February 11, 2026
Budget 2026: Big schemes, bigger gaps in social spending
Social sector spending drops to its lowest in a decade. Key schemes for housing, water, and minorities remain underutilised even as allocations shrink further.
Sharad Pandey
Sharad Pandey is Senior Research Consultant at the Foundation for Responsive Governance. Sharad also serves as a consultant with the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) in New Delhi. Previously, he worked with the Accountability Initiative at the Centre for Policy Research and Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS), contributing to projects in education, health, public finance, and governance.
Articles by Sharad Pandey
February 4, 2025
Budget 2025: Understanding social sector spending
While the union government's total expenditure has risen by 7 percent in 2025, the allocation for the social sector has not grown proportionally.
February 3, 2023
Budget 2023: Capital expenditure grows at the cost of social welfare
Social sector spending falls below 20 percent for the first time since 2009 while capital expenditure increases for the third consecutive year.
Load More