FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLI No. 236 | INDORE | SUNDAY | FEBRUARY 2, 2025 | Pages 20+4 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE INDIA YIELDS ON HARLEY-DAVIDSON UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper I AM COMING AFTER YOU Ahead of PM Modi’s anticipated visit, India has taken a decisive step to ease tensions with the United States by further slashing tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles—a move that has long been a flashpoint between the two nations. In the Union Budget 2025, the government announced a significant reduction in the basic customs duty on imported motorcycles. This policy shift comes in response to persistent criticism over India’s high tariffs—a subject that previously drew sharp rebukes from U.S. President Donald Trump, who, despite his cordial relationship with PM Modi, has castigated India as a "tariff king." US President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday night that numerous ISIS terrorists were eliminated in caves by US airstrikes he had ordered. Trump went on to accuse former President Joe Biden of failing to act swiftly. "I did! The message to ISIS and everyone else who would attack Americans is that WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL BUDGET 2025-26 | Finance Minister presents Budget with an expenditure of Rs 50,65,345 crore, an increase of 7.4% over current fiscal HOLY ‘DIP’ FOR MIDDLE CLASS Individuals earning up to Rs 12.75 lakh in a year will not have to pay any taxes ALLOCATION DEFENCE `4,91,732 cr RURAL DEVELOPMENT `2,66,817 cr HOME AFFAIRS `2,33,211 cr AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED ACTIVITIES `1,71,437 cr EDUCATION `1,28,650 cr HEALTH ` 98,311 cr URBAN DEVELOPMENT `96,777 cr IT AND TELECOM `95,298 cr ENERGY `81,174 cr Centre of Excellence in Artificial Six new schemes and increased New scheme for 5 lakh women, Intelligence for education with Kisan Credit Card loan limit to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled a total outlay of Rs 500 crore Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh Tribes first-time entrepreneurs PTI Inclusive budget: CM NEW DELHI Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced significant income tax cuts for the middle class and unveiled a blueprint for next generation reforms for Viksit Bharat as she treaded a fine line between fiscal prudence and providing a thrust to growth. Individuals earning up to Rs 12 lakh in a year will not have to pay any taxes after she raised the exemption threshold from Rs 7 lakh. An additional Rs 75,000 standard deduction is available for the salaried class. Presenting her eighth straight budget, she also altered tax slabs for people earning above this threshold to help save up to Rs 1.1 lakh in taxes for those with income up to Rs 25 lakh in a year. "The new structure will substantially reduce taxes on the middle class and leave more money in their hands, boosting household consumption, savings and investment," Sitharaman said presenting what was dubbed as 'reformist' budget for the next fiscal in Lok Sabha. The Budget for April 2025 to March 2026 fiscal (FY26) pro- Bhopal: CM Mohan Yadav welcomed the Union budget and said special provisions have been made for poor, youths, farmers and women. It is a revolutionary budget and yet another step in the direction of making India a self-reliant country TRIVIA n Nirmala Sitharaman sports Madhubani saree made by Padma awardee Dulari Devi n First Finance Minister to present eight consecutive budgets n President Droupadi Murmu offers 'dahi-cheeni' to Nirmala n Carries digital tablet wrapped in a traditional 'bahi-khata' style red pouch I congratulate Finance Minister and her team for presenting a people’s Budget — ‘Janata Janardan Ka Budget’ Narendra Modi Prime Minister posed to raise foreign investment limit in insurance sector to 100 per cent from current 74 per cent and continued spending spree on infrastructure while raising allocations for social sectors as well as providing for measures for poor, youth, farmers and women. All this she did while managing to stick to the fiscal consolidation roadmap, projecting a fiscal deficit of 4.4 per cent of the GDP in FY26 as against an estimated 4.8 per cent in the current year ending March 31. Commenting on the announcements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it is a "people's budget" that fulfils the dreams of every Indian and said that it is a "force-multiplier" that will boost consumption, investment and growth. MP set to benefit in multiple ways Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Madhya Pradesh is likely to benefit from the Union Budget in many sectors, particularly in agriculture. This will help give further momentum to the development wheel of the state, resulting in economic empowerment. The Union Budget speaks about launching of Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses with SEE PAGES 2-14 special focus on tur, urad and masoor. Madhya Pradesh is one of the highest producers of pulses, grown in areas such as Narmadapuram, Betul, Raisen, parts of Bundelkhand and Malwa etc. Hence, the scheme will give immense benefit to the state, increasing the income of farmers cultivating pulses. As the salaried class will not have to pay any tax on income up to Rs 12 lakh, this will increase the consumption pro- cess, which will indirectly boost the economy of the state. Madhya Pradesh is an agriculture-based state and the Union government’s decision to increase the Kisan Credit Card limit upto Rs 5 lakh is going to empower farmers. Moreover, the Union Budget speaks about covering 100 low agriculture productivity districts under the PM DhanDhaanya Krishi Yojana. Some districts of state with low farm yield may be included in the scheme. The Centre has also decided to start 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools in the next five years. Under this scheme, Madhya Pradesh is all set to make efforts to get the labs. The state will also make efforts to get benefits under the Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education Scheme which has an outlay of Rs 500 crore. The state’s MSME sector is growing at a rapid pace and the provisions in the budget for this sector will prove a shot in the arm for it.