Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launches ‘PRARAMBH 2026’ — Income Tax Department’s nationwide awareness campaign on Income Tax Act, 2025

1. At a Glance

2. Why in the News

3. Background & Evolution

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic / Fiscal - Aims to reduce litigation, ease compliance, and broaden the tax base through clarity, not higher rates [S2][S3]. - Section pruning (819 → 536) and forms cut (399 → 190) — lowers compliance cost [S2].

Legal / Constitutional - Direct tax → Union List, Entry 82 (taxes on income other than agricultural income); under Article 265 (no tax without authority of law). - The 2025 Act is a consolidating statute; 1961 Act continues to govern prior assessment years via saving clauses [S3].

Administrative / Governance - Revenue Secretary highlighted capacity building and nationwide workshops under PRARAMBH 2026 [S1]. - Reflects the FM's call for "empathetic, technology-driven, trust-based tax administration" with stability, simplicity, minimal amendments [S1].

Scientific / Technological - AI-enabled chatbot 'Kar Saathi' for taxpayer queries [S1]. - Income Tax Website 2.0 — redesigned for usability, navigation, and service delivery [S1].

Social / Inclusion - Outreach in 12 languages (Hindi, English + 10 regional) to widen accessibility across linguistic groups [S1].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

7. Prelims Hooks

8. Mains Relevance

9. Related Topics to Study Next

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

11. Sources

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