The fiscal deficit for FY25 has been pegged at 4.8 per cent of GDP and at 4.4 per cent for FY26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. Presenting the Budget 2025-26, she said net market borrowings are estimated at Rs 11.54 lakh crore for next fiscal year.
'My mom had told me a great deal about Meena Kumari and how she could make a tear drop at the right moment. A legend who was in total control. But when I finally met her, I saw a frail, shrivelled and petite woman -- just a bag of bones. Very tiny. She was dying.'
'Will this near-war, India's strongest military response so far, buy India another seven years of deterrence?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
Re-watching 1967's Jewel Thief evokes the joy of cinema, with its perfect blend of thrill, suspense, romance and music. A film like that can never be remade or be tampered with in any way, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Subhash K Jha remembers his conversations with movie legend Manoj Kumar, who passed into the ages on April 4, 2025.
'Thanks to Chhaava's success, I now have the creative freedom to pick and choose.'
'If you respect people, if you accommodate people, these are good attributes to have.' 'Like the whole world is a mixed bag of people, our industry is the same.'
'In a world which is full of categories, hatred and ideologies, there was this basic decency.'
Tej Pratap Yadav, a leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar, has sparked controversy by demanding a policeman perform a 'thumka' (pelvic thrust) during Holi celebrations at his residence. The incident, which was captured on video and shared widely on social media, shows Yadav seated on a makeshift stage, holding a microphone and telling the policeman, "Hey policeman Deepak.....we are going to play a song on which you shall perform a pelvic thrust. If you do not, you will suspended. Don't mind. It's Holi." The policeman did not appear offended, but he did not perform the dance move. The incident has drawn criticism from the BJP, who have accused Yadav of trying to intimidate the police and of promoting a 'jungle raj'.
Deepa Gahlot pick 10 films about women's bonding to watch on OTT.
'K Asifsaab was very definite that 'woh Hindustan ka honewala Badshah hai -- woh gana nahin gayega.'
Tej Pratap Yadav, an RJD leader and former Bihar minister, has been criticized for ordering his security guard to dance during Holi celebrations. The constable was sent to the police lines after he danced in uniform during the festivities at Yadav's residence. The incident has sparked controversy, with many criticizing Yadav's behavior. The incident also highlights the blurring of lines between personal and official duties in India, where politicians often use their positions to exert influence over subordinates.
This month, advertisements for managing directors and the senior management team for the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development or NaBFID, should be out, signalling the start of a financial institution (FI) like no other the country has ever had. For this and other reasons government managers associated with the NaBFID project are convinced it should remain a 100 per cent government-owned entity. This is somewhat different from what former economic affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj said when the NaBFID Bill was being tabled in Parliament earlier this year: "To begin with, it will be 100 per cent government owned.
'I've not been doing much work because I was not getting the kind of roles I want to do.'
'It was the toughest of roles because he had to change quickly behind the sofa and come out in the next dress!'
Only a great person like him could be so encouraging to an ordinary musician, says drummer Ramesh Venkat.
India's badminton team lost their Group D tie against South Korea 2-3 in the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship.
'We will teach Shakespeare and Pythagoras but we won't teach Kalidas, Thiruvallur or Bodhayana.'
The jan man survey seeks the people's response on various aspects of governance and leadership and its questions include both central-level development and specifics related to the user's constituency.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched a scathing attack on his predecessor Rabri Devi, calling her appointment as Chief Minister "suspension-induced" during a heated debate in the state legislative council. The verbal sparring, marked by accusations and counter-accusations on law and order, saw Kumar accusing the RJD of being unable to handle Hindu-Muslim tensions and engaging in "mischief." Rabri Devi, in response, asserted her right to speak about her achievements during her tenure as Chief Minister. Kumar, however, retorted with a sharp, local phrase, dismissing Rabri Devi's claims. The exchange, which saw both sides engage in mudslinging, ended with the Chairman admonishing the opposition for their unruly behavior.
Sukanya Verma quizzes you to find out just how much you know about the movies.
The growth was primarily driven by domestic investments, which accounted for 60 per cent of the total inflows during the first quarter of the financial year.
'BJP leaders emerged victorious only because of Narendra Modi's name, not for their own political capability.'
Shailendra's songs were attuned to Raj Kapoor's explorations of the themes and dreams of the Everyman.
Melodies that stayed on in the mind and memory are too few and far between. Except the ones that do make an impression are definitely worth celebrating for their refreshing style and substance.
There's not any effort -- not even a smidgen -- to resurrect a superstar on the wane in Sikandar, sighs Sukanya Verma.
The veteran actor passed into the ages in the early hours of Friday, April 4, 2025. Sukanya Verma looks back at his most memorable performances.
When Salman sang the evergreen song Lag Jaa Gale, did he have anyone in mind?
Dinesh Raheja looks back at Manoj Kumar's brilliant 1964 thriller Woh Kaun Thi, and explains just what made it an audio-visual treat.
Shaheed was Manoj Kumar's first patriotic success. This small-budget black-and-white film had enormous impact, besides laying the foundation for Manoj's famous flag-waving Mr Bharat image that was strengthened by a string of subsequent films like Upkar, Purab Aur Paschim and Kranti.
'They want to keep the pot boiling all the time.' 'The BJP wants to set a political narrative that the Gandhis are doing wrong things.'
'Earlier, the comedy track used to run parallel to the main story with songs et al.' 'Nowadays, it's just once one scene here and there.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, saying the poem that Kharge recited to criticize the BJP government was written during the reign of Congress. Modi also read out a poem written by renowned Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj to attack the Congress.
Anil Chaudhary, a veteran umpire, believes that Indian umpires are struggling due to overemphasis on theoretical knowledge and lack of practical experience.
Sukanya Verma captures everything Reema Kagti has created so far and where you can watch it.
'Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and I were inseparable while we struggled together.' 'When a disillusioned Dharmendra was packing his bags to return home, I prevailed upon him to give himself two months.' 'Five days later, he was signed for Shola Aur Shabnam and I signed Picnic.'
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visited Vrindavan Dham with their children, Vamika and Akaay, to pay their respects to their spiritual guru, Premanand Maharaj.
'Delhi's streets were not alleys but an artist's canvas,' the eminent poet Mir Taqi Mir noted more than 150 years ago. Syed Firdaus Ashraf savours the sights and cuisine of the national capital.
'I am determined now to celebrate all festivals together.' 'People don't respond much when you try to convince them by talking about principles of secularism etc. But if we revive our shared cultural practices, specially food, we may get a better response.'
Crime Beat is engrossing enough to binge-watch, endorses Deepa Gahlot.
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