Page 23 - Union Budget

Budget 2025: Will middle-class gain relief with tax slabs from Rs 5 lakh?

Budget 2025 expectations: This year, speculation revolves around whether tax slabs will be altered or new relief measures introduced

Union Budget 2025: A look at poetic touches in finance ministers' speeches

Union Budget 2025: Here's a look at how finance ministers have infused poetic and cultural references/ quotes in their speeches

Reduce trading size today: Nithin Kamath advises traders for Budget 2025

Budget 2025: Zerodha co-founder and chief executive officer, Nithin Kamath, has shared his insights into how stock market traders should trade today

Budget 2025: What should be your stock market trading strategy on Feb 1?

At 12:30 PM, BSE Sensex was trading 0.64 per cent higher at 77,253.98 levels. Similarly, Nifty50 was trading 0.82 per cent higher at 23,439.55 levels

FM Sitharaman arrives in Parliament: What time will Budget speech start?

Union Budget 2025: FM Nirmala Sitharaman will present the first full Budget of Modi 3.0 on Feb 1. Check the date, time, and where to watch the live speech online

Budget 2025: Modi govt to seek to revive growth, ease cost of living

Economists expect the budget to ease the burden on individuals through tax cuts on income and energy products and to build on the $24 billion programme of job creation schemes

Karnataka CM submits demands to FM ahead of Budget, calls for fair approach

The Karnataka CM said that the Centre must recognise their contributions and positively respond to their needs, ensuring that resource distribution is just and proportional

Economic Survey: Consistent 5% farm growth can help absorb surplus labour

It suggested policy reforms to discourage overproduction of cereals while boosting output of pulses and edible oils

The changing face of the Dalits: Budget as a catalyst for empowerment

The biggest angst of Dalit groups is the issue of manual scavenging

Rupee performed better than currencies of Canada, Korea, Brazil: Eco Survey

The Indian rupee depreciated a modest 2.9 per cent in the first nine months of the current fiscal, performing better than other currencies like the Canadian Dollar, South Korean Won and the Brazilian Real, according to the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday. The value of the Indian Rupee (INR) is market-determined, with no target or specific level or band. Various domestic and global factors influence the exchange rate of the INR, such as the movement of the Dollar Index, trends in capital flows, level of interest rates, movement in crude prices, and current account deficit. "In the first nine months of FY25 (up to 6 January 2025), the INR depreciated a modest 2.9 per cent, performing better than currencies such as the Canadian Dollar, South Korean Won and the Brazilian Real, which depreciated by 5.4 per cent, 8.2 per cent and 17.4 per cent, respectively, during the same period," it said. One of the primary factors behind the rupee depreciation during 2024 has been the .

IRDAI Caps Premiums, RBI Takes Over, Economists Want Liquidity, RBI Warns Fraud & Unions Seek Exemption

IRDAI limits premium hikes for senior citizens RBI takes over Aviom India Housing Finance Economists advocate for more liquidity, not just rate cuts RBI Governor flags digital fraud concerns

China's dominance in EV supply chain a concern, says Economic Survey

Between April and October 2024, China emerged as India's largest import partner, with imports rising by 9.8 per cent to $65.89 billion, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce

Projects worth Rs 1.5 trn completed under Smart Cities Mission: Eco Survey

The Economic Survey on Friday highlighted that under the Smart Cities mission, nearly 7,500 projects worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore have been completed so far. The mission, which was launched in 2015, aims to develop smart cities with essential infrastructure, good quality of life and a sustainable environment, it noted. "As of 13 January 2025, 8,058 projects worth 1.64 lakh crore have been proposed, with 7,479 projects worth 1.50 lakh crore completed," said the survey, which was tabled in Parliament on Friday. The mission was launched on June 25, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It aims to enhance the quality of life in 100 selected cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and a sustainable environment. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban's website, the objective of the mission is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and ...

Rice industry calls for budget support to boost exports, agri infra

The Indian rice industry has urged the government to provide incentives and policy support in the upcoming Union Budget to address surplus stock, falling prices, and sluggish exports. The industry also demanded development of modern and better rural infrastructure in the budget, particularly irrigation and cold storage facilities. Dev Garg, Vice President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), highlighted a bumper surplus of 500 lakh tonnes which has led to a price decline of 10-15 per cent in both basmati and white rice. Despite the government's recent move to lift restrictions on non-basmati rice exports, shipments have remained weak. From April to now, rice exports have totalled Rs 76,000 crore, significantly lower than last year's Rs 1.14 lakh crore during the same period, he said. "The current quarter is difficult for traders, and exports are unlikely to improve in the next three months. With bumper crop coming in and no space to store, the situation demands governmen

Amid 90-hr workweek debate, Eco survey bets on employees' mental well-being

The Economic Survey 2024-2025 document argues that the ramifications of low levels of mental well-being is detrimental, not just to the health of the person, but to the economy as well

U-WIN transformative step in immunisation effort: Economic Survey

The U-WIN portal has registered 7.44 crore beneficiaries, conducted 1.26 crore vaccination sessions, and recorded 27.84 crore doses administered as of November 27, 2024, stated the Economic Survey 2024-25 while highlighted that it marks a transformative step in India's immunisation efforts. The pre-budget survey tabled in the Parliament on Friday mentioned the initiatives that saw technology integration in healthcare delivery for timely diagnoses and recommendations of personalised treatments to telehealth technologies that connect patients and health professionals in a virtual space to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The report described U-WIN as a user-friendly platform that enables seamless access to immunisation records, flexible scheduling, 'anytime access', and 'anywhere' vaccination. Beneficiaries can self-register via the web portal or mobile app, track schedules, and receive SMS reminders for upcoming doses. U-WIN also generates QR-based e-vaccination certificates and

Give back entrepreneurs & households their time and mental bandwidth: CEA

Give entrepreneurs and households back their time and mental bandwidth, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said while making a strong case for significant roll back of regulations both by the Union and state governments. In the Preface of the Economic Survey 2024-25, he said 'Getting out of the way' and allowing businesses to focus on their core mission is a significant contribution that governments around the country can make to foster innovation and enhance competitiveness. "The most effective policies governments - Union and States - in the country can embrace is to give entrepreneurs and households back their time and mental bandwidth. That means rolling back regulation significantly. That means vowing and acting to stop micromanaging economic activity and embracing risk-based regulations," Nageswaran wrote. Effective government policies also means changing the operating principle of regulations from 'guilty until proven innocent' to 'innocent until proven guilty'. Add

Coordinated efforts from all crucial for making India mfg hub: Eco Survey

Coordinated efforts from the government, private sector, academia, R&D institutions, and financial stakeholders are crucial for India to achieve its goal of becoming a manufacturing powerhouse amid an uncertain global environment, Economic Survey 2024-2025 said on Friday. It also said that the rise of China as a manufacturing powerhouse and its impact on the manufacturing aspirations of other nations, as well as the supply of minerals, materials, machinery, and equipment needed for energy transition, pose challenges. Amidst this, it said, India is in the middle of a change that represents an unprecedented economic challenge and opportunity. The survey stressed that China is a dominant force in the global manufacturing and energy transition ecosystems as it has gained a strategic advantage leveraging its competitiveness and economic policy to access and control key resources recognised today as critical for global supply chains. "Hence, in a rather unsupportive global environment, .

Karnataka seeks Rs 11,495 crore special grants among others in Union Budget

Special matching grants for the development of the backward region of Kalyana Karnataka, approval for the Mekedatu project and release of Rs 11,495 crore of special grants recommended by the 15th Finance Commission were among the suggestions and requests made by the Karnataka government during a pre-budget consultation with the Centre. Last month, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met finance ministers of states and union territories (UTs) to take their demands and suggestions for the Union Budget 2025-26, to be presented on February 1. In his presentation at the meeting, Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on behalf of the state government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought release of Rs 5,300 crore promised in the Union Budget to Upper Bhadra project to provide water to drought prone central Karnataka and special matching grants for the development of backward region of Kalyana Karnataka and the global eco sensitive Western Ghats. The state urged the Centr

Tap water connections in rural household crossed 150 mn mark: Eco Survey

Tap water connections in rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) have grown four-fold to about 15.30 crore as of November 2024, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25. Around 3.23 crore (17 per cent) of rural households had tap water connections at the time of the launch of the mission in August 2019, the pre-budget document for the 2024-25 fiscal said. The mission improved access to safe drinking water in rural areas, particularly in regions affected by water quality issues like arsenic and fluoride. Its impact includes better health outcomes and enhanced water security for vulnerable populations, it noted. "Since then, over 12.06 crore families have been added, increasing the total to more than 15.30 crore (79.1 per cent) out of approximately 19.34 crore rural households as of November 26, 2024," the survey said. Eight states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana and Mizoram, and three union territories, namely, Andaman & .