"To do what was required, the FM slashed expenditure allocations of the past even if it meant reduced capital expenditures — and used the extra resources to ramp up subsidies and schemes favoured by the high command."
Laveesh Bhandari, founder-director of Indicus Analytics
"Finance minister P. Chidambaram’s budget for 2013-14 will be remembered not only for its strategies to stimulate economic growth and control the fiscal deficit, but also for the importance given to the needs of the underprivileged sections of our society."
M.S. Swaminathan, MP, veteran agricultural scientist
"On health and education, there has been a very substantive increase in the expenditure-level compared to what they were able to spend in the current year."
Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman, Planning Commission
"There is considerable emphasis on addressing the skill deficit in the Indian economy, with the various schemes from which funding will be sourced clearly spelled out, and an additional provision of Rs.1,000 crore as an incentive for candidates achieving successful certification."
Indira Rajaraman, member of the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India
"Budget 2013-14 will deliver neither higher growth nor improved conditions of life — instead it is likely to worsen the stagflationary tendencies in the economy."
Jayati Ghosh, professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
"Having decided to focus on a relatively narrow base of schemes that are compatible with cash transfers, the budget also reveals a clear focus on women and children."
Dr. Narendar Pani, School of Social Sciences, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore