Must Read News Articles – February 2nd, 2019

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GS 2

Govt. gives up on triple talaq Bill

he government has effectively given up on at least two of its more controversial legislations — the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the Triple Talaq Bill — that were awaiting consideration by the Rajya Sabha, after opposition parties made clear that they could not guarantee smooth functioning of the House if any contentious bills were tabled.

Budget

Interim Budget 2019: an exercise aimed at pleasing farmers, informal workers, salaried taxpayers

No income tax up to ₹5 lakh; ₹6000 per annum for farmers with less than 2 hectares of land; and a mega pension scheme for the unorganised sector workers top the announcements made by Union Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in his Budget speech.

Distributing the rewards of reform

The expansive Budget reflects the fruits of fiscal consolidation, tax reform and streamlined delivery of subsidies

The return of targeted cash transfers

Schemes promising cash to the poor absolve the state of its responsibility to provide basic services like health

Farm pension: just a drizzle in the drought?

In a bid to woo the farming community before the Lok Sabha election, the Centre has announced an annual income support of ₹6,000 to small landowning farmers, with an initial sum of ₹2,000 to be paid by the end of March.

₹500 crore for pension for unorganised labour

The Centre has allocated ₹500 crore for a new pension scheme for workers in the unorganised sector, even while reducing its allocation for an existing pension scheme by ₹775 crore.

Goyal unveils Vision 2030, highlighting 10 dimensions

Govt. will create an India where poverty, malnutrition, littering and illiteracy would be a matter of the past

Union Government’s fiscal deficit target goes for a toss

Interim Budget places it at 3.4% for 2019-20 on higher allocations towards income support scheme for farmers.