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India’s spending on the public <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> care is estimated only at about 1.3 of its GDP. This is a thoroughly discouraging figure when compared to what the other BRICS countries are spending. Notably, Brazil, Russia and South Africa spend about 8.3 percent, 7.1 percent and 8.8 percent towards their public healthcare sector respectively. Here are some strong reasons why India must considerably increase its spending on the public health. The government hospitals in India need to be equipped better The government hospitals in the state of Bihar were not fully equipped or prepared to combat the outbreak of chamki fever. The shortage of medicines led to the deaths of a large number of children raising panic among the crowds. Sometime back, a considerable number of children died in the hospitals of Gorakhpur in UP since oxygen cylinders went out of stock. Such instances reflect on the poor healthcare infrastructure in the country. Hence only a significant rise in the health care <keyword id="6358021" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget">budget</keyword> will address the growing needs of the public health in India. Healthcare crisis in India Some highlights of the healthcare crisis in India are the inadequacy of the maternal and mortality indicators in the country, the rising burden of communicable as well as non-communicable diseases, high percentage of the out-of-pocket expenses during medical care, the highly commercialized private health sector and the poor status of the public health sector are the important concerns leading tot eh healthcare crisis in India. To address all of these issues adequately, the spending on the public health needs to be increased in the budget. Issues faced by the public health facilities The main issues that the public health facilities confront are poor infrastructure and lack or human resources. The statistics by the Rural Health says about 13% of the posts sanctioned for the female health workers and 37% of the posts sanctioned for the male health workers are not filled up. Only 11% of the sub-centers and 13% of the PHCs are meeting the standards of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). Hence allotment of more resources for the public health and measures to empower the delivery of health services are the need of the hour. Out-of-pocket expenses are more National Health Accounts has found out that the out of pocket expenses during health expenses in India amount to 63% of the total health spend. In the private sector, the Out of pocket spending is about 90%. Healthcare spending adds up around 7 percent to the poverty figures in the country. With the rising average costs of medical expenses, the burden of healthcare expenses on the people is fast rising. Some causes for the health problems Poor nutrition is one of the major causes for the rising health problems in India. Hence the government’s allotment for nutritional intervention must also needs to be enhanced. The new cost sharing norms between the central and state governments have brought down the spending on the schemes like ICDS and school meals. The budget must also show a substantial rise in the allocation towards ICDS.

Why India's health budget needs more infusion

<a data-type="tilCustomLink">Check Live Budget Update</a> Amidst growing anticipations about the 2019 <keyword id="547606" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="interim-budget">interim budget</keyword> by the present government, let us look back at the budget 2018 and compare it with the earlier ones to understand the amount of focus the public health sector receives in India. The spending on health by budget 2018-19 shows a rise of about 13% over what was allotted for this sector in the earlier budget. As part of this budget, the Finance Minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> declared the globe’s largest national health insurance program. The budget also sanctioned scholarships for about 1,000 doctorate engineering students at the IIT and IIS. Construction of 18.8 million toilets across the country was announced to be completed by 2019. Some key points on the 2018 budget allotment towards public health There was a 2.1% decrease in the allocation towards the national health mission, which is the country’s largest primary health infrastructure program. In order the fund the increased allotment towards the health and education sector, Arun Jaitley said the cess on education and health payable by the taxpayers will rise to 4 percent from 3 percent. Presenting the bill in the Lok Sabha, he said, “This will enable us to collect an estimated additional amount of 11,000 crores.” Spending on health by the Narendra Modi Government <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">Budget </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">Allocation on health </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">Percentage share of the total budget </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2014-15 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">33121.42 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">1.8 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2015-16 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">30626.39 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">1.7 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2016-17 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">37671.3 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">1.9 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2017-18 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">51550.85 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2.4 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2018-19 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">52800 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;">2.1 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:top;padding:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;"> </td></tr></tbody></table> Budget 2018 introduced a new national health insurance scheme which came as the world’s largest one covering 100 million households for Rs 5,00,000 per year per family. This scheme covered 30,000 more individuals than the one that preceded it. The spending on the Health Ministry decreased to 2.1% of the total Union Budget from the 2.4% in 2017-18. There was a 2.1% decline in the allocation towards National Health Mission, a National Health Program that provides the primary healthcare infrastructure by sliding from Rs 31,292 crores (2017-18 budget) to Rs 30,634 crores (2018-19 budget). As part of the government’s commitment to improve the nutrition status of the Indian children, the budget for the National Nutrition Mission that addresses under-nutrition, anemia and stunting increased by three times from Rs 950 crores in the 2017-18 budget to Rs 3,000 crores in the 2018-19 budget. Arun Jaitley said, “The Ayushman Bharat will build a New India 2022 and ensure enhanced productivity, well-being and avert wage loss and impoverishment. These schemes will also generate lakhs of jobs, particularly for women.” He added, “The government will also set up 24 new medical colleges and hospitals and upgrade existing district hospitals in the country.” The other kinds of investments in budget 2018 towards health Rs 600 crores was allotted for providing nutritional support to all the tuberculosis patients registered with the primary health centers. This scheme will spend Rs 500 per month per patient for 10 months over the full duration of the treatment provided. Rs 1,200 crores went for the National Health Policy, 2017 to support more than 150,000 health and wellness centers. This allotment aimed at combating the rising tide of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and other cardiovascular ailments.

Understanding the budget allocation for health In India

<ul><li>Indians are hoping that the Narendra Modi-led government will take a step forward to advance the ‘promised’ healthcare facilities in India. </li><li>India’s spending on healthcare is below some of the low-income countries which spend 1.4% of their GDP on health. </li></ul>The government will unveil its annual budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year on July 5, 2019, and people are longing for improved healthcare. It is likely to allocate ₹59,039 crore in the financial year 2019-20, an increase of 11% from the current financial year, <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/why-indias-public-health-facilities-may-suffer-despite-a-likely-rise-in-health-spending/">according</a> to India spend. The government has already allocated ₹52,800 crore (budget estimates) in the health sector of the country,<a href="https://dea.gov.in/sites/default/files/MTEF%20Statement%20%28english%29%202018.pdf"> according to the medium term expenditure projection statement</a> presented in the Parliament by the Ministry of Finance. Indians are hoping that the Narendra Modi-led government will take a step forward to advance the ‘promised’ healthcare facilities in India. The interim budget did not prominently focus on the government’s flagship scheme, National Health Mission as it received only a marginal increase of ₹1,600 crore against ₹1,400 crore in 2018-19. 
 
 
 
 
 
 












 Defense over health Over the years, the government has been spending five times more on defense than on healthcare in the country. India’s health allocation is ₹63,538 crore in 2019-20 against an investment of ₹282,733 crore in defense. The trend in budget allocation for both departments have been much similar in the budgets announced for the past two years, the wire <a href="https://thewire.in/health/indias-defence-budget-is-nearly-five-times-the-health-budget">reported. </a> Health emergency in India The current government promised to address roadblocks in the healthcare sector including a shortage in infrastructure, access to medical facilities and inexpensive treatments. However, the current status of healthcare in India portrays a completely different picture. Recently India’s poorest state, Bihar faced a medical crisis when <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48741451">more than 150</a> children — mostly under the age of 10 and malnourished — died of an outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur district. "Children are dying because of a lack of medicines and treatment,"Rabri Devi, Bihar’s opposition figure. According to Rural Health Statistics Bulletin 2017-18, the country is short of 32,900 sub-centres (catering to a population of 5,000), 6,430 primary health centres (PHCs, catering to 30,000 people) and 2,188 community health centres that are supposed to address the health needs of 80,000-120,000 people in rural areas, as on March 31, 2018. Infact, only 7% of the sub-centres, 12% of primary health centres and 13% of the CHCs are functioning, <a href="http://nhm.gov.in/nhm/nrhm/guidelines/indian-public-health-standards.html">Indian Public Health Standards</a> (IPHS). The situation is much worse in tribal areas as it is short of 5,935 sub-centres, 1,187 PHCs and 275 CHCs, said the RHS 2017-18. The population-doctor ratio in government hospitals is 25 times lower in India than the ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation. ₹3 : Daily expenses on healthcare India spends less than two per cent of its GDP on healthcare, making it one of the lowest investors in the sector globally. The World Health Organisation places India’s healthcare spends behind Iraq and Venezuela. The country suffers from a lack of infrastructure and is short of doctors, particularly in rural areas. India spent 1.02% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015. This spending has remained the same for almost six years. India’s spending on healthcare is even below some of the low-income countries which spend 1.4% of their GDP on health,<a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=180053"> pointed out </a>National Health Profile. The negligence in public health spending forces even poorer patients to seek private healthcare. The country is the sixth biggest out-of-pocket (OOP) health spenders in 2014 amongst low middle-income group, <a href="https://archive.indiaspend.com/cover-story/indians-sixth-biggest-private-spenders-on-health-among-low-middle-income-nations-78476">reported </a>India Spend. The current pace of slow increase in the healthcare budget will make it difficult for India to achieve targets like reducing the maternal mortality rate to 100 in 2018-20 and infant mortality to 28 deaths per 1000 live births by 2019.

Health Budget 2019: India might increase spending on healthcare but that may not be enough

<keyword id="6360189" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Union-Budget">Union Budget</keyword> gave priority to farmers and weaker sections, a much needed measure. "The budget is for everybody. Budget has been provided for infrastructure like ports, rail, airports. In the health sector, for poor people, upto Rs 1 lakh cost of hospitalisation will be borne by the government. This is a progressive and visionary budget," Union Environment Minister <keyword id="119642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prakash-Javadekar">Prakash Javadekar</keyword> told PTI. 

	Similar views were echoed by other ministers of the ruling party with Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi calling it a "perfect, people-friendly and progressive budget". 
 

	"India is a country where agriculture holds a prime place but it is after years that this has been reflected in a budget which gives priority to farmers as well as weaker sections. This budget is one which will also lead to empowerment of the youth," he said. 
 

	Union Health Minister J P Nadda termed it as a "positive and balanced" budget and said that there were several initiatives for health and other social sectors which reflect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. 
 

	"My congratulations to the finance minister Arun Jaitley for bringing such a good, positive and balanced budget. There are several initiatives for health and other social sectors which truly reflect PM Narendra Modi 's vision of Sabka Saath,Sabka Vikas. 
 

	"Proposed Health Protection Scheme will greatly benefit the common people of the country. This budget will help India achieve twin objectives of economic growth, equitable distribution of benefits and resources at an accelerated pace," Nadda said in a series of tweets. 
 

	He said that farmers, artisans, women, unorganised workers, people living below the poverty line and the youth of the country will greatly benefit through this budget.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: indiatimes)

This is a progressive and visionary budget: Prakash Javadekar

A country that formed its own constitution nearly seven decades ago, and has been touted to be the next super force that would reckon the world, was yet to come of age with many aspects. What makes India a bag of contradictions? Is it its conventional outlook or the religion running in its psyche or the nerves filled with diverse cultures or the fact that so many things still lie in the closet, waiting to be tackled? 
 
The India that has made giant strides in the technological, economic and scientific sectors, took time off to look at its mentally ill only recently. 
 
Till then, despite umpteen warnings by the international agencies, communities and the United Nations, mental health was less cared for. At the best, ‘ignored’ would sum the treatment dished out to mentally ill, very nicely. 
 
India’s mentally ill were so far the responsibility of the family. And, the legal provisions that described them were framed nearly three decades ago in 1987, and still remained valid. Backing up the mental health care policy with ‘Mental Health Action Plan 365’ which clearly carves out the specific roles to be played by the central government, state, and agencies appointed by governments. The mental health bill, which is ready to be tabled in the Parliament soon, has held a huge ray of hope for those who are suffering under severity of mental illness and limited treatment they could access so far. 
 
The policy calls for more number of mental health professionals to be trained, and work on par with the primary health care centres, through both rural and urban areas to be able to deal with the burgeoning number of patients who come with illnesses that go beyond just a physical condition. 
 
According to United Nations, about 20% of the people in total population of India will suffer from various mental illnesses by the end of the decade. Mental health has long been ignored in India. Given the fact that India spends only 0.06% of its total budget on mental health – which is equivalent to not spending at all on this area, there is a great urgency with which the matter has to be dealt by the governments at all levels. 
 
India’s miniscule 0.06% spending on mental health would seem like a joke in front of what we believe the ‘poor’ Bangladesh spends on the mental health of its people. Because, the ‘poor’ and ‘poverty stricken’ Bangladesh sets aside more than 0.44 per cent of its total budget on mental health care spending. 
 
Brazil, which is on par with India in more ways than one, spends a good 2.38% of its total budget on the mental wellbeing of its people, and plans to increase the amount in the coming years. 
 
Japan is at a comfortable nearly 5% of its budget on creating better facilities and offering support to its people who are suffering from problems relating to mental health. United States of America is well behind UK with a spending of 6.2% on mental health facilities, while the latter spends nearly 11% of its total budget for this purpose. 
 
Most bleak picture about India’s mental health care is the absence of trained professionals. There is only one psychiatrist to every 343,000 people. The country has not laid as much emphasis as it should, on mental health, as against the physical health of its people. 
 
One of the most salient features of the policy is that it seeks decriminalisation of those who attempt suicide. The policy throws light on the largely neglected need to offer support for the caregivers who are invariably the family members. Technological strides apart, large part of India still struggles with the challenges posed by changing mental health scenario among people. 
 
India’s maiden attempt to reach Mars was met with success, and the country humbly hopes things change at the ground level too.

India’s First Mental Health Policy May Decriminalise Attempt To Suicide

New Delhi, Feb 1 () The healthcare industry on Saturday welcomed the initiatives announced by the government in Budget 2020-21 to improve the access to medical care across the nation. 
 "Budget 2020 is a definitive step forward in the Government of India's commitment to making India healthier and a model for the world to emulate," Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Prathap C Reddy said.
 In addition to initiatives announced to improve access to medical care across the nation and boost human health resources, it was encouraging that vital determinant of good health which includes wellness, nutrition, clean drinking water, and sanitation were at the forefront of this Budget, he added.
 Calling it a farsighted budget, Reddy said the Finance Minister has announced "innovative initiatives that will enhance ease of living, improve the health quotient and boost opportunities for education and job creation, for all sections of our society and meet the expectations of an aspirational India."
 In similar vein, NATHEALTH President H Sudarshan Ballal said the budget accorded priority on capacity building by improving health infrastructure in Tier II &amp; III cities and rural areas.
 "Setting up hospitals on private public partnership with the provision of viability gap funding in 112 Aspirational Districts in the country go a long way in creating a robust health infrastructure especially in areas where Ayushman Bharat benefits have not yet reached especially to the weaker section," he added.
 Calling it a directionally sound Budget, Biocon Chairperson &amp; MD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said: "I am happy to see the government's focus on reviving economic growth."
 The proposed amendments to the Companies Act for removing criminal action in case of tax disputes is a step towards infusing trust among India Inc, she added.
 The use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for preventive healthcare along with increasing the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras will take forward the government's agenda of healthcare for all, she added.
 "The measures announced in this Budget can give returns in the medium to long-term. However, we need to make sure they are implemented fast to have immediate impact. Overall a satisfactory budget," Mazumdar-Shaw said.
 Highlighting that budget was prepared in difficult Economic scenario , Aster DM Healthcare founder chairman Azad Moopen said the Union Budget has managed to create opportunities for growth within limited resources.
 "Eradication of tuberculosis in the country by the year 2025 is a great step towards healthier India," he added.
 "There is proposal for viability fund gap support for hospitals in Tier 2 and 3 cities for meeting the requirement for Ayushman Bharat. This will give more accessibility to the people in the smaller cities and villages," Moopen said.
 However, it is unfortunate that the allocation of Rs 69,000 crore for the sector is only just 1 per cent of GDP which will be highly inadequate for any major leap forward in the sector, he added.
 Applauding the announcement providing boost to the domestic medcial device sector, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) Forum Coordinator Rajiv Nath said: "Finally we may have something to help address over Rs 38,837 crore, 80-90 per cent import dependent Indian Medical Devices Sector."
 It's an excellent idea to tax imports of medical devices to fund the capacity building of healthcare delivery in public healthcare and with twin advantage of accelerating medical devices manufacturing as a Make in India enabler so that Indian national healthcare security concerns are addressed, he added.
 Deloitte India, Partner, Lead- Life Science and Health Care Charu Sehgal said "the budget 2020 has continued with the healthcare themes announced in 2018 but has not made any significant increase in allocation or incentives."
 The overall allocation has increased marginally to Rs 69,000 crore from 63,000 crore last year. "We will be nowhere closer to the long awaited target of 2.5 per cent of GDP," she added.
 "The budget is focused on the holistic vision of healthcare, which proposes to provide Rs 69,000 crore that includes Rs 35,600 crore for nutrition related programs for 2020-21, and the same will enable to reduce pre-term death and malnutrition in society," Paras Healthcare COO Shankar Narang said. AKT DRR

Healthcare industry welcomes govt's move to improve access to medical care in Budget

<ul><li>India is going to fulfill the <keyword id="879547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-development-goals">sustainable development goals</keyword> before 2030. </li><li>The government claims to have reduced maternal and infant mortality rates, and under-five mortality rate, said the minister without giving any figures. </li><li>However, some of Javedkar’s claims conflict with one of a report released by the Indian government earlier this year. </li><li>In July 2019, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India released a report highlighting the gaps in achieving the key objectives of the 2030 Agenda. </li></ul> Environment minister <keyword id="119642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prakash-Javadekar">Prakash Javadekar</keyword> today said that India will achieve its health-related sustainability goals well in advance. “We are happy to announce that the goals set for 2030 will be achieved much earlier,” <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India">said the minister.</a> The goal is to keep maternal mortality rate to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births. As per the target, under- 5 mortality should go down to 25 deaths per 1000 live births, <a href="https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-survival/child-survival-sdgs/">according to the UN. And infant mortality rate should go down to zero by 2030. </a> A release by Press Information Bureau also said that mortality of infants, mothers and children under-five is declining. “At the current rate of decline, India should able to reach its <keyword id="620876" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="SDG">SDG</keyword> target (MMR-70, U5MR-25) much before the due year i.e. 2030,”<a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1587494"> said the release. </a> These claims come two months after Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) raised doubts that India may fall short in health-related sustainable goals. This is primarily due to inadequate spending on primary healthcare infrastructure. It also cited lack of data to track the progress of SDG as one of the reasons. <a href="http://www.censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/SRS_Bulletins/MMR%20Bulletin-2014-16.pdf">According to the Census</a> in 2017, as many as 130 women died per 100,000 live births. Infant mortality and under-five mortality rate was at 33 and 39 deaths per 1,000 live births. As per CAG, spending on healthcare itself is lower than what is budgeted for. It pointed out a massive gap in proposed budget and allocated budget into sprucing up India’s healthcare. The National Health Mission was allocation 13.6% less in 2018-19 than the proposed budget,<a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/india-unlikely-to-meet-health-related-sustainable-development-goals-says-govt-auditor/"> reported India spend. </a> The states are not spending enough either. As per National Health Policy 2017’s recommendations, states should spend 8% of their budgets by 2020. As many as seven states spent anywhere between 3.29% and 5.32% between 2012-2017. Overall, India spends a mere <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-spends-just-1-2-of-its-gdp-on-healthcare-but-a-policy-can-change-that/articleshow/64665303.cms">1.2% of its GDP on healthcare.</a> It ranks lower than Singapore, which itself is known for its low spending on public health.

Indian minister is happy that they reduced mother and child mortality but CAG reports say something else

<keyword id="19945815" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups" source="keywords">Startups</keyword> in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> have high expectations from this year's upcoming <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword>. Early-age startups hope for the removal of angel taxes, while <keyword id="20677283" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-tech-startups" source="keywords">health tech startups</keyword> expect increased <keyword id="19913964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="funding" source="keywords">funding</keyword> for the sector. Startups function as engines of economic growth, playing a crucial role in generating new jobs, ideas, products, and services. As of December 2023, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had recognised 1,17,254 startups. These startups have reportedly created over 12.42 lakh direct jobs, significantly impacting the economy. Eklavya Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of Recur Club, stated, "We are confident that India's business credit landscape is on the brink of a major digital overhaul. FinTechs are at the forefront of this change, deploying innovative technologies and utilising in-depth data analytics to streamline and expand <keyword id="20974354" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-access" source="keywords">credit access</keyword>." He added, "While the current allocation of Rs 10,000 crore is an excellent initial step, realising the full capabilities of India's SME and startup ecosystem will necessitate greater investment, especially in credit guarantee schemes." Vinod K Singh, Co-Founder and CTO of Concirrus, expressed his expectations from the budget: "As the Union Budget 2024-25 approaches, we hope the government will address the pressing issue of the 'angel tax.' Eliminating this tax will enhance capital formation and attract vital <keyword id="19895633" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investments" source="keywords">investments</keyword>. Streamlining the duty structure and reducing high tariffs on electronic inputs are also crucial to bolstering the startup ecosystem and driving innovation. Expanding the Fund of Funds and introducing low-interest loans would be beneficial." Rajiv Lamba, co-founder and CEO of AI-enabled customer feedback platform Surveysensum, added, "Just as the government has prioritised financial inclusion, it should now focus on <keyword id="22405441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technological-inclusion" source="keywords">technological inclusion</keyword> to propel India to the next stage of growth. By training youth in AI, the government can make a strategic investment in the nation's technological future. Given the rapidly evolving job market, a substantial increase of 20 to 25 percent in budget allocation should be considered for AI-based skill development and entrepreneurship." He further emphasised, "Incentivizing investment in <keyword id="20328842" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-startups" source="keywords">AI startups</keyword> and R&amp;D initiatives can boost local innovation in the AI space. The last budget introduced a deep tech fund of Rs 1 lakh crore with a 50-year interest-free loan period; the government should now establish a clear and transparent mechanism for access to this fund." Raja S, founder and MD of Hearzap, highlighted the expectations of health tech startups: "Health tech startups are eagerly anticipating increased funding that could usher in transformative advancements. This crucial investment holds the promise of extending cutting-edge healthcare solutions to rural and underserved areas, effectively bridging existing gaps in care. The upcoming budget ensures that every individual in our diverse population, from the youngest to the oldest, can access essential health services, including specialised care." Discussing taxation for startups in India, Vvihan Gulati, Director of Mediagraphics PR, commented, "Removing the angel tax is a highly anticipated move that would benefit early-stage startups and their investors. It would foster a more favourable environment for innovation and growth, allowing startups to attract much-needed capital without the burden of excessive taxation. This change could significantly enhance the ease of doing business and contribute to the overall growth of the startup ecosystem in India." The Union Budget 2024 will be tabled on July 23 by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. With this, she will become the first Finance Minister to deliver seven consecutive budgets, surpassing Morarji Desai. She presented the interim budget on February 1 of this year.

Startups demand angel tax elimination, incentives on investments in upcoming budget

New Delhi, Jan 12 () Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may announce second-round capital infusion for public sector general insurance companies in the upcoming Budget to improve their financial health.
 The government infused Rs 2,500 crore in the three insurers -- National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance -- through first supplementary demands for grants for 2019-20 last month.
 However, these companies would require additional Rs 10,000-12,000 crore capital dose to meet the prescribed solvency margin, sources said.
 The sources further said that announcement to this effect can be made in the Budget 2020-21 that is scheduled on February 1.
 Infusion will not only improve their financial health but facilitate merger announced in the Budget 2018-19.
 In the Budget 2018-19 speech, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the three companies would be merged into a single insurance entity.
 However, the process of merger could not be completed due to various reasons, including poor financial health of these companies. According to the sources, after the merger, the combined entity will be listed on the bourses.
 Initial estimates suggest that the combined entity formed by merging the three insurers will be the largest non-life insurance company in India, valued at Rs 1.2-1.5 lakh crore.
 As on March 31, 2017, the three companies together had more than 200 insurance products with a total premium of Rs 41,461 crore and a market share of around 35 per cent.
 Their combined net worth was Rs 9,243 crore, with total employee strength of around 44,000 spread over 6,000 offices.
 In 2017, state-owned New India Assurance Company and General Insurance Corporation of India were listed on the bourses. DP HRS

FM may announce second round of capital infusion for non-life insurers in Budget

With less than a month to go, there is a sense of anticipation from the <keyword id="6358021" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget">Budget</keyword> 2015-16. Our Finance Minister, Mr Arun Jaitley faces a unique challenge of presenting an economy, industry and people-friendly budget. With the emerging markets struggling and the global economy still in the recovery phase, the government will have to ensure that India is on track for high growth and reduced fiscal deficit. Which is why, it has to be a foresighted, power-packed Budget. 
 From now till the budget, there will be lot of commentary and discussions about what the budget should do across economic, industry, and fiscal front. I’d like to focus on the <keyword id="65469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Financial-independence">financial independence</keyword> measures that should be included in the upcoming Budget through this post. 
 
1. Rethink/redesign pension schemes According to a recent report by <keyword id="6359483" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Crisil">CRISIL</keyword>, pension schemes cover only 8% of employees retiring from the private sector. The remaining 92% have neither income security nor health insurance. This alarming statistic has put the focus on pension, yet again. Theoretically, there is National Pension Scheme and a host of insurance plans focused on pension protection for the masses. However, in reality, despite the National Pension Scheme being one of the cheapest pension products in the world, it has limited reach and awareness. Insurance pension plans are limited by regulation in terms of their attractiveness to the consumer as well as the distributor, and hence, continues to remain a well-kept secret from the people who need these products. The government needs to review the overall coverage, take bold steps in strengthening the distribution and awareness, and make these products at par with PFs and other saving products to boost their adoption. Further, the government needs to encourage retirement planning by enhancing tax exemption limits (or create a dedicated exempt category for retirement planning for approved products) and ensure no tax on the withdrawal amount or annuity income along with flexibility to buy any annuity plan in the golden years. These steps will not only ensure citizens’ welfare in their later years, but also help Central and State governments cut down their future liabilities. 
 
2. Focus on healthcare and health insurance India’s public spending on healthcare is just 1.3% of the <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword>. With 75% of the population outside the health insurance ambit, the government needs to put the spotlight on health insurance. As per the latest records of the World Health Organization, patients in India pay for 58% of the total healthcare expenditure from their own pockets compared to 11% in the US. The ever rising cost of medical expenses further necessitates the key role a good health insurance scheme can play in providing adequate protection to people in the time of need. According to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (<keyword id="6361421" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRDA">Irda</keyword>), insurance penetration stands close to 4%. Under the Health Insurance Vision 2020, the Indian government plans to cover 80% of the population, but it is easier said than done. Government would do well by showing some intent towards expanding healthcare access and clearing the insurance bill in the budget session; thereby, paving the way for additional FDI capital and multi-national interest in health insurance. 
 
3. Encourage home ownership 
According to a National Housing Bank report, more than 80% of the low-income groups and economically weaker sections in urban areas do not have access to institutional finance. These people depend on informal sources for their credit needs and, therefore, are not integrated in the formal financial market. The government should continue the additional exemption of Rs 1 lakh for the first time home buyers for 2015-16 also, and should remove the cap of Rs 25 lakh on the value of home as property prices in metro cities cross that limit easily. 
 
4. Increase investment limits 
The last suggestion is to again increase the investment limit under Section 80C of the income tax law. The reason this would help is because the household savings rate has been dipping and currently stands at ~30% of GDP. For salaried class, this move would encourage higher savings in to long-term instruments, most of which in turn, directly or indirectly, help long-term capital needs of the country. 
About the author: This article has been written by Naveen Kukreja, Director, PaisaBazaar.com

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