Interim Budget 2024-25: Confident or Overconfident?

The Union Budget is always a political document, more so in an election year, despite the limitations of an interim presentation. Does the latest Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman live up to both norms--appealing to ordinary citizens while offering a road map for the future of economic growth? Paranjoy Guha Thakurta,  senior journalist, finds that the Budget exudes confidence of a certain kind. It is as if the government is filled with political optimism, and has, therefore, not made an effort to woo voters afresh.