New Delhi: It was not a regular Sunday for India today. While most of us were planning a relaxed holiday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was creating history in Parliament. Presenting her 9th consecutive Union Budget—the first ever to be delivered on a Sunday—she has laid out a massive roadmap for Viksit Bharat.

From big tax reliefs to a complete makeover of the Income Tax Act, here is everything you need to know in simple language.

1. The Big Tax Relief: Nil Tax up to ₹12 Lakh!

The biggest “shout-out” in this budget is for the middle-class taxpayers. Under the New Tax Regime, the government has made a bold move. If your annual income is up to ₹12,00,000 (12 Lakh), you don’t have to pay a single paisa in income tax!

But wait, there’s more for the salaried folks. The Standard Deduction has been maintained at a high level, meaning if you earn up to ₹12.75 Lakh, you still walk away with zero tax liability. This is a huge win for the Common Man who was struggling with

rising prices.

2. Goodbye 1961 Act, Welcome ‘New Income Tax Act 2025’

The Finance Minister announced a major “cleanup” of our old tax laws. The Income Tax Act of 1961—which was over 60 years old—is being replaced by the New Income Tax Act 2025, effective from April 1, 2026.

• Simple Language: No more “lawyer-style” complex English.

• Shorter Version: The number of sections has been cut down from 819 to 536.

• Transparent: Over 1,200 provisos have been removed to make it easy for a normal person to understand their own taxes.

3. Smart Spending: Infrastructure and Railways

The government is ready to spend a record ₹12.2 Lakh Crore on Capital Expenditure (Capex). What does this mean for you? Better roads, faster trains, and more jobs.

• Railways: The Vande Bharat success continues. The government will also develop 7 New High-Speed Rail Corridors across the country.

• Safety First: A massive push for the Kavach 4.0 (anti-collision system) to ensure our train journeys are 100% safe.

• Waterways: 20 New National Waterways will be operationalized in the next 5 years.

4. Support for ‘Apni’ Companies (MSMEs & Startups)

To make India a global manufacturing hub, the SME Growth Fund has been launched with a corpus of ₹10,000 Crore.

• Semiconductors: A massive ₹40,000 Crore has been kept aside for the India Semiconductor Mission 2.0. This will help brands like Tata and others to make world-class chips right here in India.

• Women Entrepreneurs: Loans up to ₹2 Crore will now be available for women and SC/ST entrepreneurs to start their own businesses.

5. Health and Lifestyle

• Cancer Relief: In a very “dil-jeet-ne-wala” (heart-winning) move, 36 Life-Saving Drugs (especially for Cancer) have been exempted from Customs Duty, making them much cheaper for patients.

• Medical Seats: 10,000 New Seats will be added to medical colleges, ensuring more doctors for our growing population.

6. Jobs and the Youth

The budget is focusing heavily on the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) sector. The government predicts this field will need 2 Million (20 Lakh) professionals by 2030. To help this, Content Creator Labs will be set up in 15,000 schools.

The Bottom Line

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this budget—dubbed the ‘Kartavya’ Budget—tries to balance the books while giving more money into the hands of the public. Whether you are a student looking for a job in AI, a businessman running an MSME, or a salaried person worried about ITR, there is something for everyone.

Market Reaction: Even on a Sunday, the BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty stayed open and showed a “green” signal, welcoming the FM’s vision for a stable and growing India.

• Fiscal Deficit Target: 4.3%

• GDP Growth Estimate: 7.4%

• Standard Deduction: ₹75,000 (under New Regime)

• Senior Citizen Tax Deduction: Doubled to ₹1 Lakh