Budget 2025: Nirmala Sitharaman to unveil economic survey today

The Budget session 2025-26 will begin at around 11 am today with President Droupadi Murmu addressing the joint sitting of both the Houses. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Economic Survey before presenting the Union Budget. It will be introduced in the Lok Sabha at 12 noon and in the Rajya Sabha at 2 pm. The Economic Survey document, prepared under the supervision of the Department of Economic Affairs and the Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance, gives the state of the economy and several indicators of 2024-25 (April-March) and some outlook for the next financial year.

Possibility of discussion on important bills

Several important bills are likely to be taken up during the session. These include the Banking Laws Bill, 2024, which aims to strengthen banking regulation and supervision, and the Railways) Bill, 2024, which focuses on increasing the operational efficiency of Indian Railways. Another noteworthy proposal is the Disaster Management Bill, 2024, which will improve the disaster response mechanism across the country. Waqf Bill 2024 Important Bills can be discussed.

There may be many changes in maritime laws.
Other bills to be introduced include the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in the Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, which will address the redistribution of assembly constituencies to better represent the Scheduled Tribes in the state. The maritime laws will see several changes, including the Bill of Lading Bill, 2024, the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024, the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024 and the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, which will help to modernise shipping regulations.

The first part of the session will continue till the 13th of next month

Most of all, the Finance Bill, 2025 will be central to implementing budgetary proposals and tax reforms, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will announce on February 1. In terms of financial business, the session will discuss and vote on the Demands for Grants for 2025-26, followed by the introduction, consideration and passage of the relevant Appropriation Bill. The first part of the Budget session will continue till February 13 and both the Houses will meet again on March 10 after a recess with the conclusion of the session on April 4.