Budget 2018: What Pranab, Chidambaram & Jaitley did & didn't do in the past

Here are the key highlights of the Union Budgets from 1997 to 2017

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is all set to present Budget 2018 on February 1. While Budget expectations and Budget wishlist have started coming from all quarters and sectors, what the finance minister will announce in his Budget speech is known only to a select few members of the Budget-making team of the finance ministry.

There is a view that Jaitley would deliver a populist Budget this time, given that it is the last full Budget of the Narendra Modi-led central government in its present term. However, this has been a fiscally difficult year for the government, and prudent economics would not allow him to give freebies.

There have been reports that Jaitley might even consider increasing the personal income tax exemption limit to benefit the middle class salaried people, who have been impacted lately by rising retail inflaion.

Business Standard takes a look at the past Budgets and the key highlights that took the centre stage and became a talking point.

Click here to read → Budget 2018