Photo: HTThe budget to be presented on 1 February will be the last full budget of this government. But whether this will be the last full budget of the Narendra Modi government will depend on the outcome of the elections to be held in 2019. The contours of the budget are more or less known given the stress in the economy and the political exigencies of this being a pre-election budget. It will certainly be a budget keeping the electorate in mind; but whether it will also be a budget that can revive the economy is a question that can be answered only after the budget’s presentation. The stress in the rural economy has only worsened with growth in rural wages slowing after a brief spurt last year.

Source: Mint January 15, 2018 19:52 UTC