Among its 27 recommendations for the Union Budget is this: It has suggested that equity investments held for more than one year and up to three years should be taxed at 12.5 per cent on gains exceeding 2 lakh in a financial year.
As finance minister Pranab Mukherjee gets ready to present the much anticipated budget for financial year (FY) 2010-11 on February 26, we tell you what you ought to know about the Union budget.
The need for a manufacturing policy, reining in food inflation and raising investment in the country were among key suggestions given by economists who met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior ministry officials in the first round of pre-Budget consultations on Friday.
Lachit Borphukan is revered as one of Assam's greatest military commanders and a symbol of courage, patriotism and selfless leadership.
Employees of Mumbai's BEST undertaking have launched an indefinite strike, severely impacting public transport and electricity services. The strike, called by a joint action committee, demands budget merger with BMC, settlement of dues, and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, among other issues. Despite court orders and MESMA invocation, the strike continues, causing widespread inconvenience to millions of commuters and electricity consumers.
BJP sources said the government would introduce a fresh Bill on the issue and has reached out to parties that opposed the earlier legislation.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the Modi government of 'destroying' India's education system, expressing full support for protesting students and their demands, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is significant because it punctures, however slightly, the perception that the Modi government never retreats under pressure. Every long-serving government eventually reaches a point where every institutional failure is identified with the leader himself. Removing the minister may have prevented that political burden from falling directly on Modi. Whether it also resolves the underlying crisis is another matter, notes Ramesh Menon.
The Sports Ministry has got a fillip with the government allocating Rs 3,397.32 crore, an increase of Rs 723.97 crore, in the Union Budget on Wednesday.
The idea of back-loading the target of fiscal consolidation is perhaps guided by the government's desire to be prepared for any adverse developments in the coming year, points out A K Bhattacharya.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
The Union Budget for 2026-27, presented by Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, which was a first, had an excellent domestic macro backdrop. According to the first advance estimates, gross domestic product (GDP) in constant prices is projected to grow 7.4 per cent in the current financial year, against 6.5 per cent in 2024-25.
The Union Budget 2025-26 had allocated Rs 2,33,210.68 crore (BE) to the ministry helmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday participated in a traditional 'halwa' ceremony, marking the final stage for the preparation of the Union Budget 2026-27, to be unveiled on February 1 in the Lok Sabha.
This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.
Overall market reaction to the Budget was neutral. Investors absorbed the changes to the tax rates (positive for salaried class) and capital gains taxes (CGTs, negative due to the removal of indexation and increases. Other proposals largely pertain to supporting rural development, buybacks taxed as dividends, Custom duty changes that impact multiple sectors, higher outlays for clean energy, etc. There's some moderation in the growth of capex outlay across defence, fer
What is the Budget? Why is it so important? Why does it affect all of us? And, above all, how does one interpret the budgetary lingo flying around?
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking arranged special bus services for students appearing in the NEET re-examination in Mumbai, deploying 60 buses on 24 routes for approximately 180 trips, despite an ongoing strike by its employees that has paralysed public transport.
Captains of the Indian industry on Monday welcomed the Union Budget 2005-06 describing it as growth-oriented.
The Budget reframes healthcare as a strategic national capability, backing biopharma innovation, workforce expansion and technology-led governance to power India's next growth phase.
There is a minimum requirement of Rs 2.5 trillion capital expenditure every year and it is understood at the highest levels of the government.
The Union Budget backs skilling across animation, gaming and comics. But creators and studios confront a hard question: who owns what comes next?
Three laws passed in Parliament could boost central revenues, reshape GST cess flows, shift MGNREGA costs to states and create new budget headroom ahead of the 2026-2027 Union Budget, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first and only women till now to have presented the Union Budget.
The remarkable rise of smallcaps reflects the emergence of a broad set of specialised businesses operating in industries where the sectoral tailwinds remain considerably stronger than macroeconomic headwinds, points out Debashis Basu.
India Inc on Sunday hailed the Union Budget 2026-27 as a 'structural shift' in the country's technology landscape, noting that the government is moving beyond fragmented pilots to build foundational layers where AI serves as a 'horizontal enabler' for the entire economy.
As many as 17 cancer drugs, along with medicines and food for special medical needs for seven rare diseases, components for microwave ovens are some of the items that are set to become cheaper with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing cuts in customs duty in the Union Budget 2026-27.
Enforcement agencies have highlighted risks related to money laundering and terror financing, prompting closer scrutiny of crypto platforms operating in India.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the Union Budget for 2012-13 on Friday.
Reiterating Sitharaman's statement that this is a youth power budget, Modi emphasised that the provisions made in the budget will prepare leaders, innovators and creators across different sectors.
In the 15 Union Budget presentation days of the Narendra Modi government since it came to power in 2014, the BSE benchmark Sensex has ended in negative territory eight times.
What is the Budget? Why is it so important? Why does it affect all of us? And, above all, how does one interpret the budgetary lingo flying around?
Capex, infrastructure development, and prudent fiscal management are the key focus areas in the Budget, says Nilesh Shah.
Two dedicated freight corridors -- Eastern and Western -- are in operation covering several states and districts.
Despite BEST employees calling off their indefinite strike, Mumbai's bus services remained significantly below normal on Monday morning, with only 57% of the scheduled fleet operational. Commuters experienced long waits, leading many to seek alternative transport. The strike ended after an agreement with Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, which included interim pay hikes and commitments for future improvements and clearing dues.
The Industries Association of Uttarakhand, an organisation of MSMEs, has prepared an agenda for the Budget.
BEST employees continued their strike in Mumbai for a second day, causing significant disruption to public transport despite appeals from the Maharashtra Transport Minister and the invocation of MESMA. Commuters were forced to rely on alternative, overcrowded transport options, while the striking unions maintained their demands for budget merger, improved pay, and absorption of contractual workers.
'The Dravidian parties wanted to prevent the TVK from forming a government.'
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's biggest challenge will be to find a new growth driver, particularly against the backdrop of a global economy ravaged by heightened uncertainty and fragmentation, financial markets on a precipice, and global commodity prices on a continued uptrend.
Gold and silver prices plunged up to 9 per cent in futures trade on Sunday, hitting their lower circuit levels ahead of the Union Budget for 2026-27, as investors extended profit booking after the recent record-breaking rally.
