Budget 2025 overlooks joblessness
The previous Budget, presented in July 2024 after the Lok Sabha election, had accorded priority to employment and skill development, given the nature of the election mandate. The Finance Minister had announced a Prime Minister’s Package of five schemes and initiatives to facilitate job and internship opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a five-year period with a central outlay of ₹2 lakh crore. However, the Budget speech delivered in Parliament on February 1, 2025, did not refer to the Prime Minister’s Package even once. The document on implementation of Budget 2024-25 announcements states that a “draft Cabinet note on Employment Linked Incentive scheme is under finalisation” and “several meetings have been held with the Ministry of Labour and CII to discuss the relationship between capi...