the heart of development
• (October 16, 2016) – People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people
• (October 09, 2016) – Better Access is Key to Inclusive Cities
• (October 02, 2016) – The weaker sections of Indian society – Are their Rights and Access to Justice Getting Better?
• (September 25, 2016) – Imagination is more important than intelligence
• (September 18, 2016) – Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life
• (September 11, 2016) – Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance
• (September 04, 2016) – It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it
• (August 28, 2016) – If one can Address Moral Crisis, many of World’s Problems can be Solved
• (August 21, 2016) – Overdependence on Technology will Advance Human Development
• (August 14, 2016) – Geography may remain the same ; history need not
• (August 07, 2016) – Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom
• (July 31, 2016) – To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all
• (July 24, 2016) – True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing
• (July 17, 2016) – We Can Not Fight Terrorism – We have to Live With it
• (July 10, 2016) – A house divided against itself cannot stand
• (July 02, 2016) – When the going gets tough, the tough get going
• (June 26, 2016) – India a Reluctant Participant in the New Global Order?
• (June 19, 2016) – Inclusiveness in India – Still a Dream?
• (June 12, 2016) – No one can make you feel inferior without your consent
• (June 05, 2016) – Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted
• (May 29, 2016) – It is hard to free fools from the chains they revere
• (May 22, 2016) – Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress
• (May 15, 2016) – Fire is a good servant but a bad master
• (May 08, 2016) – The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
• (May 01, 2016) – Labour Reforms in India and its Role in Economic Development
• (April 24, 2016) – It takes a whole village to raise a child
• (April 17, 2016) – Trust take years to Build, Seconds to Break
• (April 10, 2016) – Cleanliness is next to Godliness
• (April 03, 2016) – Honesty is the Best Policy
• (March 27, 2016) – Before criticizing a man, walk a mile in his shoes
• (March 20, 2016) – Caste System – India’s Enduring Curse
• (March 13, 2016) – Fortune favors the bold
• (March 06, 2016) – Quick but steady wins the race
• (February 28, 2016) – Dreams which should not let India sleep
• (February 21, 2016) – Lending hands to someone is better than giving a dole
• (February 14, 2016) – Technology cannot replace manpower
• (February 7, 2016) – Character of an institution is reflected in its leader
• (January 31, 2016) – Can Capitalism bring Inclusive Growth?
• (January 24, 2016) – Crisis Faced in India – Moral or Economic?
• (January 17, 2016) – Too many cooks spoil the broth
• (January 10, 2016) – The Best Things in Life are Free
• (January 3, 2016) – Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

WEEKLY ESSAY WRITING CHALLENGES – 2015

• 27 December 2015
• 20 December 2015
• 13 December 2015
• 06 December 2015
• 28 November 2015
• 21 November 2015
• 15 November 2015
• 08 November 2015
• 01 November 2015
• 25 October 2015
• 18 October 2015
• 11 October 2015
• 04 October 2015
• 27 September 2015
• 20 September 2015
• 13 September 2015
• 06 September 2015
• 31 August 2015
• 30 August 2015
• 23 August 2015
• 16 August 2015
• 09 August 2015
• 01 August 2015
• 26 July 2015
• 19 July 2015
• 12 July 2015
• 05 July 2015
• 28 June 2015
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• 07 June 2015
• 31 May 2015
• 24 May 2015
• 17 May 2015
• 10 May 2015
• 03 May 2015
• 26 April 2015
• 19 April 2015
• 12 April 2015
• 05 April 2015
• 29 March 2015
• 22 March 2015
• 15 March 2015
• 01 March 2015
• 22 February 2015
• 15 February 2015
• 08 February 2015
• 01 February 2015
• 25 January 2015
• 18 January 2015
• 11 January 2015
• 04 January 2015

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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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The History of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Brundtland commission.

• In 1983, the United Nations created the World Commission on Environment and Development , later known as the Brundtland Commission . It defined sustainable development as “ meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs “.

UNCED or Earth Summit 1992, Rio De Janeiro Brazil

• The  United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) is popularly known as Earth Summit 1992 . It raised public awareness of the need to integrate environment & (sustainable) development .

Significance of Earth Summit 1992

• Rio Declaration:   Principles intended to guide countries in future sustainable development .
• Agenda 21 : Non-binding action plan of the United Nations regarding sustainable development .
• Forest Principles: Non-legally binding document on the Conservation and Sustainable Development of all types of forests .

UN Agenda 21

• Agenda 21 (an agenda for the 21 st century) is a non-binding action plan of the UN related to sustainable development . It aims to achieve global sustainable development.
• As a follow-up to UNCED , the  World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10)   was held in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa . In 2012, the   United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20/Rio Earth Summit 2012) was also held in Rio, Brazil .

Rio+10 (2002) or Earth Summit 2002

• Rio+10 affirmed the UN commitment to Agenda 21, alongside the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) . The ensuing Johannesburg Declaration committed the nations of the world towards sustainable development.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015

• MGDs had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000. The SDGs replaced the MDGs (eight development goals for 2015) in 2016.

Millennium Development Goals aimed to:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
• Achieve universal primary education.
• Promote gender equality and empower women.
• Reduce child mortality.
• Improve maternal health.
• Combat HIV/aids, malaria, and other diseases.
• Ensure environmental sustainability.
• Develop a global partnership for development.

Rio+20 (2012) or Earth Summit 2012

• Rio+20 was a 20-year follow-up to the Earth Summit 1992 and a 10-year follow-up to the Earth Summit 2002. It is also known as Rio 2012 or Earth Summit 2012. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at Rio+20 . Since 2015, Sustainable Development Goals are included in the Agenda 2030 .

Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE)

• PAGE, launched in 2013, is a direct response to the Rio+20 Declaration, The Future We Want . It seeks to assist countries in achieving SDG (2030 Agenda), especially SDG 8: “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment.”

UN Agenda 2030 – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals , and their 169 targets , set by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2015 for the year 2030 (UNGA resolution “2030 Agenda”) . They aim at eradicating poverty in all forms and “seek to realise the human rights of all and achieve gender equality”.

Goal 1: No Poverty

“End poverty in all its forms everywhere” by

• Ensuring equal rights to ownership, essential services, technology, and economic resources.
• Building resilience to environmental, economic, and social disasters.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

“End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture “ by

• Doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers (women, tribals, etc.) by increasing access to land and eliminating wastage.
• Maintaining the genetic diversity of seeds and improving land and soil quality.
• Preventing trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets.

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” by

• Reducing maternal mortality and ending all preventable deaths under five years of age.
• Reducing mortality from communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Preventing and treating substance abuse.
• Promoting mental health.
• Reducing road injuries and deaths.
• Granting universal access to sexual and reproductive care , family planning and education.
• Achieving universal health coverage.
• Reducing illnesses and deaths from hazardous chemicals and pollution.
• Implementing the Who framework convention on tobacco control.
• Supporting research, development and universal access to affordable vaccines and medicines.
• Increasing the health financing and workforce in developing countries.
• Improving early warning systems for global health risks.

Goal 4: Quality Education

“Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by

• Providing free, equal access to pre-primary, primary and secondary education, and affordable technical, vocational, and higher education.
• Expanding higher education scholarships and increasing the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries.

Goal 5: Gender Equality

“Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” by

• Ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Ending violence and exploitation of women and girls.
• Eliminating harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
• Increasing the value of unpaid care (domestic chores) and promoting shared domestic responsibilities .
• Ensuring full participation of women in leadership and decision-making.
• Ensuring access to universal reproductive rights and health .
• Fostering equal rights to economic resources, property ownership and financial services for women.
• Promoting empowerment of women through technology.
• Adopting, strengthening policies, and enforcing legislation for gender equality .

Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

“ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” by.

• Providing safe and affordable drinking water.
• Ending open defecation and providing access to sanitation and hygiene.
• Ensuring equitable sanitation for addressing the specific needs of women and girls, disabled, age, etc.
• Improving water quality, wastewater treatment and safe reuse.
• Increasing water-use efficiency and ensuring freshwater supplies.
• Implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) .
• Protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems.
• IWRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare equitably without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

“ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” by increasing the share of renewable energy., goal 8: jobs and growth.

“Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment” by

• Improving resource efficiency in consumption and production.
• Providing full employment and decent work with equal pay.
• Promoting youth employment, education, and training.
• Ending modern slavery , trafficking, and child labour.
• Protecting labour rights and promoting safe working environments.
• Promoting beneficial and sustainable tourism.
• Ensuring universal access to banking, insurance, and financial services.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

“Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation” by

• Increasing access to financial services and markets.
• Supporting domestic technology development and industrial diversification.
• Ensuring universal access to information and communications technology.

Goal 10: Reduced Inequality

“Reduce income inequality within and among countries” by

• Promoting universal social, economic and political inclusion.
• Ensuring equal opportunities and ending discrimination.
• Improving regulation of global financial markets and institutions.
• Enhancing representation for developing countries in financial institutions.
• Framing responsible and well-managed migration policies.
• Reducing transaction costs for migrant remittances.

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

“Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable” by

• Enabling affordable housing, transport systems, and sustainable urbanisation.
• Protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
• Reducing the adverse effects of natural disasters.
• Reducing the environmental impacts and providing access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

“Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” by

• Achieving sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
• Reducing by half the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and the reduction of food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
• Achieving environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes throughout their life cycle.
• Reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
• Removing market distortions, like fossil fuel subsidies, that encourage wasteful consumption.

Goal 13: Climate Action

“Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy “ by

• Strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters.
• Integrating climate change measures into policies and planning.
• Building knowledge and capacity to meet climate change.
• Implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) .

Goal 14: Life Below Water

“Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” by

• Reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification and protecting and restoring ecosystems.
• Supporting sustainable fishing and small-scale fishers .
• Ending subsidies contributing to overfishing
• Increasing the economic benefits from the sustainable use of marine resources.

Goal 15: Life on Land

“Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss” by

• Conserving and restoring terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.
• Ending desertification and restoring degraded land.
• Conserving mountain ecosystems, biodiversity , and natural habitats.
• Reducing urbanisation .
• Protecting access to genetic resources and fair sharing of the benefits .
• Eliminating poaching and trafficking of protected species.
• Preventing invasive alien species on land and in water ecosystems.
• Increasing financial resources to conserve and sustainably use ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Financing and incentivising sustainable forest management.

Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

“Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels” by

• Protecting children from abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence.
• Promoting the rule of law and ensuring equal access to justice.
• Combating organised crime and illicit financial and arms flows.
• Substantially reducing corruption and bribery.
• Developing effective, accountable, and transparent institutions.
• Ensuring responsive, inclusive, and representative decision-making.
• Providing universal legal identity.
• Ensuring public access to information and protecting fundamental freedoms.

Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals

“Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development” by

• Assisting developing countries in attaining debt sustainability.
• Investing in least-developed countries.
• Knowledge sharing and cooperation for access to science, technology, and innovation.
• Promoting sustainable technologies to developing countries.
• Promoting a universal trading system under the WTO .
• Removing trade barriers for least-developed countries.

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Interim Budget 2024-25: Key Highlights

Last updated on February 7, 2024 by ClearIAS Team

The interim budget 2024 has been presented by the finance minister. It lays out the government’s spending plans for the first half of the upcoming fiscal year. This article delves into the key highlights of the interim budget 2024.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha after approval from the Union Cabinet earlier.

The key highlights of the interim budget 2024 include no tax revisions, affordable houses, upgrading maternal and child care, free electricity, Atmanirbharta in agriculture and other sectors, fast fast-tracking infrastructure to list a few.

Table of Contents

What is an Interim Budget?

An interim budget is essentially a temporary financial statement presented by the government. It is typically introduced in a year when general elections are scheduled, and a new government is expected to take power.

The main purpose of the interim budget is to allow the government to continue its operations and meet its financial obligations until the new government is formed and presents the full budget.

The interim budget covers the government’s expenditures and receipts for a part of the fiscal year.

Key Characteristics of an Interim Budget:

• Duration: Unlike the full annual budget, which outlines financial plans for the entire fiscal year, the interim budget usually covers a shorter period—often a few months until the new government is in place.
• Expenditure Approval: It seeks the Parliament’s approval for incurring expenses and withdrawing funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for the ongoing operations of the government until the full budget is passed.
• Limited Announcements: The interim budget generally avoids making any major policy announcements or introducing new schemes. It is more about maintaining continuity in government spending and operations.
• Vote on Account: The primary component of an interim budget is the “ vote on account ,” which seeks approval for essential government spending, including salaries, administrative expenses, and ongoing project expenditures, without a detailed discussion on each demand.
• Revenue and Expenditure Estimates: It provides an overview of the government’s revenue and expenditure for the part of the fiscal year. However, it might not include detailed economic projections or tax proposals, which are typically reserved for the full budget.
• Political Considerations: Given its timing before elections, the interim budget is often scrutinized for any measures that could influence voters, though traditionally it is expected to be a neutral financial statement.

Importance:

• Continuity of Government Operations: It ensures that the government has the legal authority to spend funds and keep its operations running smoothly, avoiding any disruptions in public services.
• Transition to New Government: It allows the incoming government to have a say in the financial plans for the majority of the fiscal year, enabling them to implement their policies and priorities through a full budget.
• Economic Stability: By ensuring that government expenditures and operations continue unhindered, the interim budget plays a role in maintaining economic stability.

Interim Budget 2024: Key highlights

The Finance Minister confirmed the continuation of existing tax rates, covering direct, and indirect taxes, and export duties. The budget introduced a housing scheme for the deserving middle class, focusing on those living in rented houses, slums, chawls, or unauthorized colonies.

Amid various announcements benefiting youth, the impoverished, women, and farmers, the FM highlighted the extension of Ayushman Bharat healthcare coverage to all ASHA and Anganwadi workers and helpers.

This year, the total allocation under the gender budget stands at  ₹ three lakh crore, which is almost 6.5% of the total expenditure. This is an increase of almost 40% over the gender budget for the previous year and the highest increase in the last decade.

Taxation, GDP, FDI, Expenditure

• There are no changes in direct, or indirect tax rates
• The government withdrew income tax demands up to ₹25,000 (till 2009-10) and ₹10,000 from 2010-11 to 2014-15. This will benefit about one crore taxpayers.
• Tax benefits to start-ups and investments made by sovereign wealth or pension funds extended by 1 year till March 31, 2025
• Gross tax revenue target for FY25 hiked 11.46% to ₹38.31-lakh crore, from ₹34.37 lakh crore in FY24
• The direct tax collection target is set at ₹21.99-lakh crore, while that of indirect tax is at ₹16.22-lakh crore
• Capital expenditure hiked 11% to ₹11.11-lakh crore
• The fiscal deficit for FY25 is projected at 5.1%, lower than the revised estimate (5.8%) in FY24
• Govt to borrow ₹14.13-lakh crore in next fiscal, lower than ₹15.43 lakh crore in FY24
• Nominal GDP growth for FY25 is projected at 10.5%
• Mop-up from central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) disinvestment pegged at ₹50,000 crore for FY25, up from ₹30,000 crore in FY24
• The government will release a white paper on the mismanagement of the economy before 2014.

Welfare schemes

The following welfare schemes were mentioned in the interim budget 2024:

• Direct Benefit Transfer ’ of 34 Lakh Cr from the Government using PM-Jan Dhan accounts has led to savings of 2.7 Lakh Cr for the Government.
• PM-SVANidhi has provided credit assistance to 78 Lakh Street vendors. From that total, 2.3 Lakh have received credit for the third time.
• PM-JANMAN Yojana reaches out to the particularly vulnerable tribal groups, who have remained outside the realm of development so far.
• PM-Vishwakarma Yojana provides end-to-end support to artisans and craftspeople engaged in 18 trades.
• Every year, under PM-KISAN SAMMAN Yojana, direct financial assistance is provided to 11.8 Cr farmers, including marginal and small farmers. Crop insurance is given to 4 Cr farmers under PM Fasal Bima Yojana.
• PM Awas Yojana (Grameen): India is close to achieving the target of three crore houses. Two crore more houses will be taken up in the next five years to meet the requirement arising from an increase in the number of families.
• The government will adopt economic policies that foster and sustain growth, facilitate inclusive and sustainable development, improve productivity, create opportunities for all, help them enhance their capabilities, and contribute to the generation of resources to power investments and fulfill aspirations.
• Guided by the principle ‘Reform, Perform, and Transform’, the Government will take up next-generation reforms, and build consensus with the states and stakeholders for effective implementation.
• Government to ensure timely and adequate finances, relevant technologies, and appropriate training for the MSMEs to grow and also compete globally.
• The government will facilitate sustaining high and more resource-efficient economic growth. This will work towards energy security regarding availability, accessibility, and affordability.
• To meet the investment needs the Government will prepare the financial sector in terms of size, capacity, skills, and regulatory framework.

Housing, electricity, and solarization

• The government will launch a scheme to help deserving sections of the middle class “living in rented houses, or slums, or chawls and unauthorized colonies” to buy or build their own houses.

Through rooftop solarization, one crore households will be enabled to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity every month. The following benefits are expected:

• ​​​​​Savings of up to fifteen to eighteen thousand rupees annually for households from free solar electricity and selling the surplus to the distribution companies
• Charging of electric vehicles
• Entrepreneurship opportunities for a large number of vendors for supply and installation
• Employment opportunities for the youth with technical skills in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.
• The government plans to set up more medical colleges by utilizing the existing hospital infrastructure under various departments. A committee for this purpose will be set up to examine the issues and make relevant recommendations.
• The government will encourage vaccination for girls in the age group of 9 to 14 years for the prevention of cervical cancer.
• Various schemes for maternal and child care will be brought under one comprehensive program for synergy in implementation. Upgradation of Anganwadi centers under “ Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 ” will be expedited for improved nutrition delivery, early childhood care, and development.
• The newly designed  U-WIN platform  for managing immunization and intensified efforts of Mission Indradhanush will be rolled out expeditiously throughout the country.
• Healthcare cover under the Ayushman Bharat scheme will be extended to all ASHA workers, Anganwadi Workers, and Helpers.

Agriculture

The budget focuses on investing in Atmanirbharta agriculture.

• Public and private investments will be promoted in post-harvest activities.
• Atmanirbhar oilseeds Abhiyan: Strategy to be formulated for achieving self-reliance in oilseeds.
• Nano DP: Application on various crops will be expanded in all agroclimatic zones.
• A new program will be launched to support dairy farmers. The program will be built on the success of existing schemes such Rashtriya Gokul Mission , National Livestock Mission , and Infrastructure Development Funds for dairy processing and animal husbandry.

Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) will be stepped up to:

• Enhance aquaculture productivity from existing 3 to 5 Tonnes per hectare
• Double exports to INR 1 Lakh Cr and
• Generate 55 Lakh employment opportunities shortly
• Five integrated aquaparks will be set up

Research and Innovation

• A corpus of INR 1 Lakh Cr will be established with a fifty-year interest-free loan. The corpus will provide long-term financing or refinancing with long tenors and low or nil interest rates. This will encourage the private sector to significantly scale up research and innovation in sunrise domains.
• A new scheme will be launched for strengthening deep-tech technologies for defense purposes and expediting ‘Atmanirbharta’.

Fast-tracking infrastructure

• The outlay for the next year is being increased by 11.1% to eleven lakh, eleven thousand, one hundred and eleven crore rupees (INR 11,11,111 Cr). This would be 3.4% of the GDP.
• 40,000 normal rail bogies to be transformed to Vande Bharat standards.
• Three major economic railway corridor programs will be implemented. These are:
• Energy, mineral, and cement corridors
• Port connectivity corridors
• High-traffic density corridors
• The projects have been identified under the PM Gati Shakti for enabling multi-modal connectivity. They will improve logistics efficiency and reduce costs.
• Together with dedicated freight corridors, these three economic corridor programs will accelerate our GDP growth and reduce logistic costs.
• Metro Rail and NaMo Bharat can be the catalyst for the required urban transformation. Expansion of these systems will be supported in large cities focusing on transit-oriented development.
• The number of airports has doubled to 149. The rollout of air connectivity to tier-two and tier-three cities under the UDAN  scheme has been widespread. Five hundred and seventeen new routes are carrying 1.3 Cr passengers.
• Indian carriers have proactively placed orders for over 1000 new aircraft.
• Expansion of existing airports and development of new airports will continue expeditiously.

Green Energy

• Viability gap funding will be provided for harnessing offshore wind energy potential for an initial capacity of one giga-watt.
• A coal gasification and liquefaction capacity of 100 MT will be set up by 2030. This will also help in reducing imports of natural gas, methanol, and ammonia.
• Phased mandatory blending of  compressed biogas (CBG)  in  compressed natural gas ( CNG )  for transport and piped natural gas (PNG) for domestic purposes will be mandated.
• Financial assistance will be provided for the procurement of biomass aggregation machinery to support collection.

Electric Vehicle

• The government will expand and strengthen the e-vehicle ecosystem by supporting manufacturing and charging infrastructure.
• Greater adoption of e-buses for public transport networks will be encouraged through payment security mechanisms.

Bio-manufacturing and Bio-foundry

• A new scheme of bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry will be launched. This will provide environment-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable polymers, bio-plastics, bio-pharmaceuticals, and bio-agri-inputs. This scheme will also help in transforming today’s consumptive manufacturing paradigm to one based on regenerative principles.

Blue Economy 2.0

• For promoting climate-resilient activities for Blue Economy 2.0 , a scheme for restoration and adaptation measures, and coastal aquaculture and mariculture with an integrated and multi-sectoral approach will be launched.
• States will be encouraged to take up comprehensive development of iconic tourist centers, branding and marketing them at a global scale.
• A framework for rating the centers based on the quality of facilities and services will be established.
• Long-term interest-free loans will be provided to States for financing such development on a matching basis.
• To address the emerging fervor for domestic tourism, projects for port connectivity, tourism infrastructure, and amenities will be taken up on our islands, including Lakshadweep. This will help in generating employment also.

The Interim budget 2024 also mentioned that the Government will form a high-powered committee for an extensive consideration of the challenges arising from fast population growth and demographic changes.

After the general elections, once the new government is in place, a full budget is usually presented. This budget may revise the estimates provided in the interim budget and outline the new government’s comprehensive financial and policy plans for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Related articles:

• Interim budget 2019-20
• Government budgeting in India

For more economics notes click here .

-Article by Swathi Satish

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