# Disinvestments

• The government on monday budgeted 1.75 lakh crore rupees from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions.

• This disinvestment plan also includes two PSU banks and one general insurance company in the next fiscal year beginning april.

• This amount of 1.75 lakh crore is lower than the record 2.10 lakh crore rupees which was budgeted to be raised from CPSE disinvestment in the current fiscal year.

# Fifteenth finance commission

• The government has accepted the fifteenth finance commission’s recommendations to maintain the states share in the divisible pool of taxes to 41%.

• This 41% of revenue sharing structure will be applicable for a period of five years starting 2021-22.

• The fourteenth finance commission had raised states share to 42% of divisible revenues.

• But the fifteenth finance commission panel had reduced the share to 41% in its interim report for 2020-21, citing the conversion of J&K and Ladakh into union territories.

# Discoms

• FM Nirmala sitharaman has announced that seven major ports, worth 2000 crore, will see their operations privatised in the year 2021-22.

• A framework to provide electricity consumer an option to choose from service providers is also in process.

• One of the main problems with these Discoms is that they are mostly run by states and are unable to buy sufficient power from generation firms to provide round the clock supply.

# Seaports of India

• FM has announced that seven major ports, worth 2000 crore rupees, will see their operations privatised in the year 2021-22.

• The FM also announced a subsidy scheme of 1264 crore for a period of 5 years for Indian shipping companies to encourage more merchant ships with Indian flags.

• The budget also envisages boosting the recycling of ships at Alang in Gujarat.

• India has enacted recycling of ships act, 2019 and aceeded to the Hong kong international convention (HKC).

# National research foundation

• The national research foundation has been earmarked 50,000 crore rupees over five years.

• The national research foundation is an umbrella body that is expected to fund research across a range of disciplines, from sciences and technology to humanities.