Budget 2024: Nirmala Sitharaman addresses population growth challenges

Budget 2024: The high-powered committee will be mandated to make recommendations for addressing population challenges, said FM Nirmala Sitharaman.

Updated on: Feb 1, 2024, 13:48:21 IST

By HT News Desk

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Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech in Parliament on Thursday, announced the formation of a high-powered committee to address challenges of fast population growth.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Interim Budget 2024 in the Lok Sabha, at Parliament House in New Delhi, Thursday. (PTI)

“The government will form a high-powered committee for an extensive consideration of the challenges arising from fast population growth and demographic changes,” FM Sitharaman said in the interim Union Budget 2024 speech.

ALSO READ- Budget 2024: Full text of Nirmala Sitharaman's speech in Parliament

The committee will be mandated to make recommendations for addressing these challenges comprehensively in relation to the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat,’ she added.

According to data from the latest estimates and projections of global population from the United Nations, China was projected to cede its long-held status as the world’s most populous country. In April 2023, India’s population was expected to reach 1,425,775,850 people, matching and then surpassing the population of mainland China.

ALSO READ- India to overtake China in population by mid-year: UN

India’s population is virtually certain to continue to grow for several decades. By contrast, China’s population reached its peak size recently and experienced a decline during 2022. Projections indicate that the size of the Chinese population will continue to fall and could drop below 1 billion before the end of the century.

The government will take up next-generation reforms to facilitate growth, and the next five years will be of unprecedented development and golden moments to realize the dream of a developed India by 2047, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday.

She outlined the strategy for 'Amrit Kaal' while presenting the interim Budget 2024-25.

ALSO READ- Budget 2024: What is ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, mentioned by FM Nirmala Sitharaman?

The government on Thursday announced the extension of healthcare cover under Ayushman Bharat to all ASHA and anganwadi workers.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) is the largest publicly funded health insurance scheme in the world that provides coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

Till December 27 last year, 55 crore people belonging to 12 crore families were covered under the scheme.

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