Paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday (February 2, 2025) described the Union Budget as “by the people, for the people, of the people”, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was fully behind the idea of cutting taxes but it took time to convince the bureaucrats. “We have heard the voice of middle […]
Anti-Tobacco activists in Mysuru have expressed their disappointment over the failure of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget to either increase sin tax or a percentage increase in cess under National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD). In a statement in Mysuru, Convenor of Anti-Tobacco Forum, Mysuru, Vasanthkumar Mysoremath regretted that the “tobacco industry was smiling while every […]
The Union Budget 2025-26 earmarked ₹6.81 lakh crore — or 13.4% of total Central government expenditure — for the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Of the MoD’s total budget, ₹4.92 lakh crore, or 72%, is meant for the Defence Services (primarily the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Defence Research and Development Organisation). About ₹1.61 lakh […]
India stands at a defining moment, where AI-driven innovation, digital infrastructure, and a future-ready workforce will determine its global leadership in the digital economy. The Union Budget 2025 is more than a fiscal plan — it is a bold blueprint for a stronger Digital India, prioritising technology-led development, AI-driven modernisation, and inclusive economic growth. As […]
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday wondered why the Union government did not accept even one of the numerous demands put forth by his government. Giving his reaction to the Union Budget, Mr. Stalin, in a post on his social media handle, asked whether the Budget meant “partiality”. Why did they [Union government] not approve […]
: Tamil Nadu, which contributes a 38% share to India’s footwear and leather products output and accounts for 47% of India’s total leather export, is set to benefit from the Union Budget 2025-26 announcements for the sector. The Budget proposed to implement a focus product scheme to enhance the productivity, quality, and competitiveness of India’s footwear and […]
Like all health activists, I too was expecting that the health allocation in the Budget presented by the Hon’ble Finance Minister would be more than, or at least equal to, 2.5% of GDP. Last year, after the revised estimates, it stood at ₹90,000 crore, which was around 2% of GDP. The Budget estimate this year […]
Today’s Budget, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has received an overwhelmingly positive response from across the nation. Presenting her eighth consecutive Budget, the Finance Minister introduced a series of transformative initiatives that are a significant step towards fostering economic growth, job creation, and inclusivity, reflecting the government’s commitment to building a resilient and […]
At a time when the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the flagship rural employment programme, is running on a deficit of ₹9,754 crore, there has been no hike in fund allocation in the 2025-26 Budget. In FY 2025-26 Budget, ₹86,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme, which is same as the […]
The budgetary allocations for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry recorded a slight decline from ₹4,626.71 crore to ₹4,358.38 crore this year. While proposed funds for the establishment expenditure of the Ministry are pegged at ₹142.70 crore, some ₹38.27 crore for Art and Culture, and ₹401.53 crore for Information and Publicity have been allocated. The government […]
