Big fillip to Agriculture, Skill Development, Education and Rural poor
- Agricultural credit raised to 10 Lac crores
- Micro irrigation and Irrigation fund with Nabard approx 25000 Crores
- Welfare of pregnant women and children, escalation in budget
- Higher investments in affordable housing, given infrastructure status.
- Refinance of housing loans.
- Reduced bank loan rates
- Govt to eradicate illnesses like TB, Kala Azar Etc
- Upgradation of health centres
- Steps to create 5000 post graduate courses for doctors
- Have DNB training more widely available
- Improvements in medical education
- More investment and rules for Medical devices
- Improved avenues of employment for women
- Aadhar based health cards for senior citizens and also New LIC policy with higher interest rates
First budget of independent India that includes railways
- Railways Facelift Budget 2017
- Cashless reservations and online reservations not to have service tax
- 2000 stations with solar energy
- Elimination of unmanned rail crossings
- Railway passenger safety to be improved
Road Sector: More roads with multimodal logistic parks with transport facilities
- Upgradation of airports in tier 2 cities
- Greater penetration of broadband and optical diner to all rural areas, low tariff
- Education, skills and telemedicine program to be added
- Second phase of solar power development
- India to become a major hub for global electronics manufacture.
- Schemes to help Indian mobile makers
Financial Sector
- FDI reforms: Automatic route, e filing and online processing, FIPB to be abolished, further liberalisation of FDI on the anvil
Integrate spot and derivative market - Draft bill to curb illegal deposits.
- Better cyber security for financial sector
- DTH to be used for education
- Big push to cashless and digital banking, BHIM app gets 2 New inputs
Aadhar linked options for those ultrapoor who have no cell phones - 10 lac New Point of Sale systems
- Cheque bounce to be dealt more severely
Highlights of Union Budget 2017-18 (Pharma and Healthcare Sectoral Analysis)
Compiled by Amrit Karmarkar
Drugs and Cosmetics Rules Amendments:
Drugs and Cosmetics Rules will be amended to ensure availability of drugs at reasonable prices and promote use of generic
medicines.
Medical Devices:
New rules for regulating medical devices will also be formulated.
These rules will be made to international standards and bring investment to the sector. It would reduce the and attract investment into this sector. This will reduce the cost of such devices.
Telemedicine:
A DigiGaon initiative will be launched to provide tele-medicine, education and skills through digital technology.
Elimination of Diseases
Government has prepared an action plan to eliminate Kala-Azar and Filariasis by 2017, Leprosy by 2018 and Measles by 2020. Elimination of tuberculosis by 2025 is also targeted.
Healthcare Education
For ensuring availability of specialist doctors to strengthen Secondary and Tertiary levels of health care, govt. have therefore
decided to take steps to create additional 5,000 Post Graduate seats per annum.
In addition, steps will be taken to roll out DNB courses in big District Hospitals; Augment Post Grad teaching in employee state insurance and govt Hospitals; and bring in reputed Private Hospitals to start DNB courses.
Working out with the State Governments to take these tasks forward will be done. The Government is committed to take necessary steps for structural transformation of the Regulatory framework of Medical Education and Practice in India.
Two New AIIMS will be established up in Jharkhand and Gujarat.
Senior Citizen Aadhar Card
For senior citizens, Aadhar based Smart Cards containing their health details will be introduced.
Allocation of Funds (in crores of Rs.)
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) 39688 (2016-17) and now 48853 (2017-18).
Sectoral Allocation (in crores of Rs.) 114806 (2016-17) and now 130215 (2017-18).
