With the Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman revealing the budget of India for the financial year 2025-26, which includes the tax exemption for employees winning up to Rs 12 Lakh per year, we examine how it affects Indian sport – Federations with flagship programs such as Khelo India.
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The Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, presented the Union budget on Saturday with the highest point that the announcement being employees earning up to Rs 12 Lakh per year being exempt from income tax. The decision comes as an excellent news for taxpayers as well as for analysts who demanded a reduction in income tax due to the increase in life costs in the country.
Living | The Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman reveals the budget of the Union 2025
Sitharaman has also introduced modifications to the tariff structure for customs with several elements, including vital drugs and patient assistance programs, exempt from basic customs duties.
How does the Union 2025-26 budget affect Indian sport? Here is what you need to know:
KHELO India obtains the largest slice of sports budgetary pie
Among the protruding facts of Sitharaman’s announcement on the first day of February, there was the Ministry of Business and Sports of the Young which was presented for the previous year.
“KHELO India” – KHELO India ” – The flagship sports program of the central government which aims to maintain a strong sports culture in the country is from the level of the base, which also hosts annual multidisciplinary young games which take place at a national level.
The KHELO India program has been established a budget of 1,000 roots of rupes compared to the driver of RS 800 during the financial year 2024-25.
खेलेगा इंडिया, तभी तो खिलेगा इंडिया! 🇮🇳
Gratitude to PM Shri @Narendramodi JI & FM SMT. @NSitharaman JI to increase the budget of the Ministry of Affairs and Sports of Youth # Viksitbharatbudget2025.
This will further strengthen Sports infra, stimulate Khelo India and develop … pic.twitter.com/lxsmkrznir
– Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@Mansukhmandviya) February 1, 2025
In addition, national sports federations should receive assistance from Rs 400 RS 340 crosses in the previous year, while autonomous sports organizations, including the sports authority of India and the National Anti-Doping Agency, were allocated to Rs 1,558 crore.
A substantial part of the sports budget – RS 2 191.01 crore to be precise – has been reserved for central diets and projects. This includes the Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakaram, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare for Sportspersons, National Sports Development Fund, among others, in addition to the Khelo India program.
The increase in the sports budget occurs at a time when India has made rapid progress in the main global sporting events such as the Paralympic Games, the nation collects a total of 29 medals, including seven gold at the Paris Games last year , and also announced its intention to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
