Economics
Polity & Governance
5 min
Budget rationalises tax penalty, prosecution framework for individuals; foreign asset disclosure scheme announced
Union Budget 2026-27 proposed a comprehensive rationalisation of penalty and prosecution provisions under the Income Tax Act, with the objective of reducing ...
Union Budget 2026-27: Manufacturing gets big boost as govt slashes customs duties
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on February 1, 2026 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, announced significant customs duty reductions targeting manuf...
Economics
Science & Technology
4 min
Gadget charge: Outlay doubled to Rs 40,000 crore for electronic components
Union Budget 2026-27 raised the outlay of the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) to ₹40,000 crore — nearly doubling the original ₹22,919 cror...
Union Budget: Rs 10,000-crore SME Growth Fund, reform to boost liquidity for MSMEs
The Union Budget 2026-27 announced a dedicated ₹10,000-crore SME Growth Fund to provide equity support to high-potential small and medium enterprises, creati...
Relief for students pursuing education abroad: Overseas spending eased, TCS down to 2%
Union Budget 2026-27 reduced Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on overseas remittances for education and medical purposes from 5% to 2% under the Liberalised Rem...
Science & Technology
Economics
4 min
Budget 2026 | AI impact on jobs and services: Panel to look at the road ahead
Union Budget 2026-27 announced the establishment of a high-powered "Education to Employment and Enterprises Standing Committee" to assess the impact of emerg...
Economics
Geography
4 min
Union Budget: Rs 10K crore for container scheme amid shortage, dependency
Union Budget 2026-27 announced a ₹10,000 crore Container Manufacturing Assistance Scheme, directly targeting India's near-total dependence on Chinese-made sh...
Economics
Science & Technology
5 min
Union Budget 2026-27: To cut China reliance, support for rare earths, critical minerals
Union Budget 2026-27 announced several measures targeting India's significant dependence on China for rare earth elements and critical minerals, with direct ...
IT boost: Budget offers tax certainty with safe harbour reforms
Budget 2026-27 introduces a comprehensive overhaul of India's Safe Harbour Rules for transfer pricing — specifically targeting IT/ITeS, data centres, and ele...
International Relations
Economics
4 min
US lowers tariffs on India to 18% from 50% under trade deal; rates better than Vietnam, Bangladesh & Pakistan
The United States agreed to lower tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18% as part of the India-US interim bilateral trade framework announced in February 202...
International Relations
Economics
7 min
Oil a deal clincher? Trump says India will stop buying Russian crude, will buy more from US, even Venezuela
US President Donald Trump claimed on February 2, 2026 that Prime Minister Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian crude oil and instead buy American and V...
Growth remains priority, looking at more PSU divestment: FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated in post-budget interactions that economic growth remains the government's primary objective, and PSU (Public Secto...
Internal Security
International Relations
7 min
What Gen Naravane’s memoir says about 2020 Ladakh face-off with China: ‘I had been handed a hot potato’
Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished memoir, titled "Four Stars of Destiny," reveals significant details about how India's civil and...
Economics
International Relations
6 min
Trump tariff shadow: Budget addresses US demands, backs vulnerable sectors
The Union Budget 2026-27 (presented February 1, 2026) was shaped in part by the shadow of Trump's tariff threats — Finance Minister Sitharaman made strategic...
ExplainSpeaking: Making sense of the Budget, and what it means for the economy
The Union Budget 2026-27 balances three simultaneous objectives: fiscal consolidation (deficit 4.3% of GDP), growth acceleration (capex ₹12.2 lakh crore), an...
Polity & Governance
Art & Culture
6 min
Explained: Proposal to ban non-Hindus from entering Char Dham, amid questions of legality
The managing committees of the four Char Dham shrines in Uttarakhand — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri — proposed barring entry to non-Hindus, ...
Economics
Polity & Governance
5 min
Expert Explains: How Budget 2026 shifts from revenue collection to ‘institutional maturity’
Budget 2026-27, in conjunction with the new Income Tax Act, 2025 (coming into force April 1, 2026), signals a deliberate shift in India's direct tax philosop...
Art & Culture
Polity & Governance
5 min
Budget proposes to develop 15 archaeological sites: Check out the list and what it entails
Union Budget 2026-27 announced plans to develop 15 archaeological sites across India into immersive cultural tourism destinations, with a focus on transformi...
International Relations
Economics
5 min
India-US trade deal: How Trump influenced India’s trade policy in the run-up to the pact
US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% punitive tariff on Indian imports in August 2025, explicitly linked to India's continued purchase of Russian crude oi...
International Relations
Economics
4 min
India–US trade deal reaffirms what had started looking hazy: India’s role as US ally & China counter
India and the United States announced a framework for an interim bilateral trade agreement on February 2, 2026, with the US agreeing to lower reciprocal tari...
Economics
Polity & Governance
5 min
What the new fiscal rule means for growth and spending
Budget 2026-27 introduces a new fiscal framework that replaces deficit-targeting with debt-to-GDP ratio as the primary fiscal anchor, marking a departure fro...
Polity & Governance
Economics
5 min
Pushing welfare towards the States
The Union Budget 2026-27, tabled alongside the 16th Finance Commission Report (for 2026-31 chaired by Arvind Panagariya), signals a structural shift in India...
Internal Security
Economics
Polity & Governance
5 min
More boots, bigger budget: Agnipath outlay jumps 58%, Army’s share the largest
The Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹15,173.68 crore for the Agnipath scheme, representing an approximately 58% jump over the previous financial year's alloca...
International Relations
Internal Security
5 min
CDS Gen Chauhan in Armenia, focus on deeper defence ties including new deals
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan led a high-level defence delegation on a four-day official visit to Armenia from February 1, 2026, focusing...