Union Budget 2026

Actuals of a year are the amounts of receipts and disbursements for the financial year beginning on April 1st and ending on March 31st, as finally recorded in the Accounting authority’s books (as audited by C&AG). Provisional Accounts refers to the unaudited accounts compiled by CGA. are the amounts of receipts and disbursements for the financial year beginning on April 1st and ending on March 31st, as finally recorded in the Accounting authority’s books (as audited by C&AG). Provisional Accounts refers to the unaudited accounts compiled by CGA.

Appropriation means the amount authorized by Parliament for expenditure.

Appropriation Accounts are the accounts prepared by the Controller General of Accounts for each grant or appropriation which indicates the amount of the grant/appropriation sanctioned and the amount spent under the grant/appropriation as a whole. Important variations in expenditure and allotments, whether voted or charged, are briefly explained therein.

Amount of money allocated in the Budget to any ministry or scheme for the coming financial year.

These are levies charged when goods are imported into, or exported from, the country, and they are paid by the importer or exporter. Usually, these are also passed on to the consumer.

Expenditure of a capital nature is broadly defined as expenditure incurred with the objective of either increasing concrete assets of a material and permanent character or of reducing recurring liabilities.

Capital receipt comprises of loans raised by the Government, borrowing from the Reserve Bank of India and loans taken from foreign Governments/institutions. It also embraces recoveries of loans advanced by the Government and sale proceeds of government assets, including those realized from divestment of Government equity in PSUs.

The Capital Budget consists of capital receipts and payments. It includes investments in shares, loans and advances granted by the central Government to State Governments, Government companies, corporations and other parties.

Motions for reduction to various Demands for Grants are made in the Form of Cut Motions seeking to reduce the sums sought by Government on grounds of economy or difference of opinion on matters of policy or just in order to voice a grievance.

All revenues raised by the Government, money borrowed and receipts from loans given by the Government flow into it. All Government expenditure other than certain exceptional items met from Contingency Fund and Public Account are made from this account. No money can be appropriated from the Fund except in accordance with the law.

A fund placed at the disposal of the President to enable him/her to make advances to the executive/Government to meet urgent unforeseen expenditure.

Charged Appropriation or Charged Expenditure means such expenditure as is not to be submitted for the vote of the Parliament under the provisions of the Constitution.

This is the tax paid by corporations or firms on the incomes they earn.

Direct taxes are the one that fall directly on individuals and corporations. For example, income tax, corporate tax etc.

By disinvestment we mean the sale of shares of public sector undertakings by the Government. The shares of government companies held by the Government are earning assets at the disposal of the Government. If these shares are sold to get cash, then earning assets are converted into cash. So, it is referred to as disinvestment.

Effective Revenue Deficit is the difference between revenue deficit and grants for creation of capital assets. It can be interpreted as the difference between the government’s current expenditure (on revenue account) and revenue receipts less grants for creation of capital assets which is recorded as revenue expenditure.

If the total expenditure under a Grant exceeds the provision allowed through its original Grant and Supplementary Grant, then, the excess requires regularization by obtaining the Excess Grant from the Parliament under Article 115 of the Constitution of India. It will have to go though the whole process as in the case of the Annual Budget, i.e. through presentation of Demands for Grants and passing of Appropriation Bills.

Bilateral and multilateral debt contracted by the Government from foreign Governments and financial institutions abroad, mostly in foreign currency

When the government's non-borrowed receipts fall short of its entire expenditure, it has to borrow money from the public to meet the shortfall. The excess of total expenditure over total non-borrowed receipts is called the fiscal deficit.

It is the government actions with respect to aggregate levels of revenue and spending. Fiscal policy is implemented though the budget and is the primary means by which the government can influence the economy.

The Bill produced immediately after the presentation of the Union Budget detailing the Imposition, abolition, alteration or regulation of taxes proposed in the Budget.

The constitution defines "Goods and Services Tax" means any tax on supply of goods or services or both except taxes on the supply of the alcoholic liquor for human consumption. “Goods” means every kind of movable property other than money and securities but includes actionable claim, growing crops, grass and things attached to or forming part of the land which are agreed to be severed before supply or under a contract of supply. “Services” means anything other than goods, money and securities but includes activities relating to the use of money or its conversion by cash or by any other mode, from one form, currency or denomination, to another form, currency or denomination for which a separate consideration is charged.

Parliament, unfortunately, has very limited time for scrutinising the expenditure demands of all the Ministries. So, once the prescribed period for the discussion on Demands for Grants is over, the Speaker of Lok Sabha puts all the outstanding Demands for Grants, Whether discussed or not, to the vote of the House. This process is popularly known as 'Guillotine'.

Article 292 of the Constitution extends the executive power of the Union to giving of guarantees on the security of the Consolidated Fund of India within such limits, if any, as may be fixed by the Parliament.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in specific time period, generally calculated on an annual basis. It includes all private and public consumption, government’s outlays, investments and exports less imports that occur within a defined territory. GDP is worked out at constant prices with reference to specified base year and also at current prices (which includes changes in prices due to inflation or a rise in the overall price level).

Indirect taxes are imposed on goods and services. They are paid by consumers when they buy goods and services. These include excise duty, customs duty etc.

Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in the general price level. The inflation rate is the percentage rate of change in the price level.

Internal Debt comprises loans raised in India. It is confined to loans raised and credited into the Consolidated Fund of India.

This comprises actions taken by the central bank (i.e. RBI) to regulate the level of money or liquidity in the economy, or change the interest rates.

The Minimum Alternative Tax is a minimum tax that a company must pay, even if it is under zero tax limits.

From the fiscal year 2006-07, every Ministry presents a preliminary Outcome Budget to the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for compiling them. The Outcome Budget is a progress card on what various Ministries and Departments have done with the outlays in the previous annual budget. It measures the development outcomes of all Government programs and whether the money has been spent for the purpose it was sanctioned including the outcome of the fund usage.

The primary deficit is the fiscal deficit minus interest payments. It tells how much of the Government's borrowings are going towards meeting expenses other than interest payments.

Under provisions of Article 266(1) of the Constitution of India, Public Account is used in relation to all the fund flows where Government is acting as a banker. Examples include Provident Funds and Small Savings. This money does not belong to government but is to be returned to the depositors. The expenditure from this fund need not be approved by the Parliament.

Government debt from internal and external sources contracted in the Consolidated Fund of India is defined as Public Debt.

These include proceeds of taxes and duties levied by the Government, interest and dividend on investments made by the Government, fees and other receipts for services rendered by the Government.

Charges on maintenance, repair, upkeep and working expenses, which are required to maintain the assets in a running order and also all other expenses incurred for the day to day running of the organisation, including establishment and administrative expenses are classified as revenue expenditure. Grants given to State/UT Government and other entities are also treated as revenue expenditure, even if some of the grants may be meant for creating capital assets.

The difference between revenue expenditure and revenue receipt is known as revenue deficit. It shows the shortfall of government's current receipts over current expenditure.

The revenue budget consists of revenue receipts of the Government and it expenditure. Revenue receipts are divided into tax and non-tax revenue. Tax revenues constitute taxes like income tax, corporate tax, excise, customs, service and other duties that the Government levies. The non-tax revenue sources include interest on loans, dividend on investments.

Revised Estimates are mid-year review of possible expenditure, taking into account the rest of expenditure. New Services and New instrument of Services etc. Revised Estimates are not voted by the Parliament, and hence by itself do not provide any authority for expenditure. Any additional projections made in the Revised Estimates need to be authorized for expenditure through the Parliament's approval or by Re-appropriation order.

Re-appropriations allow the Government to re-appropriate provisions from one sub-head to another within the same Grant. Re-appropriation provisions may be sanctioned by a competent authority at any time before the close of the financial year to which such grant or appropriation relates. The Comptroller & Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee reviews these re- appropriations and comments on them for taking corrective actions

It means supplementary demands laid before the Parliament, showing the estimated amount of further expenditure necessary in a financial year over and above the appropriation authorized. The supplementary demands may be token, technical or cash.

Union Budget is the most comprehensive report of the Government's finances in which revenues from all sources and outlays for all activities are consolidated. The Budget also contains estimates of the Government's accounts for the next fiscal year called Budgeted Estimates.

The Vote on Account is a grant made in advance by the parliament, in respect of the estimated expenditure for a part of new financial year, pending the completion of procedure relating to the voting on the Demand for Grants and the passing of the Appropriation Act.

It means expenditure which is subject to the vote of Lok Sabha. It is to be distinguished from ‘charged’ expenditure, which is not subject to vote, even though it can be discussed in the Parliament.