The Union Budget 2016-17 is a clear indicator that the government wants to bring development at grass-roots level for its people. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's focus on health as one of the key pillars shows that everyone has the right to a healthier life.
The common man often is burdened with heavy health care costs and is frequently devoid of quality and timely health care facilities. Universal insurance enabling the elderly and the poorest to get access to good-quality health care is a fantastic step. Too often, a single serious health care event can have serious financial implications on people's lives.
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Lack of proper sanitation and cleanliness in rural India is one of the major causes of diseases in the country. Nearly 600,000 deaths a year are caused owing to diarrhoea - a big reason for this is improper sanitation. So, the faster we can solve this, the faster we can help people live healthier. As a preventive measure, the allocation of Rs 9,000 crore towards the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a great move by the government and a step towards cleaner, healthier India. The LPG connection for women is another huge step in this direction. For far too long, too many women have suffered serious health issues due to the smoke from the chullah. LPG will provide a safer and more efficient means for cooking, which should improve health care of women in rural India. The national dialysis services programme is also a heartening initiative taken by the government - it is great to see the government address specific concerns related to serious non-communicable diseases.
Taking a lead from the Startup India, Stand Up India initiative, the Modi government is constantly working towards creating a conducive environment to promote entrepreneurship and facilitate growth of the start-up ecosystem in India. A thriving start-up environment also creates immense employment opportunities - not only in start-ups but, also in the overall ecosystem, start-ups are also going to be key partners in the Make in India programme.
The ease of the registration process and the hope to complete the task in a day are welcome measures, along with the three-year tax holiday for start-ups. This move will allow a speedy way to set up a venture and help figure out what's important - building disruptive products and services.
It also good to see aspiring entrepreneurs get access to quality education and training through various newly-built colleges, schools, government ITIs and vocational training centres through massive open online courses. Skilling India at the bottom is a priority that should not be ignored, and by giving the youth access to education and connecting them to mentors will help guide them towards a better future. The National Skill Development Mission, along with the National Digital Literacy Mission, will help train 7.6 million youth and reaching out to 60 million houses in rural areas in the next three years. It is from here that some of the brightest minds of our country will soon be innovating and building world-renowned products and services. Reduction of long-term capital gains from three years to two years is a positive move.
The government is committed to achieving 100 per cent village electrification by May 1, 2018. It is great to see focused efforts being made to connect India, which will also allow rural India access to the internet in the near future.
Infrastructural improvements showcase the development of a society and, with the India of the 21st century moving towards a better infrastructure, they serve as the foundation of a stronger nation. What we see in the future is a healthier nation thriving on innovation, developing its own power and becoming a global player to be reckoned with. As this growth trajectory continues, we will see many more of these ground-breaking developments happen in our nation in times to come.
The writer is co-founder and CEO, Practo
