Budget 2017 wish list: Young India expects lower fees, cheaper gadgets
Budget 2017 - Curtailment of education fees, cheaper electronic gadgets and more focus on jobs are some of the expectations Young India has from the Budget for fiscal 2017-18 that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will table in Parliament on Wednesday. Many students and professionals who spoke said they wanted a youth-oriented budget that will help underprivileged students pursue higher studies and cheaper electronic gadgets to make the government's Digital India initiative a success in a country where almost 47.8 per cent of population is currently aged below 29. With India set to account for 20 per cent of the world's workforce in the next three years, many young men and women wanted the government to largely focus its resources on how to positively channelise the energy of the youth and make them more productive.
Ankit Mishra, a student pursuing MBBS in Varanasi, said: "I want the government to announce something that can benefit students. It is very difficult for many students who are not privileged to afford higher education fees.
"The fee structure should be normalised. Many times, brilliant students do not study further because of financial issues. That should remain the focus for Arun Jaitley," Mishra said.
Alok Singh, a banker, expected the government to curtail taxes and present a "peoplefriendly" budget. "It all depends on the taxation part. The government should seriously think about the common people now. The taxes on everything are so high that one is deprived of basic necessities at times. Already, commoners have suffered a lot due to demonetisation. This time, it should not add to their problems," Singh, 28, said. With the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government's agenda of making the country digital and go cashless, some expected Jaitley to make gadgets affordable.
"Since the government itself is campaigning for Digital India, it should cut down the prices of electronic appliances, including mobile phones," Mohit Sharma, a Delhi University student, said. "Also, India will only be digital when everyone can afford a smartphone or internet. They should provide either subsidy or curtail prices," Sharma said. Samiya Khan, an IT professional, echoed the wish: "They should also announce some skill-based schemes that will make Digital India possible. Like, they can provide basic computer training to the students in rural areas free of cost." Khan, however, wanted the government to focus on the education of students from minorities communities.
Article Source – Business Standard