Gender Budget : Union Budget 2025-26

Context: The Gender Budget allocation in the Union Budget 2025-26 increased to ₹4.49 lakh crore, marking a 37.25% rise from ₹3.27 lakh crore in 2024-25.

What is Gender Budget?

• Gender Budgeting is a fiscal tool aimed at promoting gender equality by ensuring government resources are allocated to uplift women and girls.

• Introduced in 2005-06, it assesses how policies impact women’s economic and social development.

Gender Budget Allocations in 2025-26:

• Total Gender Budget: ₹4.49 lakh crore (8.86% of Union Budget).

• Increase from Previous Year: ₹1.22 lakh crore (37.25%) from ₹3.27 lakh crore (2024-25).

Relevance of Gender Budget in UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2 – Governance, Social Justice, and Women Empowerment

• Gender Budgeting as a Governance Tool: Helps in understanding policy-making for gender equality and effective government interventions. Women-Centric Policies: Evaluates schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mission Shakti, and their impact on women’s welfare and empowerment.

• Gender Budgeting as a Governance Tool: Helps in understanding policy-making for gender equality and effective government interventions.

• Women-Centric Policies: Evaluates schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mission Shakti, and their impact on women’s welfare and empowerment.

• GS Paper 3 – Economic Development, Inclusive Growth, and Budgeting

• Role in Economic Growth: Highlights how women’s participation in the workforce enhances GDP and economic productivity. Budgeting & Financial Inclusion: Examines resource allocation, financial policies, and inclusive growth strategies benefiting women.

• Role in Economic Growth: Highlights how women’s participation in the workforce enhances GDP and economic productivity.

• Budgeting & Financial Inclusion: Examines resource allocation, financial policies, and inclusive growth strategies benefiting women.

• Essay Paper – Women & Economy, Gender Equality Policies

• Women as an Economic Asset: Emphasizes gender-inclusive policies to achieve sustainable development and economic equity. Feminization of Poverty: Explores how gender-responsive budgeting helps tackle poverty and economic disparities for women.

• Women as an Economic Asset: Emphasizes gender-inclusive policies to achieve sustainable development and economic equity.

• Feminization of Poverty: Explores how gender-responsive budgeting helps tackle poverty and economic disparities for women.