PM Modi discusses employment, agriculture with economists, experts ahead of Budget

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held an interactive session on key issues of macro-economy, employment, agriculture, and water resources, exports, education, and health with over 40 economists and experts ahead of the presentation of Union Budget. The meeting came in the backdrop of economic growth slowing to 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018-19 pushing India behind China.

New Delhi: Days before the presentation of Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held an interactive session with over 40 economists and experts on key issues of macro-economy, employment, agriculture, and water resources, exports, education, and health.

During the meeting held under the theme 'Economic Policy - The Road Ahead', the participants shared their views in five distinct groups on the economic themes.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi today attended an interactive session with over 40 economists and other experts, organised by NITI Aayog on the theme 'Economic Policy - The Road Ahead," an official release said.

It said the Prime Minister thanked participants for their suggestions and observations on various aspects of the economy.The economic themes discussed at the meeting are critical in the government's efforts to boost growth, increase employment and growth and improve the quality of life of people.

The Central government aims to double farmers' income by 2022 and has been emphasising on the judicious use of water for long.

The meeting was held in the run-up to the presentation of this year's Union Budget on July 5 with the government looking at ways to boost growth and employment generation.

The meeting came in the backdrop of economic growth slowing to 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018-19 pushing India behind China.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) data also showed that the Gross Domestic Product for 2018-19 (at 2011-12 prices) was at a five-year low of 6.8 per cent as compared to 7.2 per cent GDP growth in 2017-18.

The Congress party has been alleging that unemployment had reached a 45-year high under the BJP-led government.Modi had met Secretaries of all ministries earlier this month and urged them to begin work on making India a five trillion US dollar economy.

Those who attended Saturday's meeting included Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Rao Inderjeet Singh, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar and senior officers from the Union Government.

Others present included Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Bibek Debroy, Nilesh Shah, K Srinath Reddy, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Dr Devi Shetty, Anil Agarwal, Sanjiv Puri , Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Surjit Bhalla, Bodhisattva Ganguli and representatives from NSE, ICICI Bank, ICRIER, CRISIL, HSBC and Credit Suisse.