On February 1, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Government’s budget for the year 2025-26. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said on Sunday that the allocation in this year’s Union Budget has increased. This time an allocation of Rs 4.49 lakh crore has been made, which is 37.5 percent more than last year’s allocation.
On February 1, 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Government’s budget for the year 2025-26. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said on Sunday that the allocation in this year’s Union Budget has increased. This time an allocation of Rs 4.49 lakh crore has been made, which is 37.5 percent more than last year’s allocation.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced in her budget speech on Saturday that the total budget is 8.86 percent. Last year’s allocation was Rs 3.27 lakh crore, which was 6.8 percent of last year’s total budget. This year’s budget also saw a record number of ministries and departments reporting allocations under the Gender Budget Statement (GBS).
Five Union Territories as well as 49 ministries and departments have been included in the GBS with gender-focused allocations, up from last year’s 38 ministries and departments.
Twelve new ministries and departments have been included in the GBS for the first time, reflecting a broader commitment to gender-focused budgeting, the ministry said in a statement. The allocations are classified into three sections within the GBS.
Part A covers 100 per cent women-specific schemes. Part B includes schemes with 30-99 per cent allocations for women. While, Part C covers schemes with less than 30 per cent allocations for women.
Lok Sabha gets Rs 903 crore, Rajya Sabha gets Rs 413 crore
The Union Budget has allocated Rs 903 crore to the Lok Sabha, more than double the amount given to the Rajya Sabha. Out of the total Rs 903 crore, Rs 558.81 crore has been allocated to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, including grants-in-aid to Sansad TV.
Out of the Rs 413 crore allocated to the Rajya Sabha, Rs 2.52 crore has been allocated for the salary and allowances of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. A separate allocation of Rs 3 crore has been made in the Rajya Sabha budget for the salary and allowances of the Leader of Opposition and his secretariat.
The budget also allocates Rs 98.84 crore for members. For the Lok Sabha, Rs 1.56 crore has been allocated for the salary and allowances of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman and there is no separate provision for the Leader of Opposition.
