Nirmala Sitharaman: News

Nirmala Sitharaman is an economist, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician, and the Finance Minister of India as of 2021. Sitharaman did her BA in Economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College, Tamil Nadu. She pursued an MA in Economics and an MPhil from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi. After completing her education, she stayed in the UK for the next few years, where she worked with PwC and BBC. She returned to India in the 1990s and became an educationist. During 2003-05, she was a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW). In 2006, Sitharaman joined the BJP, and in 2010 she was appointed as the party’s national spokesperson and later planned BJP’s media campaigns. In 2014, when the NDA formed the government at the Centre, Nirmala Sitharaman was sworn in as the Minister of State (MoS) for Finance & Corporate Affairs and later for Commerce & Industry. In 2017, she became India’s first full-time female Defence Minister. After NDA roared back to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Sitharaman became India’s first full-time female Finance Minister. She has been a Rajya Sabha MP since 2014.

24 Feb 2024

Farmers Protest

Protesting farmers pause 'Delhi Chalo' march till February 29

Farmer leaders announced on Friday that the future course of action regarding their "Delhi Chalo" march will be decided next Thursday (February 29).

20 Feb 2024

Paytm

Finance Ministry to meet fintech start-ups amid Paytm crisis

The Finance Ministry is gearing up for a crucial meeting with fintech start-ups next week, in light of the recent actions taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) against Paytm.

13 Feb 2024

PSUs

PSU stock sell-off erodes government wealth by Rs. 3.8 trillion

A significant drop in public sector unit (PSU) stocks has resulted in a loss of nearly Rs. 3.79 lakh crore for the Indian government.

10 Feb 2024

Narendra Modi

Parliament to discuss Ram Mandir, Centre's 'White Paper' today

The final day of Parliament's Budget Session on Saturday is expected to witness heated debates.

08 Feb 2024

Lok Sabha

Finance Minister Sitharaman releases 'white paper' on Indian economy

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday presented a "white paper" on the Indian economy in the Lok Sabha.

08 Feb 2024

Narendra Modi

Congress counters Modi government's 'white paper' with 'black paper'

The Congress has brought a "black paper" to counter the Narendra Modi government's "white paper" on its performance over the past 10 years.

08 Feb 2024

Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala cabinet's protest against Modi government in Delhi today

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Left Front government will stage a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Thursday against the Centre's alleged "injustice" to the state in fund allocation.

07 Feb 2024

Siddaramaiah

Karnataka MLAs, Congress leaders protest against Centre in Delhi

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah led the "Chalo Delhi" protest, against the alleged "step-motherly" treatment of the Centre toward the state, in the national capital on Wednesday.

DMK MP's 'unfit' jibe at minister triggers uproar in House

A discussion on the Centre's flood aid for Tamil Nadu escalated into a massive row in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

06 Feb 2024

Pakistan News

Interim budget for J&K more than Pakistan's IMF grant

India has announced an interim Budget of Rs. 1.18 lakh crore for fiscal 2024-25 for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

05 Feb 2024

Lok Sabha

Sitharaman rebuts allegation of withholding funds from non-BJP states

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Monday, rejected claims of "discrimination in allocating funds to non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) states," during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

Income Tax e-filing website unavailable from February 3-5: Here's why

The Income Tax department has announced that its e-filing portal will be temporarily unavailable from 2pm on February 3 to 6am on February 5, due to scheduled maintenance activities.

01 Feb 2024

Narendra Modi

Interim Budget 2024: 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme explained

In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced the government's plans to increase the target of the "Lakhpati Didi" scheme from two crore women to three crore.

01 Feb 2024

Budget Session

Centre lowers fiscal deficit target, divestment goals; increases capex target

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a fiscal deficit target of 5.1% for 2024-25, a decrease from the revised 5.8% for 2023-24.

01 Feb 2024

Lakshadweep

Interim Budget: Centre's focus on boosting Lakshadweep's tourism, says Sitharaman

During her budget speech on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the government's plan to ramp up investment in the tourism sector.

01 Feb 2024

Narendra Modi

Working to transform India into 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047: Sitharaman 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the Lok Sabha on Thursday, delivering the 2024-25 Union Interim Budget in a one-hour speech.

01 Feb 2024

Narendra Modi

'Viksit Bharat' budget lays foundation for developed India: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised the 2024-25 Union Interim Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

01 Feb 2024

Union Budget

Union Interim Budget 2024: Sitharaman raises infrastructure spending by 11%

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday presented the Union Interim Budget 2024-25 in the Parliament.

01 Feb 2024

Finance

Centre's Rs. 1tn fund offers interest-free loans to boost innovation

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presented the Interim Budget 2024-25, in the Parliament today.

01 Feb 2024

Business

Budget 2024: No change in income tax slab rates

During her budget speech on Thursday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that income tax slab rates will remain the same for both new and old tax regimes.

01 Feb 2024

Union Budget

Railway Budget: 40,000 Vande Bharat-standard coaches, 3 new corridors announced

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a capital expenditure of Rs. 2.55 lakh crore for Indian Railways in the new financial year.

01 Feb 2024

Narendra Modi

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to present interim budget today

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Interim Budget 2024-25 in the Parliament on Thursday.

31 Jan 2024

Budget Session

India's fiscal deficit widens to Rs. 9.82L crore in April-December

India's fiscal deficit rose to Rs. 9.82 lakh crore between April-December 2023 from Rs 9.07 lakh crore between April-December in 2022.

31 Jan 2024

Narendra Modi

Modi takes a swipe at opposition ahead of Budget Session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on opposition MPs to avoid disrupting the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament.

31 Jan 2024

China

Import duty on phone components lowered from 15% to 10%

Indian government has slashed import duties on mobile phone components from 15% to 10%.

22 Jan 2024

Ram Mandir

LED screens for Ayodhya event removed from TN temple: Minister

LED screens installed at Kamakshi Amman Temple in Tamil Nadu for live streaming the Ram Mandir "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony in Ayodhya were taken down on Monday, reports said.

SC notice to Tamil Nadu over Ram Mandir telecast 'ban'

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government and others.

21 Jan 2024

Narendra Modi

Tamil Nadu government has banned Ram Mandir telecast, puja: Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday claimed that the Tamil Nadu government has banned live telecasts of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event and special prayers dedicated to Lord Ram.

20 Jan 2024

Indian Government

Centre planning new NBFC to ease credit for infrastructure projects

The Indian government is looking into creating a new non-banking financial company (NBFC) to make it easier for infrastructure projects to get credit financing.

31 Dec 2023

Narendra Modi

There will be blasts: Mumbai Police receives threat call

A high alert has been issued in Mumbai, Maharashtra, after the Mumbai Police received a call on Saturday threatening bomb attacks in the city amid New Year celebrations.

RBI and other banks in Mumbai receive bomb threats

The Mumbai Police said on Tuesday that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office in Mumbai, along with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank branches, received a bomb threat via email.

11 Dec 2023

Inflation

Retail inflation now stable and within acceptable range: Finance Minister

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Monday that the country's retail inflation has stabilized and now falls within the acceptable range of 2% to 6%.

07 Dec 2023

India

India's Q2 growth highest in the world: Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Thursday that India's second-quarter growth is the highest globally, making India the fastest-growing economy.

06 Dec 2023

Amit Shah

Parliament: Amit Shah likely to speak on J&K bills today

Home Minister Amit Shah will reportedly respond to the debate on the two key bills on Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Government banks bag Rs. 15,183cr after ED action under PMLA

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets valued at Rs. 15,186.64 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

05 Dec 2023

GST

21,791 fake GST registrations unearthed, Rs. 24,000cr evasion suspected: FM

During a recent two-month special drive, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that GST officers discovered 21,791 fake GST registrations and over Rs. 24,000 crore in suspected tax evasion.

India's economy is doing well despite global meltdown: Sitharaman

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated in Parliament on Thursday that the Indian economy is doing well despite the global meltdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

02 Aug 2023

GST

GST Council: 28% tax on online gaming from October 1

The GST Council has decided to impose a 28% tax on the full face value of bets placed on online gaming and casinos, starting October 1.

23 Jul 2023

Uttar Pradesh

'Don't eat tomatoes': BJP minister's shocking statement on rising prices

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Uttar Pradesh minister, Pratibha Shukla, on Sunday asked people to stop eating tomatoes and start using lemons instead amid the price hike, saying this would help bring down the prices inevitably.

After France and UAE, Indonesia plans UPI deal with India

India's flagship instant payment system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), will likely be used in Indonesia as the two countries are looking for a deal for bilateral trade in domestic currency, real-time card recognition, and digital payments, The Times of India reported.

12 Jul 2023

GST

GST rule change to make popular MPVs costlier: Here's how

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, led by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has decided to add a 22% cess on MPVs, on top of the existing 28% GST.

12 Jul 2023

GST

GST shocker: Delta Corp, Nazara Tech stock prices tank

Online gaming platform Nazara Technologies and casino operator Delta Corp Ltd. witnessed a sharp fall in share prices on Wednesday.

15 Jun 2023

Central Government

Centre's panel could recommend Andhra's hybrid pension scheme for states

A panel formed by the Centre to review the pension system of central and state government employees is likely to recommend the Andhra Pradesh government's hybrid Guaranteed Pension Scheme be adopted by other states, the Deccan Herald reported.

30 May 2023

P Chidambaram

Chidambaram slams Centre for 'profiteering' through higher fuel taxes

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of "profiteering" through higher taxes on fuel at the cost of the people.

30 May 2023

Narendra Modi

'Will keep working harder': Modi as his government turns 9 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government "will work even harder to build a developed India," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, marking the completion of his government's nine years.

04 May 2023

Petrol Diesel Prices

Petrol, diesel become slightly cheaper in Maharashtra and West Bengal

Petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged on Thursday across Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi.

21 Apr 2023

Odisha

70-year-old woman walks barefoot to withdraw pension, video goes viral

A heart-wrenching video has surfaced on social media, showing a 70-year-old woman walking barefoot in scorching heat for several kilometers with the help of a broken chair to collect her old-age pension from a bank.

21 Apr 2023

Petrol Diesel Prices

Fuel prices revised in Mumbai, other major cities: Check rates

Petrol and diesel prices remained constant on Friday in the figures across major cities like Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and New Delhi, as fuel prices continued their ten-month streak of rate stability.

03 Apr 2023

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu villagers ask Nirmala Sitharaman to reduce LPG prices

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday visited Pazhaiyaseevaram village in Tamil Nadu's Kanchipuram district and interacted with the residents, asking them whether they received benefits from the government.

23 Feb 2023

Mumbai

Couple gets Rs. 11 crore anonymous donation for son's treatment

In a gesture of absolute generosity, a Mumbai-based couple from Kerala was left in absolute disbelief after they received a donation of Rs. 11 crore for their child's medical treatment.

04 Feb 2023

Adani Group

Regulators monitoring Adani-Hindenburg crisis, FPO pullout hardly impacted economy: Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that market regulators are independently monitoring the crisis around Adani Group, which is facing allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

01 Feb 2023

United Nations (UN)

Budget 2023-24: Boost for Hyderabad as Centre reveals 'Millet Plans' 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Centre's plan to popularize millets in India and make the crop a priority area while presenting Budget 2023-24 on Wednesday.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Centre aims to eliminate sickle cell anemia by 2047

As part of the Union Budget 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anemia in the country by 2047.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Centre to establish three centers of excellence to boost AI

As part of the Union Budget 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will set up three centers of excellence in order to boost artificial intelligence (AI) in India.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Union Budget 2023-24: Key announcements for women

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced a one-time small saving scheme for women called "Mahila Samman Saving Certificate," which will stay available until March 2025.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Union Budget 2023-24: Key takeaways for the Indian auto industry

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2023 in Parliament today, and it promises several concessions to the auto industry.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Union Budget 2023-24: Key takeaways for the Indian auto industry

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2023 in Parliament today, and it promises several concessions to the auto industry.

01 Feb 2023

Budget Session

Budget 2023-24: What gets costlier, what's cheaper? Details here

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered her fifth annual budget to Parliament on Wednesday.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Union Budget 2023-24: Key takeaways for education sector

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman officially presented the Union Budget 2023-2024 on Wednesday in Parliament.

01 Feb 2023

PAN Card

Union Budget: PAN Card to become universal identifier for businesses

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Wednesday, proposed to use PAN (Permanent Account Number) card as the common identifier for digital transactions.

01 Feb 2023

Union Budget

Union Budget 2023-24: No income tax up to Rs. 7L

Announcing the new Union Budget for 2023-24 today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman declared renewed income tax rates.

01 Feb 2023

Narendra Modi

Union Budget 2023-24: Here are the key highlights

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 on Wednesday.