The main allocation was made to upgrading ITIs, which started in the 1950s to give vocational training to young people and help create a skilled workforce.
Pharma stocks had a mixed response after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced customs duty exemptions for 36 essential drugs and reduced rates for six others.
The government’s claim of fiscal consolidation by reducing the deficit to 4.4% of GDP looks good on paper, but the reliance on heavy borrowing—₹14.82 trillion—is bound to push inflation further. This ...