National Institution for Transforming India (NITI)

Project Appraisal and Management Division

NITI BRIEF # 1
Overview: National Development Agenda, Fourteenth Finance
Commission and the Union Budget 2015-16

The first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI was held on 8th
February 2015. The meeting endorsed the outline of a National
Development Agenda and agreed to function as an organic Team India.
Later in the month, the recommendations made by the Fourteenth Finance
Commission (FFC) in its report submitted to the President on December
15, 2014 has been presented to Parliament; the Economic Survey 2014-15
and the Budget 2015-2016 have also been presented. In the following, we
present an overview of the implications of the FFC recommendations and
the Union Budget 2015-16 for the national development agenda.
Alongside, we also bring out the key elements of the outlook presented in
the Economic Survey 2014-15.
2.

The discussion is divided into following sections:

I.

II.

Highlights of the Fourteenth Finance Commission

Economic Survey 2014-15
Union Budget 2015-2016
NITI in the Fourteenth Finance Commission and Union
Budget 2015-16.

III. Impact of Fourteenth Finance Commission and Union

Budget 2015-16 on National Development Agenda.
IV. The Challenge: Translating Outlays into Outcomes-road
ahead from April 2015 to March, 2016.
V.

NITI BRIEF

FAQs.

Page 1

I.

Highlights of Fourteenth Finance Commission

1.1

Appointed every five years, the Finance Commission is a

Constitutional body with the broad mandate to define the
center-state fiscal relations. Its most important task is to
recommend the division of tax revenues collected by the
Center (excluding cetain items such as cess) called the
divisible pool between the Center and States and the share to
be allocated to each State. But it also make recoemndations on
other tax related issues as per the terms of references.

1.2

Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) recommendations

covering five years period beginning 1.4.2015 were tabled in
the House on 25th February, 2015 along with an Explanatory
Memorandum on the Actions Taken by the Government.

1.3

An important recommendation of FFC is the devolution of a

signifcantly higher share of 42% of the divisble pool to States
compared with the 32% share recommended by the Thirteenth
Finance commission. Accordingly, the total devolution to the
States in 2015-16 will be Rs 5.26 lakh crores, which is Rs.
1.78 lakh crores more than in 2014-15.

1.4

The larger devolution is a respponse to the demand by States

for increased flow of untied fiscal resources in place of tied
resources that come with Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The
government has accepted this recommendation.

1.5

The horizontal devolution formula1 recommended by the 14th

Finance Commission incorporates two new variables, the 2011
population and forest cover. At the same time, it does not take
into account fiscal discipline, a criterion included by the
Thirtenth Finance Commission in its formula.

1.6

As per the terms of reference, the FFC also provides revenue

deficit grants to the 11 States so identified. The total revenue
deficit grant over the five years to these states is Rs. 1,94,821
crore. This recommendation has been accepted in principle.
The institutional arrangements for the implmentation of thi
recommendation is yet to be put in place.

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1.7

Focus on local bodies has been an ongoing concern and the

FFC has recommended that grants to local bodies should be
only for basic services and functions assigned to them under
relevant legislation. The Commission has recommended grants
of Rs 2.87 lakh cr in total over the five years.

Table 1 Devolution formula in 13th and 14th Finance Commission

Variable
Weights accorded
TFC
FFC
25
17.5
Population (1971)
0
10
Demographic Change (population
2011)
47.5
50
Fiscal Capacity/ Income Distance
10
15
Area
0
7.5
Forest Cover
17.5
0
Fiscal discipline
100
100
Source: Economic Survey 2014-15

Table 2
Basic Grant
(Rs. in cr)
Gram
Panchayats
Municipalities

1,80,263

Performance
Grant (Rs. in
cr)
20,029

69,715

17,428

The Government has accepted this recommendation.

(Source: Explanatory Memorandum as to the Action Taken on the
Recommendations Made by the 14th Finance Commission in its report submitted
to the President on December 15, 2014, Department of Economic Affairs,
Ministry of Finance)

1.8

Other recommendations by FFC concern GST, Fiscal

Consolidation
Roadmap and Pricing of Public Utilities,
Public Expenditure
Management.
These
recommendations are under examination.

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2 Economic Survey 2014-15

2.1 The Economic Survey was presented in the Parliament on 27 th
February 2015.
2.2. The main points made are that the economy is poised to take-off and
has the potential to achieve a double-digit growth following the decisive
political mandate for policy reforms and a benign external environment.
The latest indicators, emerging from the recently revised estimates of
national income brought out by the Central Statistics Office, point to the
fact that the revival of growth had started in 2013-14 and attained further
vigour in 2014-15.
Table 3: Key Indicators
Data Categories

Unit
%

201112
-

201213
5.1

201314
6.9

% of GDP
% of GDP
%

33.9
38.2
2.9

31.8
36.6
1.1

30.6
32.3
-0.1

201415
7.4
(AE)
na
na
2.1b

GDP (constant market

prices) Growth Rate
Savings Rate
Capital Formation rate
Index of Industrial
Production (growth)
Inflation
WPI(year on year)
CPI (IW) (year on year)
Current Account
Balance/GDP
Gross Fiscal Deficit
Revenue Deficit
Primary Deficit

%
%
%

8.9
8.4
-4.2

7.4
10.4
-4.7

6.0
9.7
-1.7

3.4b
6.2b
-1.9c

%of GDP
%of GDP
%of GDP

5.7
4.4
2.7

4.8
3.6
1.8

4.5d
3.2d
1.2d

4.1e
2.9e
0.8e

Note:
b: April-December 2014; c: April- September 2014; d: Fiscal indicates for
2013-14 are based on the provisional actual; e: Budget Estimates
2.3 It may be seen from Table 3 that the GDP growth rate is showing an
increasing trend. Declining rates of savings and capital formation are a
matter of concern. WPI inflation has declined from an average of 8.9 in
2011-12 to 3.4 in 2014-15. CPI has also exhibited a declining trend from
2012-13 onwards. The current account deficit has contracted from 4.7
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percent of GDP in 2012-13 to an estimated 1.9 percent in the current fiscal

year.
2.4 according to the survey, in the short run, growth will receive a boost
from the cumulative impact of reforms, lower oil prices, likely monetary
policy easing facilitated by lower inflation and improved inflationary
expectation and forecasts of a normal monsoon in 2015-16. Using the new
series with 2011-12 as the base year, GDP growth at constant market
prices is expected to accelerate to between 8.1 and 8.5 percent in 2015-16.
2.5 The survey states that medium-term prospects will be conditioned by
the balance sheet syndrome with Indian characteristics that has the
potential to hold back rapid increases in private sector investment. Private
investment must be the engine of long-run growth. However, there is a
case for reviving targeted public investment as an engine of growth in the
short run to complement and crowd-in private investment.
2.6 India can balance the short-term imperative of boosting public
investment to revitalize growth with the need to maintain fiscal discipline.
Expenditure control, and expenditure switching from consumption to
investment, will be key.
2.7 India faces an export challenge, reflected in the fact that the share of
manufacturing and services exports in GDP has stagnated in the last five
years. According to the survey, the external trading environment is less
benign in two ways: partner country growth and their absorption of Indian
exports has slowed, and mega-regional trade agreements being negotiated
by the major trading nations in Asia and Europe threaten to exclude India
and place its exports at a disadvantage.
2.8 India is increasingly young, middle-class, and aspirational but
remains stubbornly male. Several indicators suggest that gender inequality
is persistent and high. In the short run, the renewed emphasis on family
planning targets, backed by misaligned incentives, is undermining the
health and reproductive autonomy of women.
3.

Skill India to Complement Make in India

3.1

What should we Make in India? Sectors that are capable of

facilitating structural transformation in and emerging economy
must:
Have a high level of productivity.

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4.

Show convergence to the technological frontier over

time.
Draw in resources from the rest of the economy to
spread the fruits of growth.
Be aligned with the economys comparative
advantage; and
Be traceable.

3.2

Registered manufacturing, construction and several service

sectors-particularly business services-perform well on these
various characteristics. A key concern with these sectors
however is that they are rather skill-intensive and do not match
the skill profile of the Indian labour force.

3.3

India could bolster the Make in India initiative, which

requires improving infrastructure and reforming labour and
land laws by complementing it with the Skilling India
initiative. This would enable a larger section of the population
to benefit from the structural transformation that such sectors
will facilitate.

A National Market for Agricultural Commodities

4.1

Markets in agricultural products are regulated under the

Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act
enacted by State Governments. India has not one, not 29, but
thousands of agricultural markets.

4.2

APMCs levy multiple fees of substantial magnitude, that are

non-transparent, and hence a source of political power.

4.3

The Model APMC Act, 2003 could benefit from drawing

upon the Karnataka Model that has successfully introduced
an integrated single licensing system. The key here is to
remove the barriers that militate against the creation of choice
for farmers and against the creation of marketing
infrastructure by the private sector.

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5.

Union Budget 2015-16

5.1 The Union Budget 2015-16 was presented on 28th Feb 2015. The
headline numbers for Plan Expenditure are as under:
Table 4: Plan Expenditure (Rs. Crore)

2013-14
(Actuals)

201415
(BE)

201415
(RE)

201516
(BE)

% change in 201516 (BE)

453327

575000 467934 465277

Over
2014-15
(RE)
-0.6%

340479

236592 189766 260493

37.3%

10.1%

A2)
Central 112849 338408 278168 204784
Assistance to
States/
UT
plans
263095 247941 237045 317889
B) IEBR*
C)
Central 603573 484532 426811 578382
Plan
outlay
(A1+B)
*Internal Generation and Extr-budgetary Resources

-26.4%

-39.5%

34.1%
35.5%

28.2%
19.4%

A)
Central
Plan
Expenditure, of
which
A1) Budgetary
support
for
Central Plan

Over
2014-15
(BE)
-19.1%

(Source: Statement 1 and 2, pg. 3, Expenditure Budget Vol. I, 2015-2016,

Ministry of Finance)
5.2

The Central Plan 2015-16 stands at Rs 5.78 lakh cr, exceeding the
B.E. 2014-15 by Rs 93,849 cr. The Central Plan includes Gross
Budgetary Suppoer (GBS) of Rs 260493 cr and Internal Extra
Budgetary Resources (IEBR) [of PSUs] of Rs 317889 cr

5.3

A substantial part of the increase Rs 69,948 cr- is from Internal

Generation and IEBR of Public Sector Enterprises. The IEBR
allocations of a few Ministries have also reflected a steep rise. Eg.,

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Department of Telecommunications: Rs 11,684 cr, Ministry of Road

Transport and Highways: Rs 33,695 cr, Railways: Rs 24,516 cr,
Ministry of Power: Rs 3,863 cr.
5.4

Increase in GBS is Rs 23,902 cr. The Ministries that have received

significant enhancement in GBS allocation include infrastructure
Ministries like Roads and Highways (Rs 13765 cr) and Railways (Rs
9900 cr).

5.5

Central Assistance to State Plans 2015-16 stands reduced to Rs

2,04,784 cr as compared with Rs 3,38,408 cr budgeted in 2014-15 i.e
Rs. 1.33 lakh crore less offset by higher devolution from the
divisible pool to States.

5.6

Keeping in view national priorities and legal obligations, only 8 CSS

have been delinked from Centre support. However, 20 major
Programs, that subsume nearly 50 Schemes, have been categorized
as Schemes to be run with the Changed Sharing Pattern. It is
expected that State Governments would enhance their contribution
in the Centrally Sponsored Schemes so that the intended benefits of
the Scheme and overall outlay of the schemes are maintained.

5.7

The Block grant component has been reduced from Rs.78,126 crore
in 2014-15 (BE) to Rs.27,233 crore in 2015-16 (BE). The allocation
for Block grants given by the erstwhile Planning Commission to
States/ UTs in terms of Normal/ Additional Central Assistance/
Special Plan Assistance, etc. has been discontinued in 2015-16.
Table 5 below summarizes the provisions under Central Assistance
to State Plan 2015-16.

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Table 5
Central Assistance to State Plans (CASP)

Category

1
A Schemes to be
fully supported
by Union
Government
B Schemes to be
run with the
Changed
Sharing Pattern
C Schemes
delinked from
Union Support
D Other Schemes

No. of
Program
mes

Amount (in Rs. Crore)

BE
2014-15

RE
2014-15

BE
2015-16

Variati
on (54)

34
20

105761.3 118512.2
118537.7
4
1
138524.2 103021.6 78229.8
5
5

12750.
87
24791.
85

-25.49
60294.
45

5928.99

4585.64

31

67773.14 58355.05

4584.6
4
58355.
05
74980.
67

5927.9
9
67773.
14
134021
.1

Variati
on (53)

330764.0 271723.6 196743.0

Total Central
8
8
1
Assistance to
State Plans (A
to D)
7644.41 6444.15
8041
1596.8 396.59
E Union Territory
Plan
5
GRAND
338408.4 278167.8 204784.0
TOTAL (A to
9
3
1
73383. 133624
E)
8
(Source: Statement 16,pg. 57-63, Expenditure Budget VOL.I, 2015-16, Ministry of
Finance)

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II

NITI in Fourteenth Finance Commission

2.1

The Explanatory Memorandum to the Action Taken on the

recommendations made by the FFC in its report submitted to the
President on December 15, 2014 States:
It is expected that with this change in the sharing pattern,
concerns of the States of asymmetry in fiscal federal
relations will be addressed. It is hoped that the States will
use the extra fiscal space available to them to create
productive capital assets, and that Team India in NITI will
provide the required guidance and monitoring in this regard.
(paragraph 7)

NITI and the Union Budget 2015 -16

2.2 In the Budget speech of the Union Minister of Finance, Shri Arun
Jaitley, inter-alia, stated that:
While the farmer is no longer in the clutches of the local trader, his
produce still does not command the best national price. To increase
the incomes of farmers, it is imperative that we create a National
agricultural market, which will have the incidental benefit of
moderating price rises. I intend this year to work with the States, in
NITI, for the creation of a Unified National Agriculture
Market.(Para 33)
I also intend to establish, in NITI, the Atal Innovation Mission
(AIM). AIM will be an Innovation Promotion Platform involving
academics, entrepreneurs, and researchers and draw upon national
and international experiences to foster a culture of innovation, R&D
and scientific research in India. The platform will also promote a
network of world-class innovation hubs and Grand Challenges for
India. Initially, a sum of Rs. 150 crore will be earmarked for this
purpose. (Para 48); and
With this objective, Government is establishing a mechanism to be
known as SETU (Self-Employment and Talent Utilisation). SETU
will be a Techno-Financial, incubation and Facilitation Programme
to support all aspects of start-up businesses, and other selfNITI BRIEF

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employment activities, particularly in technology-driven areas. I am

setting aside Rs. 1000 crore initially in NITI Aayog for this purpose.
(Para 50)
NITI will process these initiatives and develop them further in this year.

III(A)Impact of Fourteenth Finance Commission recommendations

and Union Budget 2015-2016 on National Development Agenda
3.1

The FFC recommendations are in line with the spirit of

cooperative federalism, which is the central theme in national
development and achievement of national goals. Every State
stands to gain under the FFC. The FFC transfers are
progressive, in that states with lower per capita NSDP have
received larger transfers per capita. Extra fiscal space provided
to the State Governments is expected to translate into a more
focussed approach on designing and implementing Schemes
for priority sectors like Agriculture, Education, Health, Rural
Development etc. by respective State Governments, fully
taking in to consideration State specific requirements.
Economic Survey 2014-15 (Table 10.2) indicates the
incremental benefits that each state has derived from the FFC
recommendations.

3.2

The transfer of funds to states, along with responsibility of

higher funding share in more than 20 Central government
Programs, will see the emergence of significant changes in
Scheme design and implementation mechanisms being
adopted by respective States. However, some states may need
to strengthen their capacity for designing, implementing and
monitoring schemes. NITI will develop into a Resource Hub
on Scheme templates and best practices as a ready reference
point that will be available to all States and Ministries.

3.3

States like Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,

Karnataka and Jharkhand are the major gainers due to change
in the horizontal devolution formula which now gives greater
weight to a States forest cover. The impact of the change in
horizontal devolution will play out during the course of the
year. At this stage, no comments are possible.

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3.4

Review of progress of Infrastructure Projects is now being

accorded top most priority with the Prime Minister chairing
meetings with concerned Ministries and NITI Aayog at regular
intervals. Progress in infrastructure projects requires intensive
and active cooperation of State Governments with the Centre.
Translating the budgetary outlays of 2015-16 into actual
visible physical progress at the field level and early
commissioning of projects has to be a priority activity. NITI
will coordinate between Ministries and State Governments to
push for timely resolution of hurdles faced in implementation
of projects on the ground. This will require close monitoring
of project timelines at each stage of the project lifecycle
through the available platforms like the Online Computerised
Monitoring System (OCMS) of MOSPI and the Project
Monitoring Group of the Cabinet Secretariat together with
State Empowered Committees that have been set up in
pursuance of the decision taken by the Governing Council of
NITI.

3.5

A critical indicator captured in the Economic Survey 2014-15

is the somewhat bleak scenario for investment. From a peak of
24% of GDP in the last quarter of 2009-10, the rate of growth
of Gross Physical Capital formation is nearly Zero. The
Survey states that at the end of December 2014, stalled
projects stand at about 8.8 lakh crores (7% of GDP). The
private sector stalled projects mostly fall in the area of
manufacturing and infrastructure, while Government stalled
projects are predominantly in the infrastructure sector. The
private sector concerns relate to unfavourable market
conditions while various regulatory and statutory clearances
are mostly stalling infrastructure projects. However, despite
stalling of projects, the equity market appears to be unaffected.
But the area of concern is the impact of stalled projects on the
balance sheet of public sector banks.

3.6

The policy lesson of the Economic Survey is that public

investment may need to be better leveraged to rejuvenate the
favourable environment for attracting private sector
investment in the short-term. The Public-Private Partnerships
framework needs to be revisited to address problems and

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lessons learnt especially in the Roads and Port Sector. NITI

will take the process farther to evolve a PPP-Version 2
especially in infrastructure sectors like Highways, Inland
Waterways Ports and Power.
III(B) The Vision in Union Budget 2015-16
3.7 The Union Budget 2015-16 captures the national priorities
enunciated by the Government. These were also identified as priorities in
the First Meeting of the Governing Council. These include, Swachh Bharat
Mission, Namami Gange, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Beti
Bachao Beti Padhao, Make in India, Labour Reforms- Shram Suvidha
Portal, Apprenticeship Protsahan Yojana, Skill India, Housing for All with
24/7 Electricity, Drinking Water and Sanitation by 2022, National Solar
Mission, Smart Cities Mission, Sagar Mala, Jan Dhan Yojana, Digital
India and Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) under PAHAL.
3.8 The Union Budget 2015-16 makes adequate provisions for these
Programs, that hold great potential for transforming India.
3.9 In addition to the key programmes, a seven year perspective,
coinciding with the 75th year of Independence i.e. 2022 is indicated for
achieving select targets for development of the nation and its citizens.
These are to be achieved on the platform of Team India, guided by the
Central Government. They include:
A roof for each family in India. The call given for Housing
for all by 2022 would require Team India to complete 2 crore
houses in urban areas and 4 crore houses in rural areas.
(ii) Each house in the country should have basic facilities of 24hour power supply, clean drinking water, a toilet, and be
connected to a road.
(iii) At least one member from each family should have access
to the means for livelihood and, employment or economic
opportunity, to improve his or her lot.
(iv) Substantial reduction of poverty. All our schemes should
focus on and centre around the poor. Each of us has to commit
ourselves to this task of eliminating absolute poverty.
(v) Electrification, by 2020, of the remaining 20,000 villages in
the country, including by off-grid solar power generation.
(i)

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(vi) Connecting each of the 1,78,000 unconnected habitations

by all weather roads. This will require completing 1,00,000
km of roads currently under construction plus sanctioning and
building another 1,00,000 km of road.
(vii) Good health is a necessity for both quality of life, and a
persons productivity and ability to support his or her family.
Providing medical services in each village and city is
absolutely essential.
(viii) Educating and skilling our youth to enable them to get
employment is the altar before which we must all bow. To
ensure that there is a senior secondary school within 5 km
reach of each child, we need to upgrade over 80,000 secondary
schools and add or upgrade 75,000 junior/middle, to the senior
secondary level. We also have to ensure that education
improves in terms of quality and learning outcomes.
(ix) Increase in agricultural productivity and realization of
reasonable prices for agricultural production is essential for the
welfare of rural areas. We should commit to increasing the
irrigated area, improving the efficiency of existing irrigation
systems, promoting agro-based industry for value addition and
increasing farm incomes, and reasonable prices for farm
produce.
(x)

In terms of Communication, the rural and urban divide should

no longer be acceptable to us. We have to ensure connectivity
to all the villages.

(xi) Two-thirds of our population is below 35. To ensure that our

young get proper jobs, we have to aim to make India the
manufacturing hub of the world. The Skill India and the
Make in India programmes are aimed at doing this.
(xii) We also have to encourage and grow the spirit of
entrepreneurship in India and support new start-ups. Thus can
our youth turn from being job-seekers, to job-creators.
(xiii) The Eastern and North Eastern regions of our country are
lagging behind in development on many fronts. We need to
ensure that they are on par with the rest of the country.
(Budget speech of Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of Finance).

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IV. Challenge: Translating Outlays into Outcomes - Road ahead

from April 2015 to March, 2016
4.1

4.2

Each target will translate in to public expenditure by both

Centre and States, as well as sourcing peoples participation
in funding and implementation.
The steps required are:

o Establishing adequate availability of funds

o Ensuring timely processing of expenditure proposals coveringdesign, approvals at appropriate level
o Ensuring steady pace of progress in the year to achieve agreed
milestones. It has been the experience that funds constraint is
not the only limitation faced in achieving outcomes. Under
utilization of budgeted funds has been rampant in many
Mission Mode Programs leading to revised estimates being
lower than budget estimates year after year
4.3 Several schemes have crossed the stage of EFC appraisal and
Cabinet Approval. The next stage is translating the scheme in
to expenditure packages physical assets and activities. The
area of implementing the combined expenditure packages are
also earmarked for priority monitoring with timelines. Similar
action is proposed in other Mission mode schemes.
4.4

NITI BRIEF

Most of the key Programs cut across Ministries and

Departments. These programs require several Ministries to
pool their resources in a structured manner for field level
convergence. For example, under Namami Gange, Ministry
of E&F is responsible for afforestation, Ministry of Urban
Development for sanitation and sewerage treatment plants,
Ministry of Water Resources for Effluent treatment plants,
Tourism for water front development and Shipping for inland
waterway transport on the river and so on. The nodal
Ministry is Ministry of Water Resources.

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4.5

Intensive coordination is required amongst the Ministries to

design projects and expenditure packages to translate and
deliver programme objectives at the field level. The platform
for coordination between Ministries and between Central
Ministries and States has to be identified for timely
implementation of expenditure packages.
Atleast for a few select National Programs like Swachh Bharat
Mission, Namami Gange, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana coordination could be through NITI Aayog under the
Prime Minister.
In other select programs, coordination platform needs to be
identified. Options are Cabinet Secretariat, Minister led
monitoring Committees, NITI Aayog.

4.6

V.

Sharing best practices and designs: There is an urgent need to

fast track roll out of Programs that are a national priority by
ensuring there are no delays in re-inventing the wheel.
Certain States have progressed well. The successful
implementation mechanisms need to be shared across States
and easy access to such information ensured.

FAQs:
1) How do FFC and Union Budget 2015-16 impact categories like
Plan and Non Plan expenditure?
The FFC has taken a holistic view of Revenue Expenditure of
States, without making any distinction between Plan and Non-Plan
expenditure (para 7.28 of 14th FFC Report refers). While assessing
expenditure of the State Governments, the contribution from Centre
towards Centrally Sponsored Scheme Grants has been excluded but
share of States in Centrally Sponsored Schemes has been included.
Based on this approach, devolution of 42% has been recommended
by FFC, which has translated in to an additional transfer of Rs 1.78
lakh crores to States.
However, in the Union Budget for 2015-16, the Central
Government has continued to reflect public expenditure under Plan
and Non-Plan categorisation. This distinction is expected to continue
for the present at least till the end of 12th Plan. In the Union
Budget, Central Assistance to State Plan to States is kept at Rs

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2.04 lakh cr. This is over and above additional transfer of Rs.
1.78 lakh crore under 14th FFC award.
2) What does Plan expenditure in the Union Budget comprise?
Plan expenditure had two components:
a)
Central Plan; and
b)
Central Assistance to State Plans of which Centrally
Sponsored Schemes (CSS) are implemented by the States out of
scheme based allocations made by Central Ministries. In the past,
this component also included Block Grants comprising, inter-alia,
Normal Central Assistance (NCA) to all States; Additional Central
Assistance to General Category; Special Central Assistance and
Special Plan Assistance (SPA) to Special Category States; One Time
ACA and Other ACA; and Externally Assisted Projects (EAPs)
where Central Government in addition to providing sovereign
guarantee to loans form World Bank and Asian Development Bank
also contributed 90% share of the loans given to Special Category
States by these International Agencies. Following the FFC, these
items have been subsumed in the larger 42% devolution of the
divisble pool to States and no longer appear in the plan expenditures.
3) What is the devolution formula in 13th and 14th Finance
Commission?
Table 1
Variable
Population (1971)
Demographic Change (population 2011)
Fiscal Capacity/ Income Distance
Area
Forest Cover
Fiscal discipline

Weights accorded
TFC
FFC
25
17.5
0
10
47.5
50
10
15
0
7.5
17.5
0
100
100

Source: Economic Survey 2014-15

Where:
a) Population is the population of the State as per the 1971 census;
b) Demographic Change are changes in population since 1971;
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c) Income Distance is computed by calculating the difference between

3 year average (2010-10 to 2012-13) GSDP for each State with
respect to the State with highest per capita GSDP;
d) Forest Cover has been used as there is an opportunity cost in terms
of area not available for other economic activities;
e) Area has a floor limit at 2% for smaller States in deciding the
horizontal devolution.
4)

What is Divisible Pool?

The Divisible pool is the portion of gross tax revenue which is distributed
between the Centre and States. The divisible pool consists of all taxes,
except surcharge (for example, for education) and cess (for example on
coal) levied for specific purpose, net of collection charges.
5) What does Increase in Fiscal Space for States mean?
a)
The Government has accepted FFC award of 42% of the
divisible pool to States as against the previous share of 32%. Based
on B.E. of net
Tax Receipts for 2015-16, States share is Rs 5.26
1
lakh crores . This is about Rs. 1.78 lakh crores more than in
2014-15. This represents increase in untied
funds available to the State
Governments (though not necessarily in gross funds).
b)
In addition, 11 States have been identified for revenue deficit
grant of Rs.
1,94,821 crore over five years beginning with
2015-16. In 2015-16, the amount is likely to be Rs 48, 906 cr2
c)
In addition the Commission has worked out the total grant to
local bodies as Rs 2.87 lakh cr for five years. In 2015-16, Grant
for Local Bodies is expected to
be Rs 37,333 cr3
Table 2 Grants to Local Bodies

in Rs. Crore
Gram
Panchayats
Municipalities

Basic
Performance
Grant
Grant
1,80,263
20,029
69,715

17,428

Explanatory Memorandum to Action Taken on Recommendations made by the Fourteenth Finance

Commission in its report submitted to the President on December 15, 2014.
2
Press Note on Fourteenth Finance Commission
3
Press Note

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(Source: Explanatory Memorandum as to the Action Taken on the

Recommendations Made by The 14th Finance Commission in its
report submitted to the President on December 15, 2014,
Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance)

d) Despite the higher devolution of 42% and FFC recommendation of

transferring 30 Centrally sponsored schemes to the States, the Union
Budget 2015-16 has delinked only 8 schemes from Central
Assistance to State Plan (CASP) and retained Rs 2.04 lakh crore
under CASP in 2015-16, over and above additional devolution of Rs
1.78 lakh crore to States.
6) What is Gadgil-Mukherjee formula?
Block Grants under Normal Central Assistance (NCA), given
in the past but now discontinued in view of the increased devolution
of the divisible pool to States, were based on the Gadgil-Mukherjee
formula. The Gadgil-Mukherjee formula had been endorsed by the
National Development Council and has the following components.
Table 3
Variable

(a) Population (1971)

(b) Per Capita Income
(i) For States with Lower than National Average
(20)
(ii) For all States
(c) Performance (Tax Effort, Fiscal Management,
National Objectives)

(d) Special Problems

Total

GadgilMukherjee
Formula
60%
25%

(5)
7.5 %

7.5 %
100

7) What are Special Category States?

Special Category Status for plan assistance has been granted in the
past by the National Development Council(NDC) to some Sates that
are characterized by a number of features necessitating special
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consideration. These features include: (i) hilly and difficult terrain,

(ii) low population density and / or sizeable share of tribal
population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring
countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v)
non-viable nature of state finances. At present there are 11 States
that have Special Category Status. These are the eight States in the
NER and three States in the Himalayan region i.e, Uttarakhand,
Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
8) What is the Impact of Union Budget on Central Assistance to
State Plan?
Table 4 Central Plan Outlay-GBS (in Rs. Crore)
201415
(BE)

201415
(RE)

201516
(BE)

% change in 201516 (BE)

Over 2014-15
(RE)
-26.4%

1) Central
338408 278168 204784
Assistance to
States/ UT
plans
236592 189766 260493
37.3%
2) Budgetary
support for
Central Plan
-0.6%
Total Central Plan 575000 467934 465277
Expenditure (1+2)
a) While increase in transfer of funds to States as per 14 th FFC
award is (Rs 1.78 lakh cr, the Central Assistance to State Plan
has been reduced by Rs 1,33,624 cr.)
b) This includes a new categorization of nearly 20 Programmes that
are listed as Schemes where funding pattern will undergo a
change. Some of these include multiple Schemes. A change in
funding pattern could imply that State Governments may have to
expend more amounts out of their available 14th FFC devolutions.
However, this is also in line with their expressed demand for
more untied funds and freedom to design schemes as per State
specific requirements.

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9) How will the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) continue for the
remaining two years (2015-16 and 2016-17)?
The 12th Five Year Plan is in the third year of implementation and the
Mid-Term Appraisal (MTA) is being done. The M.T.A will indicate the
Road Map for a transition over 1-2 years (remaining 2 years of the 12th
Plan) during which programs and policies need to become more strategic
and long term for which NITI will work closely with the Central and State
Governments. A milestone would be 2022 (75th year of independence)
which has been termed as the A Amrut Mahotsav by the Finance
Minister in his Budget Speech on 28th Feb 2015.
10) What is the change in the Procedure for Annual Plan discussions
w.e.f. 2015-16?
(i) In the erstwhile Planning Commission every year Annual Plans of
States were decided on the basis of
Letter from the Secretary, Planning Commission between Oct-Dec.
each year to Chief Secretaries requesting for intimating their Draft
Annual Plans.
Resource discussions between Adviser (FR), Planning Commission
and State Finance Secretaries by way of letters/Video Conferences/
Meetings to decide the quantum of Plan resources comprising Own
Resources of the States, Borrowings and Additional Resource
Mobilization (ARM) measures.
Thereafter, Chief Ministers and the then Deputy Chairman and
Members of the Planning Commission had Annual Plan discussions
preceded by discussions at the official levels.
At these discussions the Plan size of every State was decided on the
basis of review of resources, progress of schemes and new
proposals.
The Plan size for larger States comprised States Own Resources
including Borrowings, Central Assistance to State Plans. Formula
based Normal Central Assistance and One Time Additional Central
Assistance as Block Grants plus some Centrally Sponsored
Schemes.

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 For the 8 North-Eastern States and J&K, H.P, and Uttrakhand the
Plan size had, in addition to the above, Untied Block Grants (Special
Central Assistance) and Tied Block Grants (Special Plan Assistance)
Assistance to these States under Centrally Sponsored Schemes was
being given to the extent of 90% Central Government share and 10%
of their own contribution.
(ii) Since 2014-15, the Annual Plan process has been simplified by
communicating Block grants to State Governments through letters. CSS
amounts are disbursed by Ministries.
(iii) The interaction between State Government and NITI will shift
in favour of interaction between the States and Centre on program
implementation after the FFC recommendations as each State will
now have more space for determining its priorities and higher degree
of predictability of resources available.
*****

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