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Nirmala Sitharaman
The government on Tuesday sought Lok Sabha approval for gross additional expenditure of over Rs 2.81 lakh crore in current fiscal year. The second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "Approval of Parliament is sought to authorise gross additional expenditure of Rs 2,81,289.26 crore. Of this, the proposals involving net cash outgo aggregate to Rs 2,01,142.96 crore and gross additional expenditure, matched by savings of the Ministries/Departments or by enhanced receipts/recoveries aggregates to Rs 80,145.71 crore," said the Supplementary Demands for Grants.
About 72 crore Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDA), including those under the PM Jan Dhan scheme, are not subject to any penal charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, she said banks offer zero-balance savings accounts facility in Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDAs), including the accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), to ensure universal access to banking facilities, particularly for unbanked, vulnerable and small depositors, and to promote financial inclusion. These accounts do not require maintenance of any minimum balance, and the account holders are provided basic banking services such as deposits, withdrawals and ATM access free of charge, without levy of any penal charges. "Approximately 72 crore BSBDAs, including PMJDY accounts, are not subject to any penal charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance," Sitharaman said.
The impact of global crude price rise on inflation is not estimated to be substantial at this point as India's inflation is near the lower bound, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. In reply to a written question in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the price of both global crude oil and the Indian basket has been on a declining trajectory for the past one year, till the geo-political clashes commenced in West Asia on February 28, 2026. "Between the end of February and untill March 2, 2026, the Crude Oil FOB Price (Indian Basket) rose from USD 69.01/barrel to USD 80.16/barrel. Given that India's inflation is near the lower bound, the impact on inflation is not estimated to be substantial at this point," Sitharaman said. She was replying to a question on whether the government has reviewed the impact of rising global crude oil prices on inflation in the country. Global crude prices have been rising since February 28 when the US and Israel launched military strikes on Ir
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday came down heavily on banks resorting to mis-selling of financial products, including insurance, saying it is an offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). "Banks should concentrate on their core business... My pet peeve has always been .... you're spending more time on selling insurance when it is not required, and conveniently, it fell between two stools (of RBI and IRDAI)," Sitharaman told reporters after her customary post-Budget address to the Central Board of the RBI. On February 11, the RBI had issued draft guidelines on mis-selling, saying banks will have to refund the entire amount paid by the customer for purchase of the product or service and also compensate the customer for any loss arising due to mis-selling as per an approved policy. The public has been given time until March 4 to give feedback. The stricter norms on mis-selling will come into effect from July 1, the RBI had said. "I am glad that the RBI is coming up
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said it is too early to comment on the tariff changes announced by the United States and the commerce ministry is reviewing the situation. On Friday, the US Supreme Court gave a verdict against the sweeping import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on trade partners. Following that, President Donald Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on all countries, including India, from February 24 for 150 days. Later on Saturday, Trump announced raising these tariffs to 15 per cent. Asked about the impact of tariff changes on the Indian economy, Sitharaman said it is a "bit too soon" to comment. "But on the trade particularly, aside from the Indian economy in general, the commerce ministry is reviewing the situation. The delegation will have to take a call on when they are going to go for further negotiations. So it's a bit too early for me (to comment)," Sitharaman said. On Sunday, India and the US decided to reschedule the proposed meetin