Kurukshetra Magazine September 2024 - 1 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 2


3 Kurukshetra       September 2024
A Journal on Rural Development 
Vol. 72 | No. 11 | Pages 52 | September 2024
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - 8, Esplanade East, Kolkata-700069 
(033-22482576) ?? Mumbai - 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686)  
? Chennai - ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 (044-24917673) ? t hiruvananthapuram - Press 
Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 (0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. 
Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 (040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, 
Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) ? Patna - Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 
(0612-2675823) ? Lucknow - Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, Sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, 
Ashram Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669), ? Guwahati – Assam Khadi & Village Industries Board 
Complex, PO.-Silpukhuri, Chandmari, Guwahati-781003 (0361-4083136)
CHiEf EDitor  
Kulshrestha Kamal
SEnior EDitor  
Sukhchain Singh
Joint DirEC tor (ProDuC tion)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
Co VEr DESiGn 
Rajender Kumar
EDitoriAL offiCE 
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals unit  
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAx: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play  
or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year : ` 230
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25 Contents
5 Budget 2024-25:
Strengthening Rural Economy
Dr. K. K. Tripathy
13 Blueprint for Sustained Growth
in Rural India
Satish Singh
20 Budget 2024-25: 
A Step Towards Viksit Bharat
Dr. Ishita G. Tripathy
31 Budget 2024-25: A Roadmap to 
Develop an Industry-ready Workforce
BS Purkyastha
25 Inclusive Human Resource 
Development & Social Justice:
Budget Perspective
Jai Prakash Pandey
36 Union Budget 2024-25: 
Next Generation Reforms
Sandip Das
41 Budget 2024-25: Future-proofing
the Rural Indian Economy
Manjula Wadhwa
46 Agriculture in Budget 2024-25: Creating
Balance between Welfare and Growth
Bhuwan Bhaskar
Page 3


3 Kurukshetra       September 2024
A Journal on Rural Development 
Vol. 72 | No. 11 | Pages 52 | September 2024
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - 8, Esplanade East, Kolkata-700069 
(033-22482576) ?? Mumbai - 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686)  
? Chennai - ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 (044-24917673) ? t hiruvananthapuram - Press 
Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 (0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. 
Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 (040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, 
Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) ? Patna - Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 
(0612-2675823) ? Lucknow - Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, Sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, 
Ashram Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669), ? Guwahati – Assam Khadi & Village Industries Board 
Complex, PO.-Silpukhuri, Chandmari, Guwahati-781003 (0361-4083136)
CHiEf EDitor  
Kulshrestha Kamal
SEnior EDitor  
Sukhchain Singh
Joint DirEC tor (ProDuC tion)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
Co VEr DESiGn 
Rajender Kumar
EDitoriAL offiCE 
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals unit  
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAx: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play  
or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year : ` 230
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25 Contents
5 Budget 2024-25:
Strengthening Rural Economy
Dr. K. K. Tripathy
13 Blueprint for Sustained Growth
in Rural India
Satish Singh
20 Budget 2024-25: 
A Step Towards Viksit Bharat
Dr. Ishita G. Tripathy
31 Budget 2024-25: A Roadmap to 
Develop an Industry-ready Workforce
BS Purkyastha
25 Inclusive Human Resource 
Development & Social Justice:
Budget Perspective
Jai Prakash Pandey
36 Union Budget 2024-25: 
Next Generation Reforms
Sandip Das
41 Budget 2024-25: Future-proofing
the Rural Indian Economy
Manjula Wadhwa
46 Agriculture in Budget 2024-25: Creating
Balance between Welfare and Growth
Bhuwan Bhaskar
4 Kurukshetra       September 2024
T
he Union Budget 2024-25 presents a comprehensive framework aimed at revitalizing 
agriculture, Industry, employment and fostering rural development in India. By prioritizing 
investment in technology, supporting small farmers & entrepreneurs, boosting employment 
and skilling and enhancing rural infrastructure the government has laid the foundation for a more 
resilient agricultural and manufacturing sector.
This Budget, with its clear focus on creating resilience in agriculture, trade and industry, 
job creation, manufacturing, energy, sustainable and inclusive HRD, innovation, infrastructure 
development and tax reforms, emphasizes the clear vision of the Government on supporting the 
economy by driving inclusive growth and encouraging consumption in the long term.
The Budget has been unveiled against a backdrop of economic recovery and persistent 
challenges in the agricultural sector. As the backbone of India’s economy, agriculture not only 
contributes significantly to GDP but also sustains the livelihoods of more than half of the country’s 
population. One of the notable features of the 2024 budget is the substantial increase in allocation 
for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The government has earmarked Rs. 1.2 lakh 
crore, a rise of approximately 15 percent from the previous year. 
It also addresses the critical aspects pertaining to rural development i.e. the trade, industry and 
the entrepreneurship to provide further impetus to the rural economy. With the announcement 
of the employment-linked schemes for new entrants into the rural workforce, along with the 
support loans of up to Rs. 10 lakh for higher education, this will ensure that the next generation 
of rural population is adequately skilled in the trade and industry related areas also.
The Government, while recognising the MSMEs as an important policy priority in this 
Budget, has emphasised the need to provide them with credit access, appropriate training and 
digital technologies for staying compliant and growth- oriented. The Rs. 2 lakh crore package for 
development and employability also raises hopes for the rural communities. The initiatives to 
optimise financing opportunities and the abolition of the Angel Tax will also boost the startup 
ecosystem, attract diverse investments, and strengthen the MSME sector. 
In this Budget, the biggest challenge of addressing multiple areas such as rural demand, 
infrastructure development, manufacturing, technology upgradation, employment among 
others, has been done to leverage sustainable growth for Indian economy-with overall focus on 
boosting consumption and spending. It also takes up comprehensive reform on issues related to 
health, education, skill development, employment generation and Social Justice in a big way to 
realise the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat.’
The major takeaways of this budget are Productivity and Resilience in Agriculture, Employment 
and Skilling, Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice, Manufacturing and 
Services, Urban Development, Energy Security, Infrastructure & Innovation, Research and 
Development. With this, the Budget lays the strongest-possible foundation for an ‘Atmanirbhar’ 
and ‘Viksit’ Bharat. Every effort has been made to discuss and delve into the major aspects of 
the Budget through the articles published in this issue of Kurukshetra. Hope it will enlighten the 
reader about the intricacies involved and impacts of this Budget. Happy reading!! ?
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25
Page 4


3 Kurukshetra       September 2024
A Journal on Rural Development 
Vol. 72 | No. 11 | Pages 52 | September 2024
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - 8, Esplanade East, Kolkata-700069 
(033-22482576) ?? Mumbai - 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686)  
? Chennai - ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 (044-24917673) ? t hiruvananthapuram - Press 
Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 (0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. 
Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 (040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, 
Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) ? Patna - Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 
(0612-2675823) ? Lucknow - Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, Sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, 
Ashram Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669), ? Guwahati – Assam Khadi & Village Industries Board 
Complex, PO.-Silpukhuri, Chandmari, Guwahati-781003 (0361-4083136)
CHiEf EDitor  
Kulshrestha Kamal
SEnior EDitor  
Sukhchain Singh
Joint DirEC tor (ProDuC tion)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
Co VEr DESiGn 
Rajender Kumar
EDitoriAL offiCE 
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals unit  
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAx: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play  
or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year : ` 230
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25 Contents
5 Budget 2024-25:
Strengthening Rural Economy
Dr. K. K. Tripathy
13 Blueprint for Sustained Growth
in Rural India
Satish Singh
20 Budget 2024-25: 
A Step Towards Viksit Bharat
Dr. Ishita G. Tripathy
31 Budget 2024-25: A Roadmap to 
Develop an Industry-ready Workforce
BS Purkyastha
25 Inclusive Human Resource 
Development & Social Justice:
Budget Perspective
Jai Prakash Pandey
36 Union Budget 2024-25: 
Next Generation Reforms
Sandip Das
41 Budget 2024-25: Future-proofing
the Rural Indian Economy
Manjula Wadhwa
46 Agriculture in Budget 2024-25: Creating
Balance between Welfare and Growth
Bhuwan Bhaskar
4 Kurukshetra       September 2024
T
he Union Budget 2024-25 presents a comprehensive framework aimed at revitalizing 
agriculture, Industry, employment and fostering rural development in India. By prioritizing 
investment in technology, supporting small farmers & entrepreneurs, boosting employment 
and skilling and enhancing rural infrastructure the government has laid the foundation for a more 
resilient agricultural and manufacturing sector.
This Budget, with its clear focus on creating resilience in agriculture, trade and industry, 
job creation, manufacturing, energy, sustainable and inclusive HRD, innovation, infrastructure 
development and tax reforms, emphasizes the clear vision of the Government on supporting the 
economy by driving inclusive growth and encouraging consumption in the long term.
The Budget has been unveiled against a backdrop of economic recovery and persistent 
challenges in the agricultural sector. As the backbone of India’s economy, agriculture not only 
contributes significantly to GDP but also sustains the livelihoods of more than half of the country’s 
population. One of the notable features of the 2024 budget is the substantial increase in allocation 
for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The government has earmarked Rs. 1.2 lakh 
crore, a rise of approximately 15 percent from the previous year. 
It also addresses the critical aspects pertaining to rural development i.e. the trade, industry and 
the entrepreneurship to provide further impetus to the rural economy. With the announcement 
of the employment-linked schemes for new entrants into the rural workforce, along with the 
support loans of up to Rs. 10 lakh for higher education, this will ensure that the next generation 
of rural population is adequately skilled in the trade and industry related areas also.
The Government, while recognising the MSMEs as an important policy priority in this 
Budget, has emphasised the need to provide them with credit access, appropriate training and 
digital technologies for staying compliant and growth- oriented. The Rs. 2 lakh crore package for 
development and employability also raises hopes for the rural communities. The initiatives to 
optimise financing opportunities and the abolition of the Angel Tax will also boost the startup 
ecosystem, attract diverse investments, and strengthen the MSME sector. 
In this Budget, the biggest challenge of addressing multiple areas such as rural demand, 
infrastructure development, manufacturing, technology upgradation, employment among 
others, has been done to leverage sustainable growth for Indian economy-with overall focus on 
boosting consumption and spending. It also takes up comprehensive reform on issues related to 
health, education, skill development, employment generation and Social Justice in a big way to 
realise the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat.’
The major takeaways of this budget are Productivity and Resilience in Agriculture, Employment 
and Skilling, Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice, Manufacturing and 
Services, Urban Development, Energy Security, Infrastructure & Innovation, Research and 
Development. With this, the Budget lays the strongest-possible foundation for an ‘Atmanirbhar’ 
and ‘Viksit’ Bharat. Every effort has been made to discuss and delve into the major aspects of 
the Budget through the articles published in this issue of Kurukshetra. Hope it will enlighten the 
reader about the intricacies involved and impacts of this Budget. Happy reading!! ?
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25
*Dr. K. K. Tripathy
* The author is Economic Adviser, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. E-mail: tripathy123@rediffmail.com
he Economic Survey 2023-24, 
tabled in the parliament a day 
prior to the Union Budget 2024-25 
announcements, highlighted the 
growing economic prowess of the 
country and analysed how the economy has bounced 
back and broadly caught up with pre-COVID growth 
trends. While indicating the enhanced economic 
growth at more than 7 percent in coming years, the 
Survey underscored the importance of policy rejig to 
address regional disparity and create employment 
in the country. It emphasised on the need to create 
approximately 7.85 million jobs in non-farm sectors of 
the economy besides improving agri-entrepreneurial 
system to ensure value addition to primary produces 
and to boost farmers’ income. 
T
Budget 2024-25: 
Strengthening Rural Economy
Agriculture and rural development have tremendous potential to ensure an equitable 
and all-inclusive development via growth in income, employment and entrepreneurship. 
The Budget 2024-25, has appropriately, called for a productive and resilient agriculture. 
The increase in resource allocations within agriculture and rural development envisages 
stimulating rural economic growth with job creation, income and wealth generation 
and enhancement of overall consumption demand in rural India. 
Page 5


3 Kurukshetra       September 2024
A Journal on Rural Development 
Vol. 72 | No. 11 | Pages 52 | September 2024
Kurukshetra seeks to carry the message of 
Rural Development to all people. It serves as 
a forum for free, frank and serious discussion 
on the problems of Rural Development with 
special focus on Rural Uplift.
The views expressed by the authors in the 
articles are their own. They do not necessarily 
reflect the views of the Government or the 
organisations they work for.
The readers are requested to verify the claims 
in the advertisements regarding career 
guidance books/institutions. Kurukshetra 
does not own responsibility. Maps used are 
for illustration & study purpose and may not 
strictly conform to the official map. Images, 
graphics and illustrations, wherever used, are 
mostly sourced from government channels 
and are indicative in nature. Final Editing 
rights will vest with Kurukshetra Team.
Sales Emporia : ? Delhi - BM (I/c), Publications Division, CGO Complex, Soochna Bhavan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
(011-24365609); Hall No. 196, Old Secretariat, Delhi 110054 (011-23890205) ? Kolkata - 8, Esplanade East, Kolkata-700069 
(033-22482576) ?? Mumbai - 701, C-Wing, 7
th
 Floor, Kendriya Sadan, Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614 (022-27570686)  
? Chennai - ‘A’ Wing, Rajaji Bhawan, Besant Nagar, Chennai - 600090 (044-24917673) ? t hiruvananthapuram - Press 
Road, Near Govt. Press, Thiruvananthpuram - 6950001 (0471-2330650) ? Hyderabad - Room No. 204, 2
nd
 Floor, C.G.O. 
Towers, Kavadiguda, Hyderabad-500080 (040-27535383) ? Bengaluru - Floor, ‘F’ Wing, Kendriya Sadan, Koramangala, 
Bengaluru - 560034 (080-25537244) ? Patna - Bihar State Co-operative, Bank Building, Ashoka Rajpath, Patna-800004 
(0612-2675823) ? Lucknow - Hall No. 1, 2
nd
 Floor, Kendriya Bhawan, Sector – H, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226024 (0522-2325455) 
? Ahmedabad - Sales Unit, Publications Division, 4-C, Neptune Tower, 4
th
 Floor, Nr HP Petrol Pump, Nehru Bridge Corner, 
Ashram Road, Ahmedabad Gujarat -380009 (079-26588669), ? Guwahati – Assam Khadi & Village Industries Board 
Complex, PO.-Silpukhuri, Chandmari, Guwahati-781003 (0361-4083136)
CHiEf EDitor  
Kulshrestha Kamal
SEnior EDitor  
Sukhchain Singh
Joint DirEC tor (ProDuC tion)
D.K.C. Hrudhainath
Co VEr DESiGn 
Rajender Kumar
EDitoriAL offiCE 
Room No. 653,  
Publications Division,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 
Phone : 011-24362859  
Email : kurukshetrajournal@gmail.com
For Subscription Enquiries,  
Grievances, Renewals and Agency  
Information, Please Contact:
Journals unit  
Publications Division, Room No. 779,  
Soochna Bhawan, C.G.O. Complex,  
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003
(Monday-Friday, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM)
Phone : 24367453, FAx: 24365610
Email : pdjucir@gmail.com
Website : publicationsdivision.nic.in
@publicationsdivision
@DPD_India
@dpd_India
For Online Sale, please log on to  
bharatkosh.gov.in/product, and for  
e-books, please visit Google Play  
or Amazon.
Subscription 
1 Year : ` 230
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25 Contents
5 Budget 2024-25:
Strengthening Rural Economy
Dr. K. K. Tripathy
13 Blueprint for Sustained Growth
in Rural India
Satish Singh
20 Budget 2024-25: 
A Step Towards Viksit Bharat
Dr. Ishita G. Tripathy
31 Budget 2024-25: A Roadmap to 
Develop an Industry-ready Workforce
BS Purkyastha
25 Inclusive Human Resource 
Development & Social Justice:
Budget Perspective
Jai Prakash Pandey
36 Union Budget 2024-25: 
Next Generation Reforms
Sandip Das
41 Budget 2024-25: Future-proofing
the Rural Indian Economy
Manjula Wadhwa
46 Agriculture in Budget 2024-25: Creating
Balance between Welfare and Growth
Bhuwan Bhaskar
4 Kurukshetra       September 2024
T
he Union Budget 2024-25 presents a comprehensive framework aimed at revitalizing 
agriculture, Industry, employment and fostering rural development in India. By prioritizing 
investment in technology, supporting small farmers & entrepreneurs, boosting employment 
and skilling and enhancing rural infrastructure the government has laid the foundation for a more 
resilient agricultural and manufacturing sector.
This Budget, with its clear focus on creating resilience in agriculture, trade and industry, 
job creation, manufacturing, energy, sustainable and inclusive HRD, innovation, infrastructure 
development and tax reforms, emphasizes the clear vision of the Government on supporting the 
economy by driving inclusive growth and encouraging consumption in the long term.
The Budget has been unveiled against a backdrop of economic recovery and persistent 
challenges in the agricultural sector. As the backbone of India’s economy, agriculture not only 
contributes significantly to GDP but also sustains the livelihoods of more than half of the country’s 
population. One of the notable features of the 2024 budget is the substantial increase in allocation 
for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The government has earmarked Rs. 1.2 lakh 
crore, a rise of approximately 15 percent from the previous year. 
It also addresses the critical aspects pertaining to rural development i.e. the trade, industry and 
the entrepreneurship to provide further impetus to the rural economy. With the announcement 
of the employment-linked schemes for new entrants into the rural workforce, along with the 
support loans of up to Rs. 10 lakh for higher education, this will ensure that the next generation 
of rural population is adequately skilled in the trade and industry related areas also.
The Government, while recognising the MSMEs as an important policy priority in this 
Budget, has emphasised the need to provide them with credit access, appropriate training and 
digital technologies for staying compliant and growth- oriented. The Rs. 2 lakh crore package for 
development and employability also raises hopes for the rural communities. The initiatives to 
optimise financing opportunities and the abolition of the Angel Tax will also boost the startup 
ecosystem, attract diverse investments, and strengthen the MSME sector. 
In this Budget, the biggest challenge of addressing multiple areas such as rural demand, 
infrastructure development, manufacturing, technology upgradation, employment among 
others, has been done to leverage sustainable growth for Indian economy-with overall focus on 
boosting consumption and spending. It also takes up comprehensive reform on issues related to 
health, education, skill development, employment generation and Social Justice in a big way to 
realise the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat.’
The major takeaways of this budget are Productivity and Resilience in Agriculture, Employment 
and Skilling, Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice, Manufacturing and 
Services, Urban Development, Energy Security, Infrastructure & Innovation, Research and 
Development. With this, the Budget lays the strongest-possible foundation for an ‘Atmanirbhar’ 
and ‘Viksit’ Bharat. Every effort has been made to discuss and delve into the major aspects of 
the Budget through the articles published in this issue of Kurukshetra. Hope it will enlighten the 
reader about the intricacies involved and impacts of this Budget. Happy reading!! ?
A JOURNAL ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
Price   22 September 2024 
BUDGET FOR
RURAL INDIA
2024-25
*Dr. K. K. Tripathy
* The author is Economic Adviser, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. E-mail: tripathy123@rediffmail.com
he Economic Survey 2023-24, 
tabled in the parliament a day 
prior to the Union Budget 2024-25 
announcements, highlighted the 
growing economic prowess of the 
country and analysed how the economy has bounced 
back and broadly caught up with pre-COVID growth 
trends. While indicating the enhanced economic 
growth at more than 7 percent in coming years, the 
Survey underscored the importance of policy rejig to 
address regional disparity and create employment 
in the country. It emphasised on the need to create 
approximately 7.85 million jobs in non-farm sectors of 
the economy besides improving agri-entrepreneurial 
system to ensure value addition to primary produces 
and to boost farmers’ income. 
T
Budget 2024-25: 
Strengthening Rural Economy
Agriculture and rural development have tremendous potential to ensure an equitable 
and all-inclusive development via growth in income, employment and entrepreneurship. 
The Budget 2024-25, has appropriately, called for a productive and resilient agriculture. 
The increase in resource allocations within agriculture and rural development envisages 
stimulating rural economic growth with job creation, income and wealth generation 
and enhancement of overall consumption demand in rural India. 
6 Kurukshetra       September 2024
The Survey also expressed its concern on the 
low productivity levels, the impact of climate change, 
fragmented land holdings and inadequate marketing 
infrastructure which may affect agriculture performance 
and enhance stress levels of the country’s monsoon-
dependent agro-economy. While the Survey advocated 
improved access to high-quality inputs and better 
extension services, focussed attention to enhance 
investment and productivity in the crop, livestock, 
animal husbandry and fisheries, rightful targeting of 
power and fertiliser subsidies and rising farm produce 
and productivity, the citizens’ pre-budget expectations 
ranged from improvement in income, wealth, 
employment and infrastructure to ensuring an overall 
enabling business environment. In this backdrop, this 
article attempts to explain the in-built policy direction 
and socio-economic intent of the Government by 
discussing a few agriculture and rural development 
related focus areas as prioritized in the Budget24-25.
Allocation Trend for Rural Livelihoods & Infrastructure
The Budget called for a productive and resilient 
agriculture. It outlined the need for a quick agriculture-
led rural economic growth by allocating adequate 
resources to important livelihood and rural infrastructure 
programmes. The increase in resource allocations within 
agriculture and rural development aimed at stimulating 
economic growth with job creation, income and wealth 
generation and enhancement of overall consumption 
demand in rural India. 
A review of trends in major items of expenditure 
(Table 1) indicates that 2024-25 budget allocation for 
agriculture & allied activities registered 202 percent 
and 20.63 percent increase over the actual expenditure 
registered in 2016-17 and 2023-24, respectively. 
Similarly, 24-25 Budget Estimates (BE) for Health, Rural 
Development have witnessed increments of 128.91 
percent and 21.39 percent and 133.41  percent and 
11.49 percent, respectively, over Actual Expenditure 
(AE) recorded in 2016-17 and 2022-23. The BE 24-25 for 
Social welfare activities have witnessed an increase of 
20.88 percent over Revised Estimates (RE) of 2023-24, 
followed by education (15.39 percent), health (12.70 
percent), Rural Development (11.22 percent) and 
Agriculture and Allied activities (8.05 percent).
A review of 2024-25 budget allocation to seven 
select important Ministries/Departments vis-a-vis 
2023-24RE (Table 2) indicates that priority has been 
Table 1: Trend in Major Items of Expenditure in the Budget 2024-25
Items of 
Expenditure
Expenditure/Allocation (Rs. Cr.)
Increase in Allocation (percent)  
in 24-25 over
2016-17 2022-23 2023-24
2024-25
16-17
Actuals RE BE
22-23 23-24
Actual BE RE BE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Agriculture & 
Allied Activities
50,184 1,25,875 1,44,214 1,40,533 1,51,851 202.58 20.63 8.05 5.29
Education 72,016 98,567 1,16,417 1,08,878 1,25,638 74.45 27.46 15.39 7.92
Health 39,005 73.551 88,956 79,221 89,287 128.91 21.39 12.70 0.36
Rural Development 113,877 2,38,396 2,38,204 2,38,984 2,65,808 133.41 11.49 11.22 11.58
Social Welfare 31,812 40,470 55,080 46,741 56,501 77.60 39.61 20.88 2.57
Note: RE: Revised Estimates BE: Budget Estimates
Source: Compiled from figures indicated in the Expenditure Statements of Central Government, Union Budget 2018-19 & 2024-25, Ministry 
of Finance, GoI