The Union Budget 2026–27 did not introduce any major changes to income tax rates, but rationalised penal provisions, eased the compliance burden, and simplified return filing through redesigned forms, following the enactment of the Income Tax Act, 2025. “The simplified Income Tax Rules and Forms will be notified shortly, giving adequate time to taxpayers to…
Maharashtra left empty-handed despite being major driver of GDP: Cong’s Wadettiwar The Union Budget has once again dealt a blow to Maharashtra and left farmers, workers and the middle class deeply disappointed, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said on Sunday (February 1, 2026). Addressing reporters in Nagpur, Mr. Wadettiwar alleged Maharashtra has been “left empty-handed”…
By ring-fencing tax benefits, the government emphasizes long-term investment in sovereign instruments and ensures uniform treatment across all SGB issuances, promoting stable investment behavior and discouraging short-term speculative trading. | Photo Credit: lakshmiprasad S The Budget has clarified that the capital gains tax exemption on sovereign gold bonds will not apply to investors who purchase…
MUMBAI: Trekking trails in the Himalayas and the Ghats, archaeological sites such as the Indus Valley Civilisation excavations in Gujarat and Haryana, and Buddhist sites in the northeastern states are among the schemes that the government has proposed to promote thematic tourism. These projects will be developed under existing schemes of the ministry of tourism…
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shows the digital tablet, enclosed in a traditional red ‘bahi-khata’ style pouch, at the Parliament premises before presenting of the ‘Union Budget 2026-27’, in New Delhi on February 1, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI A total outlay of over ₹50 lakh crore for all Ministries was given in the 2026-27 Union…
Silver prices in India dipped sharply as reported on February 1 across all major cities. The price of one gram silver and one kg silver dipped ₹30 and ₹30,000, respectively compared with the previous session’s closing price. This report provides a detailed, city-by-city breakdown of the latest silver prices. Market experts remain constructive on silver…
Union Budget 2026: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed penalty provision for non-compliance in reporting of cryptocurrency assets in line with the new Income-Tax (I-T) Act scheduled to come into effect from 1 April. During her Budget speech, she noted, “To ensure compliance with the provisions of Section 509 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 and…
With the current outdated definition of affordable housing, CREDAI said the affordable housing segment’s share could decline further from 18% to nearly 12% of total housing supply. Image used for representative purpose only. | Photo Credit: Reuters Realtors’ apex body CREDAI on Sunday (February 1, 2026) expressed disappointment that the Union Budget did not provide…
Gold and silver prices remained under pressure on Sunday afternoon following the Union Budget presentation, with traders attributing the decline primarily to global macro factors rather than Budget announcements, as both metals recovered partially from morning lows after hitting lower circuits. MCX gold futures traded 5 per cent lower after a modest intraday recovery, having…
The Union Budget on Sunday announced the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, multilingual platform, Bharat Vistaar, to provide region-specific and verified advisories to farmers. Presenting the budget for fiscal year 2026-27, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Bharat Vistaar, short for virtually integrated system to access agricultural resources, will integrate the government’s agri stack…
