Union Budget 2021: BJP leaders hail 'forward-looking' announcements; 'visionless document', says Opposition

Soon after the presentation of the Union Budget 2021, BJP members hailed it for its focus on capital expenditure and healthcare while Opposition leaders questioned the Centre over the increase in government borrowing.

Financial experts and industry leaders broadly welcomed the Budget, taking particular note of announcements on road development, taxation and health.

Here are the key reactions till now on the Union Budget 2021:

'Forward-looking Budget', say BJP leaders

Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hailed the Union Budget as one for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', and asserted that this will strengthen the economy.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON BUDGET 2021 HERE

Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain praised the Budget's emphasis on affordable housing for all, and said it is sensitive to the needs of diverse sections of society.

Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a well laid-out plan to get the economy back on track.

A forward-looking #Budget - it will make good on the govt’s $5 trillion economy promise.Multiple pluses:increased govt spending in major sectors like infrastructure, agriculture & healthcare; safety net expanded for the vulnerable; & opportunities for greater private investments.

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 1, 2021

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the budget will provide a major boost to India's infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.

'Govt's policies have destroyed economy', says Congress

Slamming the Union government for its handling of the economy, the Congress said in a tweet on its official handle, "Due to the Modi government's policies, government borrowings have seen a consistent rise. The government's policies have destroyed the country's economy."

मोदी सरकार की नीतियों के कारण सरकारी उधारी में लगातार बढ़त दर्ज की जा रही है। मोदी सरकार की नीतियों ने देश की अर्थव्यवस्था को तबाह कर दिया है।#Budget2021 pic.twitter.com/Z80FhMDUM1

— Congress (@INCIndia) February 1, 2021

In a similar vein, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked —

This BJP government reminds me of the garage mechanic who told his client, “I couldn’t fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder.” #Budget2021

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 1, 2021

The Trinamool Congress also lashed out at the Centre, terming it a 100 percent "visionless" document, and said that its theme was "sell India."

"India's first paperless budget is also a 100 percent visionless budget. Theme of the fake budget is Sell India!" TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien said. "Railways: sold, Airports: sold, Ports: sold, Insurance: sold PSUs: 23 sold!"

O'Brien claimed common people and farmers were ignored, adding that the Budget would make the rich richer and the poor poorer, while the middle class got "nothing".

Analysts hail announcements on taxation, infra

On the announcements regarding taxation, Ashok Shah, Founding Partner, NA Shah Associates, said, "The finance minister has specifically mentioned in her Budget speech that there is no increase in taxes — neither capital gains tax nor a new levy of COVID Tax. This is in sharp contrast to the general market sentiment that a special tax/cess could be levied. It surely is a welcome move to the already heavily burdened India Inc."

Rhitiman Majumder, co-founder, Pickrr Technologies, welcomed the outlay on road development, and said, "The infusion of money for road development in four states is a welcome move for smooth/faster logistics transport. This move will further ensure greater connectivity in tier -2 /tier-3 cities in these states."

Speaking on the healthcare outlay, Divakar Vijayasarathy, Founder and Managing Partner, DVS Advisors LLP, said, "As expected health has been given a prominent platform and was the first pillar of the Budget speech. (The Budget) has increased the allocation by around 138 percent, which is definitely a welcome move."

With inputs from PTI

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3ajyfwF

Farmers' Protest: MHA orders internet suspension at Singhu, Ghazipur, Tikri borders till 3 February

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs has extended the suspension of internet services at the farmer protest sites in Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders till Tuesday night, officials said.

Apart from the three border points, where farmers have been protesting since November against the Centre's three new farm laws, internet services will remain suspended in their adjoining areas too. The suspension is effective from 11 pm of 31 January to 11 pm of 2 February.

The decision has been taken to 'maintain public safety and averting public emergency' under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, a Home ministry official said.

MHA orders Temporary suspension of Internet Services in the areas of Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri, and their adjoining areas in NCT of Delhi till Feb 02 (11 pm) "to maintain public safety and averting public emergency".#FarmersProstest #Singhu#Ghazipur #TikriBorder #FarmLaws pic.twitter.com/xm2sugtRzg

— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) February 1, 2021

The suspension of internet services at the three border points and their adjoining areas was imposed at 11 pm on 29 January and was initially effective till 11 pm on 31 January.

Internet services were also temporary suspended in some parts of Delhi on 26 January, when large scale violence was reported during the farmers' tractor rally.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2Mdn2Wt

Budget 2021 Highlights: Fiscal deficit pegged at 6.8% of GDP for FY22; FM proposes Rs 64,180 cr for Atma Nirbhar health programme

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Budget 2021-22 in Parliament. A total of around Rs 2 lakh crore on healthcare with Rs 35,000 crore on COVID-19 vaccine development and inoculation was announced.

During her third Budget speech under the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, Sitharaman said the government has estimated a fiscal deficit of 6.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the next financial year.

Follow LIVE Updates on Budget 2021 here

However, the fiscal deficit in 2020-21 is estimated to soar up to 9.5 percent due to a rise in expenditure on account of the outbreak of COVID-19 and moderation in revenue during this fiscal year.

The finance minister provided a major boost to healthcare and infrastructure in Union Budget 2021. However, there was no change in Income Tax slabs this year.

In her speech, the finance minister mentioned that this year's budget proposals rest on six pillars — health and well-being, physical, financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R and D and Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.

Here are the key highlights of Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech 2021-22:

1) The finance minister proposed the introduction of Aatma Nirbhar health programme with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore over six years; this in addition to the national health mission.

2) Main interventions under PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana would include:
- Support for Health and Wellness Centres
- Setting up Integrated Public Health labs in all districts
- Critical care hospital blocks
- Strengthening of NCDC

3) Sitharaman allocated a record sum of Rs 1,10,055 crore for Indian Railways, of which Rs 1,07,100 crore has been reserved for capital expenditure in 2021-22.

4) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget comprised of a massive impetus for Highways and Road Transport projects. The minister set aside Rs 1.03 lakh crores from the government exchequer for the sector, of which a mammoth share was allocated to the states which are due for Legislative Assembly elections this year.

5) The government proposed further recapitalisation of state-owned banks and earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for the purpose in FY2022.

6) "FDI in insurance companies has been increased from 49 percent to 74 percent, subject to specific compliance," said Nirmala Sitharaman.

In her 2019 budget speech, Sitharaman had said that the government will explore further easing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in insurance. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has also backed an increase in the limit to 74 percent.

7) BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corp, Container Corp and other disinvestments will be completed in 2021-22.

8) Barring four strategic areas, PSUs in other sectors will be divested, the finance minister said announcing the new disinvestment policy.

9) Sitharaman said the government will borrow about Rs 12 lakh crore in 2021-22. Presenting the Union Budget for 2021-22, she said expenditure for the next fiscal year has been pegged at Rs 34.83 lakh crore, which includes Rs 5.54 lakh crore of capital spending.

10) An announcement of Rs 25,000 crore road projects in poll-bound West Bengal was made during the Budget speech.

11) Ujjwala scheme will be expanded to over one crore more beneficiaries. "We will add 100 more districts in the next three years to the city gas distribution network. A gas pipeline project will be taken up in Jammu and Kashmir," said Sitharaman.

12) The finance minister also announced the scrappage of income tax for senior citizens under certain conditions, new rules for the removal of double taxation, among others.

"We shall reduce the compliance burden on our senior citizens who are 75 years of age and above. For senior citizens who only have pension and interest income, I propose exemption from filing their Income Tax return," the Union minister said.

13) Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) has been proposed on petrol and diesel. It will Rs 2.5/litre on petrol and Rs 4/litre on diesel.

With inputs from agencies

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2LcYpss

IIT Madras starts application process for HSEE 2021; register for PG programme at hsee.iitm.ac.in

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has started the application process for HSEE 2021.

Candidates who are seeking an admission to the five-year integrated postgraduate programme being offered by the Department of Humanities and Social sciences in the institute can register online for the HSEE 2021 at the official website - hsee.iitm.ac.in.

The online application for the Humanities and Social Science Entrance Examination, which is a national level entrance test that is held annually will continue till 15 March.

Here's how to register for the HSEE 2021 Online Application:

Step 1: Candidates need to visit the website - hsee.iitm.ac.in.
Step 2: They need to click on the link 'Click here to Online Registration for HSEE-2021.
Step 3: Candidates need to read the information in the next window and click on 'Proceed To Apply Online'.
Step 4: They need to register with names, dates of birth, contact numbers and email addresses. A system-generated HSEE 2021 registration id and password will come which candidates need to use to login and fill the application form.
Step 5: Candidates need to pay the HSEE application fee and submit.

Here is the direct link for online application registration for HSEE 2021

The HSEE 2021 admit cards will be available for download from 12 May while the results are expected to be declared on 28 June. The admit card of HSEE 2021 will include details like name, roll number, exam centre details, instructions that need to be followed and schedule.

The IIT Madras HSEE 2021 exam is conducted for admission to five year integrated postgraduate programme offered by the Department for Humanities and Social Science. The exam has two parts, with the first part including English, Analytical and Quantitative Ability and General Studies, while the second part contains essay writing and general knowledge.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3oAuIiv

NIFT entrance exam 2021 admit card to release today at nift.ac.in; test to be held on 14 February

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam 2021 admit card will be released today, 1 February. The entrance examination is scheduled to be conducted on 14 February and candidates who will appear in the entrance examination can download the hall ticket through the website - nift.ac.in.

Candidates shortlisted in the written exam will have to appear for a situation test, group discussion and interview. Courses offered at the institute include BDes in fashion design, BDes in leather design, BDes in accessory design, BDes in textile design, BDes in Knitwear design, BDes in fashion communication, BFTech in apparel production, Master of Design, Master of Fashion Management and Master of fashion technology.

Here's how to download NIFT admit card 2021:

Step 1: Candidates have to visit the official website - nift.ac.in.
Step 2: Once there, they need to find 'admit card for written test' link under admission 2021 in homepage.
Step 3: Candidates will be redirected to a new window where they will have to login using application number, date of birth and email id.
Step 4: Candidates need to download the admit card and take a printout for future reference.

NIFT 2021 entrance examination is scheduled to be held in the offline mode at 32 exam centres located across the country. Keeping in mind the pandemic situation, students appearing for exam will be required to produce a COVID-19 negative report to centres as mandatory document to appear for the exam. The entrance test will be conducted for admission to 16 NIFT campuses offering various design courses.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2MDARx8

AIBE XV answer key 2021 released at allindiabarexamination.com; report discrepancies in answer key by 7 Feb

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has officially released the All India Bar Exam (AIBE)-XV answer key 2021 on its official site. Candidates who appeared in the exam can check the tentative answer key by visiting allindiabarexamination.com and they can also report their objections, if any.

If the law aspirants notice any form of discrepancy with the answer keys published on the website, they can report the same to the authority within 7 February. However, candidates must realise the seriousness of the issue and be ready to provide supporting documents to aid their objection.

BCI has released the entire answer key for the AIBE XV exams for its four sets of question papers in a single PDF document. This has been done for the benefit of the candidates so that they can find the keys to the answers of all sets together.

How to check the AIBE XV answer key:

Step 1: Visit the official account of All India Bar Exam at allindiabarexamination.com
Step 2: Click on the link on the homepage that says: ‘AIBE XV answer key’
Step 3: You will be redirected to another page
Step 4: The PDF file containing the AIBE XV answer key will appear on the screen
Step 5: View, download the document and go through the tentative answer key.

Here is the direct link to check out the AIBE XV answer key 2021

An official notice by the BCI stated that the results of AIBE XV exam are going to be declared in the first week of March. For the exams that were held on 24 January, candidates have a week’s time to report any issue with the released answer key. After that the authority will be releasing the final answer key, followed by the result.

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2MKMn9P

Union Budget 2021: Nirmala Sitharaman announces seven port projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore investment.

These projects would be undertaken through public private partnership (PPP) mode, Sitharaman said in her Budget 2021 speech.

The finance minister said that she proposed "seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore via public private partnership mode".

India has 12 major ports under the control of the central government -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), VO Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/3pClAeE