Highlight of Union Budget 2011-12
Highlight of Union Budget 2011-12
Highlight of Union Budget 2011-12
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated to have grown at 8.6 per cent in 2010-11 in real
terms. Economy has shown remarkable resilience.
• Continued high food prices have been principal concern this year.
• Consumers denied the benefit of seasonal fall in prices despite improved availability of food
items, revealing shortcomings in distribution and marketing systems.
• Monetary policy measures taken expected to further moderate inflation in coming months.
• Exports have grown by 29.4 per cent, while imports have recorded a growth of 17.6 per cent
during April to January 2010-11 over the corresponding period last year.
• Indian economy expected to grow at 9 per cent with an outside band of +/- 0.25 per cent in
2011-12.
• Average inflation expected lower next year and current account deficit smaller.
Tax Reforms
• Direct Taxes Code (DTC) to be finalised for enactment during 2011-12. DTC proposed to be
effective from April 1, 2012.
• Areas of divergence with States on proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) have been
narrowed. As a step towards roll out of GST, Constitution Amendment.
• Bill proposed to be introduced in this session of Parliament.
• Significant progress in establishing GST Network (GSTN), which will serve as IT
infrastructure for introduction of GST.
Expenditure Reforms
• A Committee already set up by Planning Commission to look into the extant classification
of public expenditure between plan, non-plan, revenue and capital.
Subsidies
• Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) has improved the availability of fertiliser;
• Government actively considering extension of the NBS regime to cover urea.
• Government to move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy to people living below poverty
line in a phased manner for better delivery of kerosene, LPG and fertilisers. Task force set
up to work out the modalities for the proposed system.
• People's ownership of PSUs Overwhelming response to public issues of Central Public
Sector Undertakings during current year.
• Higher than anticipated non-tax revenue has led to reschedulement of some disinvestment
issues planned for current year.
• 40,000 crore to be raised through disinvestment in 2011-12.
• Government committed to retain at least 51 per cent ownership and management control of
the Central Public Sector Undertakings.
Investment
Foreign Direct Investment
• Discussions underway to further liberalise the FDI policy.
• Foreign Institutional Investors
• SEBI registered mutual funds permitted to accept subscription from foreign investors who
meet KYC requirements for equity schemes.
• To enhance flow of funds to infrastructure sector, the FII limit for investment in corporate
bonds issued in infrastructure sector being raised.
• Financial Sector Legislative Initiatives
• To take the process of financial sector reforms further, various legislations proposed in
2011-12.
• Amendments proposed to the Banking Regulation Act in the context of additional banking
licences to private sector players.
Agriculture
• Removal of production and distribution bottlenecks for items like fruits and vegetables,
milk, meat, poultry and fish to be the focus of attention this year. Allocation under Rashtriya
Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) increased from 6,755 crore to 7,860 crore.
• Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern Region
• To improve rice based cropping system in this region, allocation of Rs.400 crore has been
made.
• Integrated Development of 60,000 pulses villages in rainfed areas
• Allocation of Rs.300 crore to promote 60,000 pulses villages in rainfed areas.
Nutri-cereals
• Allocation of Rs.300 crore to promote higher production of Bajra, Jowar, Ragi and other
millets, which are highly nutritious and have several medicinal properties.
Agriculture Credit
• Credit flow for farmers raised from Rs.3,75,000 crore to Rs.4,75,000 crore in 2011-12.
• Interest subvention proposed to be enhanced from 2 per cent to 3 per cent for providing
short-term crop loans to farmers who repay their crop loan on time.
• In view of enhanced target for flow of agriculture credit, capital base of NABARD to be
strengthened by Rs.3,000 crore in phased manner.
• Rs.10,000 crore to be contributed to NABARD's Short-term Rural Credit fund for 2011-12.
Exports
• Of 23 suggestions made by Task Force on Transaction Cost, constituted by the Department
of Commerce, 21 suggestions already implemented. Action to be taken on the remaining two
suggestions. Transaction Cost of Rs.2,100 crore will thus be mitigated.
• Self assessment to be introduced in Customs to modernize the Customs administration.
• Proposal to introduce scheme for refund of taxes paid on services used for export of goods.
• Mega Cluster Scheme to be extended for leather products. Seven mega leather clusters to be
set up during 2011-12.
• Jodhpur to be included for the development of a handicraft mega cluster.
Black Money
• Five fold strategy to be put into operation to deal with the problem of generation and
circulation of black money.
• Membership of various international fora engaged in anti money laundering, Financial
integrity and Economic development, Exchange of information for tax purposes and
transparency, secured.
• Various Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA) and Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreements (DTAA) concluded. Foreign Tax Division of CBDT has been strengthened to
effectively handle increase in tax information exchange and transfer pricing issues.
• Enforcement Directorate strengthened three fold to handle increased number of cases
registered under amended Money Laundering Legislation.
• Finance Ministry has commissioned study on unaccounted income and wealth held within
and outside the country.
• Comprehensive national policy to be announced in near future to strengthen controls over
prevention of trafficking on narcotic drugs.
Strengthening Inclusion
• National Food Security Bill (NFSB) to be introduced in the Parliament during the course of
this year.
• Allocation for social sector in 2011-12 (1,60,887 crore) increased by 17 per cent over
current year. It amounts to 36.4 per cent of total plan allocation.
Bharat Nirman
• Allocation for Bharat Nirman programme proposed to be increased by Rs.10,000 crore from
the current year to Rs.58,000 crore in 2011-12.
• Plan to provide Rural Broadband Connectivity to all 2,50,000 Panchayats in the country in
three years.
MGNREGA
• In pursuance of last years budget announcement to provide a real wage of 100 per day, the
Government has decided to index the wage rates notified under the MGNREGA to the
Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour. The enhanced wage rates have been notified
by the Ministry of Rural Development on January 14, 2011.
• From 1st April, 2011, remuneration of Anganwadi workers increased from Rs.1,500 per
month to Rs.3,000 per month and for Anganwadi helpers from Rs.750 per month to
Rs.1,500 per month.
Scheduled Castes and Tribal Sub-plan
• Specific allocation earmarked towards Schedule Castes Sub-plan and Tribal Sub-plan in the
Budget.
• Allocation for primitive Tribal groups increased from Rs.185 crore in 2010-11 to Rs.244
crore in 2011-12.
Education
• Allocation for education increased by 24 per cent over current year.
Innovations
• National Innovation Council set up to prepare road map for innovations in India.
• Special grant provided to various universities and academic institutions to recognise
excellence.
Skill Development
• Additional Rs.500 crore proposed to be provided for National Skill Development Fund
during the next year.
• An international award with prize money of 1 crore being instituted for promoting values of
universal brotherhood as part of National celebrations of 150th Birth Anniversary of
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.
Health
• Plan allocations for health stepped-up by 20 per cent.
• Scope of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to be expanded to widen the coverage.
Financial Inclusion
• Target of providing banking facilities to all 73,000 habitations having a population of over
2,000 to be completed during 2011-2012.
Unorganised sector
• Exit norms under co-contributory pension scheme "Swavalamban" to be relaxed.
• Benefit of Government contribution to be extended from three to five years for all
subscribers who enroll during 2010-11 and 2011-12.
• Eligibility for pension under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme for BPL
beneficiaries reduced from 65 years of age to 60 years. Those above 80 years of age will get
pension of Rs.500 per month instead of Rs.200 at present.
Environmental Management
• Rs.200 crore proposed to be allocated for launching Environmental Remediation
Programmes from National Clean Energy Fund.
Census 2011
• To enumerate castes other than Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes in Census 2011, 'caste'
to be canvassed as a separate time bound exercise.
Improving Governance
UID Mission
• From 1st October, 2011 ten lakh Aadhaar numbers will be generated per day.
IT Initiatives
• Various IT initiatives taken for efficient tax administration. These include e-filing and e-
payment of taxes, adoption of 'Sevottam' concept by CBEC and CBDT, web based facility
for tax payers to track the resolution of refunds and credit for pre-paid taxes and
augmentation of processing capacity.
• Under Mission mode projects, funds released to 31 projects received from States/UTs for
computerisation of Commercial taxes. This will allow States to align with roll out of GST.
• Bill to amend the Indian Stamp Act proposed to be introduced shortly.
• A new scheme with an outlay of 300 crore to be launched to provide assistance to States to
modernise their stamp and registration administration and roll out e-stamping in all the
districts in the next three years.
• A new simplified form 'Sugam' to be introduced to reduce the compliance burden of small
tax payers falling within presumptive taxation.
• Three more benches of Settlement Commission to be set up to fast track the disposal of
cases.
• Steps initiated to reduce litigation and focus attention on high revenue cases.
• Group of Ministers constituted to consider measures for tackling corruption.
• Recommendations to be made in a time bound manner.
TAGUP
• Recommendations of Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects (TAGUP) submitted
and accepted in principle.
Tax Proposals
Direct Taxes
• Exemption limit for the general category of individual taxpayers enhanced from Rs.1,60,000
to Rs.1,80,000 giving uniform tax relief of Rs.2,000.
• Exemption limit enhanced and qualifying age reduced for senior citizens.
• Higher exemption limit for Very Senior Citizens, who are 80 years or above.
• Current surcharge of 7.5 per cent on domestic companies proposed to be reduced to 5 per
cent.
• Rate of Minimum Alternative Tax proposed to be increased from 18 per cent to 18.5 per
cent of book profits.
• Tax incentives extended to attract foreign funds for financing of infrastructure.
• Additional deduction of Rs.20,000 for investment in long-term infrastructure bonds
proposed to be extended for one more year.
• Lower rate of 15 per cent tax on dividends received by an Indian company from its foreign
subsidiary.
• Benefit of investment linked deduction extended to businesses engaged in the production of
fertilisers.
• Investment linked deduction to businesses developing affordable housing.
• Weighted deduction on payments made to National Laboratories, Universities and Institutes
of Technology to be enhanced to 200 per cent.
• System of collection of information from foreign tax jurisdictions to be strengthened.
• A net revenue loss of Rs.11,500 crore estimated as a result of proposals.
Indirect Taxes
• To stay on course for transition to GST.
• Central Excise Duty to be maintained at standard rate of 10 per cent.
• Reduction in number of exemptions in Central Excise rate structure.
• Nominal Central Excise Duty of 1 per cent imposed on 130 items entering in the tax net.
• Lower rate of Central Excise Duty enhanced from 4 per cent to 5 per cent.
• Optional levy on branded garments or made up proposed to be converted into a mandatory
levy at unified rate of 10 per cent.
• Peak rate of Custom Duty held at its current level.
Manufacturing Sector
• Basic Custom Duty reduced for various items to encourage domestic value addition vis-a-vis
imports, to remove duty inversion and anomalies and to provide a level playing field to the
domestic industry.
• Rate of Export Duty for all types of iron ore enhanced and unified at 20 per cent ad valorem.
Full exemption from Export Duty to iron ore pellets.
• Basic Custom Duty on two critical raw materials of cement industry viz. petcoke and
gypsum is proposed to be reduced to 2.5 per cent.
• Cash dispensers fully exempt from basic Customs Duty.
Environment
• Full exemption from basic Customs Duty and a concessional rate of Central Excise Duty
extended to batteries imported by manufacturers of electrical vehicles.
• Concessional Excise Duty of 10 per cent to vehicles based on Fuel cell technology.
• Exemption granted from basic custom duty and special CVD to critical parts/assemblies
needed for Hybrid vehicles.
• Reduction in Excise Duty on kits used for conversion of fossil fuel vehicles into Hybrid
vehicles.
• Excise Duty on LEDs reduced to 5 per cent and special CVD being fully exempted.
• Basic Customs Duty on solar lantern reduced from 10 to 5 per cent.
• Full exemption from basic Customs Duty to Crude Palm Stearin used in manufacture of
laundry soap.
• Full exemption from basic Excise Duty granted to enzyme based preparation for pre-
tanning.
Infrastructure
• Parallel Excise Duty exemption for domestic suppliers producing capital goods needed for
expansion of existing mega or ultra mega power projects.
• Full exemption from basic Customs Duty to bio-asphalt and specified machinery for
application in the construction of national highways.
Other Proposals
• Scope of exemptions from basic Customs Duty for work of art and antiquities extended to
apply for exhibition or display in private art galleries open to the general public.
• Exemption from Import Duty for spares and capital goods required for ship repair units
extended to import by ship owners.
• Concessional basic Custom Duty of 5 per cent and CVD of 5 per cent available to
newspaper establishments for high speed printing presses extended to mailroom equipment.
• Jumbo rolls of cinematographic film fully exempted from CVD by providing full exemption
from Excise Duty.
• Out right concession to factory-built ambulances from Excise Duty.
• Relief measures proposed for raw pistachio, bamboo for agarbatti, lactose for the
manufacture of homoeopathic medicines, sanitary napkins, baby and adult diapers.
• Proposals relating to Customs and Central Excise estimated to result in a net revenue gain of
7,300 crore.
Service Tax
• Standard rate of Service Tax retained at 10 per cent, while seeking a closer fit between
present regime and its GST successor.
• Hotel accommodation in excess of 1,000 per day and service provided by air conditioned
restaurants that have license to serve liquor added as new services for levying Service Tax.
• Tax on all services provided by hospitals with 25 or more beds with facility of central air
conditioning.
• Service Tax on air travel both domestic and international raised.
• Services provided by life insurance companies in the area of investment and some more
legal services proposed to be brought into tax net.
• All individual and sole proprietor tax payers with a turn over upto 60 lakh freed from the
formalities of audit.
• To encourage voluntary compliance the penal provision for Service Tax are being
rationalised. Similar changes being carried out in Central Excise and Custom laws.
• Proposals relating to Service Tax estimated to result in net revenue gain of
• Proposals relating to Direct Taxes estimated to result in a revenue loss of Rs.11,500 crore
and those related to Indirect Taxes estimated to result in net revenue gain of Rs.11,300 crore.