Union Budget 2021 LIVE Updates: Income Tax Slabs Left Untouched, Markets Give Budget 2021 A Big Thumbs Up

01:20 PM: Farm cess of Rs 2.5/litre on petrol and Rs 4 on diesel proposed

12:52 PM: No changes in Income tax slabs

12:50 PM: FM Sitharaman concludes Budget speech.

12:49 PM: Custom duty on cotton raised to help farmers

12:48 PM: Customs duty on certain automobile parts raised.

12:46 PM: Customs duty on gold and silver to be rationalized

12:37 PM: Tax exemptions for notified affordable rental housing for migrant workers

12:30 PM: FM: Dispute resolution committee to be set up for tax related disputes

12:28 PM: FM simplifies direct tax regime. Senior citizens above 75 years exempted from filing tax returns.

12:27 PM: Tax system should put minimum burden on people

12:26 PM: Census 2021 to go digital. Rs 3,768 cr allocated for Digital Census

12:21 PM: FM: Fiscal deficit in FY 2021-22 estimated at 6.8% of GDP

12:20 PM: FM: Fiscal deficit pegged at 9.5% of GDP in FY 2020-21. Govt needs another Rs 80,000 cr for which government will approach markets in next two months

12:18 PM: Rs 1000 cr announced for tea workers of Assam and West Bengal

12:12 PM: 750 Ekalavya model schools and 100 new Sainik schools to be set up

12:11 PM: 15,000 schools to be strengthened. Focus on tribal students.

Social Security net extended to cover gig and platform workers

12:10 PM: Central University to be set up in Leh

12:06 PM: Government to allow one-person companies

12:03 PM: Sensex fast inching towards 1000 points. Sensex at 911.65 points, Nifty at 247.45 points

12:01 PM: FM Sitharaman: 43 lakh wheat growing farmers benefitted from MSP. MSP procurement to continue

11:59 AM: FM Sitharaman say government committed to welfare of farmers

11:58 AM: Oppositions hoots as FM Sitharaman begins to speak about welfare measures taken for farmers

11:57 AM: Government announces it disinvestment target for FY21-22. Rs 1.75 Lakh Cr to be raised from disinvestment

11:55 AM: FM: All disinvestments announced to be completed by March 31, 2022

11:54 AM: LIC opened up for public investment

11:53 AM: Government to bring IPO in LIC

11:52 AM: Rs 20,000 Cr for recapitalisation of government banks

11:49 AM: Sensex up over 800 points, Nifty at over 200 points

11:46 AM: Insurance Act to be amended. FDI limit in insurance sector to be hiked to 74%

11:44 AM: Rs 5.54 lakh cr for capital expenditure

11:43 AM: Rs 2.87 lakh cr announced for Urban Jal Jeevan Mission. Rs 1.14 lakh cr announced for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission. Rs 1.10 lakh cr announced for Indian Railways

11:40 AM: Rs 3.05 lakh cr announced for power sector

11:38 AM: Budget focuses on self-reliance, starting with health and well being. Rs 2,200 cr allocated for clean air.

A regional research centre for WHO and 4 virology labs announced.

11:35 AM: Big infra push in Budget. National Railway Plan by 2023. Mega metro rail expansion plan.

11:31 AM: Assam to get over Rs 34,000 crore for road projects. Work worth Rs 19,000 crore underway

11:28 AM: States to be asked to spend more on infrastructure. Rs 2 lakh crore for states

11:27 AM: National Highways Authority of India to be privatized. Airports to be monetized

11:24 AM: Sensex at over 600 points, Nifty at over 170 points

11:20 AM: Rs 35,000 crore set aside for COVID vaccines

11:19 AM: Policy to improve environment. Voluntary vehicle scrapping policy announced

11:16 AM: Rs 64,180 cr announced for Pradhan Mantri Aatmanirbhar Swasth Yojana. Sitharaman lays down 6 pillars of budget 2021:

11:15 AM: Aatmanirbhar Swasth Yojana announced

11:13 AM: 1st pillar of Budget is health and healthcare. New scheme announced.

11:11 AM: FM Sitharaman: Budget based on 6 pillars

11:10 AM: FM Sitharaman presents a vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat

11:08 AM: This Budget will be a digital Budget. Unprecedented economic contraction in global economy

11:05 AM: FM Sitharaman mentions over Rs 27 lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat packages, Pradhan Mantri announced by the government to tide over the crisis due to COVID pandemic

11:02 AM: FM Sitharaman delivers Budget speech amid slogan shouting by Opposition

11:00 AM: Finance Minister presents Union Budget 2021

10:55 AM: Budget 2021 coming up shortly

10:52 AM: Sensex up over 500 points, Nifty up over 120 points

10:12 AM: PM Narendra Modi in Parliament for Cabinet meeting to approve Budget 2021

9:45 AM: Meanwhile just ahead of the Finance Minister presenting the budget for 2021, the Dalal Street reacted with - the Sensex jumping to 400 points; Nifty reclaims 13,700; ICICI Bank rises 3%

9:30 AM: Union Budget 2021 goes paperless

9:20 AM: FM Sitharaman had launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' on January 23

9:10 AM: FM Sitharaman poses for the camera with her officials outside North Block where Finance Ministry is located

9:00 AM: Cabinet meeting at 10:15 AM to approve Budget 2021

8:45 AM: FM Nirmala Sitharaman at Finance Ministry with team

Budget likely to announce a COVID cess

Focus of Budget: Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikash says Minister of State for Finance, Anurag Thakur

Budget to be as per peoples' expectations:

Minister of State for Finance, Anurag Thakur

This will be the 9th Budget of Narendra Modi government

Nirmala Sitharaman to present her third Budget as Finance Minister

Budget amid COVID pandemic

Salaried class hoping for some tax relief