Budget, a step towards achieving Amrit Kaal vision

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday termed the Union Budget 2023 a step towards achieving the Amrit Kaal vision and said that the budget promises to free the country from sickle cell anaemia when India celebrates 100 years of its independence.

“An important announcement was made in this budget for the Ministry of Health. A government laboratory will be opened for those doing research in the health sector. The country should be free from sickle cell anaemia when it will be celebrating its 100 years of independence,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told ANI.

“Sickle cell anemia is a major disease among the tribal population. Seven crore people below the age group of 40 years will be screened for this disease,” Mandaviya added.

Mandivya further informed that 157 Medical Colleges have been opened across the country since 2014.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her budget speech in Parliament, said that the central government aims to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047, and a mission will soon be launched in this regard.

The mission will create awareness among the common people with universal screening of seven crore people in the age group of 0 to 40 years in the tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.

Speaking on medical research, she said that facilities in select ICMR labs will be made available for research by public and private medical college faculty and private sector research and development teams for encouraging collaborative research and innovation.

Dwelling on the subject of pharma innovation, the Finance Minister informed that a new programme to promote research and innovation in pharmaceuticals will be taken up through centres of excellence.

She said that the government will also encourage industry to invest in research and development in specific priority areas. She also announced that 157 new nursing colleges will be set up across the country to give a boost to the health sector.

The Finance Minister also announced that under PM Kaushal Vikaas Yoajna 4.0, industry partnership, and alignment of courses with the needs of the industry will be emphasised. The scheme will also cover new age courses for industry 4.0 like coding, AI, robotics, mechatronics IoT, 3D printing drones and other soft skills to skill the youth for international opportunities.

30 Skill India International Centres will be set up across different states for the purpose, said the Finance minister.

Sitharaman also said that the Centre will recruit 38,000 teachers and support staff for the 740 model Eklavya Model Residential Schools serving 3.4 lakh tribal students.

She also focussed on the training of teachers and said that teachers’ training will be re-envisioned through innovative pedagogy, curriculum transaction, continuous professional development, dipstick survey and iCT implementation. ANI