Country On Track To Achieve 4.5% Fiscal Deficit, Says Finance Minister

Nirmala Sitharaman also gave numbers for the outlay on agriculture, rural development and other social sector -- areas the Opposition has been targeting the government over.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the government is on track to achieve the target of 4.5 per cent fiscal deficit by 2025-26. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha as part of her reply to the debate on the budget, she also gave numbers for the outlay on agriculture, rural development and other social sector -- areas the Opposition has been targeting the government over.

From 2026-27,  the country will "adhere to a path to ensure that the central government debt as a percentage of GDP is at a declining trend," she said.

"The government has always maintained fiscal prudence as one of the important governance principles. From the low levels of GDP during the Covid-19 pandemic, India has become the fastest-growing economy," she added.