Social Sector Programmes
            The flagship programmes continued to receive high priority, viz., Sarva Siksha Abhiyan;
      Mid-Day Meal Scheme; National Health Mission; Integrated Child Development Services;
      Swachh Bharat Abhiyan; Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 100
      Smart Cities, etc.
      Direct Benefit Transfer
            Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is a major reform initiative launched by Government of India
      in 2013 to provide an overarching vision and direction to enable direct cash transfer of benefits
      under various government schemes and programmes to individuals. Leveraging the gains in the
      Aadhaar Project, DBT was conceived with the objective of accurately targeting the intended
      beneficiaries and enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability in delivery of
      benefits/services under government schemes. The mandate of DBT was universalized and
      extended to cover all central sector schemes and centrally sponsored schemes that have any
      component of cash benefit transfer to individual beneficiaries. Further, the scope of DBT has
      been further expanded to include in kind transfers to beneficiaries as well as transfers/
      honorariums given to various enablers of Government schemes like ASHA, Aanganwadi
      workers, etc., and not limited to cash transfers to beneficiaries only. DBT has shown promising
      results in schemes like Pahal (modified DBTL for LPG subsidy), cash subsidy for public
      distribution system (PDS) in Puduchery, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) across the
      country. The large scale implementation of DBT requires placing of new mechanisms, re-
      engineering of government processes and appropriate distribution of authority, responsibility and
      financial resources for delivery of public benefits/ services.
      Schemes for the Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
            From 2005-06, a separate Statement on the schemes for the welfare of Scheduled Castes
      (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) was introduced in the Budget document. From the financial
      year 2011-12 this statement is focused only on Plan schemes under ‘Scheduled Castes Sub Plan’
      and ‘Tribal Sub Plan’ exclusively for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare schemes
      respectively. It shows year-wise budget Estimates and Revised Estimates of current year and
      Budget Estimates of next financial year.
      Economic Growth
            India recorded a growth of 7.1 per cent in 2016-17, highest among the major economies in
      the world, despite the sluggish global economic situation. The growth of Gross Value Added
      (GVA) for the economy was 7.1 per cent in 2016-17.
            The government’s systematic focus on economic growth and macroeconomic stability and
      good monsoon make the growth outlook optimistic. The introduction of the Goods and Services
      Tax (GST) has provided a significant opportunity to improve growth momentum by removing
      barriers to trade, business and related economic activities.
      Public Debt
            Public debt includes: (a) internal debt comprising borrowings inside the country like market
      loans, compensations and other bonds, treasury bills issued to finance state governments,