Previous Year Question
With reference to the scheme wise allocation in the 2023-24 Union Budget, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Compared to the previous year, highest percentage of decline has been recorded in the allocation for MGNREGA.
Compared to the previous year, highest percentage of growth has been recorded in the allocation for Jal Jeevan Mission.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Neither 1 nor 2
Only 1
Both 1 and 2
Only 2
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. The 2022-23 Revised Estimate for MGNREGS was ₹89,400 crore, whereas the Budget Estimate for 2023-24 was ₹60,000 crore. This represented a decline of approximately 32.9%.
An important distinction here is between Budget Estimate and Revised Estimate. The original Budget Estimate for MGNREGS in 2022-23 was ₹73,000 crore, which was subsequently increased to ₹89,400 crore at the Revised Estimate stage.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Jal Jeevan Mission received an allocation of ₹70,000 crore in 2023-24. Compared with the ₹55,000 crore Revised Estimate for 2022-23, this represented an increase of approximately 27.3%. Although substantial, it was not the highest percentage increase among all schemes; some other schemes recorded larger percentage increases.
Having a large absolute allocation of ₹70,000 crore does not necessarily mean having the highest percentage growth. Percentage growth depends on the previous year's base.