New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting her seventh consecutive Budget today July 23 for the fiscal year 2024-25, surpassing the record previously held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. This will be the first Budget from the Modi 3.0 government since its re-election in June.

This year’s Budget is being presented during the Monsoon session, following an Interim Budget in February due to the Lok Sabha elections. The Monsoon session started on July 22 and will consist of 19 sittings until August 12. Prime Minister Modi has described the Budget as “important for Amrit Kaal,” emphasizing that it will shape the direction for the next five years and serve as a strong foundation for the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat.’

Clad in a white silk saree with a magenta border, Finance Minister Sitharaman posed for pictures outside Parliament, with the budget tablet securely tucked inside a red cover embossed with the golden national emblem, after her visit to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Before the Union Budget, Ms. Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2024 to the Lok Sabha on July 22. The Survey forecasts India’s GDP growth for the fiscal year 2025 to be between 6.5% and 7%, a decrease from the 8.2% growth rate estimated for the previous fiscal year. DeshGujarat