Trade unions reiterate the call for countrywide general strike on September 2 against the "anti-worker and anti-people policies" of the government.
Owing to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman being new to her role, a number of crucial announcements in the Budget bore Garg's imprint, especially the decision to borrow in overseas markets, reduce the fiscal deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product, and resort to off-Budget borrowing to meet that target, says Arup Roychoudury.
According to the draft, in the northeastern states the threshold is at Rs 500,000.
Adjusted for inflation, the earlier scheme would have collected Rs 25,000 crore.
Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad said Rio Olympics Organising Committee's warning that it will cancel the accreditation of Sport Minister Vijay Goel over his alleged violation of protocols is the "biggest insult" to the nation and had brought it a "bad name". Azad, a former international cricketer, also rejected the Ministry's claim that it was a case of misunderstanding, saying breaking protocols is a way of life for Indian politicians and there is no smoke without fire.
Many imported things became costlier as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday hiked customs duties on these products in the Union Budget 2018-19.
Jaitley had on Monday had virtually ruled out annual revision of pension as demanded by agitating ex-servicemen under OROP.
The opposition has attacked the Modi government over the National Democratic Alliance's last full-fledged budget before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and three others were on Sunday inducted into the Union Cabinet as Prime Minister Narendra Modi expanded his Council of Ministers, bringing in 21 new ministers as Shiv Sena kept away from the exercise.
'Jaitley was one of the earliest politicians to sense the changing political scenario in Delhi. He had closely watched the rise of the BJP and declining fortunes of the Congress party during the L K Advani era. But it was between 2009 and 2014 as the Leader of the Opposition that he began to read the tea leaves. 'And thus it was that he introduced Modi-Amit Shah duo to Lutyens Delhi,' says senior journalist R Rajagopalan who had known Jaitley since 1975.
A member of the 1983 cricket World Cup-winning squad, Azad was suspended from the Bharatiya Janata Party for openly targeting the then Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged irregularities and corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket Association in December 2015. He joined the Congress in 2018.
While the Congress will firm up its strategy once the ruling alliance tables the Bill, initial comments by its leaders have been encouraging.
The finance minister claimed that those returning awards were in a way electioneering against the BJP in Bihar polls.
Reports suggest that the prime minister has been evaluating his ministers' performances with an eye on implementing key government schemes before the next round of crucial state assembly polls.
Top India players, including Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, on Sunday, came out strongly in support of Finance Minister and former DDCA President Arun Jaitley, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to financial irregularities during his tenure by AAP.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and did not rule out the support of her party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to his government in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling National Democratic Alliance is in a minority.
On indirect tax front, the government will earn 21 paise from excise and customs.
Terming the Emergency as the worst post-independence chapter of Indian democracy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said it gave him the best political education of his life as it taught him that some compromises are "just not possible".
The DDCA probe panel chief has informed the Centre that he was under "pressure" for naming some individuals, including a "VIP", in his report on the cricket body's affairs.
Jaitley said that the banks have to play an important role in achieving the higher growth rate.
Shadow of elections may overshadow political consensus at GST Council meetings.
Whether or not such an overhaul will be carried out depends on the government's comfort level.
The Left unions want concrete action and not just 'assurances'.
The capital outlay to cover the modernisation programmes have got a hike of 10.05 per cent.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan on Tuesday met Indian Premier League chief Rajiv Shukla at his residence in New Delhi in what was described as a 'courtesy call' in the backdrop of the furore surrounding talks for a possible resumption of India-Pakistan bilateral cricket ties.
The government on Wednesday said it will raise Rs 72,500 crore through disinvestment of PSUs, including listing of three railway PSUs IRCTC, IRFC and IRCON, and proposed merger and consolidation to create globally competitive public sector units.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a meeting to discuss the preparations for launching Doordarshan's 'Kisan TV' on May 26, to coincide with the first anniversary celebrations of the National Democratic Alliance government.
Capex for next year expected to be up 25% to Rs 3 lakh crore
She posed for the traditional 'briefcase' picture outside her office along with her team of officials before heading to meet the President. She, however, was holding a tablet instead of a briefcase to present the Budget in a digital format.
Swaraj tore into the Congress, saying it had helped Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi and Bhopal gas leak accused Warren Anderson flee from India.
"How many more lies will be peddled to sustain a sinking dynast? India, certainly deserves better," Jaitley said.
The Economic Survey says, massive efforts are needed in the form of investment in social infrastructure, skill development and empowerment of women.
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Under Indradhanush roadmap announced in 2015, the government will infuse Rs 70,000 crore in state banks over four years while they will have to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the markets to meet their capital requirement in line with global risk norms, known as Basel-III.
As per practice a vote-on-account or approval for essential government spending for a limited period is taken in the election year and a full-fledged budget presented by the new government.
In a first, Opposition-ruled states on Saturday got the Centre to delete from the records three minutes of the last GST Council meeting that provided for tweaking of agreed criteria for division of taxpayers under the Goods and Service Tax regime.
Rahul Gandhi said Modi should instil confidence in the employees and voters by withdrawing the proposal.
With the total tax burden currently at 53 per cent, 19.5 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively for cigarettes, bidis and smokeless, tobacco taxation in India is much lower than the level recommended by the World Health Organisation.
WC star Azad beats state BJP heavyweight Ghosh from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency
Jaitley said an effective multi-modal logistics and transport system will "make our economy more competitive.
To keep investors' confidence, however, Modi's government will need to be seen containing the fiscal deficit, while also increasing spending in key areas of the slowing economy.
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