Budget 2018: Relieving agrarian stress requires focusing on industry

The coming year, 2018, is chock-full of important state Assembly elections and the 2019 general elections are not far off. It is not surprising that the farm sector is being given importance

Preparation for the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2018-19 is in full swing, and signs of the government’s main political concerns are clearly evident. In particular, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has made it clear that the agricultural sector, which employs a disproportionate number of Indians, is likely to receive priority. Mr Jaitley asserted last week that India was one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and growth was benefiting people in different sectors, but then added that the maximum population was dependent on the agriculture sector and unless the gains were clear and evident, growth was not justifiable