New Delhi, February 11: A secure India is essential for a developed India, stated the ruling party during a discussion on the budget in the Rajya Sabha. The government has demonstrated its commitment to national security through initiatives in Doklam, Galwan, Balakot, and other operations.
BJP MP Sujit Kumar from Odisha highlighted that the defense budget has been increased to ₹7.85 lakh crore, which is approximately 16% higher than last year. The defense budget has more than tripled from around ₹2.55 lakh crore in 2013-14. Kumar emphasized that a developed India cannot be envisioned without a secure India.
During the budget discussion in the Rajya Sabha, he noted that India’s defense exports have surged from merely ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to nearly ₹24,000 crore now, with a target to reach ₹50,000 crore in the next two to three years. This marks a significant achievement towards self-reliant India. The government has sent a clear message that the nation stands with its army, navy, air force, and coast guard.
Kumar described this budget as the first of the second phase of the 21st century, viewing it not just as an annual financial document but as a vision roadmap for India’s development over the next 25 years. He referred to it as a purposeful budget, a philosophical budget, and one dedicated to ‘duty.’
He asserted that this budget serves as a guiding document for a growing nation towards a developed India. The finance minister has introduced a new principle of good governance, summarized in three duties: empowering public aspirations, accelerating economic growth, and ensuring ‘inclusive development for all.’ Kumar stated that this is a politics of duty, not merely debt or task-oriented politics. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government is emphasizing duty-based nation-building.
Citing Chanakya’s Arthashastra, he quoted, “The happiness of the ruler lies in the happiness of the subjects, and their welfare is in the welfare of the subjects.” He underscored the importance of Raj Dharma, which protects all other duties, reflecting ancient Indian wisdom in this budget’s theme of ‘duty.’
Kumar identified education as the second pillar of development. He stated that an educated India is the engine of growth. The budget allocates approximately ₹1.40 lakh crore for education, an 8% increase from the previous year. This includes ₹22,000 crore for overall education, ₹7,500 crore for the PM-SHRI scheme, and ₹7,150 crore for Eklavya Model Residential Schools. Five new university townships will be established to enhance coordination between industry and academia. The proposal includes setting up 15,000 content labs in schools to position India as a leader in the digital and audience economy.
The third pillar is women’s empowerment. Kumar noted that empowering a woman strengthens a civilization. The budget emphasizes special schemes and entrepreneurship incentives for women. Sports and youth power were also highlighted as significant pillars. He mentioned that this year’s budget for sports is nearly four times higher than in 2013-14, with approximately ₹1,000 crore allocated for the ‘Khelo India‘ mission. India is striving to host the 2036 Olympics and preparing for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. These investments aim to position India among the top 10 sports nations by 2036.