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Business Standard

Centre unveils portal to boost gender budgeting across ministries, states

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Thursday launched a web portal titled Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub, which will serve as a digital repository of all information related to gender budgeting processes. The launch took place during a national consultation on gender budgeting held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The knowledge hub is intended for use by central and state government ministries and departments, as well as other stakeholders. Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister said that gender budgeting has evolved from being a fiscal exercise to becoming a strategic instrument for inclusive governance. 'Our government believes that when we invest in women, we are not merely allocating resources; we are shaping a more just, empowered, and Viksit Bharat,' she said. For the financial year 2025–26, the government has allocated ₹4.49 lakh crore towards the gender budget — a 37 per cent increase over the previous year's allocation, she added. The Union Minister further highlighted that over the past 11 years, gender budget allocations have increased four-and-a-half times — from ₹0.98 lakh crore in 2014–15 to ₹4.49 lakh crore in 2025–26. The consultation — the first of its kind — deliberated on measures to strengthen gender budgeting processes across all sectors. It also included the sharing of initiatives and good practices from central ministries, departments, and state governments under their respective schemes, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a statement. The journey of Twenty Years of Gender Budgeting in India: Achievements and Challenges was discussed during the national consultation. Deliberations were also held on a draft Training Manual on Gender Budgeting, developed by the Ministry as an important capacity-building tool and practical guide to understanding various aspects of gender budgeting in India. Senior officers from 40 central ministries and departments, and 19 states, along with representatives from UN Women, the Asian Development Bank, and experts from national-level institutes, participated in the day-long consultation.