Page 24 - NIS English February 16-28

Interview
N a a S t a a a

B get a o at o o Se Re a t

I a e e a e F a e M te

‘Aatmanirbharta’, implying self-reliance, is not just an expression of 130 Crore
Indians but has also become Oxford Hindi Word of 2020. This is possibly the
first time in the history of India that a Budget was proposed with a vision to
make the country self-reliant. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman answered
questions put by Santosh Kumar, Consulting Editor, New India Samachar, on why

this Budget is different

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This is the first Budget after the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
was announced. How will this Budget take us forward on the
path of self-reliance?
Self-reliance is not a new concept. Ancient India was largely
self-reliant, and equally a business epicentre of the world.
‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ is an expression of 130 Crore Indians
who believe in their capabilities and skills. In May 2020, the
Government announced the AatmaNirbhar Bharat (ANB)
package 1.0. Later two more packages (ANB 2.0 and ANB 3.0)
were announced. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister,
we made arrangements for the neglected sections of the
society. Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana, three ANB
packages and announcements made at the later stages were
equivalent to five mini Budgets. The AatmaNirbhar packages
gave push to structural reforms.

22 New India Samachar