Budget 2018 LIVE Updates: Jaitley hails armed forces’ role in protecting border, internal security

The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was also trading 46.25 points or 0.42 per cent higher at 11,073.95 points

NH Web Desk

Updated: 01 Feb 2018, 2:32 PM

01 Feb 2018, 1:35 PM

Budget unconnected to ground realities: Yechury

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's 2018-19 budget was "unconnected to ground realities".

In his reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's last full budget before the next Lok Sabha election, Yechury said it "is a textbook exercise in post-truth".

Jaitley said India was poised to become a $5 trillion economy soon.

01 Feb 2018, 1:33 PM

Nitish Kumar on Budget 2018:

01 Feb 2018, 1:16 PM

FM fails fiscal consolidation test, this failure will have serious consequences: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Budget 2018

01 Feb 2018, 1:14 PM

MP Supriya Sule tweeted:

01 Feb 2018, 1:12 PM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget: Look out for budget provisions that interest Nitin Gadkari ! Aqua tech, smart cities and where is that little provision for sea planes ?

01 Feb 2018, 1:12 PM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget: How will 24 new Government medical colleges by upgrading district hospitals work ? Unlikely to get off the ground before five years though

01 Feb 2018, 1:11 PM

Rupashree Nanda tweeted:

01 Feb 2018, 1:10 PM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget: Corporate tax rate of 25 per cent extended to companies with turnover of 250 Crore. It was 50 Crore till now. Amounts to giving benefit to bigger companies. But the FM too clever by half in saying 99 per cent of MSME will be covered !

01 Feb 2018, 1:08 PM

R Jagannathan tweeted:

01 Feb 2018, 1:00 PM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget: Everything for everyone ! The FM has presented a political, pre election budget. Indicates general election later this year. But it also showed his helplessness. Doesn't have enough room and finances to play around

The most ambitious announcement appears related to covering 50 crore people under health insurance. Up to five lakh rupees per family. A universal health coverage would have been more ambitious.

01 Feb 2018, 12:56 PM

Equities slip into red as FM presents Budget

Key Indian equity indices fell from their highs to trade in the red during the mid-afternoon trade session on Thursday as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Union Budget 2018-19 in Parliament.

Heavy selling pressure was observed in consumer durables, metals and healthcare stocks.

At 12.16 p.m., the wider Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 17.60 points or 0.16 per cent to trade at 11,010.10 points.

On the BSE, the barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) fell below the 36,000-mark to trade at 35,880.47 points -- down 84.55 points or 0.24 per cent from its previous close.

However, the BSE market breadth was bullish with 1,364 advances and 1,161 declines.

On Wednesday, the benchmark indices closed in the negative territory on the back of negative global cues and heavy selling pressure in healthcare, consumer durables and capital goods stocks.

The Nifty50 fell by 21.95 points or 0.20 per cent to close at 11,027.70 points, while the Sensex closed lower by 68.71 points or 0.19 per cent at 35,965.02 points.

01 Feb 2018, 12:52 PM

Long-term capital gains tax at 10% for gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:52 PM

Sensex at 35,526.23, down by 438.79 points

01 Feb 2018, 12:51 PM

Education Cess to be increased by 1% to make it 4% health and education Cess

01 Feb 2018, 12:48 PM

Long-term capital gains tax at 10% for gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:48 PM

Custom duty on mobile phones increased to 20% from 15%: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:46 PM

Propose to introduce tax on distributed income by equity oriented mutual funds at 10%: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:41 PM

New standard deduction of Rs 40,000 cr for salaried taxpayers: Fm Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:40 PM

Writer-Director: Anaarkali Of Aarah, Avinash Das tweets:

01 Feb 2018, 12:39 PM

Corporate tax reduced to 25% for companies upto Rs 250 crore turnover: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:35 PM

Govt has made many positive changes in the personal income tax rates applicable to individuals in the last three years therefore I do not wish to make any changes to this: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:33 PM

NH Consulting Editor on Budget: As anticipated, lot of noise on farmers, women and jobs. The only trouble is that details are lacking. But promises in the budget will not get the Government votes unless the situation changes on the ground

01 Feb 2018, 12:31 PM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget: Getting bored. The budget speech should explain by how much the government's revenue went up, how the govt plans to spend it and major plans. Why read out municipal details ? Wonder if this is how the budget is presented elsewhere.

01 Feb 2018, 12:27 PM

The Govt is proposing changes in refixing salaries of Members of Parliament: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:27 PM

Fiscal deficit target for 2018-19 at 3.3%: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:23 PM

Emoluments of the President to be revised to Rs 5 lakh per month & emoluments of the Vice-president to be revised to Rs 4 lakh per month: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:22 PM

Every business enterprise to be provided with unique ID: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:20 PM

Govt has identified 372 specific business reform actions to improve ease of doing business; Evaluation of performance under this programme to be based on user feedback: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:16 PM

Will take all steps to eliminate the use of Crypto-Currencies, will encourage Blockchain technology in payment systems: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:16 PM

Airport capacity to be increased by five times: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:15 PM

Niti Aayog to establish a national programme to direct efforts towards Artificial Intelligence, including research and development of its applications: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:15 PM

1 lakh Gram Panchayats connected to optic fibre completed; 5 lakh Wi-Fi spots to be created in rural areas: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:14 PM

Mihir Mishra on Twitter: No difference between these "new" health and wellness centres and the current primary health care centres. Nadda already announced this months ago

01 Feb 2018, 12:14 PM

Sunil Jain on Twitter: So far, right signals on agriculture but talk of Madhya Pradesh style deficiency payment VERY worrying. Need to cut other subsides to make place for this

01 Feb 2018, 12:12 PM

Rs 1,48,528 cr capital expenditure for Indian Railways for 2018-19: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:08 PM

Foundation stone of the bullet train was laid in September 2017. An institute is coming up in Vadodara to train the manpower required for the high speed railway projects: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:07 PM

Have proposed construction of tunnel under the Se-La pass in Arunachal Pradesh: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:05 PM

Centre to contribute 12% of wages to new employees under EPF: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:04 PM

AMRUT program to focus on water supply to all households in 500 cities. Water supply contracts for 494 projects worth 19,428 core awarded: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 12:01 PM

Proposal to develop 10 prominent tourist destinations as Iconic tourism destinations: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:59 AM

Government outlays Rs 7,148 crore for textile sector: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:58 AM

Target of Rs 3 lakh cr for lending under PM MUDRA Yojana in 2018-19: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:57 AM

Cleaning of Ganga is of national importance, have sanctioned 187 projects under NAMAMI Ganga scheme: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:56 AM

Contribution of 8.33% to EPF for new employees by the govt for three years and 12% govt contribution to EPF in sectors employing large number of people: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:54 AM

Announce allocation of Rs. 56,619 crore for SC welfare and Rs. 39,135 crore for ST welfare: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:52 AM

Major initiative to boost research, Rs 1 lakh cr allocation in 4 years: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:51 AM

Technology will be the biggest driver in improving quality of education. We propose to increase the digital intensity in education and move gradually from blackboard to digital board: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:48 AM

Loans to women self-help groups increased 37%

01 Feb 2018, 11:47 AM

Crop harvesting machines to be subsidised to prevent Delhi air pollution: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:47 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget 2018: Health insurance schemes have been a racket which benefitted insurance companies and middlemen. More money without corrective steps will see the money go down the drain again

01 Feb 2018, 11:46 AM

24 new govt medical colleges and hospitals to be set up by upgrading existing district hospitals: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:44 AM

1,200 cr proposed for free essential drugs: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:42 AM

By 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal people will have 'Ekalavya' school at par with Navodaya Vidayalas: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:41 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta 2018: Will it be the shortest budget speech ? The spark, the suspense is over, it seems as of now unless he is keeping something up his sleeves.

01 Feb 2018, 11:40 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget 2018: Ekal or Ekalavya schools for tribals ! More employment for RSS pracharaks

01 Feb 2018, 11:39 AM

Govt to launch 'Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education by 2022: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:38 AM

Mihir Mishra on Twitter: Interesting difference in style and content in the Hindi and English sections of the Budget speech. Focus in Hindi sections: women (LPG connections), farmers, sanitation. Also more conversational, less new schemes, more restatements/extensions of existing ones in Hindi section

01 Feb 2018, 11:35 AM

Government plans to construct 2 crore more toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:34 AM

Allocation in for Ministry of Food Processing is being doubled; specialised agro-processing and financial institutions to be promoted by the government

01 Feb 2018, 11:33 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget 2018: Much of the FM's speech on Agriculture being delivered in English ! Freudian ?

01 Feb 2018, 11:31 AM

Govt proposes to increase the target of providing free LPG connections to 8 crore to poor women: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:30 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta: Arun jaitley had allocated 20,000 Crore for irrigation in 2016. It would help if one knew how and how much of the allocation were spent

01 Feb 2018, 11:29 AM

Mohan Guruswamy on Facebook: The Finance Minister's speech reminds me of Akashvani's running commentary or ankhon dekha haal of cricket matches. Fifteen minutes each of Hindi and English

01 Feb 2018, 11:26 AM

National bamboo mission to be launched and 1200 Crore allocated !

01 Feb 2018, 11:25 AM

The focus is on low-cost farming, higher MSP. Emphasis is on generating farm & non-farm employment for farmers. I am very happy to announce that minimum support price has been set at 1.5 times the production cost for kharif crops: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:24 AM

Agri-Market Development Fund with a corpus of 2000 crore to be set up for developing agricultural markets: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:22 AM

Exports to grow at 15% in 2017-18: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:21 AM

Budget 2018-19 to focus on boosting agriculture, rural economy: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:19 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget 2018: Usual homilies ! The Government is committed to increase farmers' income. Refers to PM's goal of doubling farm income by 2022 and reiterates the pledge to pay farmers one and a half times of cost price. MSP increased for the Kharif crop !

01 Feb 2018, 11:18 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta on Budget 2018: FM bending over backwards to win back farmers. On expected lines. But can they implement it ? Details awaited. Or the hype will carry them over to the next election likely to be advanced to November !

01 Feb 2018, 11:14 AM

Budget 2018 will work with states to provide more resources to improve quality of education: FM Arun Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:10 AM

Indian economy is on course to achieve high growth of 8 %. Economy to grow at 7.2-7.5% in second half of 2018-19: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:09 AM

Watch the budget session live here:

Watch online on Rajya Sabha TV

01 Feb 2018, 11:06 AM

India one of the fastest growing economies in the world, FDA has increased, natural resources allocated in transparent manner: FM Jaitley

01 Feb 2018, 11:05 AM

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents Union Budget in Parliament

01 Feb 2018, 11:03 AM

Parliament is now in session and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will shortly present the budget

01 Feb 2018, 11:00 AM

M Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Ram Vilas Paswan arrived at the Parliament

01 Feb 2018, 10:58 AM

NH Consulting Editor Uttam Sengupta: The budget speech in Hindi but the top five states contributing central government's revenue are non-Hindi speaking states, cribs @GargaC Clearly, he says, the Govt does not want people who are looted to know they have been looted !

01 Feb 2018, 10:54 AM

NH Consulting Editor on Budget 2018: Will "Finance Minister Arun Jaitley" start his budget speech by reciting a poem ? Or will he refer to India shining in the world ?

01 Feb 2018, 10:53 AM

NH Consulting Editor on Budget 2018: The CBDT 'Budget team' posted a group photograph with "Finance Minister Arun Jaitley". Not one woman in the frame. The budget appears to be an all-male affair. Never mind the pink colour on Economic Survey

01 Feb 2018, 10:44 AM

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram tweeted:

01 Feb 2018, 10:39 AM

Budget 2018 gets clearance in Cabinet meeting

01 Feb 2018, 10:26 AM

Cabinet meeting to begin in next ten minutes

01 Feb 2018, 10:22 AM

Prime Minister Modi reaches Parliament, Cabinet meeting to begin shortly

01 Feb 2018, 10:15 AM

Only 2500 budget copies printed

01 Feb 2018, 10:15 AM

Cabinet meeting begins to approve the budget proposals

01 Feb 2018, 10:03 AM

It will be an inclusive budget focussed on Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas : Shivpratap Shukla says ahead of Budget2018

01 Feb 2018, 10:00 AM

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to lay Budget and related statements in Rajya Sabha at 1.30PM

01 Feb 2018, 9:55 AM

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley arrives at the Parliament to present

01 Feb 2018, 9:53 AM

Budget papers arrive in Parliament

01 Feb 2018, 9:51 AM

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan before presenting the Union Budget 2018-19 in the Parliament.

01 Feb 2018, 9:42 AM

The key Indian equity indices on Thursday opened higher ahead of the Union Budget 2018-19 presentation by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Parliament. The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex), was trading 157.21 points or 0.44 per cent higher soon after opening. The Sensex of the BSE, which opened at 36,048.99 points, was trading at 36,122.23 points (at 9.16 a.m.), higher 157.21 points or 0.44 per cent from the previous day's close at 35,965.02 points. The Sensex touched a high of 36,136.40 points and a low of 36,021.88 points in the trade so far.

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