Union Budget 2023: Nirmala Sitharaman Lists 7 Priorities That Will Guide India Through Amrit Kaal

From inclusive development, green growth to youth power, Nirmala Sitharaman listed seven key priorities of the Union Budget 2023. She said that these aspects complement each other and act as the Saptarishi guiding us through Amrit Kaal.

Pic: ANI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 in Lok Sabha, expressed confidence that the Indian economy is on the "right track and heading towards a bright future". The finance minister also went on to highlight the seven priorities of this year's budget and termed them as the Saptarishi guiding us through 'Amrit Kaal'.

Budget 2023: 7 Priorities - the Saptarishi

The FM said that the budget is adopting 7 priorities that will guide us through 'Amrit Kaal'. Here are the priorities that have been adopted in Budget 2023:

1. Inclusive Development 
2. Reaching the last mile
3. Infrastructure and investment
4. Unleashing the potential
5. Green Growth
6. Youth Power 
7. Finance Sector

"We envision a prosperous and inclusive India," Sitharaman said in her opening remarks. Sitharaman started her Budget speech at 11 am, the last full Budget of the Modi government in its second term. Like the previous two Union Budgets, Union Budget 2023-24 is also presented in paperless form. This year's Budget holds much significance as the country is scheduled to have the next Lok Sabha election in April-May 2024.As per established tradition, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with ministers of state Pankaj Chaudhary and Bhagwat Karad and Finance Secretary TV Somanathan called on President Droupadi Murmu. The budget session of the Parliament began on Tuesday (January 31) with President's address, subsequently tabling the Economic Survey for 2022-23. The formal exercise to prepare the annual Budget for the next financial year (2023-24) commenced on October 10. The Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday, noted India`s GDP is expected to grow in the range of 6 to 6.8 per cent in the coming financial year 2023-24. This is in comparison to the estimated 7 per cent this fiscal and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22.

Budget 2023: What is Amrit Kaal mentioned by Nirmala Sitharaman

It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who first used the term 'Amrit Kaal' in 2021 during the 75th Independence Day celebrations. Unveiling a new roadmap for India for the next 25 years, PM Modi had then said that 'Amrit Kaal' will see the development lag between villages and cities diminish, thus bettering the lives of Indian citizens. This is also a time, as highlighted, when the government's interference in people's lives will go down and the people of this country will welcome the latest technology.