In his customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament on the first day of the Budget session, Kovind also said violence on Republic Day was 'very unfortunate'.
Reeling under acute financial crunch, the Indian armed forces expect increased allocation to meet their modernisation plans. The Modi government must deliver.
While increasing public expenditure is key to reviving the economy from the pandemic-induced slump, falling tax revenues mean Nirmala Sitharaman will have thin resources.
Demand for diesel, which accounts for around 40% of Indian fuel use in a normal year, rebounded quickly after lockdown was imposed, but recovery has since slowed.
Missing deficit goals is the least of Modi govt’s worries. It must contend with creating jobs for those who lost livelihoods to Covid, quelling farmer protests & reviving growth.
Institutional changes that don’t require large expenses and show govt’s commitment to reform can be strong positive signals in Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should remember that a repeat of 2013 global taper tantrum could compound India's considerable domestic challenges.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?
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