Page 2 - Nirmala Sitharaman

Cong 'anti-women', amended Constitution to help family: Sitharaman in RS

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the Congress party carried out major amendments to the Constitution to brazenly help the "family" and the "dynasty". She also termed the Congress party as "anti-women" for not passing the Women's Reservation Bill under pressure of its coalition partners. Initiating the discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India' in the Rajya Sabha, the senior BJP leader said the economic policies of the previous Congress governments for about 50 years did not strengthen the Indian economy. "Each time the Congress brazenly (amended Constitution)... only to help the family, the dynasty... kept amending the Constitution," she said. Citing various amendments, including the 42nd Constitutional Amendment and one related to the Shah Bano case, the Finance Minister said none of the amendments passed the test of four criteria -- economic good, social intent, due process, and constitutional spirit. She said the amendments w

Congress govt prioritised dynasty over democracy: Sitharaman in RS debate

Opening the Rajya Sabha debate on Monday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman accused previous Congress-led central governments of suppressing freedom of speech

Sri Lankan prez Dissanayake meets FM Sitharaman to discuss economic ties

Earlier on Sunday, Dissanayake also met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval

FinMin asks banks to closely monitor NCLT, NARCL cases to reduce delays

The Finance Ministry on Thursday asked banks to closely monitor cases in NARCL and NCLT to minimise procedural delays and adjournments so that bad loan resolution matters are expedited. An integrated portal is being developed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for seamless information flow to banks on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) cases, the finance ministry said in a statement. The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Department of Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju to address key operational challenges and enhance the efficiency of resolution mechanisms through the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) and NCLT. The discussion on cases at NARCL centred on expediting timelines for the resolution of accounts. The Secretary underscored NARCL's pivotal role as a specialised entity designed to accelerate the resolution of large-value stressed assets, thereby, strengthening the financial ecosystem, it said. During the meeting, it was info

GNPA of PSBs declines to 3.12% in Sep from 14.58% in March 2018: FinMin

Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of public sector banks (PSBs) have declined to a decade low of 3.12 per cent at the end of September 2024 from a peak of 14.98 per cent in March 2018 on the back of measures like the 4Rs -- recognition, recapitalisation, resolution, and reform -- taken by the government, the finance ministry said on Thursday. Since 2015, the government implemented a comprehensive 4Rs strategy of recognising NPAs transparently, resolution and recovery, recapitalising PSBs, and reforms in the financial system to address the challenges faced by PSBs, it said. Capital adequacy ratio of PSBs improved 393 bps to reach 15.43 per cent in September 2024 from 11.45 per cent in March 2015, it said. During 2023-24, PSBs recorded the highest-ever aggregate net profit of Rs 1.41 lakh crore against Rs 1.05 lakh crore in 2022-23, it said, adding that the figure was Rs 0.86 lakh crore in the first half of 2024-25. In the last three years, PSBs have paid total dividend of Rs 61,964

Centre seeks Parliament approval for extra Rs 86,730 crore spending in FY25

The net additional spending, as stated by the government, amounts to Rs 44,183 crore for the financial year ending March 31

Retailers urge FinMin and GST Council not to go for higher 35% tax rate

Indian Sellers Collective, an umbrella body of trade associations and sellers across the country, has urged the finance minister and the GST Council not to accept some of GST rate rationalisation suggestions, including the proposal for inclusion of a special rate of 35 per cent on some products. The sellers body is of the view that a fifth GST slab of 35 per cent on demerit goods such as aerated beverages, cigarettes and tobacco, and pricing-based rate structure will materially and fundamentally alter the country's GST framework with devastating outcomes. These recommendations violate both the letter and the spirit that it will be a 'good and simple tax', Indian Sellers Collective said in a statement on Thursday ahead of the 55th GST Council meeting to be held on December 21, 2024 at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. "On the contrary, it will hurt the profit margins of the retailers, lead to compliance nightmares and fuel a parallel economy. This move will primarily benefit Chinese producers wh

Reducing debt burden priority for next decade, says FM Sitharaman

Sitharaman said that intergenerational debt is mounting on countries, and it is important for the government and industry to work together to manage debt at the national and sub-national levels

PSBs were UPA's ATM for cronies: FM Sitharaman hits out at Rahul Gandhi

Finance Minister Nirmala on Wednesday termed the allegation of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi against state-owned banks as an insult to the hardworking employees and to the citizens who benefit from a cleaner, stronger banking system. Gandhi has a penchant for making baseless statements and the fact is that high concentration of corporate credit and indiscriminate lending during UPA tenure had resulted in significant deterioration in the health of public sector banks, she said in a series of posts on X. Banking sector, especially Public Sector Banks (PSBs), have seen a remarkable turnaround under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said. Earlier in the day, Gandhi after meeting a delegation from the All India Banking Officers Confederation accused the government of using public sector banks, the "lifelines of the masses", as an unlimited source of funds for their "fraudulent friends". "The Modi government has turned these lifelines of the masses into privat

FM counters Rahul on PSBs, says their turnaround has benefitted everyone

Gandhi alleged on X that the Narendra Modi government has turned PSBs ("lifelines of the masses") into private financiers for only the rich and powerful corporations

Industry must realign itself with political, strategic policies: Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the industry will have to realign its policies keeping in mind political and strategic decisions of the country. Outlining the priorities of the economy for the next decade, Sitharaman also said attempts should be made to restore global calm and normalcy and noted that war or any form of disruption should be avoided. Sitharaman said the economy has to "clawback" more to regain its strength after the Covid pandemic and any skirmish or war will impact the supply chains and food value chains. "The world is facing challenges which are reflected in the economy," the Minister said at the CII Global Economic Policy Forum here. Talking about ways to tackle supply chain disruptions, Sitharaman said currently there is a need to blend economic priorities with politics and strategic needs. "When we talk about restoring supply chains to frictionless supply chains, let's not forget it's not just economics, it's more than that... We have to b

PM Narendra Modi launches LIC's 'Bima Sakhi Yojana' to empower women

LIC's Bima Sakhi Yojana to enrol 100,000 women in 12 months

May RBI grow even taller as institution of trust: Das' parting message

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, who will demit office later today, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their guidance and encouragement

Govt mulls bond issue for middle-class, rates could beat retail inflation

The new scheme, likely to be backed by Nabfid, aims to offer retail investors an alternative savings route to equity markets

Fiscal-monetary coordination at its best in last six years: Shaktikanta Das

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Tuesday said the fiscal-monetary coordination was at its best during the last six years even as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving the opportunity to head the monetary authority of the country. Das, in a series of posts on X, on his last day of his six-year term as RBI Governor, also thanked the Finance Minister, various stakeholders and his colleagues at the central bank. "Immensely grateful to the Hon'ble PM @narendramodi for giving me this opportunity to serve the country as Governor RBI and for his guidance and encouragement. Benefited a lot from his ideas and thoughts," he said in a post on X from his personal handle. Expressing gratitude to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her constant support and backing, he said, fiscal-monetary coordination was at its best and helped to deal with multiple challenges during the last six years. He also thanked all the stakeholders in the financial sector and in the economy; expe

RBI Governor Das meets FM Sitharaman ahead of former's term coming to end

The meeting took place at the finance minister's North Block office. Sources said that the meeting lasted around 20 minutes and was considered customary following the MPC meeting

RBI Guv Das meets FM Sitharaman two days before end of his extended term

A day after presenting bi-monthly monetary policy, Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Saturday met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The meeting comes just ahead of the extended term of incumbent RBI Governor coming to an end. Das's three-year extended term comes to an end on December 10. In 2021, the government had announced a three-year extension to Das's tenure, a month before his term came to an end. According to sources, Das called on the Finance Minister in the evening here. The career bureaucrat-turned-central banker, Das, was appointed the 25th RBI Governor on December 12, 2018, after the abrupt exit of Urjit Patel. With the three-year-extension granted to Das, he is already one of the longest serving RBI governors in its 90-year history. The RBI had on Friday opted for a status quo on the rates for the 11th consecutive time, amid growing calls to address the slowdown in GDP growth in the September quarter at 5.4 per cent. Das, while unveiling bi-monthly policy,

Farmers seek low taxes, doubling PM-KISAN amount in pre-budget meet with FM

Farmer representatives and agricultural stakeholders urged the government to provide cheaper long-term credit, implement lower taxes, and double the PM-KISAN income support during a comprehensive pre-budget consultation with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. The two-hour meeting saw a detailed discussion of proposals, aimed at addressing multiple challenges in the agricultural sector, with key demands focusing on financial relief, market reforms, and strategic investments. Bharat Krishak Samaj Chairman Ajay Vir Jakhar emphasised the need for targeted interventions to boost agricultural productivity and farmer welfare. Primary demands included reducing interest rates on agricultural loans to as low as 1 per cent and increasing the annual PM-KISAN instalment from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000. Farmers' bodies also strongly advocated for zero-premium crop insurance for small farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Taxation reforms were a critical component of the .

Q2 GDP showing not a systemic slowdown, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

India's growth slowed to a seven-quarter low of 5.4 per cent in the July-September period of FY25

Finance minister Sitharaman to begin pre-Budget consultation from Friday

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will start pre-Budget consultations with various stakeholders beginning Friday as part of Budget making exercise. The first meeting as part of this series will be held with eminent economists on December 6. Sitharaman, who will chair these meetings, will seek their inputs regarding upcoming Budget amid seven-quarter low GDP print of 5.4 per cent in second quarter of the current financial year. It will be followed by a meeting with farmer associations and agriculture economists and stakeholders in MSME sector on December 7, sources said. Union Budget 2025-26 is likely to be tabled in Parliament on February 1. This would be the eighth straight Budget of Sitharaman and second full budget of the Modi 3.0 government, which will give policy direction for achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047. The pre-Budget consultations will end on December 30 with consultations with captains of Indian industry and players in the social secto