Jammu and Kashmir budget session strategy meeting called by NC to prepare for a 27-day assembly session and budget presentation.
A National Conference legislative party meeting has been summoned to coordinate coalition attendance and strategy for the upcoming 27-day budget session beginning February 2, with the Chief Minister - also holding the finance portfolio - set to present the Budget Presentation on February 6; preparations focus on responding to opposition scrutiny, especially over restoration of statehood.

Indian Coast Guard lauded for Operation Sindoor and urged to adopt a clear 2047 roadmap focusing on capability and organisational reform.
The Defence Minister commended the Indian Coast Guard for Operation Sindoor-highlighting advance deployment of strategic assets, heightened western-coast surveillance, and sustained high alert-and urged preparation of a clear, well-targeted 25 year roadmap to 2047 addressing manpower planning, capability development, and organisational reforms to make the ICG more agile, responsive and future oriented.

Union Budget 2026-27 allocates Rs 500 crore as a special package for ULFA cadre rehabilitation in Assam.
Union Budget 2026-27 designates a special package of Rs 500 crore for ULFA groups in Assam to finance rehabilitation of surrendered cadre who have joined the mainstream, placed within the broader North East development allocations and connected to the Memorandum of Settlement with the pro-talks ULFA faction.

AYUSH funding in Budget 2026 boosts integration, infrastructure, research and global outreach for traditional medicine.
Union Budget 2026 allocates Rs 4,408 crore to the Ministry of AYUSH to integrate traditional systems with mainstream healthcare by expanding AYUSH Health & Wellness Centres, modernising AYUSH education and training, upgrading pharmacies and drug testing laboratories for quality and standardisation, establishing three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, and upgrading the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, Jamnagar to scale evidence-based research, clinical services and international outreach for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy.

Union Budget reorients tax architecture toward trust-based compliance and introduces measures to reduce tax dispute pendency.
The Budget and accompanying Finance Bill reorient the tax architecture toward trust-based compliance, easing compliance burdens for corporate and individual taxpayers and introducing measures to reduce pendency in tax-related disputes by improving clarity, fairness and expedition in tax administration.

Budget impact on disabled persons: funding cuts and repackaged schemes risk undermining rights, access, and inclusive infrastructure.
The Budget's fiscal choices constrain the State's obligations under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act by leaving allocations to disability programmes negligible and cutting funding across education, health, rural development and agriculture, thereby undermining access to services and supports. New schemes for skills and assistive devices are characterised as repackaged, ineffective interventions unlikely to produce meaningful employment or improved access, while frozen pensions and reduced capital expenditure impede required investment in accessibility, assistive technologies and inclusive infrastructure.

Union budget backs Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and Rare Earth corridors to boost tech indigenisation and skilling.
The Union budget raises capital outlay and launches Semiconductor Mission 2.0 alongside support for Rare Earth corridors to advance deep tech indigenisation and a secure, self reliant supply chain; it also prioritizes skilling programmes to build workforce capacity and promote quality employment in technology sectors.

Union Budget criticised as offering no benefit to Karnataka and rejecting the new Centre-state rural employment funding formula.
The deputy chief minister characterised the Union Budget as an election-oriented measure that provides no significant benefit to Karnataka, criticised resource allocations for Bengaluru and cooperative sugar factories, rejected the new rural employment law enacted on a 60:40 Centre-state funding formula as unimplementable in the state, and raised intergovernmental disputes over delayed clearances for Mekedatu and Mahadayi water projects while outlining state preparatory steps and demanding accountability from central representatives.

Budget funding for four major telescope projects expands India's domestic observational infrastructure and outreach to build scientific capacity.
Union Budget 2026-27 allocates funding for four major observational projects-the NLST, a National Large Optical Infrared Telescope, an upgraded Himalayan Chandra Telescope, and the COSMOS 2 planetarium-aiming to expand domestic observational infrastructure, reduce reliance on foreign facilities, strengthen the national space science ecosystem, and couple capital investments with outreach to develop future scientific talent.

Baggage rules raise duty-free limit to Rs 75,000 and set jewellery allowances for returning passengers.
The Baggage Rules, 2026 raise the duty-free allowance for residents and persons of Indian origin arriving other than by land to Rs 75,000 for articles carried on the person or in bona fide accompanied baggage, take effect from February 2, and replace the prior rule. The Rules set a Rs 25,000 duty-free threshold for tourists of foreign origin and prescribe jewellery allowances for returnees-40 grams duty-free for female passengers returning after over one year abroad and 20 grams for other passengers-defining jewellery by material and use.

Budget 2026-27 raises child welfare allocation 14%, boosting education, skills and efforts to end child marriage.
Budget 2026-27 raises the allocation for children's welfare by 14%, from Rs 1,16,133 crore to Rs 1,32,297 crore, with higher funding directed to education, skill development, Eklavya Model Residential Schools, Tribal Affairs, Minority Affairs and the Jal Jeevan Mission; child rights groups view this as a renewed commitment to child protection and stress that empowering girls is crucial to ending child marriage by 2030.

Government raises capex target to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY27, 4.4% of GDP, and introduces infrastructure support measures.
The government raises the public capital expenditure target to Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY27, constituting 4.4 per cent of GDP, and proposes complementary measures including a risk guarantee fund for infrastructure, a scheme to boost construction and infrastructure equipment manufacturing, and support for professional institutions to design short-term modular courses to aid implementation and capacity building.

Union Budget 2026-27 criticised for lacking measures to curb unemployment and rising inflation and omitting regional allocations.
The Union Budget 2026-27 is criticised for lacking a concrete blueprint to tackle unemployment and inflation and for omitting specific allocations for Goa, while the Finance Minister presented the Budget as reform-focused and laid the 16th Finance Commission report on tax revenue devolution for 2026-2031.

Union Budget criticized as directionless, failing youth, farmers and poor while increasing debt and neglecting regional needs.
Union Budget criticised as directionless and policy-less for failing youth, farmers, women, the poor and the middle classes; alleged unspent provision of about Rs 1 lakh crore and increased national borrowing highlighted. The Budget is said to underfund agriculture, offer no measures for inflation control or job creation, favour corporate-led projects, and propose infrastructure moves that may cause environmental harm while neglecting regional project allocations.

Union Budget withdraws Chabahar funding and cuts Bangladesh aid while boosting neighbourhood development allocations.
The Union Budget withdraws dedicated funding for the Chabahar port project and reduces development assistance to Bangladesh, while increasing the MEA envelope and concentrating overseas development partnership funds on immediate neighbours through infrastructure and community projects.

International political developments: oil sourcing and currency strategy, electoral integrity concerns, counter terrorism casualties, investigatory pressure and use of force tensions.
Reported shifts in international energy sourcing and currency strategy implicate cross border trade and financial governance, while allegations of voter migration raise electoral integrity concerns; major counter terrorism operations reflect security enforcement; pressure for testimony before a U.S. investigative committee implicates cross border legal cooperation; and warnings about military strikes highlight use of force tensions under international law.

Budget announces support for dedicated rare earth corridors and coastal turtle trails, plus mountain and bird watching trails.
Budget proposals promote dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in mineral rich states to foster mining, processing, research and manufacturing, referencing the Rare Earth Permanent Magnets scheme; and propose ecologically sustainable development of mountain trails, coastal turtle trails at nesting sites, and bird watching trails to expand nature tourism infrastructure.

India Union Budget boosts infrastructure spending, eases foreign investment limits and offers a long tax holiday for cloud providers.
The Budget raises capital expenditure and eases foreign ownership limits in public companies to attract foreign investors, provides a 20-year tax holiday for foreign cloud-service providers to promote digital infrastructure, and establishes a six-month foreign asset disclosure scheme with immunity provisions to regularise undeclared overseas assets and clarify tax status for NRIs, students and tech professionals.

Seven high-speed rail corridors and a new dedicated freight corridor to boost travel speed, safety, and freight efficiency.
The Union Budget 2026-27 proposes seven high-speed rail corridors and a new 2,052 km East-West Dedicated Freight Corridor between Dankuni and Surat, supported by Rs 2.78 lakh crore in budgetary support and total railway capital expenditure of Rs 2.93 lakh crore, including Rs 1.20 lakh crore for passenger and operational safety; the seven corridors will cover about 4,000 km, reduce travel times on key routes, attract around Rs 16,000 crore in investments, and aim to enhance passenger mobility, freight efficiency, and regional economic integration.

Forensic capacity and digital integration receive major budget funding to modernise labs, data centres and cross agency systems.
Major budget allocations fund forensic modernisation and digital integration: Rs 500 crore for forensic modernisation under women's safety schemes; Rs 14 crore to upgrade Central Forensic Science Laboratories and establish a National Forensic Data Centre; Rs 130 crore for the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement scheme to set up off campus National Forensic Science Universities and CFSLs; Rs 145 crore for NFSU academic and infrastructural activities; and Rs 550 crore for the Inter Operable Criminal Justice System to enable data sharing among police, courts, prosecution, prisons and forensic agencies.