Union Budget 2019 LIVE streaming: Watch Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman budget speech and live coverage online at Firstpost

Union Budget 2019: All eyes will be on Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s first female finance minister in almost five decades, who will present the Union Budget 2019 today (5 July, Friday) in the Parliament. This will be the first major budget of the second term of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, which retained power at the Centre by winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with a massive mandate. CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE COVERAGE OF BUDGET 2019 [caption id=“attachment_6461881” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Nirmala Sitharaman. ANI[/caption] This time the Budget will be watched more keenly because of three main reasons. First, agricultural growth is nowhere close to where it was supposed to be with farmers distress at its peak. As many as 12,021 farmers have committed suicide during the past four years in Maharashtra alone. With 50 percent of India’s population being dependent on agricultural incomes, farm distress has the potential to pull down consumption, which might pull down the industry as well. Secondly, unemployment too is now accepted to be at an all-time high in 45 years. For a country like India, where at least 12 million jobs must be generated in a year to cater to a growing population, any mistake on this front will have disastrous consequences. Thirdly, industrial production is also facing a challenge amid a global economic slowdown. Boosting exports at such times is not easy. This is made doubly difficult because of trade barriers that have become almost an epidemic across the world. When to watch Union Budget 2019? Sitharaman will present the Budget 2019 in the Parliament and deliver her maiden budget speech at 11 am on Friday. Where to watch Union Budget 2019? To receive Budget 2019 highlights, important takeaways, new scheme announcements and political reactions surrounding the Budget 2019, viewers can follow the liveblog of Firstpost. It will also provide a comprehensive income calculator, where you will be able to check your estimated income tax or personal tax. Follow LIVE Updates on Union Budget 2019 here Firstpost will also present live coverage of the Budget news, views and analysis. The Union Budget 2019 can also be downloaded from Government of India’s official website www.indiabudget.gov.in after the Budget is tabled in the Parliament. The Budget will also be broadcast live on CNN-News18. Similarly, viewers can tune into Doordarshan (DD), Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV. To watch live streaming and webcast, follow YouTube channels of Doordarshan, Rajya Sabha TV, and Lok Sabha TV. Reliance Jio users can watch the budget on Jio TV. Today (5 July) will also mark the second budget of the year with Union Minister Piyush Goyal tabling the interim budget earlier in February. In India, two budgets are tabled in every Lok Sabha elections’ calendar year. An Interim Budget is presented in February ahead of the general elections and subsequently, a full general budget is presented after the formation of a government during the Budget Session in the Parliament. Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2019-20 here