Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the first budget of the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government on Monday July 6, 2009. The FM promised to continue to push the UPA’s agenda of ”inclusive growth and equitable development” while meeting the ”rising expectations of a young India”. Here, in an exclusive interview to CNBC-TV18, the Finance Minister speaks to Karan Thapar about why he shaped the budget the way he did.

Karan Thapar: Earlier on Friday Mr Pranab Mukherjee presented the first Budget of the second UPA Government. You announced that it would be 6.8 per cent which is sizably more than the 5.5 per cent that you announced at the time of the Interim Budget. Even if we estimated 6.4 per cent, even if one took into account your excise duty and service tax cuts, isn’t 6.8 per cent worrying?