Budget 2026-27: Women's Groups Flag Welfare Stagnation Despite Higher Health Outlay
The Union Budget 2026-27 has increased the allocation for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by 10% to Rs 1,06,530.42 crore. However, women's organizations, including the All India Democratic Women's Association, argue that this rise masks ongoing neglect of women's health and welfare. They point to persistent issues highlighted by official data, such as rising anaemia among women, high child malnutrition rates, and uneven progress in reducing maternal deaths.
Persistent Health Concerns Unaddressed
According to the National Family Health Survey, anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 has increased to 57% in 2019-21, up from 53% in the previous survey. Child nutrition indicators remain alarming, with 35.5% of children under five stunted, 19.3% wasted, and 32.1% underweight. India's Maternal Mortality Ratio stands at 97 per 100,000 live births, based on the Sample Registration System for 2019-21, down from 130 in 2014-16, but progress has slowed significantly.
States like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra continue to report significantly higher maternal mortality ratios. Maharashtra, despite having relatively better resources, still records hundreds of maternal deaths annually. P K Srimati, national president of AIDWA, stated, "Primary healthcare services have been sidelined. Reducing cancer and diabetes drug prices does not address women's everyday health burdens."
Budget Priorities and Shortfalls
The Budget emphasizes infrastructure and research, with sharp increases for key initiatives. The Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission has been raised by nearly 68% to Rs 4,770 crore, and the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana is allocated Rs 11,307 crore for new AIIMS and medical college upgrades. Funding for the National AIDS Control Organisation has risen 30% to Rs 3,477 crore, while the Department of Health Research receives Rs 4,821 crore. A Rs 10,000 crore biopharma strategy has also been announced over five years.
Despite these increases, schemes directly linked to maternal health and nutrition remain unchanged. The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana stays at Rs 2,500 crore, and the Janani Suraksha Yojana remains at Rs 1,600 crore, despite supporting nearly 90 lakh institutional deliveries last year. The National Health Mission has been allotted Rs 37,000 crore with no significant increase, and the Supplementary Nutrition Programme under ICDS is capped at Rs 20,000 crore.
Neglect of Frontline Health Workers
Rekha Deshpande, AIDWA's Mumbai secretary, highlighted, "ICDS and ASHA workers, who form the backbone of rural health services, have been ignored yet again. ASHAs still earn between Rs 4,500 and Rs 6,000 a month, while anganwadi workers earn about Rs 7,500, unchanged despite inflation."
Gender Budget and Cuts to Marginalized Communities
The Gender Budget for 2026-27 stands at Rs 5,00,878 crore, raising its share of total expenditure to 9.37%. Yet, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been allocated only Rs 28,183 crore, less than 0.05% of the Union Budget's total outlay. Revised estimates for 2025-26 show that allocations for schemes exclusively for women were cut by nearly Rs 30,158 crore compared to original estimates.
AIDWA also criticized the restructuring of MGNREGA under the Viksit Bharat G Ram G scheme, calling it "statistical jugglery" and noting that allocations remain largely stagnant. Spending on ministries dealing with marginalized communities, such as Minority Affairs and Tribal Affairs, has declined, alongside cuts to several scholarship and residential school schemes.
P K Srimati added, "This Budget denies the lived realities of women, particularly those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minority communities. We will take our resistance to the streets."
