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What is Fiscal Policy

Fiscal Policy

About Fiscal Policy

What is Fiscal Policy

Fiscal policy, in simple terms, is an estimate of taxation and government spending that impacts the economy.
 
Types of fiscal policy
 
There are two types of fiscal policy:
 
Expansionary fiscal policy: This policy is designed to boost the economy. It is mostly used in times of high unemployment and recession. It leads to the government lowering taxes and spending more, or one of the two. The aim is to stimulate the economy and ensure consumers' purchasing power does not weaken.
 
Contractionary fiscal policy: As the term suggests, this policy is designed to slow economic growth in case of high inflation. The contractionary fiscal policy
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Latest Updates on Fiscal Policy

States pause spending as they await 16th Finance Commission's payouts

Most states have reduced their market borrowings, and raised less-than-projected amounts via state government securities, pushing up yields for short-term papers that the Centre typically uses

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Updated On : 25 Nov 2025 | 7:20 PM IST

Fiscal, monetary measures to boost pvt investment, growth: RBI bulletin

The Indian economy showed signs of a further pick-up in momentum, despite continuing global headwinds, said an article on 'State of the Economy' published in the November bulletin

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Updated On : 24 Nov 2025 | 7:56 PM IST

Why the South keeps pulling ahead: Growth, demographics and development

Beyond the increasing complaints about their falling share of central tax revenues, the experience of southern states holds a lesson for the poorer regions wishing to bridge the gap

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Updated On : 18 Nov 2025 | 10:30 PM IST

Electoral freebies underpin growing drift in states' fiscal discipline

The deepening fault line of sub-national fiscal drift beneath India's political economy is now hard to ignore

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Updated On : 04 Nov 2025 | 11:45 PM IST

India's Apr-Aug fiscal deficit widens to ₹5.98 tn, 38.1% of FY26 target

Net tax receipts stood at ₹8.1 trillion, down from ₹8.7 trillion in the same period last year, while non-tax revenue rose to ₹4.4 trillion from ₹3.3 trillion a year ago

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Updated On : 30 Sep 2025 | 5:12 PM IST

America stays unique: Why it's dangerous to learn lessons from the US

The US has a particular, almost unique, history of racial oppression on its own territory

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Updated On : 11 Jul 2025 | 11:42 PM IST

Economic matters should transcend political divides: Nirmala Sitharaman

BS Manthan: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the ongoing global turbulence as a "splashing" of forces, urging India to actively participate rather than remain a bystander

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Updated On : 28 Feb 2025 | 5:31 PM IST

State debt dynamics: Strict fiscal rules needed to reverse disparities

The RBI's frequent intervention to cap spreads in bond markets of heavily indebted states also leads to market indiscipline

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Updated On : 17 Feb 2025 | 10:30 PM IST

NITI Aayog's fiscal health index needs clarity and better data use

Despite fact that Constitution assigns states predominant role in provision of social services and co-equal responsibility in economic services, their fiscal performance has not received much focus

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Updated On : 13 Feb 2025 | 12:32 AM IST

NCAER paper recommends states to create independent fiscal councils

Several bodies in the past had recommended a fiscal council for the central government

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Updated On : 12 Feb 2025 | 7:49 PM IST

Economic Survey 2024-25: Key highlights and challenges the CEA presents

India's economy is expected to grow between 6.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent in FY26. Chief Economic Adviser believes India is on a steady growth path while globalisation is slowing down

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Updated On : 31 Jan 2025 | 3:46 PM IST

Fiscal-monetary coordination at its best in last six years: Shaktikanta Das

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das, in a series of posts on X, on his last day of his six-year term as RBI Governor, also thanked the Finance Minister, various stakeholders and his colleagues

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Updated On : 10 Dec 2024 | 11:51 AM IST

India's GDP growth loses momentum: What's behind the urban spending freeze?

India's swelling urban middle class has been the engine of its growth for far longer than government capex has

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Updated On : 05 Dec 2024 | 7:40 AM IST

Widening cracks in state finances: Revenue deficits risk fiscal stability

These state-specific fiscal vulnerabilities need appropriate policy considerations to enable sustainable fiscal recovery and innovative ways to augment the revenue space

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Updated On : 30 Oct 2024 | 11:56 PM IST

China's stimulus measures not enough, says Yellen and IMF chief economist

Gourinchas told a news conference on the IMF's latest forecasts that China's fiscal stimulus measures so far lacked detail and therefore were not included in the IMF's China growth outlook

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Updated On : 23 Oct 2024 | 10:37 AM IST

Kerala to host conclave of 5 opposition-led states to discuss fiscal issues

Left-ruled Kerala and AAP-governed Punjab, the states that will take part in the conclave are Tamil Nadu (DMK) and the Congress-ruled states of Karnataka and Telangana

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Updated On : 05 Sep 2024 | 2:50 PM IST

Revamped strategy for India's fiscal architecture in post-pandemic times

India's post-pandemic fiscal architecture should be anchored in debt and be holistic (encompassing Centre and states), dynamic (responsive to changing macro conditions), and conservative

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Updated On : 04 Sep 2024 | 10:14 PM IST

Flexible fiscal targets

India needs a sustainable and clear framework

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Updated On : 07 Aug 2024 | 9:48 PM IST

April-June fiscal deficit at Rs 1.36 trillion, 8.1% of 2024-25 target

Total government expenditure during the period was Rs 9.7 trillion, or about 20.4 per cent of the annual goal, lower than the Rs 10.51 trillion in the same period last year

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Updated On : 31 Jul 2024 | 5:12 PM IST

New fiscal policy questions

India needs a fiscal road map consistent with the objectives of faster debt reduction

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Updated On : 29 Jul 2024 | 10:16 PM IST