The Budget Session of Parliament commenced today with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of both Houses, outlining the government’s key policies and initiatives. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling the middle class’s dream of homeownership and emphasized the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ initiative, aiming to create three crore financially empowered women.

Following the President’s address, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The document, prepared under the leadership of Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran, provides an official assessment of the economy’s performance for the ongoing financial year.

The government has listed 16 Bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, alongside financial business for the session. On Saturday, Sitharaman will present the first full Budget of the Modi 3.0 government.

President Murmu lauded women’s growing role in various sectors, including aviation, law enforcement, and corporate leadership, as well as their achievements in the Olympics. She also highlighted the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and India’s aviation boom, with airlines placing orders for 1,700 new aircraft.

On national security, she stated that the abrogation of Article 370 has brought significant changes to Jammu and Kashmir, while government efforts have curbed separatism in the North East. She also mentioned the first Ashtalakshmi Festival, organized to showcase the potential of the eight North Eastern states.

In the field of technology, President Murmu highlighted India’s progress in artificial intelligence with the launch of the ‘India AI Mission’ and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to space exploration, stating that the first human spaceflight, Gaganyaan, is on the horizon.

The first phase of the Budget Session will conclude on February 13, with the session reconvening on March 10 and continuing until April 4, comprising a total of 27 sittings.