Thursday, February 28, 2013

Key Features of Union Budget 2013-14


The Union Budget for 2013-14 aims at higher growth rate leading to inclusive and 
sustainable development as ‘mool mantra’. 

• Finance Minister makes three promises: to women, youth and the poor. 
Nirbhaya Fund to empower women and to keep them safe and secure. 
• Proposal to set up India’s first
Women’s Bank as a public sector bank. 
• Rs. 1,000 crore for skill development of ten lakh youth to enhance their 
employability and productivity. 
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme to be rolled out throughout the country 
during the term of UPA Government. 
• Fiscal Deficit for 2013-14 is pegged at 4.8 percent of GDP. The Revenue Deficit 
will be 3.3 percent for the same period. 
• Plan Expenditure placed at Rs. 5,55,322 crore. It is 33.3 percent of the total 
expenditure while Non Plan Expenditure is estimated at Rs. 11,09,975 crore. The 
plan expenditure in 2013-14 will be 29.4 percent more than the RE of the current 
year i.e. 2012-13. 
• Substantial rise in allocation to the social sector.
Allocation for Rural 
Development Ministry raised by 46 percent to Rs. 80,194 crore
. 
• The target for farm credit for 2013-14 has been set at Rs. 7,00,000 crore against 
Rs. 5,75,000 crore during the current year. 
• Rs. 10,000 crore earmarked for
National Food Security towards the incremental 
cost. 
• Education gets Rs. 65,867 crore, an increase of 17 percent over RE for 2012-13. 
• ICDS gets Rs. 17,700 crore. This is 11.7 percent more than the current year. 
Drinking Water and Sanitation will receive Rs. 15,260 crore. Rs. 1,400 crore is 
being provided for setting up water purification plants to cover arsenic and 
fluoride affected rural areas. 
• Health and Family Welfare Ministry has been allotted Rs. 37,330 crore.
National 
Health Mission
will get Rs. 21,239 crore which represents 24.3 percent over the 
RE. 
• The
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) will receive 
Rs. 14,873 crore as against RE of Rs. 7,383 crore in the current year. 
• Defence has been allocated Rs. 2,03,672 crore. 
• Rs. 3,511 crore have been earmarked to Minority Affairs Ministry, 60 percent 
higher than RE for 2012-13. 2
• The Government will encourage
Infrastructure Debt Fund (IDF) and allow some 
institutions to raise tax free bonds upto Rs. 50,000 crore which is 100 percent 
more than the current year. 
India Infrastructure Finance Corporation (IIFC), in partnership with ADB will 
help infrastructure companies to access bond market to tap long term funds. 
• Income limit under
Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme (RGESS) will be raised from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh. 
• First home loan from a bank or housing finance corporation upto Rs. 25 lakh 
entitled to additional deduction of interest upto Rs. 1 lakh. 
• Proposal to launch
Inflation Indexed Bonds or Inflation Indexed National Security Certificates to protect savings from inflation. 
• On oil and gas exploration policy, the Budget proposes to move from the present 
profit sharing mechanism to revenue sharing. Natural gas pricing policy will be 
reviewed. 
• On coal, the Budget proposes adoption of a policy of pooled pricing. 
• Benefits or preferences enjoyed by MSME to continue upto three years after they 
grow out of this category. 
• Refinancing capacity of SIDBI raised to Rs. 10,000 crore. 
Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) for textile to continue in 12th Plan with an investment target of Rs. 1,51,000 crore. 
• Rs. 14,000 crore will be provided to public sector banks for capital infusion in 
2013-14. 
• A grant of Rs. 100 crore each has been made to 4 institutions of excellence 
including Aligarh Muslim University, Banaras Hindu University, Tata Institute of 
Social Sciences, Guwahati and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural 
Heritage (INTACH). 
• New taxes to yield Rs. 18,000 crore. 
• A surcharge of 10 percent on persons (other than companies) whose taxable 
income exceeds Rs.1 crore have been levied. 
• Tobacco products, SUVs and Mobile Phones to cost more. 
• Relief of Rs. 2000 for the tax payers in the first bracket of 2 to 5 lakhs. 
• ‘
Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme’ launched for recovering service tax dues. 

• Rs. 9,000 crore earmarked as the first installment of balance of CST 
compensations to different States/UTs.

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