(Ashwini Deshpande is professor of economics; director, CEDA, Ashoka University. The column first appeared in the print edition of the Indian Express on February 4, 2022)
- What were the keywords in the 2022 budget speech? Digital, green, climate, Aatmanirbhar, Make in India, capital expenditure, ease of doing business, tax revenues, GST collection. The finance minister emphasised robust tax collections, an optimistic projection for GDP growth and a futuristic economy driven by technology, clean fuel, and smart cities. Which words were either completely missing or sparsely used? Unemployment, poverty, food security, informal sector, migrants, daily wagers, health for all, welfare, social protection, women, youth…