Interim Budget 2024: NEP 2020 ushering transformational change says FM Sitharaman 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Interim Budget from 11 a.m. today, February 1. As a comprehensive budget can only be presented after the Lok Sabha elections 2024, when a new government is formed, this budget will only discuss the government’s plans for the remaining part of its term. 

This is Union Budget No. 6 for Nirmala Sitharaman. Following the elections, the newly elected government will present the complete budget. The short-term financial plan, known as the interim budget, requests approval from Parliament in order to obtain funding ahead of schedule for the government’s necessary spending for the first four months of the upcoming fiscal year. 

Yesterday marked the start of the Budget Session of Parliament, with President Droupadi Murmu presiding over a joint Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha meeting. On February 9, the session will come to an end.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Minister of Finance, starts her speech on the Union Interim Budget 2024. She claimed that during the previous ten years, there has been an increase in women enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses and higher education institutions. Skill India has trained 1.8 crore youths, upskilled and re-skilled 54 lakh youths and established 3,000 new ITIs. 

 Key Pointers During the Interim Budeg 2024: 

• As per Budget 2023, under PM Schools for Rising India or PM Shri, 14500 schools are expected to be upgraded to showcase components of the new National Education Policy 2020.

• PM Shri Schools which were announced in 2022’s budget speech, but were not allocated any money, have been given Rs 4,000 crore this year. 

• ‘The National Education Policy 2020 is ushering transformational reforms in schools for rising India. It is delivering quality teaching and nurturing, holistic and well-rounded individuals scaling their mission to one point,’ Sitharaman said in the Parliament.

• The present government has set up 7 new IITs, 16 IIITs, 7 IIMs, 15 AIIMS and 390 new universities have been set up, Nirmala Sitharaman stated.

• In 2023, the University Grants Commission was allocated Rs 5,350 crore versus the budget allocation of Rs 4,900 crore. 

• More medical colleges to be set up soon, the Finance Minister says. “Our government plans to set up more medical colleges by utilizing the existing hospital infrastructure,” Sitharaman said.

• The female enrollment in higher education has gone up by 28 per cent in 10 years of STEM courses. The Finance Minister stated that these measures are reflected in the increasing participation of women in the workforce.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman is now presenting the Union Budget 2024 in Parliament. This is an interim budget as it comes just before the Lok Sabha elections.

Interim Budget 2024: The day is here when India’s Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamana will present the 6th Interim Budget. This is the 6th time when she has presented the budget in the governance of PM Modi. The interim budget will meet the budgetary needs of the intervening period until a government is constituted following the Lok Sabha elections. The new government will unveil its comprehensive budget.

The Budget Session of Parliament began on Wednesday, with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a combined session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Nirmala Sitharaman’s sixth consecutive budget may be viewed as a political document that emphasizes the Modi government’s successes over the last decade and hints at how it intends to move the country ahead.

Nirmala Sitharaman’s Important Points on Taxation

1. FY24 fiscal deficit seen at 5.8% of GDP
2. FY24 total expenditure revised to ₹ 44.90 lakh crore
3. FY 24 total receipts other than borrowings is ₹ 27.56 lakh crore
4. FY24 tax receipts are ₹ 23.24 lakh crore
5. FY25 fiscal deficit seen at 5.1%
6. Aim to reduce fiscal deficit to below 4.5% by FY26
7. FY25 gross market borrowing seen at ₹ 14.13 lakh crore

FM extends certain tax benefits to start-ups, pension funds
“Certain tax benefits to start-ups and investments made by sovereign wealth or pension funds as also tax exemption on certain income of some IFSC units are expiring on 31.03.2024. To provide continuity in taxation, I propose to extend the date to 31.03.2025,” said FM Nirmala Sitharaman.

Home-buyers list

• It may be a ‘vote-on-account’ budget, but homebuyers are hoping for
  1. Increase in the limit of eligible deduction for interest paid on home loan to at least Rs 3 lakh 
  2. Remove the cap of Rs 2 lakh on rented property 
  3. Ease TDS rules for buying house property

Live Updates On Interim Budget 2024:

1. 40,000 normal railway bogies will be converted to vande Bharat standards, announces Sitharaman
2. This will enhance safety and convenience, says the FM
3. 3 major Rail Corridors built says FM in Parliament
4. Rural-themed stocks in sight include Maruti Suzuki, Minda Corp, Hero MotoCorp, M&M, Escorts Kubota Ltd, Hindustan Unilever, ITC and Dabur India.
5. Interim Budget 2024: Nifty Auto at 19,419.60, up 192.45 pts or 1.00%
6. Interim Budget 2024: Avg real income has increased by 50 per cent, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman
7. Interim Budget 2024: FM Nirmala Sitharamana presents the benefits of the newly built Ram Mandir
8. AITF demands an income tax exemption limit of Rs. 10 lakh- In addition, petrol, diesel, and electricity should be subject to GST. Badish Jindal, National Convenor of the All Industries and Trade Federation, stated that the income tax exemption level should be increased further.

Saindhav: The Telugu film Saindhav, which stars Venkatesh Daggubati and features important roles from Shraddha Srinath, Ruhani Sharma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Arya, and Andrea Jeremiah, is about to be released on the OTT platform. On February 3, 2024, in Tamil and Telegu, the film, directed by Shailesh Kolanu and produced by Venkat Boyanpalli, will be available on Prime Video. 

About Saindhav

The focus of the narrative is Venkatesh’s persona and his kin. He lives a happy life with his spouse and daughter until they learn that the latter has muscular dystrophy. The only treatment for this deadly illness is an expensive vial, the cost of which is driven up by a pharmaceutical ring run by the persona of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. After that, the movie will follow Venktash as he sets out on a bloody quest to obtain the medication required to save his daughter. 

Venkatesh Daggubati’s Work

Regarding his career, Venkatesh Daggubati is preparing for the second season of the action-thriller television series “Rana Naidu.” Positive reviews were given to the first season in India and abroad. The highly acclaimed American television series Ray Donovan was adapted into “Rana Naidu,” which debuted on Netflix India on March 10, 2023, under the direction of Karan Anshuman. It was the first time Rana and his uncle Venkatesh had worked together.

Saindhav Story 

A fictitious South Indian town called Chandraprastha is on the verge of civil war because it is controlled by the criminal organization Cartel. A man with a troubled past, Saindhav Koneru, also known as Saiko (Venkatesh Daggubati), lives a modest life with his daughter Gayathri (Ssara Palekar). But when Gayathri is told he has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and needs ₹17 crores worth of treatment, his life drastically changes. In an attempt to save his daughter, Saiko returns to the world of crime. He quickly faces off against his former adversaries, the most formidable of whom is the vicious gangster Vikas Malik (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Will he be able to save Chandraprastha and his daughter?

Every year, India’s CEA (Chief Economic Advisor) releases an Economic Survey a day ahead of the Union Budget. The Union Budget of India is released by the finance minister of India every year on one February, which also lays the inauguration of the Budget session in the Indian Parliament. General elections are scheduled for this year, so the budget will be interim and not final. However, the union government will not present the Economic Survey in 2024.  

Instead, ‘Indian Economy–A Review’, a report covering India’s progress over the last ten years, has been released by the Center. The CEA V Anantha Nageswaran office prepared the report, providing a preview of the economy’s prospects in the upcoming years. The report shows that it is not the Economic Survey of India, which it states will be unveiled following the general elections along with the total budget.

On 1 February 2024, Nirmala Sitaraman, honourable finance minister of India, presented the budget for the sixth time and equalled the record of former Indian prime minister Morarji Desai for giving the budget the most number of times. After presenting the budget, she will surpass the records of Arun Jaitley, P Chidambaram, Yashwant Sinha, and Manmohan Singh. 

What is an Economic Survey?

Economic Survey is a yearly report drafted by the Economics Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance that provides an overview of the Indian economy in the financial year that is coming to a close.

What is an interim budget?

The interim budget is presented when general elections are due in the country. The new government, which is likely to be formed around June, will come up with a final budget for 2024-25 after its formation.

What is the Halwa Ceremony during the budget? 

The ‘halwa’ ceremony is a traditional event that marks the beginning of the printing process of Budget documents.

Divya Deshmukh, an 18-year-old Indian chess player, spoke out against misogyny and sexism in the game following the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee, the Netherlands. The teenage International Master discussed female chess players’ treatment during the tournament in an Instagram post.

I have wanted to address this for a while but was waiting for my tournament to end. I got told and also noticed how women in chess are often just taken for granted by spectators

Player from Nagpur, who won the Asian women’s chess championship last year.

“The most recent personal example of this would be that I felt proud of a few games I played in this tournament, which I felt were pretty good. “

I got told by people how the audience was not even bothered with the game, but instead focused on everything in the world, including my clothes, hair, accent, and every other irrelevant thing,” she wrote on Sunday in an Instagram post.

My most recent example of this on a personal level would be in this tournament, I played a few games which I felt were quite good and I was proud of them. I got told by people how the audience was not even bothered with the game but instead focused on every possible thing in the world: my clothes, hair, accent and every other irrelevant thing

Divya Deshmukh on her Instagram post on Sunday.

Divya Deshmukh finished the Challengers division in 12th place, losing to Leon Luke Mendonca in the 13th and final round with a score of 4.5. Divya made the first error in the complex match when she made an incorrect capture in the middle game. Things could have gone differently from there.

The teenager claimed that although female chess players were evaluated for reasons unrelated to their skill on the board, male players received their fair share of attention solely for their skill. “I was quite upset to hear this and I think is the sad truth that people when women play chess they often overlook how good they are, the games they play and their strength,” she said.

“I was quite disappointed to see how everything was discussed in my interviews (by the audience) except my games, very few people paid attention to it and it is quite a sad thing. I felt it was unfair in a way because if I go to any guy’s interview there would be way less judgement on a personal level, actual compliments about the game and the player,”

Even though women’s sports have made strides in terms of compensation, female athletes continue to face discriminatory treatment and inquiries about their attire. Deshmukh said women said women players are under-appreciated in general and often endure hatred.

Every irrelevant thing is focused on and hated on, while guys would get away with the same things. Women face this daily, and I’m barely 18. Over the years, I have met so much judgement, including hatred, for things that don’t even matter. I think women should start getting equal respect,” she said.

According to the latest report released by Transparency International, India ranks 93rd on the world corruption index with an overall score of 39. Last year, India’s overall score was 40, which helped them secure an 85 rank. Denmark, with an overall score of 90, once again tops the list, followed by Finland, New Zealand, and Norway, with scores of 87,85 and 84, respectively. 

Singapore secured fifth position in the index and is the best-performing Asian country, scoring 83. According to the report, Pakistan (score of 29) and Sri Lanka (score of 34) struggled with their respective debt loads and the resulting political unrest.

Western Europe and the European Union remained the top-scoring regions; their regional average score dropped to 65 this year because checks and balances weakened and political integrity eroded in the area. 

The report is based on opinions on corruption in the public sector. The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index incorporated information from 13 outside sources, such as the World Bank, World Economic Forum, think tanks, and private risk and consulting firms.

Worst Performance

With the lowest score of 11, Somalia secured 180 rank and is at the bottom of the table. Myanmar and Afghanistan face instability in their internal governance, which impacts their performance and pushes them to the lowest of 162. 

What is Transparency International?

It is a global movement working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption. They focus on issues with the most significant impact on people’s lives and hold the powerful to account for the common good. Through advocacy, campaigning and research, they work to expose the systems and networks that enable corruption to thrive, demanding greater transparency and integrity in all areas of public life.

Most corrupt states in India

According to the latest report by National Crime Record Bureau 2023, Rajasthan and Maharashtra topped the list of most corrupt states in India and made a hat trick. Both the states are followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Jammu and Kashmir are at the top of the list among the Union and Territories of India. 

Toshakhana Case: Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan gets 14 years of imprisonment along with his wife Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana Case. This comes just a day after Khan was sentenced to ten years in prison for leaking vital state secrets, throwing further blow to his political prospects for the forthcoming February 8 parliamentary elections. 

Judge Mohammad Bashir of the Accountability Court presided over the session in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where the former prime minister is presently detained. Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 14 years in prison, a heavy fine, and a 10-year ban on holding public office.

On Tuesday, Bushra Bibi, Imran’s wife, recorded her statement in the Toshakhana case. According to a Pakistani news source, the former prime minister said that his wife had nothing to do with the issue and was being humiliated by being forced to participate in it. “I was deceived because I was only called to mark my attendance at the hearing,” stated the PTI founder.

Also read: Cipher case: Imran Khan, along with former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood, gets 10 years of imprisonment

Imran had requested that the court allow his lawyers to cross-examine three crucial witnesses in the Toshakhana case, including an appraiser and the military secretary. However, the judge had already waived the prosecution witnesses’ right to cross-examination and directed Imran and his spouse to record their testimonies under Section 342 of Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the recent mayoral Chandigarh mayor elections. Manoj Sonkar, a BJP councillor, has taken over as mayor. Sonkar finished the election with sixteen votes. He exceeded Kuldeep Singh, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party’s joint nominee (AAP), Singh received twelve votes.

Chandigarh mayor elections was shrouded in controversy as claims surfaced that Anil Masih, the presiding officer, had marked votes with ticks. Eight votes were cancelled as a result of it.

After the controversial incident, Congressman Pawan Bansal claimed that “the eight ballot papers were rejected in a premeditated manner” in an attempt to protest the events that transpired. He emphasised that the ballot paper was kept from Congress or AAP agents. One explicit directive was given to the presiding officer, who is a shallow person: he was to emerge only after announcing the BJP candidate as the winner.

“We were observing the live stream.” As you can see, the BJP candidate was standing next to the chair as soon as the presiding officer vacated it. Before anyone could go there and see, the BJP members hurried in, took, and tore the ballot papers, Bansal continued.

Earlier, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor advocated for the None of the Above (NOTA) option to be included in the voting. Since the Municipal Corporation Act does not contain a provision of this kind, the request still needs to be fulfilled.

The election was initially slated for January 18 but was postponed because of the presiding officer’s illness. The AAP and the Congress members expressed their suspicions that the BJP was manipulating the delay, which incited protests. The Punjab and Haryana High Court became involved. The polling date was moved up from February 6 to January 30.

Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation was present during the voting process. Voting was supposed to start at 10 am, but it wasn’t until nearly an hour later because the deputy commissioner and a few BJP council members were running late.

Gamers have always loved PC gaming. The untold fight between Xbox vs PC vs Playstation has always been there, but PC gaming won it. However, there are several factors where Xbox and Playstation ace, but due to cost-effectiveness and accessibility, PC games won overall. PC games include different genres such as open-world games, RPG games, Story-based games, and many more. Here is the list of the top 5 best PC games you must try once as a gamer. (The games are not ranked from good to bad; they all are good, just numbered).

Below is the list of top 5 best PC games

1. The Witcher 

The Witcher game series is one of the industry’s most popular and loved game series. Corrado Mastantuono, an Italian comic artist who debuted with a comic published in the United States, brings Corvo Bianco to life. The plot will be authored by Bartosz Sztybor, who has previously worked on story adaptations for The Witcher series. “For a witcher, the simple life might be difficult to get and even more difficult to reject. 

“When Geralt develops a taste for a slower pace—good wine and good company—the routines of a witcher are easily eclipsed,” according to the summary of The Witcher: Corvo Bianco. “With Yennefer by his side, one may expect Geralt to experience the good life. But the scars of history are deep, and like blood and wine, every drop entices those seeking more.” Witcher fans can expect the upcoming part of the game, ‘The Witcher 4 Polaris’.

2. Grand Theft Auto 

The Grand Theft Auto series is widely recognised as one of the finest open-world experiences in gaming. Since the debut of Grand Theft Auto III in 2001, the franchise has changed the industry in various ways, bringing new features and improving on old ones. While many have attempted to recreate Grand Theft Auto’s allure, few have even come close. The upcoming part in the series, Grand Theft Auto 6, is slated to be released in 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and fans anticipate it will lift the bar even higher. You should try the GTA series from GTA Vice City to the GTA 5 Online. Its open-world genre is the core for which most gamers fall. It has almost everything you think a gangster should have and this is one of the most recommended games.

3. Tomb Raider 

Tomb Raider is one of several action-adventure games I’ve played. Lara Croft is one of the most recognisable female characters, and it’s easy to understand why. From the Tomb Raider protagonist’s deep tale to her remarkable survival ability, the series delivers a fresh thrill at every step. If you are a fan looking to add more titles to your collection, or if you are new and want to try Tomb Raider for the first time, you should check out this enormous Steam deal. If one of your favourite aspects of Tomb Raider has always been its superb narrative design, check out some of our favourite story games to discover more fantastic stories. You may also look through some of the top RPG games to learn more about the universe, in which you can forge your own path rather than follow one already laid out for you.

4. Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed series is one of the most loved games available in the market. It will not only entertain you but will also teach you about the history. The series is a compilation of a total of 23 parts and there have been unexplained reasons for which one is best because it totally depends on the gamer although you can have an idea that Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry is not that good and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is one of the most loved parts in the series. It has pure sward to gun combat you will definitely love it as the story is so strong that it will hold you to know about it more and more.

5. Valorant

Valorant is one of the world’s fastest-growing games and with good reason. Like any other FPS game, its principle is basic yet executed flawlessly. The reason for its execution is a development team that adores the game and the people included in it. Riot Games has consistently raised the bar regarding character design and voice acting. The game features several modes: Ranked, Unrated, Spike Rush, Escalation, Deathmatch, Replication, and Team Deathmatch. The game is also an Esports sensation, with many yearly tournaments involving the world’s greatest and most well-known teams fighting at the highest level.

Also Read: One of the best games in the industry, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is now available at low price

Mahatma Gandhi is a well-known and iconic person. He was an Indian liberation activist, writer, lawyer, and politician who devoted his entire life to the cause. He penned countless books, essays, and speeches to uplift young people.   

The nation’s founder, Mahatma Gandhi, was assassinated on January 30 at Birla House’s Gandhi Smriti. As a result, the day is known as Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas, and it is mainly observed on two dates in India, initially on January 30 and again on March 23. The day’s purpose is to honour those who fought for freedom and died to defend the nation.

Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satya (truth) were two of Mahatma Gandhi’s core beliefs. Along with helping India achieve independence, he inspired people worldwide to speak out against caste, colour, and religious discrimination. “Be the change you wish to see in the world” was the motto he always shared with others. He was a simple man with brilliant ideas.  

Remembering MK Gandhi on his death anniversary

Here are the top 20 Inspirational Quotes from Mahatma Gandhi

• “Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is a daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
• The difference between what we do and what we can do would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.”
• “Gentleness, self-sacrifice, and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion.”
• Do not judge others. Be your judge, and you will be truly happy. If you try to judge others, you are likely to burn your fingers.”
• “Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”
• “Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny.”
• “Strength does not come from winning. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
• “Seek not greater wealth, but simpler pleasure; not higher fortune, but deeper felicity.”
• “Be the change you are trying to create.”
• “Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.”
• “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, I may end up becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
• “A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.”
• “Those who know how to think need no teachers.”
• “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.”
• “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
• Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”
• “Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
• “Look at the sparrows; they do not know what they will do in the next moment. Let us live from moment to moment.”
• The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
• “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

– Mahatma Gandhi