Economic Survey 2025: Proposal for 'health tax' on ultra-processed foods

The Economic Survey 2025 stated that telecom infrastructure in India is being significantly improved through the BharatNet Project.

Economic Survey 2025: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey in Parliament on Friday. The survey projected India's GDP to grow in the range of 6.3-6.8%. According to the survey, India's real GDP growth of 6.4% in the financial year 2024-25 (as per first advance estimates of national income) remains close to the decadal average despite global uncertainty.

The Economic Survey is a pre-budget document detailing the state of the economy over the last fiscal year. The Economic Survey is prepared under the supervision of the chief economic advisor and includes insights into the economy prepared by the economic division of the Department of economic affairs in the ministry of finance.

The Budget for 2025-'26 will be presented by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on Saturday for the eighth consecutive time.

Earlier today, in his customary address ahead of the beginning of Budget session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that for the first time in 10 years, there has been no attempt from abroad to stoke any trouble ahead of the Parliament session. “I have been observing for the last 10 years, before every season, people get ready to do mischief and here we know that there is no shortage of people to escalate it,” PM Modi said.

The Budget session, the most important and the longest in a calendar year, will continue till April 4. Both the Houses will be adjourned for recess on February 13, to reassemble on March 10.

More on Budget Session:

• The government has listed 16 bills, besides the financial business, for the upcoming session. The first half of the session will focus on President’s speech, the Budget speech, a debate on both speeches and related issues. The second half will see ministry-wise demands for grants discussion, the passage of the Finance Bill and other legislative issues.
• The 16 bills listed include the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Railways (Amendment) Bill, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill.
• Opposition parties indicated on Thursday that they will press the treasury benches over the Maha Kumbh stampede that led to the deaths of at least 30 people, among a host of other issues.
• At the customary all-party meeting chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, opposition leaders also indicated they will raise the issue of the controversial UGC draft regulations while leaders of the ruling NDA ally Janata Dal (United) suggested that the JPC on One Nation, One Election should have extensive debate.