Budget 2018: A significant step forward, says ICICI Lombard's Dasgupta

The budget has shown fiscal prudence by limiting the fiscal slippage from the target set earlier

The Union Budget 2018 was announced amid the backdrop of path-breaking measures like demonetisation and the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) last year. The announcements made in the budget indicate that the government has rightly focused on targeting the key enabling areas of agriculture, education, health, and power and women empowerment. Further, it has shown fiscal prudence by limiting the fiscal slippage from the target set earlier.
 
One of the key areas that policy makers have rightly focused on is in terms of providing health cover to our citizens. The launch of the National Health Protection