Category: NEW DELHI

• NEW DELHI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced exemptions on basic customs duty on 36 life-saving drugs and also gave a big boost to medical tourism.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday presented the Budget 2025-26 in Parliament which aims to give a big push to employment-led growth with its focus on the agricultural and rural sector, MSMEs, and exports, while sticking to the fiscal consolidation path to ensure stability in the economy.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the eight consecutive Budget of the NDA government, shared the blueprint of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ and made key announcements, centering primarily on four key segments -- women, youth, farmers and the poor.

She announced that broadband connectivity will be provided in all government secondary schools, a move that will bring the students at par with their private counterparts and also open new vistas of opportunities for them.

In a big boost to the Indian middle class, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced that there will be no income tax payable for incomes up to Rs 12 lakh, and Rs 12.75 lakh for salaried taxpayers (including standard deduction).

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges as well as daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a National Manufacturing Mission to further boost the 'Make In India' initiative across industries, as the country becomes a bright spot on the global manufacturing map.

The PM Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana will enhance agricultural productivity, adopt crop diversification, augment post-harvest storage at panchayat and block levels, bolster irrigation and improve availability of short and long-term credit.

India is the world's fastest-growing economy, and the government will ensure tremendous growth in coming years across the spectrum on the way to becoming "Viksit Bharat", Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded the Indian Coast Guard on their raising day and remarked that ICG is a formidable guardian of the nation's seas ensuring the safety of its waters and people.

Ahead of presenting the Union Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met President Droupadi Murmu in the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday.  

In a move set to impact the hospitality and commercial sectors, oil marketing companies have reduced the price of 19 kg commercial LPG cylinders by Rs 7, effective immediately.

The unveiling of the Economic Survey on Friday sets the stage for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to present the Union Budget for 2025-26 in Parliament on Saturday (February 1), which is expected to continue the government's policy of giving a big push to economic growth with equity.

States should focus on business reforms on a priority basis to achieve buoyancies in some industrial or service sectors, the Economic Survey 2024-25 said on Friday.

Faster economic growth is only possible if the Union and state governments continue to implement reforms that allow small and medium enterprises to operate efficiently and compete cost-effectively, said the Economic Survey 2024 on Friday.

Lifestyle choices and workplace culture are critical for the mental well-being and thus, the productivity of the people in India, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 on Friday.

With AI research and development currently concentrated in the hands of a few, very large companies that control the resources to erect high entry barriers, AI adoption in place of humans presents the risk of concentrating the benefits of automation.

The BJP was quick to condemn the remarks, calling them “derogatory” and accusing the Congress of disrespecting the President. BJP leaders said that Congress’s “feudal mindset” cannot accept that a tribal woman like Droupadi Murmu achieved the position of President of India.

The agriculture sector in India has shown robust growth in recent years, averaging 5 per cent annually from FY17 to FY23, demonstrating resilience despite challenges, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25.

The global manufacturing landscape has undergone significant shifts over the past decade and India has been one of the dynamic economies that gained a greater presence in the space gradually vacated by developed countries.

BJP President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda has strongly condemned senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s reference to President Droupadi Murmu as a "poor thing" while commenting on her address to Parliament.

India’s domestic economy remains steady amidst global uncertainties, driven by robust growth in the services sector, a rebound in agriculture, and the industrial sector picking up momentum on the back of rising private consumption, according to the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday.

The government has laid a special focus on infrastructure -- physical, digital and social -- in the last five years and those efforts would need to be supplemented with wholehearted acceptance of the need for public-private partnerships in infrastructure across the country, the Economic Survey 2024-25 said on Friday.

The evolving global trade dynamics, marked by gradual shifts towards greater protectionism, require assessing the situation and developing a forward-looking strategic trade roadmap, the Economic Survey 2024-25,  presented in the Parliament on Friday ahead of the Union Budget 2025-26, said.

President Droupadi Murmu while addressing the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament highlighted key achievements of the government in her speech. Here are key highlights of her address.