Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a major push for job creation in the Union Budget 2024-25, outlining nine priorities to stimulate employment. These include productivity, jobs, social justice, urban development, energy security, infrastructure, innovation, and reforms.

Sitharaman made history today by presenting her seventh consecutive budget. Among the key initiatives, she introduced three new schemes aimed at generating nearly 41 million jobs over the next five years. She allocated Rs 1.48 crore to train 2 million youth and announced the upgrade of over 1,000 industrial training institutes.

Former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram drew attention to the similarities between the government’s new initiatives and the Congress Manifesto from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He stated, “I am glad to know that the Hon’ble FM has read the Congress Manifesto LS 2024 after the election results. I am happy she has virtually adopted the Employment-linked incentive (ELI) outlined on page 30 of the Congress Manifesto.”

Chidambaram, who presented nine budgets from 1996 to 1998, 2004 to 2008 and 2013 to 2014, served as finance minister under PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh governments.

He noted the introduction of the Apprenticeship scheme, which includes an allowance for every apprentice, as another idea taken from the Congress Manifesto. “I am also happy that she has introduced the Apprenticeship scheme along with an allowance to every apprentice spelt out on page 11 of the Congress Manifesto.”

However, he also highlighted areas where he felt the government could have adopted more ideas from the Congress Manifesto, stating, “I wish the FM had copied some other ideas in the Congress Manifesto. I shall shortly list the missed opportunities.”