Why did Nirmala Sitharaman mention chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa in budget speech?

While addressing the interim budget for financial year 2024-25, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday praised the sports persons of the country and said that country is proud of youth scaling new heights in sports and noted that India's number-one ranked player Praggnanandhaa put up a stiff fight against the reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsson in 2023.

During the interim budget in Parliament, Sitharaman underlined that India has over 80 chess grandmasters compared to about 20 in 2010.
"The country is proud of our youth scaling new heights in sports. The highest ever medal tally in Asian Games and Asian Para Games in 2023 reflects a high confidence level," she said.

Interim Budget 2024-25 | Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "The country is proud of our youth scaling new heights in sports. The highest-ever medal tally in Asian Games and Asian Para games in 2023 reflects a high confidence level. Chess prodigy and our no.1 ranked… pic.twitter.com/3KZLYhslpB

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2024

Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa started playing at the tender age of 5, went on to become India's youngest and the then world's second-youngest Grandmaster at age 12 in 2018.

It should be highlighted that he is the fifth-youngest person ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster after Abhimanyu Mishra, Sergey Karjakin, Gukesh D and Javokhir Sindarov. Incidentally, his elder sister R Vaishali is also a Grandmaster, which makes the siblings the world's first ever brother-sister Grand Master duo.

There could be several possible reasons why Nirmala Sitharaman took Praggnanandhaa's name during the budget speech. Some of them could be:

To celebrate individual achievement and inspire youth: 

Praggnanandhaa's remarkable success in the chess world, particularly his victory against Magnus Carlsen, serves as an inspiration to young people across India. By mentioning him, the finance minister likely aimed to highlight the importance of dedication, hard work, and excellence in any field.

To acknowledge the growth of Indian chess: 

India has witnessed a significant rise in chess talent over the past decade, with Praggnanandhaa being one of the leading examples. The Finance Minister's mention could be seen as recognizing this growth and potentially signaling future support for chess development initiatives.

To promote sports and physical education:

Including Praggnanandhaa's achievement in the budget speech could be a way to emphasize the government's commitment to promoting sports and physical education in India. This aligns with the broader goals of improving health, fitness, and overall well-being among the population.

To garner public support: 

Highlighting individual success stories like Praggnanandhaa's can often resonate with the public and generate positive sentiment towards the government. This could be a strategic move to garner public support for the budget and the government's overall policies.

It is important to understand that these are just few possibilities that finance minister took his name.