Budget must focus on jobs, near-term planning: Mint poll

revealed that 41% of respondents believed a populist budget is acceptable during a consumption slowdown, while 38% disagreed, and 21% were undecided.

- FROM FRONT FLAP

The support for the idea of a populist budget gradually decreased with a rise in income. Nearly 45% of the respondents earning above ₹25 lakh per annum said no to populist budgets if there is a slowdown in consumption growth. More men (42%) favoured a populist budget than women (35%). The idea received a muted response from older respondents, especially those above age 50.

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Asked to rate how important job creation was for the budget right now on a scale of 1 to 5 (five being the highest priority), 73% of the respondents picked the maximum rating. Interestingly, the percentage dropped to less than 64% for respondents in the age group of 18-25 years and students. Only 3% of all respondents said that the government should give less priority (a rating of 1 and 2) to creation of jobs in the upcoming budget.