India, Feb. 1 -- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget in Parliament on Sunday, laying out the government's economic priorities, reform agenda and fiscal roadmap against the backdrop of a challenging global environment.

It is standard practice for the government to wait until a Pay Commission completes its work before taking decisions that carry significant financial implications.

However, the Budget did not include any announcement on a salary hike under the 8th Pay Commission.

Instead, the focus stayed firmly on broader economic issues.

In her 81-minute Budget speech, Sitharaman spoke about changes to the timeline for filing income tax returns, a hike in Securities Transaction Tax on futures and options, the...