THE ECONOMY : AN OVERVIEW
! The Gross Domestic Product increased by 7.5 per cent, 9.4 per cent and 9.6 percent
in first three years, of the UPA Government resulting in an unprecedented average
growth rate of 8.8 per cent. The drivers of growth continue to be 'services' and
'manufacturing' which are estimated to grow at 10.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent
respectively.
! Growth rate in agriculture for 2007-08 is estimated at 2.6 per cent.
! Food grain production in 2007-08, estimated at 219.32 million tonnes-an all time
record. Rice production at 94.08 million tonnes, maize at 16.78 million tonnes,
soya bean at 9.45 million tonnes, cotton at 23.38 million bales each, an all time
record.
! Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana launched with an outlay of Rs. 25,000 crore, National
Food Security Mission with an outlay of Rs. 4,882 crore under National Policy for
Farmers in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.
! The Gross Domestic Product increased by 7.5 per cent, 9.4 per cent and 9.6 percent
in first three years, of the UPA Government resulting in an unprecedented average
growth rate of 8.8 per cent. The drivers of growth continue to be 'services' and
'manufacturing' which are estimated to grow at 10.7 per cent and 9.4 per cent
respectively.
! Growth rate in agriculture for 2007-08 is estimated at 2.6 per cent.
! Food grain production in 2007-08, estimated at 219.32 million tonnes-an all time
record. Rice production at 94.08 million tonnes, maize at 16.78 million tonnes,
soya bean at 9.45 million tonnes, cotton at 23.38 million bales each, an all time
record.
! Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana launched with an outlay of Rs. 25,000 crore, National
Food Security Mission with an outlay of Rs. 4,882 crore under National Policy for
Farmers in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.
THE GROWTH STORY : FASTER AND MORE INCLUSIVE
! Agricultural credit poised to reach Rs. 2,40,000 crore by March, 2008.
! 11.4 crore children covered under Mid Day Meal Scheme, the largest school lunch
programme in the world.
! Under National Rural Health Mission 8,756 primary health centres have been made
24x7 .
! 1,82,000 girls enrolled in residential schools under Kasturba Gandhi Balika
Vidyalaya Scheme.
BHARAT NIRMAN
! Bharat Nirman has made impressive progress in 2007-08 with 290 habitations
provided with drinking water each day, 17 habitations connected through all weather
road, 52 villages provided telephones, 42 villages electrified & 4,113 rural houses
completed each day.
ELEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN: THE CRUCIAL SECOND YEAR
! GBS 2008-09 at Rs.2,43,386 crore higher by Rs. 38,286 crore over 2007-08. Central
Plan allocation at Rs.1,79,954 crore, an increase of 16 percent over 2007-08; Bharat
Nirman to get Rs. 31,280 crore.
! Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan provided Rs.13,100 crore
with the focus to shift from access and infrastructure at the primary level to enhancing
retention and improving quality of learning. Mid-day Meal to get Rs. 8,000 crore;
secondary education to get Rs. 4,554 crore.
! Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya : Rs. 130 crore provided in 2008-09, to establish
Navodaya Vidyalaya in 20 districts having large concentration of Scheduled Castes
& Scheduled Tribes.
! Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya: Funds (as part of SSA) provided for additional
410 Vidyalayas in educationally backward areas. Rs. 80 crore allocated to set up
new or upgrade existing hostels attached to Balika Vidyalaya.
! National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship: Rs. 750 crore allocated to build up a corpus
of Rs.3,000 crore in four years. 1,00,000 Scholarship to be awarded beginning
2008-09.
! Nehru Yuva Kendra: Rs. 10 crore allocated in 2008-09 to set up a Kendra in 123
districts, and to cover recurring expenditure in the first year.
! Mid Day Meal Scheme: Extended to upper primary classes in Government and
Government aided schools in all blocks which will benefit 2.5 crore children taking
the total number of children covered under the scheme to 13.9 crore.
! Institutes of Higher Education: India to become a knowledge society, three IISERs
at Mohali, Pune and Kolkata; and an IIIT at Kanchipuram have started
functioning.Government to set up 16 Central Universities in each of the hitherto
uncovered states; three IITs in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan; two IISERs
at Bhopal and Tiruvananthapuram; and two Schools of Planning and Architecture
at Bhopal and Vijayawada: Rs. 5 crore grant provided to Deccan College, Postgraduate
and Research Institute, Pune.
! Science and Technology: Rs.85 crore allocated for Innovation in Science Pursuit
for Inspired Research (INSPIRE); which will include scholarships for young learners
(10-17 years), scholarships for continuing science education (17-22 years) and
opportunities for research careers (22-32 years); Rs. 100 crore provided for
establishing the National Knowledge Network.
! Health Sector: Rs.16,534 crore allocated, for the sector marking an increase of
15% over 2007-08.
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