Interim finance minister Piyush Goyal will present this government’s last budget today before the country heads for elections. His speech may pack a bigger punch than the typical poll-year vote-on-account. Here’s a pre-budget primer:
1 FISCAL DEFICIT
Will pre-election populism derail fiscal consolidation?
2 INCOME TAX RELIEF
No interim budget has done this, but will this one give something to the middle class?
3 UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
Will the govt announce an income transfer scheme?
4 FARM PACKAGE
Apart from UBI, will the government announce a separate farm package?
5 JOB CONCERNS
Given the debate on job creation, will the govt announce measures to boost employment?
6 SUBSIDIES AND MGNREGA
Will government pare subsidies or MGNREGA allocation to create room for universal basic income?
7 DISINVESTMENT
Will disinvestment target be raised to meet greater social spending?
8 NEW TAXES AND/OR SURCHARGE
Will govt levy new taxes or cesses to meet UBI spending?
9 RBI DIVIDEND
Will govt budget a one-time big payment from RBI?
10 CAPITAL SPENDING
Will a bigger social outlay dent capital creation?
1 FISCAL DEFICIT
Will pre-election populism derail fiscal consolidation?
2 INCOME TAX RELIEF
No interim budget has done this, but will this one give something to the middle class?
3 UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME
Will the govt announce an income transfer scheme?
4 FARM PACKAGE
Apart from UBI, will the government announce a separate farm package?
5 JOB CONCERNS
Given the debate on job creation, will the govt announce measures to boost employment?
6 SUBSIDIES AND MGNREGA
Will government pare subsidies or MGNREGA allocation to create room for universal basic income?
7 DISINVESTMENT
Will disinvestment target be raised to meet greater social spending?
8 NEW TAXES AND/OR SURCHARGE
Will govt levy new taxes or cesses to meet UBI spending?
9 RBI DIVIDEND
Will govt budget a one-time big payment from RBI?
10 CAPITAL SPENDING
Will a bigger social outlay dent capital creation?