Skip to main content

Gender budgeting? Central allocation for 2015-16 lowest in five years

By Our Representative
A fresh analysis of the Gender Budget Statement (GBS) for 2015-16 has revealed that the total allocation under it as proportion of the Union budget has been progressively going down, with 2015-16 being the lowest of the last five years.
In 2015-16, the analysis, carried out by a reputed non-profit organization, says that allocation under gender budgeting is 0.94 per cent of the Union budget, as against 1.04 per cent in 2014-15, 1.53 per cent in 2013-14, 1.32 per cent in 2012-13 and 1.55 per cent in 2011-12.
Especially referring to specific schemes, under which gender budgeting takes effect, the analysis has found that, in absolute numbers, the allocation for midday meal is down from Rs 3,965 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 2,771 crore in 2015-16; for the Scheme for the Protection and Development of Women from Rs 315 crore to Rs 78 crore; for Rashtriya Uccha Shiksha Abhiyan from Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 1,010 crore; and for the Integrated Child Development Scheme from Rs 10,735 crore to Rs 7,502 crore.
Carried out by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), New Delhi, the analysis says the Government of India believes the lower allocation would compensated with “enhanced devolution of Union Taxes to states as recommended by the 14th Finance Commission”, with states asked to "contribute from their enhanced resources”
"However", comments the analysis, "It is important to note that the allocation of resources to these schemes by states would depend on the prioritisation for these by the states." The fact is, "the magnitude of funds meant exclusively for women have declined as a proportion of the Union Budget and GDP in 2015-16. This decline is indicative of the reduced priority for women in the Union Budget."
The analysis further states, "Only three schemes, i.e., Infrastructure Maintenance (Department of Health and Family Welfare), Nirbhaya Fund for Safety of Women (Department of Economic Affairs) and Indira Awas Yojana have allocations exceeding Rs. 1,000 crore. Likewise, only two schemes, Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (Ministry of Women and Child Development) and Scheme on Women Safety on Public Road Transport from Nirbhaya Fund (Ministry of Road Transport& Highways) have allocations of more than Rs. 100 crore."
According to the analysis, "Most schemes, meant only for women have allocations of less than Rs 100 crore. The need to strengthen budgetary outlays, especially for interventions to address violence against women, has been ignored in Union Budget 2015-16. The Government earlier last year announced the setting up of a One Stop Crisis Centre in each district of the country", which "cannot be met from the allocations in this Budget. The allocations for this scheme stand at Rs 2 core in 2015-16 (BE)."
Further, says the analysis, "Important schemes like Women’s Helpline and Scheme for Assistance to States for Implementation of Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005 have not been allocated the necessary outlays, even as there are unutilized funds under the Nirbhaya Fund."
It adds, "Among the schemes by Ministry of Women and Child Development that will have a changed sharing pattern is the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS). The scheme is being transferred to states, whereby the Union Government will provide capital expenditure (such as expenditure on construction of Anganwadi Centres etc.). The states would be expected to bear the revenue expenditure), which is going to be the large part of expenditure under the scheme."

Comments

TRENDING

Junk food push causing severe public health crisis of obesity, diabetes in India: Report

By Rajiv Shah  A new report , “The Junk Push: Rising Consumption of Ultra-processed foods in India- Policy, Politics and Reality”, public health experts, consumers groups, lawyers, youth and patient groups, has called upon the Government of India to check the soaring consumption of High Fat Sugar or Salt (HFSS) foods or ultra-processed foods (UPF), popularly called junk food.

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk  Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat."  In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Astonishing? Violating its own policy, Barclays 'refinanced' Adani Group's $8 billion bonds

By Rajiv Shah  A new report released by two global NGOs, BankTrack and the Toxic Bonds Network, has claimed to have come up with “a disquieting truth”: that Barclays, a financial heavyweight with a “controversial” track record, is deeply entrenched in a “disturbing” alliance with “the Indian conglomerate and coal miner Adani Group.”

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi*  The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the  2050 net zero commitments , a new study  released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Insider plot to kill Deendayal Upadhyay? What RSS pracharak Balraj Madhok said

By Shamsul Islam*  Balraj Madhok's died on May 2, 2016 ending an era of old guards of Hindutva politics. A senior RSS pracharak till his death was paid handsome tributes by the RSS leaders including PM Modi, himself a senior pracharak, for being a "stalwart leader of Jan Sangh. Balraj Madhok ji's ideological commitment was strong and clarity of thought immense. He was selflessly devoted to the nation and society. I had the good fortune of interacting with Balraj Madhok ji on many occasions". The RSS also issued a formal condolence message signed by the Supremo Mohan Bhagwat on behalf of all swayamsevaks, referring to his contribution of commitment to nation and society. He was a leading RSS pracharak on whom his organization relied for initiating prominent Hindutva projects. But today nobody in the RSS-BJP top hierarchy remembers/talks about Madhok as he was an insider chronicler of the immense degeneration which was spreading as an epidemic in the high echelons of th

Victim of 'hazardous' jobs, Delhi sanitary workers get two thirds of minimum wages

By Sanjeev Kumar*  Recently, the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) organized a Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop for sewer workers and waste pickers from all across Delhi NCR. The workshop focused on bringing sanitation workers from different parts of Delhi to train them for organization building and to discuss their issues of minimum wage, contractual labour, regular jobs and social security.