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The Finance Minister began her Budget speech at 11 a.m. for the third time in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Modi.

In a tweet after the Budget, he said, "Forget putting cash in the hands of people, Modi Govt plans to handover India's assets to his crony capitalist friends."

Damodar Kochkar, president of the Goa Small Industries Association said that the focus on infrastructure spending was a good sign for the small industries.

The additional deduction of 1.5 lakh shall therefore be available for loans taken up to 31st March 2022, for the purchase of the affordable housing, Sitharaman said.

"For accessible higher education in Ladakh. I propose to set up a central university in Leh," said Sitharaman while presenting the Budget in the Parliament.

Unveiling the PSE policy in Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said barring four strategic areas, public sector companies in other sectors will be divested.

The Code will include SEBI Act, Govt Securities Act and Depositories Act. All these Acts will be amended for the Code.

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

In the first paperless Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also said investor charter would be introduced as a right of all financial investors across all financial products.

At present, a large number of power distribution utilities (discoms) across the country are state-owned.

India had earlier in January approved two vaccines -- Oxford's Covishield manufactured by SII and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin -- for restricted emergency use.

Finance minister may announce plan to revive cash-strapped electricity distribution utilities in budget

A major portion of the legislative agenda would include introduction and passage of several economic bills that aim at carrying the reform agenda of the government.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that a new policy on PSU privatisation will be announced whereby a list of strategic sectors requiring presence of PSEs in public interest will be notified.

"Agriculture credit target for the year 2020-21 has been set up at Rs 15 lakh crore," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Seeks Centre's support to Pharma City, Kaleshwaram Project, Electronic manufacturing clusters.

Restoration and creation of jobs must be high on Sitharaman's to-do list that will set the tone for a double-digit growth

This is a historic move as it will be for the first time in the history of independent India that the budget papers will not be printed.

This would be a 100 per cent jump from the Budget estimate of 3.5 per cent of GDP pegged for the current fiscal

As a pro-growth government, its intentions are in the right direction. It is, however, also important that it introduces other measures that have the potential to play a catalytic role.