Key Points
So far as the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are concerned, the interim budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a statement of sheer confidence..
It seems to say that the Narendra Modi government has amassed enough political capital which frees it from the compulsion to shower budget capital as freebies on voters who will be deciding the fate of the government in elections a few months later...
Sitharaman's abstinence from mega freebies, which Modi had termed 'revdis' (sweet doles with bad economics); steep raises in allocations for flagship welfare schemes such as PM-KISAN; and income tax benefits point at a budget that refuses to be a vehicle for electoral politics...
Though she provided no further details or targets, given the Modi government's record in building a large number of houses in its two different schemes for the urban and rural poor, this announcement will not be dismissed by the targeted demographic as a mere declaration of intent..
Sitharaman hasn't followed her predecessor Piyush Goyal who had showered mega benefits on voters in his interim budget ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019..
You might be interested in
Modi government's past Budget promises: The hits and misses
30, Jan, 24From Achhe din in 2014 to New India 2022, the Modi administration is renowned for creating catchphrases for its several programmes. Let's look at a few of the Modi government's well-known budgeting pronouncements and their current performance.
Budget 2024: Not Maldives, this country got maximum grants from India
01, Feb, 24Budget 2024: The estimated grants and loans to foreign governments for 2024-25 stand at ₹5,667.56 crore. | Latest News India
'Rs 1,000 to women above 18': Delhi copies Madhya Pradesh's 'Ladli Behna' scheme
04, Mar, 24The Delhi government has announced Rs 1,000 per month for all women above 18 years in the national capital, with striking similarities to an initiative launched in Madhya Pradesh last year.
Monthly benefit to women in ₹76,000-crore Delhi budget
05, Mar, 24Delhi govt announces ₹1,000/month for women below tax threshold in 2024-25 budget, focusing on education, health, and transport, inspired by "Ram Rajya". | Latest News India
Income tax slab changes: FM Sitharaman vows to listen to demands of all income groups in full budget
03, Feb, 24In an exclusive interview with ET Now, Sitharaman addressed concerns about the absence of announcements for India's middle class in the recent budget and said, Full Budget mein sabki pukar sunenge (In the full budget, everyone's concerns will be addressed).
Sitharaman says won’t let next generation suffer our hardships | HT interview
04, Feb, 24Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said PM Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047 won't be possible to achieve by just adopting a narrow sectoral approach | Latest News India
India Budget 2024: Key takeaways from Modi 2.0's last finance bill
01, Feb, 24India's interim Budget disappoints taxpayers with no changes to tax structure. However, the government focuses on fiscal consolidation, capital expenditure, and social welfare services. Finance Minister Sitharaman aims to reduce fiscal deficit to 4.5% of GDP by FY26. Revised fiscal deficit target is 5.8% of GDP for FY25. Here are the other top takeaways from the Interim budget
Budget 2024 focuses on youth and women entrepreneurship
19, Feb, 24Budget News: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s sixth Budget which is an interim budget promises to be responsible despite this being an election year.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveils budget with focus on poor, women, youth
01, Feb, 24Budget News: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Modi government's last budget to parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, emphasizing the