Page 42 - EW March 2021

Cover Story

UNION BUDGET 2021-22

BARE CUPBOARD FOR WORLD’S

MOST HIGH-POTENTIAL CHILDREN

The major understated casualty of the massive damage caused by the
globally rampaging Coronavirus pandemic are India’s 500 million
youngest citizens in 0-24 age group. But the recently presented Budget
2021-22 has provided no relief for the world’s largest and most high-
potential child and youth population

Dilip Thakore

U NSURPRISINGLY, THE PRIME country, but what we have endured with Covid-19 through

2020 is sui generis. When I presented Budget 2020-21, we
objective and focus of the Union
could not have imagined that the global economy, already
Budget 2021-22 presented to Par-
in the throes of a slowdown, would be pushed into an un-
liament and the nation on Febru-
precedented contraction,” said Sitharaman presenting her
ary 1 by finance minister N i rmal a
S i t h araman — the first pandemic
year budget of the BJP/NDA gov-
the Union defence to the finance ministry in 2019.
Unquestionably, the damage caused by the highly con-
ernment — was to get the economy third budget after she was unexpectedly transferred from
back on track and re-fire the engines of industry and com- tagious pandemic has been enormous. Thus far (February
merce. 25), this rampaging virus has infected 111 million people
Although it seems so long ago, only 11 months have worldwide and caused 2.4 million fatalities. In India, it has
elapsed since a national emergency was declared to pre- infected 11 million and prompted an estimated 157,000 fa-
vent the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, aka Covid-19 pan- talities.
demic that originated in Wuhan (China) in November 2019. Following detection of the first cases in India last Feb-
On March 25, 2020 a total lockdown of industry, business, ruary, in an urgent national broadcast at 8 p.m on March
public transport services and all education institutions na- 24, prime minister N are n d ra M o d i declared a national
tionwide was declared by the Central government in New lockdown from the midnight of March 24, reportedly the
Delhi. most stringent pandemic-induced lockdown of any democ-
“Honourable Speaker, preparation of this Budget was racy worldwide. The short four hours notice given to the
undertaken in circumstances like never before. We knew of public provoked the largest exodus of suddenly unemployed
calamities that have affected a country or region within a rural migrants — their number variously estimated at 20-25

42 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2021