Budget 2025 Highlights: List of Major Schemes Announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Budget 2025: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Union Budget 2025-26 on February 1, 2025. The budget included various initiatives aimed at agriculture, rural development, business, social security, and housing. These programs seek to enhance rural livelihoods, boost agriculture, empower female entrepreneurs, and offer social security and shelter. Here is a rundown of the major announcements.

Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana

This plan intends to help 1.7 crore farmers in 100 districts with low agricultural productivity. The government will:

• Encourage sustainable farming and crop diversification

• Improve irrigation facilities

• Implement better storage solutions at the local level

• Provide farmers with easy access to loans

Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme

This initiative will increase rural employment by:

• Helping small farmers, rural women, and landless families build their own companies

• Creating opportunities for rural youth and young farmers

• Modernizing farming methods and storage systems

Aatmanirbharta in Pulses

To lessen reliance on imported pulses, the government would prioritize Urad, Tur, and Masoor dal. The strategy includes:

• Developing higher-quality, climate-resistant seeds

• Increased protein content in pulses

• Providing farmers with fair prices

• Improving agricultural storage and management

Support for First-Time Entrepreneurs

A new plan will assist 5 lakh women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes (ST) entrepreneurs. It will:

• Provide loans up to Rs 2 crore over the next five years

• Offer online training in business management and entrepreneurship

Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0

This nutrition program will support:

• Eight crore children

• One crore pregnant and nursing mothers

• 20 lakh teenage girls, primarily from the Northeast and undeveloped districts

• The government will also allocate more funds to improve food quality

Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme

A new program will distribute digital texts in Indian languages to students in schools and universities, making learning more accessible.

Social Security for Gig Workers

For the first time, online platform employees such as delivery partners and drivers will receive:

• Identity cards and registration for the e-Shram portal

• The PM Jan Arogya Yojana provides healthcare coverage

• This will assist approximately 1 crore gig workers

SWAMIH Fund 2 for Affordable Housing

• A Rs 15,000 crore fund will be established to complete one lakh housing units

• 50,000 dwellings in stalled projects will be completed by 2025

• The fund will assist middle-class families struggling with home loan payments and rent