In the Indian government’s budget, central sector schemes and centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) are two key instruments for channeling funds for public welfare. Here’s a breakdown of their features and the landscape for the 2023-24 financial year:
Central Sector Schemes
- Funding and Implementation: Entirely funded and implemented by the central government.
- Focus Areas: These schemes typically address subjects in the Union List of the Constitution, like defense, national highways, or central universities.
Centrally Sponsored Schemes:
- Funding: Shared responsibility between the central and state governments. The central government contributes a larger share, with the exact ratio varying across schemes.
- Implementation: Joint effort by the central and state governments. Central government provides financial and technical assistance, while states are responsible for execution.
- Focus Areas: Address a wider range of sectors compared to central sector schemes, often including social welfare, education, healthcare, and agriculture.
Key Features of Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (2023-24):
- Focus on Priority Sectors: The 2023-24 budget reflects continued emphasis on core areas like agriculture, infrastructure development (including rural roads and drinking water), education (including school education and higher education), and healthcare. Examples include:
- Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (MGNREGP): Aims to provide guaranteed wage employment in rural areas.
- Pradhan Mantri Poshan Abhiyan (PM Poshan): Works towards improving nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
- Samagra Shiksha: An integrated scheme for school education from pre-primary to senior secondary level.
- Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY): Provides health insurance coverage to around 500 million Indians.
Expected Outcomes:
- Improved infrastructure and service delivery: These schemes aim to bridge the gap in crucial sectors by facilitating the creation of rural roads, enhancing access to clean drinking water, and strengthening healthcare and educational facilities.
- Social development: Schemes like PM Poshan and MGNREGP target poverty alleviation, improved nutrition among mothers and children, and rural employment generation.
Note: Due to the dynamic nature of government budget allocation, specific details regarding the financial allocation for each scheme in the ongoing financial year (2023-24) might not be readily available. It’s recommended to refer to official government sources like the Union Budget of India: http://indiabudget.gov.in/ for the latest information.
Further Resources:
- Expenditure Profile 2024-2025 Statement 4A: Centrally Sponsored Schemes: [invalid URL removed]
- Schemes – Union Budget Explorer: https://openbudgetsindia.org/