The Opposition members highlighted issues such as unemployment, sluggish economy, and the impact of the bilateral trade with the United States on the agriculture sector during the debate on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha on Monday (February 9, 2026). The BJP said the country signed six trade pacts recently, which is an indication that India is becoming a global hub.
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Senior Congress MP P. Chidambaram initiated the debate and termed the Budget as “forgettable”, which had been prepared by “a Finance Minister who forgot her promises made in this House last year.” He attacked the Union Government for not addressing unemployment, particularly among youth.
“Youth unemployment is 15%. Less than 25% of the workforce is in regular employment. There is a shift to self-employment, and more workers are in the agriculture sector than they were four or five years ago,” he said, pointing out the decrease in regular employment in the country. “In a country with 144 crore people, only 195 lakh, that is less than two crore, are employed in a factory. Manufacturing, which is largely factories, is stuck at 16% for many, many years,” he said.
