Protests Over Polls, I-T Bill Mark End of Budget Session's First Half

An eventful first half of the budget session of Parliament—which witnessed fiery debates, major disruptions, one of the most significant Union Budgets in decades, and the introduction of a new Income Tax bill—came to a close on Thursday.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

The budget session began on January 31 with the tabling of the Economy Survey in Parliament. A day later, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced her eighth consecutive Union Budget.

Her budget speech, the shortest at just 74 minutes (excluding the interim budget last year), was hailed as one of the most significant speeches in decades, with a sweeping tax rebate aimed at reviving consumption demand and addressing a cyclical slowdown in economic growth.