Macroeconomic analysis fo the union budget 1997 - 98

Abstract

The Union Budget for 1997-98 has been widely acclaimed as a historic budget. In view of the serious differences among different members of the coalition government on major economic issues ranging from the size of fiscal deficit to the level of administered prices & subsidies, the situation facing the Finance Minister called for both guts and confidence to formulate a reform & growth oriented budget. In a rare display of the initiative and the required guts, the Finance Minister acted decisively in favour of the top half of the country s population and in the process earned an overwhelmingly favourable public response to his budget proposals. An attempt has been made in this paper to present a broad macroeconomic analysis of the main proposals of the Union Budget 1997-98 and examine the likely impact of the budget proposals on Indian economy. An attempt has also been made to present the post-budget macroeconomic scenario for Indian economy for the year 1997-98.