Tech-driven education
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman further announced Government Reforms and Enablers across Seven Sectors on 17 May 2020.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
Rs.40,000 crore increase in allocation for MGNREGS to provide employment boost
Increased investments in Public Health and other health reforms to prepare India for future pandemics
Technology Driven Education with Equity post-COVID
Further enhancement of Ease of Doing Business through IBC related measures
Decriminalisation of Companies Act defaults
Ease of Doing Business for Corporates
Public Sector Enterprise Policy for a New, Self-reliant India
Increase borrowing limits of States from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only & promoting State level reforms
Minister Sitharaman said Rs.40,000 crore increase in allocation for MGNREGS will help generate nearly 300 crore person days in total addressing need for more work including returning migrant workers in Monsoon season as well.
Creation of larger number of durable and livelihood assets including water conservation assets will boost the rural economy through higher production.
Public Expenditure on Health will be increased by investing in grass root health institutions and ramping up Health and Wellness Centres in rural and urban areas, said the Minister.
Setting up of Infectious Diseases Hospital Blocks in all districts and strengthening of lab network and surveillance by Integrated Public Health Labs in all districts and block level Labs and Public Health Unit to manage pandemics.
Further, National Institutional Platform for One health by ICMR will encourage research. And implementation of National Digital Health Blueprint under the National Digital Health Mission.
Technology Driven Education with Equity post-COVID
PM eVIDYA, a programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education to be launched immediately. Manodarpan, an initiative for psycho-social support for students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being to be launched immediately as well. New National Curriculum and Pedagogical framework for school, early childhood and teachers will also be launched. National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission for ensuring that every child attains Learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025 will be launched by December 2020.
Further Ease of Doing Business through IBC related measures
Minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings has been raised to Rs.1 crore (from Rs.1 lakh, which largely insulates MSMEs). Special insolvency resolution framework for MSMEs under Section 240A of the Code will be notified soon.
Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency proceedings up to one year, depending upon the pandemic situation. Empowering Central Government to exclude COVID 19 related debt from the definition of “default” under the Code for the purpose of triggering insolvency proceedings.
Decriminalisation of Companies Act defaults
Decriminalisation of Companies Act violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults such as shortcomings in CSR reporting, inadequacies in Board report, filing defaults, delay in holding of AGM. The Amendments will de-clog the criminal courts and NCLT. Seven compoundable offences altogether dropped and 5 to be dealt with under alternative framework.
Ease of Doing Business for Corporates
Key reforms include:
Direct listing of securities by Indian public companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions.
Private companies which list NCDs on stock exchanges not to be regarded as listed companies.
Including the provisions of Part IXA (Producer Companies) of Companies Act, 1956 in Companies Act, 2013.
Power to create additional/ specialized benches for NCLAT
Lower penalties for all defaults for Small Companies, One-person Companies, Producer Companies & Start Ups.
Public Sector Enterprise Policy for a New, Self-reliant India
Government will announce a new policy whereby –
List of strategic sectors requiring presence of PSEs in public interest will be notified
In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will remain in the public sector but private sector will also be allowed
In other sectors, PSEs will be privatized (timing to be based on feasibility etc.)
To minimise wasteful administrative costs, number of enterprises in strategic sectors will ordinarily be only one to four; others will be privatised/ merged/ brought under holding companies
Support to State Governments
Centre has decided to increase borrowing limits of States from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only. This will give States extra resources of Rs. 4.28 lakh crore. Part of the borrowing will be linked to specific reforms (including recommendations of the Finance Commission). Reform linkage will be in four areas: universalisation of ‘One Nation One Ration card’, Ease of Doing Business, Power distribution and Urban Local Body revenues. A specific scheme will be notified by Department of Expenditure on the following pattern:
Unconditional increase of 0.50%
1% in 4 tranches of 0.25%, with each tranche linked to clearly specified, measurable and feasible reform actions
Further 0.50% if milestones are achieved in at least three out of four reform areas. fiinews.com
