Key Announcements

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Budget 2017: Government sets all-time high disinvestment target for FY18

The government on Wednesday set an ambitious target of garnering Rs 72,500 crore through the disinvestment route in 2017-18, a 60 per cent increase over the 2016-17 target of Rs 56,500 crore. This is the highest ever divestment target set by any government in India outdoing the Rs 69,500 crore of 2015-16.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Union Budget 2017: Ahead of polls, govt stays away from price hike

In a sharp contrast to what was expected before the presentation of annual budget 2017-18, the Finance Minister on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of service charge on rail tickets booked through government-run IRCTC. He, however, did not change the current tax rates on all other services.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Affordable housing gets infrastructure status in Budget

To boost slowdown-hit real estate sector, the government today announced infrastructure status to affordable housing to encourage investment in this segment and offered tax sops for developers sitting on completed unsold inventories.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Rs 2,000 is maximum cash donation to political party by individual: Arun Jaitley

Stressing the need for greater transparency in political funding, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the maximum amount of cash donation by an individual to a political party could be Rs 2,000 -- a sharp drop from the Rs 20,000 amount in cash earlier.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

IRTC, IRCON, IRFC to be listed on bourses: Arun Jaitley

Government will move ahead with the listing of Railway PSUs -- IRCTC, IRCON and IRFC -- and come out with a procedure for a time-bound listing of CPSEs.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Union Budget: Bharat Net allocation moves up to Rs 10,000 cr for 2017-18

A 'Digi Gaon' initiative will also be launched to provide telemedicine, education and skills through digital technology, Jaitley said in his Budget speech.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Union Budget 2017-18: FM Arun Jaitley aims for recovery after cash crunch

Delivering his fourth budget address to parliament, Jaitley vowed to spend more on rural areas, infrastructure and poverty alleviation in what he called a budget for the poor.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Union Budget 2017 to be presneted as scheduled

Former Union minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed has passed away early today after he suffered a cardiac arrest, a senior doctor has confirmed. This has led to the question of a delay in the presentation of Union Budget 2017.

Updated : Feb 1, 2017

Opposition to keep an eye on sop announcements on Budget day

As the government prepares itself for February 1, the Opposition parties made it clear that they will be closely watching the Budget referring to disruptions if any major annoucement would be made related to the poll-bound states.

Updated : Jan 31, 2017

Finance Minister Arun Jaitely may hike service tax to 16-18 per cent in Budget

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may hike service tax rate to 16-18 per cent from the current 15 per cent in the Budget, due on Wednesday, as a precursor to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout.

Updated : Jan 31, 2017

The Economic Survey and the 'Twin Balance Sheet Problem'

The Economic Survey devotes considerable attention to what it terms India's Twin Balance Sheet problem - overleveraged and distressed companies and the rising NPAs in Public Sector Bank balance sheets.

Updated : Jan 31, 2017

Economic Survey advocates Universal Basic Income to fight poverty

The Finance Minister tabled the Economic Survey 2016-17 in the Parliament today. The survey terms UBI a scheme that could be an alternative to plethora of State subsidies for poverty alleviation.

Updated : Jan 31, 2017

Economic Survey 2017: Significant uptick in migration of labour

Search for employment and education are the two primary reasons why people tend to migrate from their home state or district. Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of growth of labour migrants nearly doubled relative to the previous decade, rising to 4.5 per cent per annum.

Updated : Jan 31, 2017

GDP to be lower at 6.5 % in financial year 2017: Economic Survey

Demonetisation will shave off the economic growth for the current fiscal by 0.25 per cent to 0.50 per cent though it will have long-term benefits for the economy by reducing interest rates and eliminating corruption, besides bringing in more activities in the formal sector.