Corruption Perception Index 2017

Released by: Transparency International

Scale: 0 for highly corrupt and 100 for very clean

Rankings

Performance Health Outcomes Index

Prepared by - NITI Aayog in technical collaboration with World Bank and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Large States: 21

Top Overall Performers: Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu

Most Improved: Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh

Smaller States: 8 (Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland

Top Overall Performers: Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya

Most Improved: Manipur, Goa and Meghalaya

Union Territories: 7

Top Overall Performers: Lakshadweep, Chandigarh and Delhi

Most Improved: Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Highlights of Budget 2018-19

• MSP for all unannounced kharif crops will be one and half times of their production cost like majority of rabi crops.
• Institutional Farm Credit raised to 11 lakh crore in 2018-19 from 8.5 lakh crore in 2014-15.
• 22,000 rural haats to be developed and upgraded into Gramin Agricultural Markets to protect the interests of 86% small and marginal farmers.
• Operation Greens launched to address price fluctuations in potato, tomato and onion for benefit of farmers and consumers.
• Two New Funds of Rs 10,000 crore announced for Fisheries and Animal Husbandary sectors.
• Re-structured National Bamboo Mission gets Rs.1290 crore.
• World’s largest Health Protection Scheme covering over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families launched with a family limit upto 5 lakh rupees for secondary and tertiary treatment.
• Deficit pegged at 3.5 %, projected at 3.3 % for 2018-19.
• Ten prominent sites to be developed as Iconic tourist destinations
• NITI Aayog to initiate a national programme on Artificial Intelligence(AI)
• Standard Deduction of Rs. 40,000 in place of present exemption for transport allowance and reimbursement of miscellaneous medical expenses. 2.5 crore salaried employees and pensioners to benefit.
• Relief to Senior Citizens proposed:-
1. Exemption of interest income on deposits with banks and post offices to be increased from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 50,000.
2. TDS not required to be deducted under section 194A. Benefit also available for interest from all fixed deposit schemes and recurring deposit schemes.
3. Hike in deduction limit for health insurance premium and/ or medical expenditure from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000 under section 80D.
4. Increase in deduction limit for medical expenditure for certain critical illness from Rs. 60,000 (in case of senior citizens) and from Rs. 80,000 (in case of very senior citizens) to Rs. 1 lakh for all senior citizens, under section 80DDB.
5. Proposed to extend Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana up to March, 2020. Current investment limit proposed to be increased to Rs. 15 lakh from the existing limit of Rs. 7.5 lakh per senior citizen.
• Tax-Receipts
1. More concessions for International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), to promote trade in stock exchanges located in IFSC.
2. To control cash economy, payments exceeding Rs. 10,000 in cash made by trusts and institutions to be disallowed and would be subject to tax.
3. Tax on Long Term Capital Gains exceeding Rs. 1 lakh at the rate of 10 percent, without allowing any indexation benefit. However, all gains up to 31st January, 2018 will be grandfathered.
4. Proposal to introduce tax on distributed income by equity oriented mutual funds at the rate of 10 percent.
5. Proposal to increase cess on personal income tax and corporation tax to 4 percent from present 3 percent.
6. Proposal to roll out E-assessment across the country to almost eliminate person to person contact leading to greater efficiency and transparency in direct tax collection.
7. Proposed changes in customs duty to promote creation of more jobs in the country and also to incentivise domestic value addition and Make in India in sectors such as food processing, electronics, auto components, footwear and furniture.