On 1 February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget for the next financial year on the back of several challenges thrown up by the pandemic. In response, Indian stock markets zoomed over 2300 points on the day and even extended their rally today. But how did everyday people and experts view the Budget?

According to a Budget opinion poll by CVoter conducted on 2 February, 36.4 percent respondents said the Centre delivered "worse than expected" in the Budget. The survey also states that 25.1 percent people felt that the Budget was "better than expected" and 27.6 percent people said it was "just as expected".

Experts noted the budget as bold, transparent, and a big gamble on growth revival.

Among key highlights were a sharp rise in fiscal deficit, emphasis on capital expenditure, privatisation of public sector banks and primary focus on the health and wellness sector. However, digging deeper into the numbers, we noticed there's more than meets the eye.

References: The Big Story episode on the health budget: Health Budget Increased by 137 Percent But Enough for Recovery?

Producer and Host: Himmat Shaligram Guests: Dr Rathin Roy, leading economist and Director of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Sanjay Pugalia, Editorial Director for The Quint, and Saurabh Mukherjee, Founder of Marcellus Investment Managers.

Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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