Beacon of Hope for the Children and Youth of India: Bal Raksha Bharat Reacts to #Budget2023

The Hon’ble Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech on the first Budget in Amrit Kaal builds on the blueprint drawn for India@100 and shows a beacon of hope for the children and youth of India. It is heartening to see renewed emphasis on Education of Children by building a culture of reading through the announcement of the National Digital Library for Children and Adolescents – a welcome step which will aid in making up for the learning loss incurred during the pandemic.

The recognition of Youth as the “Amrit Peedhi” and the government’s initiatives to empower them through various skilling and livelihood measures and opportunities will pave the way for “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”. While the protection and nutrition needs of children deserved greater attention in the speech , we are hopeful that the announcement of the 500 Aspirational blocks programme will ensure saturation and penetration of government schemes and programmes to the last mile, including children.

The announcement of the launch of the Pradhan Mantri PVTG (Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Group) programme and formulation of a roadmap under Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribes in the next three years is an appreciative step in the direction of reaching the families and children in the most vulnerable communities. This will facilitate in helping them gain access to basic facilities of clean drinking water, sanitation, health, education and nutrition to ensure their well-being and holistic development and will also enable in moving closer towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) by reaching the last mile.