Adhering to customary practice, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accompanied by her colleagues Ministers of State Bhagwat Karad and Pankaj Chaudhary, initiated her visit by meeting President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan before the Budget presentation in Parliament on Thursday morning.
President Droupadi Murmu offered sweet curd to the Finance Minister ahead of the big day to ensure good luck.
This was Nirmala Sitharaman's sixth Budget as the Finance Minister and last in the second term of the Modi government.
In the last three years, a novel tradition has emerged, wherein the finance minister transports budget documents in electronic format within a 'bahi khata.'
"I propose to retain the same tax rates for direct and indirect taxes including import duties," said FM. FM Sitharaman made no changes in the income tax rates. She however said, govt will withdraw some very old tax cases from which over 1 crore taxpayers will benefit from withdrawal of cases.