Public finance, from someone who does it
I'm Alok Kumar Barnwal, a public finance consultant based in Raipur. I work on the real machinery of government money — state budgets, PFMS, debt and cash management — and I write here to make that world understandable for anyone entering it.
What I do
I currently work as a consultant on government advisory and public finance, focused on macro-fiscal analysis, debt management, budget preparation and review, and the financial systems that move public money. Over 13+ years I've gone from managing district-level financial operations to advising on state public finance — so this isn't theory for me, it's the day job.
Why this site exists
Public finance is taught as jargon — deficits, appropriations, PFMS, FRBM — and most people who need it (consultants, analysts, aspirants, and officials) are left decoding it alone. My goal is simple: explain how public money actually works in India, in plain language, with interactive lessons and a glossary you can actually use.
Areas I focus on
- Public Finance Management (PFM) — budgeting, receipts, expenditure, the whole cycle.
- Technology in public finance — PFMS, IFMS, DBT, GeM, and where data and AI fit in.
- Fiscal reform & debt — fiscal responsibility, debt and cash management, transformation.
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