The diplomat-turned-politician held the finance and external affairs portfolios in former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet between 1998 and 2004. read more

Cryptocurrency has flourished since Bitcoin launched in 2009. But when Facebook unveiled plans last month for its own virtual currency, Libra, the announcement rattled financial regulators the world over. read more

Parliament Highlights: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her reply on the Union Budget, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha. Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal presented the Central Universities Amendment Bill, 2019 which was passed in Lok Sabha. read more

Replying to a debate on the budget in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said there had been an increase in the allocation for almost every welfare programme targeted at sections ranging from women to scheduled castes and tribes. read more

The finance minister’s comments riling the opposition came right after she had explained the alleged anomalies raised by the opposition. read more

Quoting Swami Vivekananda to stress on the importance of an increased participation of women, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her maiden Budget speech said, “It is not possible for a bird to fly on one wing.” read more

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharam presented the first budget of the second term of the Modi government on Friday. read more

Although the finance minister did not specify how much will be borrowed in foreign currencies, economists caution the move would increase India’s exposure to the volatile world of global financial markets. read more

A 17% increase in sectoral allocation to the Union women and child development ministry has been offset by a 0.2 percentage point decrease in the share of the Gender Budget Statement in the total budget expenditure. read more

The net revenue gain in direct taxes is, however, Rs 6,000-7,000 crore as the budget proposed to slash corporate tax while raising taxes on high net-worth individuals, he said, addressing a press conference after the budget was presented in Parliament... read more

The Union Budget for 2019-2020 followed the prescription detailed in the Economic Survey presented on Thursday and focused on boosting investment to create a virtuous cycle to power growth, but steered clear of embarking on a rash of spending that could... read more

Chidambaram said the budget has been prepared without listening to the voices of either ordinary citizens or knowledgeable economists. read more

When Nirmala Sitharaman posed for the traditional photo-op Friday before entering Parliament, she did so carrying a “bahi khata” or ledger, packed in a red cloth embossed with the national emblem. read more

“The economy is slowing down and consumption is at a 20-quarter low coupled with a liquidity crisis,” said Chawla. read more

Did the inertia of the budgetary process sabotage the claimed novelty of the budget? Did it miss a trick? read more