22:14 (IST) 1 Feb 2026Breaking news live updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that government spending is driven by difficult priority choices and competing demandFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that government spending is driven by difficult priority choices and competing demands. At the Youth Dialogue on Budget 2026, she stressed that national defence cannot be compromised, noting that investments made over the last decade have strengthened military preparedness. She highlighted the challenge of balancing security needs with farmers’ welfare, fair prices for consumers, and the need for subsidies where markets fall short. She explained that managing such conflicting demands is a core challenge for any finance minister, especially since raising taxes is not always an option. However, once the economy showed clear signs of recovery, the focus shifted to reducing debt and repaying borrowings to avoid placing a long-term burden on the public.
