Parliament Question: Reduction in Budget Allocations for Social Sectors

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2503 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2026 12 SHRAVAN, 1948 (SAKA) “REDUCTION IN BUDGET ALLOCATIONS IN SOCIAL SECTORS” 2503. SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R. Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state: (a) the details of the changes in allocations, actual expenditure for the sectors relating to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Education, Health, Rural Development and Social Welfare during the last five Budgets; and (b) the nominal and inflation-adjusted (real) change in allocations for each of the aforementioned sectors compared to the previous financial year and during the last five financial years along with the reasons for reduction in real terms, if any? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY) (a): Details of changes in allocations and actual expenditure for the sectors relating to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Education, Health, Rural Development and Social Welfare during last five Budgets/years (2021-22 to 2025-26) are as below: (i) Scheduled Castes: Budget allocation (BE) and actual expenditure increased by ₹ 42,219 crore and ₹ 15,129 crore, respectively; (ii) Scheduled Tribes: Budget allocation (BE) and actual expenditure increased by ₹ 50,568 crore and ₹ 28,275 crore, respectively; (iii) Education: Budget allocation (BE) and actual expenditure increased by ₹ 35,426 crore and ₹ 36,630 crore, respectively; (iv) Health: Budget allocation (BE) and actual expenditure increased by ₹ 26,949 crore and ₹ 9,550 crore, respectively; (v) Rural Development: Budget allocation (BE) increased by ₹ 71,184 crore, while actual expenditure was lower by ₹ 37,017 crore. This was mainly on account of return to the normal expenditure trends in the post pandemic years and completion of scheme implementation cycle. In FY 2020-21 to 2021-22 overall expenditure under the sector was higher than the trend expenditure mainly on account of government’s Covid-19 pandemic related measures to providewage employment and livelihood support to rural households, returning migrant workers and vulnerable sections, which was normalised and followed the pre-pandemic trends in the subsequent years. (vi) Social Welfare: Budget allocation (BE) and actual expenditure increased by ₹ 11,592 crore and ₹ 2,557 crore, respectively. (b): Details of the nominal and inflation adjusted (real) change in allocations, for each of the aforementioned sectors compared to the previous financial year and during the last five financial years along with the reasons for reduction in real terms, where applicable are as below: (i) Scheduled Castes: Budget allocation (BE) in nominal and real terms increased by ₹ 85,221 crore and ₹ 40,530 crore, respectively; (ii) Scheduled Tribes: Budget allocation (BE) in nominal and real terms increased by ₹ 76,858 crore and ₹ 40,181 crore, respectively; (iii) Education: Budget allocation (BE) in nominal and real terms increased by ₹ 29,338 crore and ₹ 1,988 crore, respectively; (iv) Health: Budget allocation (BE) in nominal and real terms increased by ₹ 34,617 crore and ₹ 10,466 crore, respectively; (v) Rural Development: Budget allocation (BE) in nominal and real terms increased by ₹ 1,21,000 crore and ₹ 53,040 crore, respectively; (vi) Social Welfare: Budget allocation (BE) in nominal terms increased by ₹ 6,176 crore, while in real terms it was lower by ₹ 5,165 crore, mainly on account of return to the trend allocation of the overall sector in the post pandemic years. Notes: (i) Actual expenditure figures for FY 2025-26 is provisional and unaudited. (ii) Inflation-adjusted (real) figures are based on WPI series of 2011-12. *****