Did Union Budget copy Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha polls?

The Congress has claimed that Union Finance Minister  Nirmala Sitharaman included some of the ideas from its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election in the Union Budget 2024. 

According to the ‘Grand Old Party’ the ideas from the Congress manifesto ‘borrowed’ by the Union Budget 2024 include the apprenticeship program called ‘pehli naukri pakki’ (first job guaranteed).

It was referred to as a “copy and paste budget” by Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and party leader Jairam Ramesh charged Sitharaman with “taking a leaf” out of the Congress manifesto. Ramesh wrote on X, “The finance minister has taken a leaf out of the INC’s Nyay Patra 2024, with its internship programme clearly modelled on the INC’s proposed Apprenticeship Program that was called Pehli Naukri Pakki.”

Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha Election 2024

A “right to apprenticeship programme” known as “pehli naukri pakki” (first job guaranteed) was developed by the Congress. Every degree or diploma holder under 25 will get apprenticeship training with a private or public sector company, as the Congress had stated. As a result, they would be making at least Rs 1 lakh annually.

The Congress manifesto promised that, “the apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability, and provide full-time job opportunities for millions of youth.”

“We introduced MNREGA, to the benefit of millions of people,” It added.

Rahul Gandhi had declared at a gathering in Rajasthan that “Pehli naukri pakki” will be a plan similar to that.

Did Union Budget 2024 borrow from Congress manifesto?

“Our government will launch a comprehensive scheme to provide one crore youth with internship opportunities in 500 top companies in five years as the fifth scheme under the Prime Minister’s package.”

For a full year, they will be exposed to a variety of real-world business settings, vocations, and job chances, according to Sitharaman. Sitharaman offered a one-time aid of Rs 6,000 along with a monthly internship payment of Rs 5,000.

According to her, businesses would pay for training and 10% of internships using money from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) accounts.

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Sitharaman also disclosed more job initiatives, such as providing a one-time stipend to all new hires in the private sector. This includes giving people who make up to Rs 1 lakh a month on salary Rs 15,000 in three installments. According to Sitharaman, 2.1 crore youth will gain from the programme. Additionally, Sitharaman provided manufacturers with an incentive related to hiring new workers.

She said that for a period of two years, the Center will compensate companies for up to Rs 3,000 per month toward the EFPO contribution for each extra employee.

In an effort to boost women’s employment, the government would also establish hostels for working women. This was also a part of the Congress manifesto for Lok Sabha election 2024.