Union Budget 2017-18 LIVE: Income Tax rates reduced for those earning between Rs 2.5 to Rs 5 lakh

Highlight107:Defence was a big sector where spending was increased: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight106:Many steps in the budget are towards boosting employment: FM#

Highlight105:PM: We have taken strict actions against black money hoarders: FM#

Highlight104:The commitment to eliminate corruption and black money is reflected in the Budget: PM Modi#

Highlight103:This Budget will help small businesses to become competitive in the global market: PM Modi#

Highlight102:Merger of the Railway Budget with the General Budget will give an impetus to the transport sector's growth: PM#

Highlight101:Govt aims to double farmers' income by 2022: PM Modi#

Highlight100:Budget has taken steps for the interst of all sectors: PM Modi#

Highlight99:This is a disappointing Budget. This government will not complete its term, says Lalu Prasad#

Highlight98:Budget had nothing substantive for farmers. We were expecting some fireworks, it was a damb squib, says Rahul Gandhi#

Highlight97:Sensex up 130 points amid Budget announcements#

Highlight96:Finance Minister Arun Jaitley concludes his Budget speech#

Highlight95:Surcharge of 15% for those whose annual income is above Rs 1 crore#

Highlight94:A single one-page form for filing IT returns for taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh#

Highlight93:Surcharge on 10% on people whose income between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore#

Highlight92:Propose to reduce existing rate of taxation of those with income between Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from 10% to 5%: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight91:Political parties will be entitled to receive donation by cheque or digital mode by donors#

Highlight90:Electoral Bonds to be introduced for donors#

Highlight89:Maximum donation any party can receive from one source is Rs 2000#

Highlight88:Effort required to cleanse the political funding system in India: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight87:5% reduction in Income Tax for companies with annual turnover of less than Rs 50 crore#

Highlight86:The net tax revenue grew by 17% in 2015-16: Jaitley#

Highlight85:Capital Gains Tax holding period reduced from 3 years to 2 years for real estate#

Highlight84:We are committed to make taxation rates reasonable and expand tax base of the country: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight83:3.7cr individuals who file tax returns, 99 lakh showed income below Rs 2.5 lakh#

Highlight82:We are largely a tax non-compliance society: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight81:Direct tax collection very low in India#

Highlight80:Arun Jaitley announcing tax proposals for 2017-18#

Highlight79:Fiscal deficit pegged at 3.2 % of the GDP#

Highlight78:Defence expenditure, excluding pension, Rs 2 lakh 74 thousand crore#

Highlight77:Total Budget expenditure - Rs 21 lakh 47 thousand crore#

Highlight76:New law soon to confiscate assets of economic offenders who have fled the country#

Highlight75:Proposal to rationalise number of tribunals wherever appropriate#

Highlight74:Head post offices to be used as head office for passport procurement in far flunged areas#

Highlight73:Two new schemes to be launched soon to promote BHIM app#

Highlight72:1.25 lakh people have adopted BHIM app#

Highlight71:Promotion of digital economy integral part of government's plans#

Highlight71:FIPB to be abolished in 2017. Roadmap to be announced soon#

Highlight70:Govt will continue with its reform agenda, says Arun Jaitley#

Highlight69:Highway allocation raised to Rs 68,000 crore#

Highlight68:Proposal for an integrated public sector oil major#

Highlight67:Airport assets to be monetised#

Highlight66:High speed broadband connectivity for more than 1 lakh gram panchayats#

Highlight65:Rs 10,000 crore for BHARATNET project in 2017-18#

Highlight64:Selected airports in tier-2 cities to be operated under PPP model#

Highlight63:2,000km coastal roads have identified for construction#

Highlight62:New Metro Rail policy to be announced#

Highlight61:Service Tax for E-tickets booked through IRCTC to be scrapped#

Highlight60: Railway to offer end-to-end transportation services#

Highlight59:Special corpus fund of Rs 1 lakh crore for Railway Safety Fund#

Highlight58:Rs 1.31 lakh crore including Rs 55,000 crore provided for Railways. Railway line of 3,500 km will be commissioned in 2017-18#

Highlight57:Unmanned level crossing to eliminated by 2020#

Highlight56:Railways to focus on passenger safety, cleanliness and accounting and financing#

Highlights55:Jharkhand, Gujarat to get two new AIIMS#

Highlights54:Proposal to create 1 crore houses for the houseless by 2019#

Highlights53:Five special tourism zones will be set up#

Highlight52:Mahila Shakti Kendra given Rs500cr to provide one stop convergance system to empower rural women#

Highlight51:SANKALP programme for skill development for training of 1 crore youth#

Highlight50:Outcome based ranking system for higher education institutions#

Highlight49:Reforms in UGC for higher education#

Highlight48:Innovation Fund for secondary education#

Highlight47:Sanitation coverage in rural areas increased from 49 to 67 % under Swachh Bharat Mission#

Highlight46:100% rural electrification by 2018: Jaitley#

Highlight45:We propose to complete 1 crore houses by 2019: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight44:Government has taken conscious effort to reinvent MNREGA, Rs 48,000cr earmarked for it: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight43:Fasal Bima Yojana - coverage to be raised from 30% in FY17 to 40% in FY18 and 50% in FY19: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight42:With better monsoon, agriculture is expected to grow at 4.1 per cent in current year: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight41:We are committed to double farmers' income in the next five years: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight40:We are aware we need to do more for our people. Our prime agendas are transform, energise and clean India: Jaitley#

Highlight39:Merger of Railway Budget with General Budget is a historic step. However, functional autonomy of the railways to continue: Jaitley#

Highlight38:Budget 2017-18 contains three major reforms, says Arun Jaitley#

Highlight37:We are moving from informal to formal economy: Jaitley#

Highlight36:The pace of remonetisation has picked up and soon will reach comfortable levels: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight35:A right cause never fails, Jaitley evokes Mahatma Gandhi#

Highlight34:Like all reforms, demonetisation is also seen to be destructive, says Arun Jaitley#

Highlight33:International Monetary Fund estimates that the world GDP will grow by 3.1% in 2016 and 3.4% in 2017: Jaitley#

Highlight32:India has become sixth largest manufacturing country: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight31:FDI increased by 36 per cent, account deficit came down to 0.3 per cent: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight30:Foreign Exchange Reserve has reached 360 billion dollar: Jaitley#

Highlight29:Presenting this Budget in view of economic uncertainity worldwide: Jaitley#

Highlight28:Massive war against black money has been launched: Jaitley#

Highlight27:We have moved from favouratism to transparency in decision making: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight26:Our govt was elected amid huge expectation: Arun Jaitley#

Highlight25:Finance Minister Arun Jaitley begins his Budget speech#

Highlight24:Cabinet approves Budget#

Highlight23:Budget has a sanctity. There should be no controversy over it. It is a Constitutional liability: Venkaiah Naidu#

Highlight22:Budget a Constitutional obligation, will go ahead as planned: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan#

Highlight21:Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says he will be presenting Budget at 11am#

Highlight20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at E Ahamed's house#

Highlight19:President Pranab Mukherjee gives his assent allowing Arun Jaitley to present Union Budget 2017#

Highlight18:All opposition parties are of the opinion that Budget be postponed by a day: Mallikarjun Kharge#

Highlight17:Congress calls for postponing Union Budget#

Highlight16:Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reaches Parliament#

Highlight15: Jaitley may surprise the common man by lowering excise tax on petroleum products#

Highlight14: The expectation is that the basic exempted income limit  for an individual below 60 years will go up to Rs 3 lakh#

Highlight14:It is widely anticipated that the government will increase the tax slab#

Highlight13:Experts believe there are likely to be more of good surprises in this year's Budget due to the upcoming elections#

Highlight12:Rupee extends gains, up 24 paise against dollar#

Highlight11: Budget will be presented and Kerala MP E Ahamed's obituary may happen before or after it: Govt sources#

Highlight10:Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is meeting President Pranab Mukherjee#

Highlight9:Budget copies reach Parliament#

Highlight8:Market has opened on a positive note. Sensex 15 points up, Nifty 11 points up#

Highlight7:Note ban a risk to growth target for financial year 2017-18: Economic Survey#

Highlight6:Economic Survey hints at growth slowdown in the next fiscal#

Highlight5:It will be a challenging task for Arun Jaitley as he will be presenting the Budget less three months after PM Modi's demonetisation move#

Highlight4:Allocation of Rs 20,000cr for safety upgrade and customised trains for agri products are likely to be in focus of Jaitley's first Rail Budget#

Highlight3:For the first time in history, Rail Budget has been merged with Union Budget. #

Highlight2:Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be presenting his fourth budget#

Highlight1: Hello and welcome to LIVE coverage of Budget 2017#