Archive · 1 Feb 2026
Sitharaman Unveils Visionary Budget with Khelo India Mission
On February 1, 2026, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister of India, presented her ninth budget.
She used a digital tablet inside a traditional red pouch, showing a mix of old and new traditions.
The budget included a big plan called the Khelo India Mission to improve sports in India over the next 10 years.
This plan will help train coaches, use better technology, and build new sports places.
The budget also talked about helping women start businesses, supporting farmers, and building new train tracks.
Some people liked the budget because it focuses on growth and being careful with money.
But others, like the Congress party, said it didn't help farmers, young people looking for jobs, or poor communities.
They also said the budget wasn't clear about how much money would go to important programs.
The budget aims to keep the country's economy growing while being careful with spending.
Nirmala Sitharaman presented her ninth consecutive Union Budget on February 1, 2026, using a digital tablet in a red bahi-khata pouch, continuing the paperless format introduced by the Modi government.
The budget introduced the Khelo India Mission, a 10-year plan to transform India's sports sector by enhancing training, infrastructure, and technology, and promoting tournaments and leagues.
The budget allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the Khelo India Programme, with a total budget of Rs 3,794 crore for the sports ministry, reflecting a significant increase in funding for sports development.
Sitharaman announced the SHE-Marts programme to support women entrepreneurs, building on the success of the Lakhpati Didi scheme, and proposed initiatives for high-value agriculture and fisheries.
The budget aimed for a fiscal deficit of 4.3% of GDP for FY27, with a GDP growth target of 7%, and included measures to boost infrastructure, education, and social welfare programs.
- Who
- Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Finance Minister of India
- What
- Presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27, including the launch of the Khelo India Mission and various economic and social initiatives
- When
- February 1, 2026, at 11 a.m.
- Where
- Parliament, New Delhi
- Why
- To outline the government's fiscal roadmap for the coming year, balancing welfare commitments with capital expenditure and long-term reforms, and to present a vision for India's economic and social development
Government and Supporters
Opposition and Critics
Economic Strategy and Fiscal Prudence
Government and Supporters
The government highlights the budget's focus on fiscal prudence, long-term growth, and strategic self-reliance, emphasizing a balanced approach to economic challenges.
Opposition and Critics
Critics argue that the budget fails to address major economic challenges, lacks bold fiscal consolidation, and does not provide solutions to issues like unemployment, falling manufacturing, and farmer distress.
Budget Allocations and Transparency
Government and Supporters
Supporters praise the budget for its well-balanced and forward-looking nature, highlighting increased allocations for infrastructure, education, and social welfare programs.
Opposition and Critics
Opposition parties criticize the budget for being non-transparent, lacking clear budgetary allocations for key programs, and favoring big corporations over common people.
Impact on Different Sectors
Government and Supporters
The government emphasizes the budget's positive impact on sectors like infrastructure, education, and social welfare, aiming to empower women, farmers, and youth.
Opposition and Critics
Critics point out that the budget does not address the concerns of specific regions or sectors adequately, such as the lack of allocation for an AIIMS in Kerala or support for poll-bound states.
- Budget Presentation Date
- February 1, 2026
- Budget Presentation Time
- 11 a.m.
- Budget Format
- Digital tablet in red bahi-khata pouch
- Number of Budgets Presented by Sitharaman
- 9
- Symbolic Change from
- Colonial-era briefcase to bahi-khata
- Students Witnessing Budget
- 30 from various academic disciplines
- Location of Budget Presentation
- Parliament
- Post-Budget Interaction
- With senior officials at Ministry of Finance
- Khelo India Mission Duration
- 10 years
- Khelo India Mission Focus Areas
- Enhanced training for coaches, support staff, sports science, technology, and infrastructure
- Budget Allocation for Khelo India Programme (2023-24)
- Rs 1,000 crore
- Budget Allocation for Khelo India Programme (2024-25)
- Rs 900 crore
- Budget Allocation for Khelo India Programme (2026-27)
- Rs 1,000 crore
- Total Budget Allocation for Sports Ministry (2026-27)
- Rs 3,794 crore
- Fiscal Deficit Projection for FY27
- 4.3% of GDP
- GDP Growth Target for FY27
- 7%
- Capital Expenditure Outlay for FY27
- ₹12.2 lakh crore
- High-Speed Rail Corridors Announced
- 7
- SHE-Marts Programme
- New platform for women entrepreneurs
- Allocation for Bharat VISTAAR
- Rs 150 crore
- Allocation for High-Value Agriculture
- Rs 350 crore
- Gross Market Borrowings for FY27
- ₹17.2 lakh crore
- Net Market Borrowings for FY27
- ₹11.7 lakh crore
- Debt-to-GDP Ratio Target for FY27
- 55.6%
Sources
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