MADHUBANI (ANI) – Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman paid tribute to Madhubani art by wearing a saree gifted by Padma Shri awardee Dulari Devi while presenting the Budget on February 1.

In an interview to Mint and HT, FM Nirmala Sitharaman explained the philosophy behind the new Income Tax bill, what the government is doing to ensure regulators don’t operate in silos, how the government is trying to diversify export markets and the plan to reach 8% GDP growth.

Sitharaman holds the record for the longest budget speech when her presentation lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes in 2020.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in an exclusive post-Budget interview to NDTV said the government has not cut back on defence spending, rather it ensured that defence pensions and procurement expenses are never lowered.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the the tax proposal will allow people to have more money in their hands.

In a massive relief to the middle class, union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced an increased income tax exemption for those with income up to ₹12 lakh per annum. This means that people who earn under ₹12 lakh per annum will not have to pay any taxes.