When the health cess was introduced, the understanding was that it would boost health expenditure by topping up what the govt was already allocating. Clearly, that has not happened. Instead, cess is masking what would otherwise be a steep cut in the share of health in total Budget and in GDP. From 0.32% of the GDP in 2019, the year before Covid struck, the share has fallen to 0.27% even with the cess component.
Related Posts
Great-granddaughter of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is alive
Sultana Begum, the great-granddaughter-in-law of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, lives in a Kolkata slum in stark contrast to her royal heritage. She […]
Inside Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey’s baby name choice — and the story it tells of love, legacy, and grace
Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey are now parents. They welcomed their daughter, Colette Annalise, on July 13. The couple shared the news on Instagram. The […]
Arshdeep Singh: The left-arm quick India need in England
With his skill to swing the ball both ways and his dexterity to hit the 6m length consistently, Arshdeep Singh is arguably the best of […]