<p>Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2021-22 today, along with her Minister of State Anurag Thakur.</p>.<p>Here are 10 things to know:</p>.<p>1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her third Union Budget presentation, has her task cut out to fire up a pandemic-battered economy and revive the animal instinct in it.</p>.<p>2. Introducing the nation's first paperless Budget, this year no document has been printed following the Covid-19 protocol. Traditionally, copies of the Budget are brought to the Parliament complex before the Finance Minister arrives. The Budget copies, this time, will be disseminated electronically, with documents uploaded on the government website as well as made available on a special app developed for the same.</p>.<p>3. On the occasion, the Finance Minister also launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' on Friday for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience. The mobile app facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill, etc. as prescribed by the Constitution, it said.</p>.<p>4. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to contract by a record 7.7 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 31, 2021.</p>.<p>5. In her first Budget session in 2019, Sitharaman ditched the formal briefcase former ministers used and brought in a bahi-khata (ledger). The documents were packed in a bright red bag, and tied with golden lace. The bahi-khata was a step towards bringing Indian cultural practices to the Parliament.</p>.<p>6. The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will meet today to approve the Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.</p>.<p>6. Earlier today, the Finance Minister met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan before heading to Parliament, as per tradition.</p>.<p>8. Meanwhile, ahead of the Union Budget 2021-22, the BSE benchmark Sensex surged over 443 points and the NSE Nifty advanced 115 points, and the rupee appreciated by eight paise to 72.88 against the US dollar, in opening trade on Monday.</p>.<p>9. The Economic Survey 2020-21 had, on Friday, projected a V-shape recovery in GDP growth to 11 per cent in the next financial year from a historic contraction of 7.7 per cent in 2020-21 on account of the impact of coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>10. As for the Reserve Bank, it is likely to maintain a status quo on benchmark interest rate in its next monetary policy meet outcome to be announced on February 5.</p>
<p>Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2021-22 today, along with her Minister of State Anurag Thakur.</p>.<p>Here are 10 things to know:</p>.<p>1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her third Union Budget presentation, has her task cut out to fire up a pandemic-battered economy and revive the animal instinct in it.</p>.<p>2. Introducing the nation's first paperless Budget, this year no document has been printed following the Covid-19 protocol. Traditionally, copies of the Budget are brought to the Parliament complex before the Finance Minister arrives. The Budget copies, this time, will be disseminated electronically, with documents uploaded on the government website as well as made available on a special app developed for the same.</p>.<p>3. On the occasion, the Finance Minister also launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' on Friday for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience. The mobile app facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill, etc. as prescribed by the Constitution, it said.</p>.<p>4. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to contract by a record 7.7 per cent in the current fiscal ending March 31, 2021.</p>.<p>5. In her first Budget session in 2019, Sitharaman ditched the formal briefcase former ministers used and brought in a bahi-khata (ledger). The documents were packed in a bright red bag, and tied with golden lace. The bahi-khata was a step towards bringing Indian cultural practices to the Parliament.</p>.<p>6. The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will meet today to approve the Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.</p>.<p>6. Earlier today, the Finance Minister met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan before heading to Parliament, as per tradition.</p>.<p>8. Meanwhile, ahead of the Union Budget 2021-22, the BSE benchmark Sensex surged over 443 points and the NSE Nifty advanced 115 points, and the rupee appreciated by eight paise to 72.88 against the US dollar, in opening trade on Monday.</p>.<p>9. The Economic Survey 2020-21 had, on Friday, projected a V-shape recovery in GDP growth to 11 per cent in the next financial year from a historic contraction of 7.7 per cent in 2020-21 on account of the impact of coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>10. As for the Reserve Bank, it is likely to maintain a status quo on benchmark interest rate in its next monetary policy meet outcome to be announced on February 5.</p>
