Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a “white paper” on the Indian economy in Parliament on Thursday, February 8. This document, crafted by the Ministry of Finance, essentially juxtaposes the 10-year performance of economic governance under the Congress-led UPA governments (from 2004-05 to 2013-14) with that of the BJP-led NDA governments (from 2014-15 to 2023-24).
To clarify, a white paper traditionally furnishes information about a specific issue. Governments often use white papers, such as those on topics like black money, to inform the public about the nature of a problem and potential solutions. However, the presentation in Parliament doesn’t strictly adhere to the traditional definition of a white paper. Instead, it involves a comparative analysis of the economic records of two governments across various parameters. A true white paper on the economy would offer an in-depth assessment of the Indian economic landscape as of 2014 when the present government assumed office.
