Why in News?

• The Union Budget 2020-21 has been presented in the parliament recently. The key provisions related to the Social Sector and infrastructure sector has been discussed in brief below.

• 1. Agriculture Sector:
  • Agri-credit availability set at ₹15 lakh crore for 2020-21.
  • A budget allocation of ₹2.83 lakh crore for 16 action points.
  • The action points include measures to provide farmers access to faraway markets by running trains (Kisan Rail) and flights (Krishi Udaan) and providing relief to farmers from water shortage.
  • It will also include ‘One-Product One-District’for better marketing and export in the Horticulture sector. The scheme is already functional in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The focus is also on Jaivik Kheti Portal(online national organic products market), Zero-Budget Natural Farming, PM-KUSUM.

• 2.Health Sector:
  • An allocation of ₹69,000 crore for the health sector.
  • Proposal to set up hospitals in Tier-II and Tier-III cities with the private sector using PPP model.
  • Expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendra Scheme to all districts by 2024.
  • A task force to be appointed to recommend regarding steps required to lower the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Improving Nutrition.

• 3. Education:
  • An amount of ₹99,300 crore has been allocated for the education sector and about ₹3,000 crore for skill development respectively.
  • Degree-level full-fledged online education programmes by institutions ranked in the top 100 in NIRF rankings, especially to benefit underprivileged students.
  • Urban local bodies to provide internship to young engineers for a year.
  • Proposal to set up National Police University and a National Forensic Science University.
  • IND SAT exam for students of Asia and Africa to promote “study in India” programme.

• 4. Infrastructure:
  • Rs. 103 lakh crore’s for National Infrastructure Pipeline projects announced.
  • An international bullion exchange to be set up at GIFT City.
  • The budget has also announced that proceeds from divestment will go only into capital expenditure and not revenue expenditure.

Transport:

• Budget proposes to provide ₹1.7 lakh crore for transport infrastructure in 2021.
• National Logistics Policy to be released soon.
• Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway to be started.

Railways

• Aims to achieve electrification of 27,000 km of railway lines.
• Plan to have a large solar power capacity for Indian Railways.
• 100 more airports will be developed by 2024 to support UDAN.
• 5 new smart cities in public-private partnership mode.

• 5. Culture and Tourism
  • Five Archaeological Sites to be developed as Iconic Sites:

  a)Rakhigarhi (Haryana)
  b)Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh)
  c)Shivsagar (Assam)
  d)Dholavira (Gujarat)
  e)Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu)

  • Proposal to Establish:

  a)Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation.
  b)Maritime museum at Lothal (Gujarat).
  c)Tribal Museum in Ranchi
  d)A museum on Numismatics and Trade.