1) India as the food factory of the world.
2) India as the global manufacturing hub.
3) India as the service provider to the world.
4) India as the centre of the knowledge economy.
5) India as the global tourism destination.
6) India as the global healthcare destination.
7) India as the global higher education destination.

1) Bring vibrancy to the rural economy.
2) Make agriculture remunerative even to small and marginal farmers by doubling the income of kisans by 2010, reducing the cost of cultivation, enhancing yields, and increasing prices receivable by farmers. We have, for the first time since Independence, set up a National Kisan Commission to address these imperatives.
3) Double the rate of growth of public and private investment in agriculture.
4) Make India's eastern States, which have fertile land and plenty of water, a new food basket of India.
5) Increase the access of our farmers to markets, to competitive sources of finance, and to knowledge that allows them to compete in a global economy.
6) Increase value addition and reduce wastage at every stage in the food chain linking the kisan to the consumer, so that both benefit.
7) Make India the "Food Factory" of the world by producing high quality processed foods for global markets.

1) Work will commence on the River-Linking Project, whose principal beneficiaries will be our farmers in water-scarce areas.
2) Completion of all the ongoing irrigation projects (major, medium, and minor) within five years to create irrigation for an additional 35 million hectares of land.
3) A Master Plan for ground water recharge will be implemented throughout the nation.
4) Mandatory community participation in planning, execution, and maintenance of irrigation projects through mechanisms such as Water Users' Associations.
5) Every district will draw up a comprehensive water management and soil enrichment strategy.
6) A campaign will be launched to encourage drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and greenhouse technology. Land under these water-efficient systems will be increased five-fold in five years. Our slogan for this campaign would be "More Crop per Drop".
7) A National Mission for Rainfed Agriculture will be launched to benefit two-thirds of India's cropped area, and 80% of small and marginal farmers who are dependent on rains. It will focus on the watershed approach, use of better seeds, dissemination of relevant farm technologies, soil enrichment, and commercialization of everything that grows on arid lands, including weeds and wild plants.
8) Adequate supply of quality power will be ensured to all farmers by 2009.
9) Wasteland development for agriculture, horticulture, afforestation, bio-mass production, cultivation of bamboo and bio-fuels, and other productive uses will be taken up on a mission mode. All programs, currently under different ministries, will be brought under a single agency. The National Wasteland Development Board will be reactivated to put at least 25 million hectares of wasteland to productive use by 2009 that is, by doubling the rate of coverage under all the existing programs. The Centre will draw up a model law for better management of land and other natural resources through community participation, private investments, corporate-cooperative collaboration, and by making landless laborers, small farmers, ex-servicemen, and unemployed youth partners in every initiative for wasteland development. The model law will be commended to State Governments to pass similar legislations and set up suitably empowered authorities to implement this important mission.
10) Organic farming will be promoted to reverse soil degradation produce "natural" foods that are becoming popular the world over. Fiscal and other forms of support will be given for production of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.
11) Leasing in and leasing out of lands within farmers would be permitted through enabling legislation.
12) With the cooperation of the State governments, all revenue records and land transfer systems will be computerized and linked to a Geographical Information System.

1) Greater Plan Funds shall be earmarked for agriculture, irrigation, rural development and allied areas.
2) A Task Force will be set up to recommend, within the first six months, policy and institutional measures to promote private sector investment in agriculture, especially in small and medium-scale irrigation projects, farm R&D, human resource development, post-harvest management, and marketing. Public and private investments, as well as investments by farmers themselves, will be synergized through partnerships. It needs to be underscored that private investment in agriculture does not mean corporate farming.
3) Timely and adequate farm credit to kisans is as important as timely and adequate water for his crops. Therefore, steps will be taken to ensure enhanced credit flow to the sector, make credit affordable at interests lower than prime lending rates (PLR), eliminate procedural delays, and introduce greater competition in credit delivery. The process of giving all eligible farmers a Kisan Credit Card will be completed before August 15, 2004. Card-holders will be able to use ATM facility wherever it exists. Our aim will be to create a well-developed farm credit system, which will end the need for farmers to go to money lenders.
4) Projects under the newly announced Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan Fund of Rs. 50,000 crore for agriculture infrastructure and credit will be given fast-track clearance.
5) The Government will give priority attention to strengthening cooperative banks and other cooperative credit institutions. The Rs. 15,000-crore fund announced for this purpose in the interim budget will be made operational. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure that cooperative institutions are run on professional and sound commercial lines, while retaining their democratic character.
6) All States will be encouraged to bring their cooperative laws in conformity with the Multi-State Cooperative Act passed by the Centre.
7) Full support will be provided for setting up cold storages, godowns, grain banks, and fodder banks. Kisans keeping their produce in accredited godowns/grain banks will be entitled to avail bank credit with the introduction of Negotiable Warehouse Receipts.
8) The comprehensive crop insurance scheme and the newly launched farm income insurance scheme will be more intensively and efficiently implemented.

1) Launch of a national program to use bio-technology for evolving plants that consume less water, are drought-resistant, contain more nutrition, give higher yield, and are environmentally safe.
2) Resources for agricultural R&D will be trebled in the next five years. Its focus on new yield-enhancing and cost-reducing agriculture practices, new seeds, etc. To close the gap between "Lab to Land", multiple kinds of partnerships will be established between the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras, agriculture universities, agri-business companies, and farmers' organizations.
3) Agriculture extension and consultancy services will be made a thrust area, with private sector participation. Necessary bank credit and institutional support will be made available for the establishment of at least one "Krishi Seva Kendra" in every village. The "Kisan Call Centre" service (which uses a nationwide toll-free telephone number 1551) will be made operational nationwide and in all local languages. Besides benefiting farmers, these agri-consultancy services will create employment and income-enhancing opportunities for over five lakh educated youth and local agriculture experts.
4) Opportunities for education and training in agriculture and allied activities will be vastly expanded. Our aim will be to ensure that every farmer undergoes some training or participates in some farm-education program every year.
5) A comprehensive, countrywide program will be launched for the technological improvement of farm machinery, implements, and tools.

1) States will be given incentives to amend the Agricultural Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) Act and abolish mandi taxes. This will enable farmers to access competitive markets, sell their produce directly to processing industries and to consumers, thus realizing better prices.
2) All the remaining restrictions on the free movement of agricultural goods across any part of the country will be removed within one year. The Essential Commodities Act will be revised.
3) A Rs. 1,000 crore Mandi Development Fund will be created to support modernization of agriculture markets.
4) Commodity exchanges will be encouraged to reach futures trading services to all farmers through smaller contract sizes and by covering a wider range of crops. This will lessen the dependence on Minimum Support Prices.
5) The present system of setting Minimum Support Prices by the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices will be reviewed to further benefit all kisans.
6) The present system of procurement through the Food Corporation of India will be revamped to make it cheaper to buy, store, transport, and export food grains.
7) A chain of farmers' haats (markets), on the pattern of "Ryuthu Bazaar" in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, will be established throughout the country, where farmers can sell directly to customers.

1) The NDA believes that the food processing industry can make our rural economy vibrant in the same manner that IT has made our national economy prosper. Currently, we process only 2% of the value of our agricultural produce. A Task Force shall come up with an action plan to raise this to 10% in five years. It will comprehensively address the main problems facing India's food processing industry: size, fragmentation, inefficiency, low value-addition, low quality standards, and inadequate logistical support. It will enable the industry to meet the needs of Indian consumers both at the low end and the high end. It will enable industry to access agriculture produce directly from farmers, and suggest ways to step up exports, including to organized retail outlets abroad.
2) Tariff and investment support for setting up food processing industries, especially in backward regions, will be stepped up.
3) The foremost task in food processing in India is to reduce the distance between production and processing. Therefore, every rural branch of a bank will be required to identify agro-processing potential in its region and finance such enterprises. Local administration will be required to provide necessary infrastructure support. We shall set up a chain of Primary Processing Centres close to the farmers. These will sort, grade, process, store, and pack agricultural and horticultural produce for shipment to markets and further value-addition.
4) A Unified Food Law, the lack of which is a critical impediment in the faster development of food-processing industries, will be enacted within the first six months.
5) An independent Food Regulatory Authority will be set up within six months. This shall be responsible for setting and enforcing standards for all food products.
6) A Task Force will be set up, within first three months, to recommend short-term and long-term measures to address the problems faced by sugarcane growers and sugar mills, and to enable Indian sugar industry to become a major player in global markets. Production of ethanol and power through co-generation plants will be stepped up.
7) India is the largest milk producer in the world. Yet, less than 5% of milk production is processed. A Dairy Industry Development Plan will be drawn up, within the first six months, with the principal aim of enhancing rural incomes and employment generation. It will provide increased fiscal and investment support for dairy units, especially in northern and eastern States. The focus of this plan will be doubling capacity in five years, technology upgradation, expansion of the domestic market, and realization of the industry's full export potential. It will also address the downstream side of the industry better species, fodder, veterinary services, credit needs of kisans, etc.
8) Major thrust will be given to the poultry industry to double egg production, quadruple poultry meat production, and increase exports from Rs. 250 crore to Rs. 1,000 crore. This is expected to increase employment in poultry from the current 20 lakh to 50 lakh in five years. Poultry farming will be recognized as an agricultural activity and all benefits applicable to agriculture will be extended to it.
9) An experts' committee will be set up, within thirty days, to recommend measures to minimize wastage and damages along the food chain.

1) An action plan for massive crop diversification, multi-cropping, and doubling per-acre yields of all crops will be prepared. Every village will be encouraged to set its own yearly targets. Successful farmers will be suitably recognized.
2) Efforts will be intensified to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and oil-seeds in five years.
3) Horticulture and floriculture production will be doubled in five years. Vegetable cultivation and mushroom farming, especially near towns and cities will be promoted.
4) Additional measures will be initiated for addressing the problems faced by growers of plantation crops-tea, coffee, coconut, areca nut, rubber, cashew and spices, for enabling India to retain its leadership position in these crops.
5) The national missions for development of bio-fuels and bamboo, which were launched last year, will be made operational. Cultivation of medicinal plants and aromatic plants, which have considerable export potential, will be further promoted.
6) A Technology Mission for improving jute production and value-addition will be launched.

1) Animal husbandry, which provides full and partial employment to over two crore Indians, will be fully promoted to achieve the ends of rural prosperity and social justice. A National Cattle Development Board will be set up with adequate budgetary support. Among other things, it will prepare a program for improvement of livestock breeds, with a major thrust on genetic improvement of indigenous cattle, buffalo, and other animals linked to the rural economy. Establishment of Goshalas and Pinjrapoles will be encouraged. Efforts will be made to evolve consensus for passing a Central legislation for protection of cow and her progeny. Recommendations of the newly-established National Cattle Commission will be implemented.
2) A National Commission for Fisheries and Aquaculture will be set up for promoting all-round development of marine and inland fisheries, and speedy socio-economic progress of fishermen. Deep sea fishing industry will be developed to take advantage of India's long coastline and its exclusive economic zone. Fishermen's cooperatives will be helped to modernize their trawlers, set up cold storages and processing plants, and establish direct linkages with domestic and foreign markets.
3) India is the second largest wool producer in the world. However, our wool industry is by and large at a low level of quality and value realization. An action plan will be prepared for its modernization and expansion. The newly established Development and Finance Corporation for the Shepherd Community will be made operational.

1) Women play a major, albeit unrecognized, role in Indian agriculture. A special scheme will be launched to empower women in kisan families, enrich their capabilities, and augment their incomes.
2) An extensive campaign will be launched to educate Indian kisans about the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, the challenges and opportunities in global trade in agriculture after the removal of Quantitative Restrictions, and how a partnership between the government, businesses, cooperatives, and kisans can help the country meet the challenges and capture the opportunities.

(a) physical connectivity, which includes good roads and power supply;
(b) digital connectivity, which includes modern telecom and IT services;
(c) knowledge connectivity, which includes good schools and vocational training centers; and
(d) market connectivity, which includes good market infrastructure.

• Village electrification will be completed by 2007 through an accelerated implementation of the program to cover 1 crore households and 1 lakh villages.
• All villages will have primary health centers within the village, dispensaries within five to eight kilometers, and referral hospitals within twenty kilometers.
  PURA will be launched before August 15, 2004.

(a) Every rural habitation in the country, including those that have slipped back into the Partially Covered or Non-Covered status, will be provided an assured source of drinking water supply by 2007;
(b) A community-based program for water quality monitoring would be initiated;
(c) Water supply departments and nigams of State Governments would be reformed;
(d) Panchayats would be given incentives for rainwater harvesting, raising ground-water levels, and augmentation and cleaning up of water sources such as village ponds, wells, rivulets, etc.

1) Timely completion of the National Highway Development Project (nearly 15,000 km): Phase 1 (Golden Quadrilateral) by 2005; Phase 2 (East-West and North-South Corridors) by 2008; Pradhan Mantri Bharat Jodo Pariyojana (additional 10,000 km, linking all those State capitals not covered by NHDP, as well as important commercial centers in all the States, to NHDP with 4/6 lane highways) by 2009.
2) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana: Linking all rural habitations with a population above 1,000 by 2005; linking all rural habitations with a population above 500 by 2007.
3) Private investment in public transport systems will be encouraged. States will be given incentives to speed up restructuring of their road transport corporations. At least five thousand new buses will be added to their fleets every year through a special fund. A separate fund for improvement of all the Inter-State Bus Terminals and District Bus Stations will also be set up.
4) In addition to road construction, a program for creation of road services like parking facilities, hotels, shops, medical facilities, business centers, food kiosks, etc. in a well-planned manner, will be taken up.
5) Road safety has not received adequate attention in India. As many as 78,000 people die in road accidents each year. The Government will start a National Road Safety Mission, with necessary legal, regulatory, technology and mass awareness measures.

1) Implementation of works under the Rs. 15,000-crore National Rail Vikas Yojana, launched in December 2002, will be completed in time.
2) Implementation of the Rs. 20,000-crore Remote Area Rail Sampark Yojana, which was announced in the interim railway budget in January 2004, will start this year. Under this ambitious new initiative, all incomplete railway projects in remote and backward areas of our country, whose completion by the earlier "Congress speed of implementation" would take 20 to 25 years, will be completed within the next five years.
3) We shall complete the rail connectivity from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, to complement the completion of the four-lane highway connectivity from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, by speedily implementing the Udhampur-Katra-Baramulla railway line. The first ever train will roll into Kashmir Valley before August 15, 2007, carrying the Prime Minister as its first passenger.
4) Implementation of works under the Rs. 17,000-crore Special Railway Safety Fund, set up by the NDA Government in 2002, will be completed in time. The Technology Mission for Railway Safety will be made operational in 2004. Our aim will be to reach standards of railway safety in advanced countries by 2008.
5) Speed of goods trains on important lines will be increased to over 100 kmph.
6) The Railway Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) will be completely overhauled to make it a world-class R&D organization, with strong external linkages, capable of infusing new technology, which our railway network requires.
7) Operation Cleanliness will be completed by 2007 to give a new image to Indian Railways.
8) Metro rail projects will be started in many more cities. The "Skybus" system shall be promoted on a pilot basis.
9) At least one bullet train project will be initiated.
10) A Rs. 5,000-crore Railway Station Improvement Fund shall be set up to improve passenger amenities in all important railway stations over five years. The fund will be raised from railway users and augmented by public-private partnerships.

1) "Sagar Mala", conceived by the NDA Government in 2003, is the most ambitious ever program for development and modernization of India's ports, shipping, shipyards, and inland navigation. Its aim is to make India a major maritime nation in the world, harnessing the long coastline that our country is blessed with. To be completed in ten years, it envisages new investments of over Rs. 100,000 crore, coming mostly from private and foreign investors. "Sagar Mala" will be launched before August 15, 2005.
2) The operational efficiency of all major Indian ports will be raised to global standards within five years. Towards this end, the Government will effect complete overhaul in the management of Indian ports, including corporatizing each port and bringing private investment and management skills.
3) Sethusamudram project in Tamil Nadu will be speedily completed.
4) Rail and road connectivity to ports will be further improved.
5) The value of unused and under-used land and production assets in ports will be realized.
6) Major boost will be given to global shipping under the Indian flag.
7) Employment potential in seafaring will be fully harnessed through a National Maritime University of India with associated training colleges.

1) The proposed new "Open Skies" Civil Aviation Policy will be adopted within the first thirty days.
2) Ten Indian cities, designated to be developed as Global Cities, will have world-class airports.
3) Planned fleet acquisition program of Indian Airlines and Air India will be completed before the end of 2004. Air India will be promoted as India's proud national carrier.
4) All airports in the country will be brought under the framework of public-private partnerships.
5) Air connectivity to remote areas, such as in the North-Eastern States, will be further strengthened.
6) New international airport projects for Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad will be completed within the next three to four years and the Prime Minister will inaugurate them before August 15, 2008.
7) One hundred small airstrips across the country will be activated for daylight flying of small passenger and cargo planes. This will bring air connectivity to many district centers in remote and backward areas.

1) Further accelerating the revolution in telecom connectivity, which began in 1999, the number of telephones will be increased from 7 crore at present to more than 30 crore by 2009. This will ensure that, on average, every alternate Indian family will have a telephone.
2) No Indian village will be without telecom services after 2007. Rural teledensity will be increased more than five-fold in five years.
3) The number of Internet connections will be increased five-fold from 40 lakhs at present to 2 crore.
4) PCOs will be encouraged to become multi-purpose IT kiosks and serve as the e-interface between citizens and providers of services, including government services. These will create several lakh new employment opportunities.
5) Broadband communication can revolutionalize all sectors of the Indian economy. It can also bring about a paradigm change in the content and delivery of education and entertainment. Therefore, a comprehensive policy will soon be formulated to promote affordable broadband connectivity. This will embrace all the landline and wireless phone users, cable TV homes, and cinema halls. Promotion of state-of-the-art wireless technologies will be a key part of this policy.
6) India's economy, government and education will be IT-enabled at all levels. Implementation of a national E-Governance strategy will begin before August 15, 2004. E-Seva will be made the common platform for citizens to pay bills for electricity, telephone, water, etc., register property, procure and submit government forms, etc. We will drastically reduce the need for citizens to go to a government office for services which can rendered electronically.
7) IT in Indian languages, including in the area of content creation, will be given special thrust.
8) Postal services will be revamped, modernized, and IT-enabled to provide a range of commercial and governmental services to the people.
9) Every high school and every college in the country will be given access to a high-speed Internet connection with access to rich educational content in local languages.

1) The River-Linking Project will be launched before August 15, 2004. An initial set of identified schemes will be implemented, with public participation, by 2015. An effective rehabilitation package for the project-affected persons shall be finalized and implemented.
2) Massive encouragement and legislative backing for local and micro initiatives such as watershed management, rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, de-silting of tanks, lakes and reservoirs, restoration of wells, recycling of water, etc.
3) Cleaning up of rivers and traditional water bodies, with community participation, will be supported.
4) Desalination plants will be set up in coastal towns.
5) An independent Water Tariff Authority will be set up in each State to decide the water tariffs for industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural usage.
6) A campaign will be launched to make people aware of the need to conserve every drop of water.

1) Elimination of electricity shortages by 2012; significant reduction by 2009.
2) At least 50,000 MW of additional generation capacity will be created over the next five years. Work on projects with a combined capacity of 12,000 MW (of which 8,000 MW in the private sector) will start before the end of 2004.
3) Robust National Grid - 25,000 MW of power transfer capability by 2009.
4) SEB losses to be reduced to less than
Rs. 5,000 crore by 2009 from the current figure of Rs. 24,000 crore.
5) T&D losses shall be significantly reduced.
6) Power sector reforms, envisaged in the Electricity Act, will be completed before end of 2004.
7) Every consumer of electricity in India, including farmers, would be connected through digital, tamper-proof meters in the next three years.
8) Implementation of the 50,000 MW Hydroelectric Initiative.
9) Implementation of the 100,000 MW Thermal Power Initiative.
10) A major push for harnessing non-conventional energy sources. A National Program for biomass-based decentralized power generation in rural areas will be started.
11) Energy conservation campaign will be intensified by promoting energy saving technologies.
We promise that the above tasks, when accomplished, will create not only a vibrant and healthy power sector, but the country will experience the benefit of power sector reforms, in the same manner as is being experienced in the Telecom Sector.

1) An action plan will be drawn up, within six months, to make India a global manufacturing hub in areas where we have established our competitive strengths: pharmaceuticals, automobiles, auto-components, engineering goods. New industries, especially in hi-tech areas, will be identified for development of such strengths.
2) In view of the good results achieved by industrial units that restructured themselves in recent years, this process will be further facilitated to cover all the remaining units. Our aim will be to eliminate all idle or grossly underutilized capacities in Indian industry in five years.
3) Indian capital goods industry, automobile industry, pharmaceutical industry, chemicals and petrochemicals industry, gems and jewelry industry will be encouraged to move up the technology ladder and value chain and to become global players.
4) Restructuring PSUs will be speeded up to enhance their profitability. Public sector executives will be empowered to have greater operational freedom and flexibility. Effective measures will be taken to stop losses incurred by ailing government undertakings. The process of disinvestment, which yielded good results this year, will be continued primarily to enhance and realize the hidden wealth in PSUs.
5) Out of the 461 projects being monitored by the Department of Programme Implementation, 100 will be taken up for fast-track completion in two years.
6) The Centre will facilitate the creation of a world-class industrial park in every State that is ready to lend necessary support.
7) We shall facilitate the creation of world-class Indian multinationals.

1) New coal mining projects will be started in 2004 to enhance existing capacity by 50 million tonnes. Focus will be on coking coal required for steel plants, and on coal for thermal power stations.
2) Necessary legislation will be introduced for encouraging private initiatives in the coal sector.
3) Restructuring of coal PSUs to make them more efficient and profitable.

1) Enhanced oil production through increased exploitation of own resources as well as purchase of ownership in oil fields overseas.
2) Dependence on fossil fuels to be lessened through a concerted drive for harnessing non-conventional energy sources.
3) Competition in the oil and natural gas sector will be promoted through introduction of multiple players in the supply of products.
4) Commercial exploitation of discovered gas fields will begin by 2005.
5) Gas grid quadrilateral covering the entire country will be completed by 2007.
6) The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Bill will be enacted.

1) Policy and fiscal support will be provided for doubling steel production capacity in five years.
2) Improvement in technology for production of special and high-value steels.
3) Aluminium plants will be encouraged to become global players.

1) Policy will be reoriented, within three months, to encourage private investment in the mines sector.
2) Single-window clearance for harnessing of mineral resources such as iron ore, limestone, bauxite, and precious metals in an environmentally sustainable manner.
3) A raw material use policy will be unveiled in the mines sector.

(a) to sustain and further increase the domestic market for handloom products.
(b) to boost handloom exports from the current Rs. 3,000 crores to Rs. 10,000 crore in five years.
(c) to lift every handloom weaver's family above poverty level.
(d) to create sustainable employment for at least 10 lakh more people in the handloom sector.
(e) to help handlooms move up the value chain. Necessary fiscal and other support will be given to achieve the above objectives.

(a) The powerloom industry will be helped to move up the value chain by upgrading technology, adopting shuttleless looms and becoming integrated textile units.
(b) Units in the mill sector will be enabled to become total textile solution providers. Consolidation and aggregation will be encouraged.
(c) India's strength in being the largest producer of yarn will be innovatively harnessed.
(d) Cotton growers' problems will be comprehensively addressed.

1) The focus of our effort will be to facilitate SMEs becoming thriving businesses in a sustainable way, with a strong presence in global markets. Towards this end, we shall enact a SME Development Act and back this up with other regulatory reforms.
2) The Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme will be restructured by lowering its fees to 1% and by increasing the limit to Rs. 50 lakh.
3) A Rs. 1,000 crore Infrastructure Incubation Development Fund will be set up for incubating technocratic entrepreneurs in the SME sector.
4) Strong measures will be initiated, within six months, to put an end to the tyranny of the Inspector Raj, which breeds, corruption, drains the growth potential and demotivates our entrepreneurs in this sector. The cost of complying with regulation, and the time that SSI entrepreneurs have to spend in dealing with government authorities will be reduced to the barest minimum.

1) A National Policy on Cottage Industries will be unveiled before the end of 2004. Its focus will be to ensure that this sector, which is crucial from the point of view of poverty alleviation, employment generation and social justice, is placed on a sustainable high-growth path in the fast-changing external environment. Provision of necessary infrastructure and credit support, strong linkages with domestic and export markets, product innovation to meet customer demand, technological upgradation, training and professional management will be comprehensively considered in the new policy.
2) Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and its affiliate bodies, which have done remarkable work in the past five years, will be given greater support. Specifically, the large network of KVI outlets across the country will be innovatively leveraged to strengthen this sector.
3) In particular, KVIC's Rural Employment Generation Program (REGP) will be fully supported to realize its target of creating 25 lakh additional employment and self-employment opportunities in the next five years.
4) It will be made obligatory for government offices, undertakings and government-supported business establishments to procure a certain percentage of products from the KVIC sector.
5) The "Khadi" brand will be repositioned domestically and popularized globally, in view of the recent success of KVIC's products bearing this name.
6) A "Vishwakarma Initiative" will be launched for craftspersons and rural artisans to preserve their traditional skills and knowledge, upgrade them, and adapt to new challenges. It will especially support the youth in artisan families to bring new technology and management practices to age-old family skills.

1) India's IT industry would be fully supported to reach the goal of $ 50 billion exports by 2008 by consistently moving up the value chain. Advanced IT applications will be encouraged.
2) India has a unique opportunity to become the "back office" service provider to the world. India's opportunity in the Call Centre business and BPO enterprises will be fully harnessed. Comprehensive measures will be taken to rapidly expand employment potential in these IT-enabled services, especially in high-value services that can be rendered by our talented professionals, teachers, doctors, lawyers, managers, accountants, consultants, scientists, etc.
3) Fiscal and policy support will be given to enable India to become a major manufacturer of telecom, IT hardware, and consumer electronics products both for domestic and export markets. Foreign companies will be encouraged to set up fabrication facilities for chips.
4) Government will strengthen support for the biotech industry through a variety of measures, including greater funding for development of world-class R&D capabilities. Besides supporting private R&D projects, greater public-private partnership between industry and academic institutions will be encouraged. The patent regime will be strengthened.
5) Licensing procedure for biotechnology industries will be streamlined and delays in clearances will be eliminated by completely overhauling existing regulatory agencies. There will be a single-point clearance for biotech products, to be issued within sixty days.
6) An action plan will be prepared to make India a global platform for research, design, and development. The Government will give incentives foreign companies that spend huge amounts on R&D to set up their R&D centers here. Our target is to see that at least 50% of the "Fortune 500" companies have a sizeable part of their R&D facility located in India.
7) The NDA Government is proud that a reversal of "brain drain" -"brain gain" -has started in recent years, for the first time in Independent India. We will convert this "trickle" into a "torrent" by creating attractive conditions for the best Indian talent abroad to return to India or to participate in collaborative work. We will also encourage foreign scientists and professionals to come and work here in big numbers. The time has come to declare India as the land of opportunity for top-order talent in diverse fields.

(a) further encourage public and private spending on S&T.
(b) further improve the outcome and output of this spending to match global standards.
(c) further integrate the activities and goals of our S&T institutions with India's overarching goal of becoming a Developed Nation by 2020.

2) The Science and Technology Policy will be vigorously implemented.
3) Space research, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and civilian applications of defense research will be further promoted, building on India's self-reliant strides in these areas. Partnership between CSIR, DRDO, ICAR, ICMR, ISRO, BARC, IITs, universities, and other government-supported research institutions with Indian industry will be speedily expanded.
4) ISRO's ambitious "Chandrayan" program, which aims to send India's first space mission to the moon before 2008, will be fully supported.
5) Further steps will be taken to remove bureaucratism in the functioning of our S&T institutions. Each of them will be encouraged to develop a bold vision for their future growth to achieve dominance internationally.
6) Fundamental research in diverse fields will be promoted.
7) Recent efforts to preserve, catalogue, and develop India's indigenous traditions in science and technology will be further encouraged.
8) Efforts at creating a scientific temperament in society, raising popular awareness about science, and promoting the spirit of innovation will be both recognized and supported.

1) Big changes have come about in the global trade environment in the past decade or so. Simultaneously, India's ambition to become a major player in global trade is being matched by growing domestic capability. In response to these two trends, a separate Ministry for International Trade will be created to deal with the challenges and to capture opportunities in global trade in a focused way.
2) Special Economic Zones will be promoted as vehicles for overall growth. An SEZ Promotion Council, with wide industry participation, will be created in the Ministry of Commerce as an apex body.
3) Multi-commodity exchanges-both in the private sector and through-public-private partnerships will be promoted. Our focus here will be to secure for India leading positions in global trade in agricultural commodities, metals, and a wide range of other commodities.
4) Organized retail trade on the international pattern will be promoted as a new engine of growth for trade and employment through appropriate legal and fiscal measures. 26% FDI in retailing will be allowed. Sourcing of Indian products by foreign retail chains will be encouraged.
5) India's vast market has potential for generating high growth and thereby reducing poverty and economic inequalities. Internal trade barriers hamper growth. They will be identified and removed.
6) EXIM Bank's capital base will be strengthened to enable it to lend more to exporters.

(a) Every city and tehsil town in the country will draw up its own "Behtar Bazaar Action Plans", with people's participation, identifying problems and solutions thereof.
(b) Strengthening the connectivity to markets and provision of adequate infrastructure facilities power, water, telecom and IT services, parking lots, etc. and redevelopment/relocation where necessary, will be at the core of these action plans.
(c) HUDCO and commercial banks will be encouraged to fund this initiative, to be implemented through public-private partnerships. For markets that mainly support agriculture and the rural economy, this will be considered priority sector lending.
(d) Traditional trading communities in Indian society, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in this field, will be suitably encouraged.

1) The NDA Government will continue to defend India's interests, especially the interests of our kisans, at the World Trade Organization. Along with other developing countries, we shall work towards restraining developed nations from securing unfair advantages in global trade, investments, agriculture, and services.
2) The NDA Government will prepare India to take advantage of the big shift that is currently taking place in the global economy. This shift favors a low-cost economy like India's, which has developed sufficient competitive strengths in cost, quality and technology, over high-cost economies in manufacturing and services. Our Government will enlarge these strengths by further reforming our economy, modernizing our infrastructure, enriching India's human resources, and augmenting our capabilities in science and technology.

1) Encouraged by the success of our program to facilitate construction of twenty lakh additional houses each year, we propose to raise the target to thirty lakh each year. The additional one million houses will be meant exclusively for weaker sections of society.
2) Banks will be encouraged to extend housing loans with low interest rates to rural populations.
3) A new national program will be launched to enable people with kutcha houses in rural areas to upgrade them into pucca houses.
4) Cities will be encouraged to take up large-scale mass housing projects for the poor and middle classes.
5) States will be encouraged to repeal the Urban Land Ceiling Act, amend the Rent Control Act, and reduce stamp duty on property transactions and lease agreements.
6) The stock of rented houses will be vastly increased and renting a house will be made easier by providing a strong, but simple legal framework that protects the interests of both landlords and tenants.
7) Incentives will be given for investments in repairing dilapidated buildings.

1) Municipal governance will be strengthened.
2) A model central law will be enacted to stop illegal encroachments. States will be encouraged to pass similar legislation.
3) HUDCO's lending for urban renewal projects will be further enhanced. Municipal bodies will be enabled to raise resources from the bond market for their urban renewable needs.
4) The size of the City Challenge Fund will be raised from the present Rs. 500 crore.
5) At least ten Indian cities will be developed as Global Cities, with world-class airports, efficient mass transportation systems, high quality of social infrastructure, vibrant cultural life and a dynamic environment for economic growth with strong global linkages.
6) The infrastructure and other urban renewal needs of Mumbai, the country's commercial capital, will be addressed.
7) We recognize that municipal bodies have become the weakest link in our system of governance. Also, the problems and needs of big cities have become too complex to be handled in old ways. Therefore, the NDA proposes to elevate municipal corporations in the ten proposed Global Cities to the level of City Governments, within their respective States. These would be vested with requisite financial, judicial, planning, and law-enforcement powers. After evolving a political consensus on this issue, necessary legislative and administrative changes will be introduced.
8) At least twenty new cities and satellite towns will be developed on completely futuristic lines.
9) An Urban Road Development Fund on the lines of the fund for NHDP will be set up. This will fund two hundred flyovers a year in smaller cities and big towns, as well as pedestrian subways and widening of roads.
10) We shall create a state-facilitated, but privately funded and implemented program of urban mass housing for lower and middle classes.
11) The "Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan" program will be redesigned with enlarged scope and enhanced resources to make our cities cleaner. It will be turned into a people's campaign with strong government support at all levels. Adequate number of community toilets, run on the pay-and-use principle, will be constructed within three years in every city. Efficient collection and productive utilization of garbage will be made mandatory. Cities and neighborhoods that demonstrate success stories will be suitably recognized.

1) A strategic marketing plan (such as the "Incredible India!" campaign) with adequate funding will be implemented to achieve a strong India tourism brand.
2) Higher earnings from tourism from US $ 3 billion at present to US $ 10 billion by 2009.
3) Creation of 1 crore additional employment by 2009, and 2.5 crore by 2015, based on the multiplier effect of tourism on various economic activities.
4) Establishment of five world-class Indian Institutes of Travel and Tourism on the lines of IIMs, with private investment.
5) Visa on arrival; common tourist visa for SAARC countries; simplify visa requirements; reduce visa fees and grant visas within 24 hours.
6) Integrated development of India's 6,000 km-long coastline through cruise and beach tourism.
7) The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) provisions will be relaxed for tourism and critical urban development projects.
8) Rationalization and simplification of taxes; Tax holidays on large capital investments in tourism.
9) Creation of at least two world-class theme parks based on India's civilizational and spiritual heritage.
10) The North-East will be promoted in a special way to create new tourism destinations for foreign tourists.

1) The entertainment industry occupies an important place in the cultural and social life of our nation. Its size, reach, recognition, and influence have grown remarkably in recent decadesboth nationally and internationally. The decisions taken by our Government have greatly helped India's film and TV industry in recent years. Both have a huge potential for further growth, including in the area of employment generation. A National Policy for India's Entertainment Industry will be prepared, within six months, to realize its growth potential.
2) A broad-based committee will be set up to formulate a National Media Policy that would comprehensively address all the complex issues that have emerged in recent years.

1) The NDA Government has recently unveiled a progressive social security scheme for 37 crore people in the unorganized sector, the first of its kind since Independence. Its speedy and effective implementation will be our priority.
2) We recognize that in a labor-rich society like India, our strategy for achieving 8 to 10% GDP growth rate will have to rest primarily on boosting labor productivity. Therefore, a nationwide program will be launched to raise labor productivity by increasing the percentage of trained manpower in India's workforce from less than 10% at present to at least 50% by 2020 with five-yearly milestones.
3) The working of Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will be reviewed and necessary steps will be taken for its improvement.
4) Recommendations of the Second Labor Commission will be implemented with necessary modifications to further strengthen welfare, training, and employment creation provisions.

1) Building on the recent achievement in increasing India's forest cover, further measures will be taken to promote afforestation, social forestry and agro forestry. States where depletion has reached critical levels will receive greater attention. Joint Forest Management, which institutionalizes community partnership, will be further strengthened.
2) Vehicular pollution will be controlled by stringent standards on all motor vehicles at the manufacturing stage itself and by promoting the use of clean fuels.
3) Environment impact assessment of for development projects and industrial clusters will be strengthened.
4) Development of "Green" technologies will be further encouraged.
5) Regulation of pollution control norms will be decentralized to States and local self-government bodies so that the people suffering from pollution have a say in the mitigation process.

(a) Sustaining a high GDP growth rate of 8 to 10% yearly; a fast growing economy will create more employment and self-employment opportunities;
(b) Raising the employment-elasticity of the economy by focusing the growth in the employment-generating sectors of the economy;
(c) Enlarging the scope of scope of government schemes that create employment, such as the food-for-work Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana. Such schemes will receive greater budgetary support in 100 backward districts.

1) The tax to GDP ratio will be improved through further widening and deepening of the tax base.
2) Rationalization and simplification of tariffs and removal of most exemptions within two years.
3) States will be given incentives to switch over to VAT. The Centre will ensure a hassle-free transition to the new tax regime, especially for small traders and businesses.
4) Tax evasion and corruption will be reduced through administrative measures and end-to-end computerization of the entire tax system. All shops and commercial establishments will be encouraged, through appropriate incentives, to make their transactions computer-based in three years.
5) There shall be a single destination to electronically pay all taxes and regulatory charges-whether Central, State, or local-for all classes of business.
6) Pension reforms will be speeded up. The Pension Regulator shall be mandated to come up with a scheme that creates an individual but portable pension-fund account for all workers, whether in the private sector or in the public sector, in the organized or in the unorganized sector.

1) All currently proposed financial sector reforms in banking, insurance, foreign investment, and capital markets will be completed within the next six months.
2) The principal aim of reforms in the banking sector will be to bring efficient banking services to the doorstep of every customer. To achieve this, greater competition will be created by extending the reach of PSU banks and expanding the activities of private banks.
3) Consolidation of PSU banks will be encouraged.
4) Indian banks will be encouraged to enlarge their footprint overseas.
5) The role of development banks and financial institutions will be enlarged to provide necessary funds for projects.
6) The reach of insurance will be considerably enhanced in the next five years.
7) FDI limit in insurance will be revisited to further widen India's insurance sector, and to strengthen its global linkages.
8) We will take steps to make it easy for smaller firms to raise moneys from the stockmarkets as well as for small investors, especially from smaller towns to invest in the stock market. We shall double the number of individuals who own shares in the next five years.

1) Restructuring of debts by State governments will be further encouraged and pursued.
2) States will be encouraged to carry out fiscal reforms and to reduce revenue deficit in every State to zero by 2006.
3) Political consensus will be evolved to reduce unproductive expenditure and enhance States' own resource mobilization.

1) A Monitoring Committee for Elimination of Regional Disparities will be set up to focus on developmental imbalances between and within States.
2) Accelerating economic growth and all-round social development in the northern and eastern States, where a majority of India's population lives, will be our priority in the coming years.
3) Additional, dedicated budgetary resources will be provided for faster development of backward areas in each state.

1) A Monitoring Committee for Elimination of Social Disparities will be set up to focus on social and economic justice for SCs, STs, OBCs, denotified and nomadic tribes, and the poor among forward classes and minorities. States will be encouraged to set up similar committees.
2) A National Tribal Policy will be enunciated for the all-round socio-economic development of our vanvasi brethren.
3) Regularization of land rights of tribals living on forest land and promotion of their livelihood activities based on forest produce, if necessary by suitable amendments in the forest laws.
4) Provisions of the policy on reservations will be strictly implemented. A major drive will be launched for filling up all backlogs in jobs and promotions for SCs and STs. Private sector enterprises will be given incentives for creating more educational, training, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for SCs and STs.
5) Functioning of various Commissions and Finance Corporations for the development of SCs and STs will be improved.
6) Laws to check atrocities against SCs, STs, and other weaker sections will be strictly enforced.
7) The newly announced Commission for Nomadic and Denotified Tribes will be made operational.
8) Reservations for the poor among "Forward Classes" will be introduced after receiving recommendations of the Commission set up for this purpose.
9) Special encouragement will be given for preservation of the artistic and cultural traditions of SCs and STs, and for honoring their heroes.

1) A Minorities Development Agenda will be unveiled within the first six months to focus on a 3-E program: Education, Economic upliftment, and Empowerment.
2) The Agenda will especially address the needs of those belonging to poor and backward families, ensuring that they get an equitable share in government-supported schemes in education, housing, etc.
3) The working of the Minorities Commission will be reoriented to address their developmental and welfare issues.
4) The NDA Government gave unprecedented encouragement to the promotion of Urdu language and to the modernization of Madarasa education. This will continue.
5) A concerted effort will be made to increase minorities' representation in administration and public bodies.

1) Total spending on education will be raised to 6% of the GDP in five years, with enlarged public-private partnership at every level of the educational pyramid.
2) Literacy rate of 85% will be achieved in five years. Our vision is to see that Indian society becomes fully literate by 2015. For this, we will launch a multi-pronged campaign to ensure that every child goes to school, every school is made accountable to the community, and every village and town is made accountable for its quality education status. Appropriate resources both from Government and non-government sources will be mobilized to match our ambitious goals. Innovative tools like computer-based and TV-promoted functional literacy will be employed. The 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' will be made into a people's movement.
3) Spread of education among SCs, STs, OBCs, and minorities, and activities aimed at removing gender disparities in education at all levels, will receive increased support.
4) A special fund of Rs. 1,000 crore a year will be created, partially through a cess on all non-needy students, to improve all primary school buildings in rural areas in five years.
5) "Akshaya Patra", as a national mid-day meal program, will be made operational.
6) The entire school and college education system will be overhauled and made employment-oriented. Opportunities for skill development and vocational training will be maximized.
7) A Standards Improvement Campaign, to be named after Dr. Syama Prasad Mookherjee (who became the youngest ever vice-chancellor of the prestigious Calcutta University), will be launched to raise the quality of education in colleges and universities. Institutions that perform well will be suitably recognized.
8) No student would be deprived of access to higher education for lack of resources. Scholarships and soft loans would be made widely available to all needy students. A National Education Development Fund will be established for this purpose.
9) While encouraging private investment, effective steps will be taken to curb commercialization of education.
10) The focus on Indian culture, heritage, and ethical values in syllabi will be strengthened. Character-building and all-round development of the student's personality will be emphasized. Sports, physical training, and social service will be mainstreamed into the educational system.
11) The growing de-emphasis of Bharatiya languages in school and college education will be checked. Teaching in the mother tongue will be encouraged.
12) Efforts will be intensified for the propagation of Sanskrit.
13) Establishment of hostels, especially for women's education, will be encouraged.
14) Administration of our educational institutions will be freed of bureacratism. Community participation in managing their activities and monitoring their performance will be encouraged.
15) Centers of excellence in higher education are India's pride. They will have requisite autonomy to become the best in the world.
16) Five new IITs will be established before 2005.
17) Our vision is to make India a global hub for higher education and regain the glory of the Nalanda era. For this, an action plan will be prepared to elevate at least 25 Indian universities and 100 colleges to international standards in every respect. All our IITs, NITs, IIMs, IIScs, AIIMS-like medical institutes, and other reputed higher educational institutions (both existing and proposed) will be further supported. Public-private participation will be fully activated to realize the above vision, which would not only raise India's stature globally but also enable our country to earn significant foreign exchange.

1) Total public spending on healthcare at present is 2% of the GDP. This figure will doubled in the next five years. Our Government has already taken an important step in this direction by setting up the National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, which is co-chaired by the Finance Minister and the Minister of Health and Family Welfare. Investment by the private sector, including by NRIs, for providing healthcare in India will be encouraged. Public-private partnerships will be enhanced.
2) We will implement in a time-bound manner the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana under which six new hospitals on the pattern of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi are being set up in fix under-served states and six existing hospitals in other states are being upgraded to the level of AIIMS. This is a part of our commitment to provide affordable super-specialty healthcare to the needy in different parts of the country, within or near their own states.
3) An insurance-based health security scheme, called Antyodaya Swasthya Yojana, will be started to cover two crore poorest among the BPL families, who are currently beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
4) We will strive towards zero incidence of polio by the end of 2004 and for keeping this zero status for the next three years, so that India can be certified polio free by 2007.
5) The National TB Control Program will cover the entire population by the end of next year. Sufficient funds will be allocated for this purpose.
6) All efforts will be made for the eradication of filariasis within five years.
7) We will revitalize the existing Primary Healthcare system in coordination with the state governments. Linkages between safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition, family welfare services, women and child services, and primary education will be strengthened through appropriate coordination mechanisms at the Central, State, and village levels.
8) The Government will set up a Rs. 1,000 crore fund, through public-private partnerships, to improve the infrastructure of primary healthcare centers in backward areas.
9) Infant and maternal mortality levels will be reduced by half. The newly launched "Vande Mataram" scheme of gynecologists in private practice for care of pregnant women will be strengthened. The "Janani Suraksha Yojana," already envisaged by us, will be implemented with the aim of establishing linkages between a health center and the mother-to-be. To meet the expectation of the nutrition of the mother, a sum of Rs. 500 will be given to her after the birth of a baby boy and Rs. 1,000 for a baby girl.
10) The "Save the Girl Child" campaign will be further popularized.
11) The spread of HIV/AIDS will be checked on a war footing. Care and support for AIDS patients will be undertaken hand-in-hand with efforts for the prevention of the disease.
12) We are committed towards strengthening the National Programs on malaria, blindness, leprosy, and mental health.
13) The ageing population needs special care. The government hospitals will have special facilities for healthcare of senior citizens.
14) We will promote our traditional systems of medicine, namely Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga, and Naturopathy, as also homeopathy. Different systems will be synergized in the delivery of healthcare and in medical education.