Budget session begins today, focus on Economic survey

With the Budget session of the Parliament commencing today, around 28 bills are set to be tabled in the Lok Sabha and 39 bills for the Rajya Sabha. 

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be presenting the last full Budget of the present government on February 1 ahead of the ruling government facing eight state elections in 2018 and the General Election in 2019.

Top developments to be looked into -

• Budget schedule

The Budget Session 2018 is scheduled to be held from January 29 to April 6. On February 9, both Houses of Parliament will be adjourned for recess and reassemble on March 5.

A total of 31 sittings including 8 sittings in First part and 23 sittings in the Second part in a period of 68 days will be provided in the session.

• Economic Survey of India

The Economic Survey of India will be presented to Parliament on January 29 reviewing the overall state of the economy in the last 12 months. 

• Recovery path for Indian Economy

Analysts and rating agencies have signalled a recovery in the Indian Economy for the next financial year predicting the growth rate in a range of 7 to 7.5 percent.

The GST implementation is opined to have more or less overcome the growing troubles and will start bearing fruits.

• PM Modi urges for parties to create constructive atmosphere in Budget Session

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all the political parties to create a constructive atmosphere in Budget Session further assuring that the issues raised by all would be given importance by the government.

He encouraged all the parties to prevent hypocrisy in Parliament and play a  more constructive role to provide concrete solutions national importance issues brought before the Committees.

• Post GST Budget

Post the GST (Goods and Services Tax) implementation, this is the first Budget. Since there are products which still remain outside the purview of GST, the 2018-19 budget could contain changes in customs and excise duties on these remaining products.

• Triple Talaq Bill

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, and other leaders of the Opposition attending a meeting ahead of the Budget session making a strong pitch to ensure the Triple Talaq bill is passed in the parliament.

• Speaker to accommodate all issues 

Ahead of the Budget session on Sunday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan assured that efforts will be made to accommodate all the issues in the session. 

He also informed that the first session will be 36 hours, of which only 19 hours will be left for discussions.

• Discussion of Bills in Budget session

Among the important bills which will be tabled for discussion and passage, the Muslim Women's (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education, 2017, the Codes of Wages Bill, 2017,  the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 will be discussed.

• PM Modi’s last budget?

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday made a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that it will be the last budget of Modi government.

• Opposition counter to Modi govt

Ahead of the meeting, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari was quoted saying, "We want to raise these issues as they are important. The government should adopt a cooperative attitude and allow the opposition to raise these issues.”

The Opposition plans to raise the issues such as the rising incidents of rapes, the plight of traders and the alleged "attack" on constitutional institutions to counter the government.