Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget in the Lok Sabha.
She set a record by presenting the sixth Budget in a row -- five annual Budgets and one interim.
She surpassed the records of her predecessors like Manmohan Singh, Arun Jaitley, P. Chidambaram, and Yashwant Sinha, who had presented five budgets in a row.
Morarji Desai, as Finance Minister, had presented five annual Budgets and one interim Budget between 1959-1964.
The Government proposed to maintain the same tax rates for direct and indirect taxes, including import duties.
The Government borrowings on a gross and net basis for 2024-25, at Rs. 14.13 lakh crore and Rs. 11.75 lakh crore, respectivelywere lower than 2023-24.
Spends on capital expenditure have been increased to ₹11.11 lakh crore for 2024-25.
The Government will continue on path of fiscal consolidation to reduce fiscal deficit to 4.5% in 2025-26.
A scheme to help middle class living in rented houses to buy or build their own houses will be launched.
Tax benefits to start-ups and investments made by sovereign wealth or pension funds are extended by 1 year till March 31, 2025.
Fiscal deficit for FY25 projected at 5.1% was lower than the revised estimate (5.8%) in FY24.
The Govt is to borrow ₹14.13-lakh crore in next fiscal, lower than ₹15.43 lakh crore in FY24.
Nominal GDP growth for FY25 is projected at 10.5%.
Gross tax revenue target for FY25 was hiked 11.46% to ₹38.31-lakh crore, from ₹34.37 lakh crore in FY24.
Direct tax collection target was set at ₹21.99-lakh crore, while that of indirect tax is at ₹16.22-lakh crore.
The allocation for children in the interim Budget for fiscal year 2024-25 has witnessed a notable increase, reaching ₹109,493.08 crore.
The defence budget was increased to ₹6.21 lakh crore for 2024-25 in a modest hike of 4.72 per cent from last year’s allocation of ₹5.25 lakh crore.
The budgetary allocation for the civil aviation ministry has come down to ₹2,300 crore.
The agriculture ministry has been allocated ₹1,27,469.88 crore for 2024-25 financial year.
The government has allotted more than ₹73,000 crore for school education in the interim Budget for 2024-25.
The largest share of aid portfolio has been granted to Bhutan with the allocation of ₹2,068 crore.
₹13,000 crore was allocated to the Tribal Affairs Ministry in the interim Budget 2024-25, with an increase of 70 per cent from the previous financial year.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme will be expanded to all ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and helpers.
The Centre will encourage cervical cancer vaccination and combine maternal and child health care schemes into one comprehensive programme.
The Government will subsidise the construction of 30 million affordable houses in rural areas.
Two crores more homes will be built under the PM Awas Yojana.
Rooftop solar for at least 300 units of power generation which will be given free electricity for households.
Government has pulled 25 crore people out of poverty in ten years.
FMnoted that government provided free food for 80 crore people through various schemes.
Direct Benefit Transfers of Rs. 34 lakh crores through PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts have led to savings of ₹2.7 lakh crore.
43 crore loans were sanctioned under PM Mudra Yojana.
The Government will also expand the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme to empower rural women and boost the rural economy.
30 crore Mudra Yojana loans were disbursed to women entrepreneurs.
The next ‘full budget’ will be presented in July, once a new government has been sworn in after the Lok Sabha elections.