'Yup! It's budget time' says the MBA in me. 'So what?' says the rest of me. Until I decided to do MBA, I was never really bothered about the budget except for the income tax rate which affected our family income. But then, during my preparation for MBA, I had analysed the then budget left, right and centre. No, No I din't analyse so deeply! I just looked at what the Left had to say, what the Centre had to say (No PM is going to blame his FM, it is anyway through him) and the opposition and then read what the national dailes had to say and so on. MBA first year, look at all the above from an MBA perspective and if possible add your perspective too. Come second year things started to change....
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The railway budget will invariably have some price revisions (cuts if the election is close by and rise in first class price if the election is over) and some new trains for certain states based on which local party is part of the coalition. But then not many is really interested in the railway one. It is the next day that matters.
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How about the union budget? Not many Indians are aware of the fact that less than 10% of our population constitute the middle class and higher. (But then they are responsible for a big chunk of the GDP). So for 90% of the people the budget matters very little. Schemes keep popping up under various names (yeah the names do change like James Bond movies), but then nothing great has happened in my personal opinion. Other than his own income tax and other consumable tax cuts the middle class is not bothered. Who is left? The honchos and they make sure they looby enough to get what they want both above and under the carpet. Afterall they are the funders for the parties.. hmph
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Just like how inflation changes prices every year, I think the FM adjusts the rates here and there to make sure there ARE changes in certain figures (You see the budget has to run certain pages at the bare minimum right?). The % increase in defence outlay matches the % increase in MIG crashes. To match the dropouts out of midschool, give higher education more funding. Seriosuly guys I am fed up!
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People think of giving rice for 2 Rs and ration cards for free. But then the number of looters will far exceed the benefactors. Why cant they think of implementing a scheme which will make them earn their 2 Rs. Surely the looters cant loot the jobs? But then how to generate so much employment? Infrastructure, agriculture (give the seeds and fertilizers free), government schools..... avenues are plenty. But everything has its own loopholes to make sure that any scheme benefits only the 'sharks'.
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Yes, it has been years since we had a revolutionary budget. What is happening to the tax money? What is happeining to the education allocations? Agri allocations? Small scale industries development? It is a basic principle that you cannot treat the entire nation and reform the nation at one instance. But why not start from a small place. Say, one city from every state and then move from there on? But then politics can be a so frustrating speed breaker that it can be so steep to even decide which city should be the first.. Yes, pilot projects do exist but they hardly take off !!
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India has come a long way, but then it has already taken a long time. It is progressing but not at the pace it has to and no where near the pace it is capable of. When can we see the turnaround? Not far says the optimist in me.... Jai Hind!
hey great seeing u r also in to the blog team !
ReplyDeletei really appreciate and accept ur last few lines
//India has come a long way, but then it has already taken a long time. It is progressing but not at the pace it has to and no where near the pace it is capable of. When can we see the turnaround? Not far says the optimist in me.... Jai Hind!"//
@ Meenu - thanks .. ya started very recently .. just to vent some of my emotions.. :)
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