Union budget takes 'no steps' to address alarming inequality, enhance redistribution

By Raj Shekhar*

The Right to Food Campaign has expressed its deep disappointment that in the budget announcement for 2024-25 rather than enhancing spending in the critical area of food security, the budget has either remained stagnant or has declined.

The budget estimate for the food subsidy under the National Food Security Act for Financial Year (FY) 2024-25 is Rs. 2.05 lakh crore which is 3.3% less than the revised estimates for the previous financial year. When by all accounts, it is clear that the country is facing a major crisis of malnutrition and food insecurity, it is indeed shocking that the food subsidy budget has been cut.

The POSHAN (school mid-day meal) scheme sees a slight increase from BE 2023-24 of ₹11,600 crores to ₹12,467 crores (this is however less than the actual expenditure on this scheme in 2022-23 of ₹12,681 crores).

The Saksham Anganwadi scheme for children under six years, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls, also sees a decrease and gets a budgetary allocation of ₹21,200 crore (RE 2023-24 was ₹21,523 crores).

Samarthya which includes maternity entitlements (Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, PMMVY) and the creche schemes sees a reduction in its allocation to ₹2,517 crores compared to BE 2023-24 of ₹2,582 crores.

The Union Budget has once again failed to address the rural distress. The allocations for the MGNREGA is the same as the revised estimates for last year. The Budget has neglected the long-standing demands of the farmers for MSP at C2+50% with guaranteed procurement. This has been a strong demand for the Right to Food Campaign as well for many years in support of farmers in their struggle.

One is shocked at the apathy and uncaring attitude of the government towards people, especially those most in need of food and nutrition support. Rather than dismissing reports highlighting the ground reality of hunger and malnutrition and spending time and resources to counter them, the government should acknowledge the problems and enhance food security provisions.

The government has failed to include any measures to address the alarming levels of inequality in the country and continues to be anti-poor and pro-corporate.

---

*Secretariat, Right to Food Campaign

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

The high price of unemployment: The human cost of the drug crisis in J&K

By Raqif Makhdoomi* Jammu and Kashmir is no longer merely at risk of a drug epidemic ; it is losing the fight. The statistics are staggering, with approximately 13.5 lakh people—nearly 8% of the total population—caught in the grip of substance abuse . In the ranking of Indian Union Territories , Jammu and Kashmir now sits at a grim top. We have officially reached a point where we can no longer speak in hypotheticals about a future crisis. The vocabulary has shifted from "if" to "if not addressed immediately."

India 'violating international law obligations' over Israel ties: UN rapporteur

By A Representative Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Population as destiny: The dangerous logic of India's new delimitation move

By Jag Jivan Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi , a noted public policy expert and public interest campaigner, in a detailed critical analysis of two Bills introduced in Parliament in April 2026—the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 , has warned that the twin bills "raise significant constitutional, political and methodological concerns — most critically, a structural inconsistency in the census basis used for Parliament versus State Assemblies, and an over-reliance on population as the sole parameter for delimitation."

Search This Blog