Budget 2018: Will the social sector get a boost amid rural distress?

After a disappointing run under the Modi government so far, a significant increase in social sector allocations and their proper utilisation is the need of the day

India’s social sector under the Modi government has had a disappointing run. In the run-up to the 2014 elections, the public debate between economists Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati set the tone for what was at stake. While Sen believed that the Centre needed to invest more in social infrastructure to boost productivity and consequently raise growth, Bhagwati believed that only a focus on growth could yield the resources needed for investing in social sector schemes.

In 2018, it is clear that with widespread rural and agrarian distress, a significant increase in social sector allocations and their proper