Government announces one girls' hostel per district and a loan-linked subsidy for veterinary and health infrastructure.
The government announced establishing one girls' hostel in every district and a loan-linked capital subsidy scheme to support veterinary colleges, hospitals and diagnostics laboratories; it also pledged upgrades to Ayush pharmacies and drug testing labs, support for a WHO Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar, and backing for five university townships near major industrial logistics centres.

Self-Reliant India Fund topped up by Rs 4,000 crore to boost MSME equity support; TReDS mandated.
The proposal tops up the Self-Reliant India Fund with Rs 4,000 crore in 2026-27 to provide equity funding to MSMEs with potential to scale, and mandates TReDS platforms as the transaction mechanism for all central public sector enterprise purchases from MSMEs, alongside an integrated textile programme and continued infrastructure development in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Union Budget proposes Rs 10,000 crore SME fund, container manufacturing scheme, and mega textile parks.
The Budget proposes a Rs 10,000 crore SME fund to develop champion small and medium enterprises, a container manufacturing scheme to build a competitive ecosystem, revival of 200 legacy industrial clusters, mega textile parks focused on technical textiles, and an Integrated Textile Programme of five sub-parts alongside measures to strengthen khadi and handloom.

Capex target raised to Rs 12.2 lakh crore; risk guarantee fund, equipment scheme, and modular training for infrastructure planned.
The fiscal policy raises the capital expenditure target for FY27 to Rs 12.2 lakh crore and maintains a focus on infrastructure development in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. It establishes a risk guarantee fund for the infrastructure sector and a scheme to enhance construction and infrastructure equipment to bolster domestic manufacturing, and it supports professional institutions to design short-term modular courses to upskill the workforce.

Biopharma investment of Rs 10,000 crore announced to boost domestic biologics manufacturing and related strategic sectors.
Budget proposes a Rs 10,000 crore investment in the biopharma sector over five years with targeted interventions in manufacturing, strategic and frontier sectors, healthcare and advanced technology to boost domestic biologics production. The Budget also advances semiconductor mission 2.0 to promote production of equipment and materials for full stack Indian IP through the India Semiconductor Mission, and announces support for mineral rich states to establish critical mineral facilities.

Budget reforms will continue, targeting inclusive access to resources and growth dividends for farmers, SC/ST and youth.
The Budget commits to continuing the Reform Express agenda, implementing measures including GST adjustments, labour code enforcement and a quality control order, framed to fulfil a Kartavya duty to extend access to resources and ensure growth dividends reach farmers, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and youth.

16th Finance Commission report laid, sets tax devolution formula for 2026-2031; cesses and surcharge excluded.
The 16th Finance Commission report for 2026-2031, laid in the Lok Sabha, sets the tax revenue devolution formula between Centre and states and confirms that cesses and surcharge levied by the Centre are excluded from the divisible pool; the Commission, constituted on December 31, 2023 and led by Arvind Panagariya, submitted its report to the President on November 17, 2025.

Union Budget 2026-27: government emphasises reforms and lays 16th Finance Commission report on tax devolution.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, emphasising reforms over rhetoric and laying the 16th Finance Commission report, which establishes the framework for tax revenue devolution between the Centre and states for 2026-2031; the presentation is her ninth consecutive Budget, reflecting continuity in budgetary stewardship.

Stock markets gained ahead of the Budget, with volatility expected depending on fiscal policy, deficit target and capex incentives.
Stock market indices rose ahead of the Union Budget 2026-27 presentation, with Sensex and Nifty recovering after early fluctuations and foreign institutional purchases supporting sentiment. Market volatility was expected to hinge on Budget choices, notably fiscal policy, the fiscal deficit target for FY27, capex measures and sector-specific incentives, which could prompt sharp directional moves.

Stock markets fluctuate ahead of Budget presentation; volatility tied to fiscal policy, capex signals and corporate results.
Stock benchmarks traded in a narrow range ahead of the budget presentation, with Sensex and Nifty showing modest intraday swings. Company earnings and sector trends drove individual stock performance, while analysts warned that announcements on fiscal policy, capex measures, sector incentives and the fiscal deficit target could trigger sharp market moves. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the prior session, and international market conditions added to domestic caution.

Finance Minister followed pre-Budget protocol, carrying the budget in a bahi-khata ahead of a Cabinet approval meeting.
The Finance Minister observed pre-Budget protocol by calling on the President and proceeding to a Cabinet meeting to formalise the Union Budget presentation, continuing the practice of carrying the Budget speech in a traditional bahi-khata. The FY27 Budget is framed to sustain growth, preserve fiscal discipline, boost consumption and job creation, and increase capital spending while addressing global uncertainties and aiming to reduce the fiscal deficit.

US-Cuba relations: talks begin as oil supplies are cut and tariffs target suppliers, raising humanitarian concerns.
The administration is applying economic pressure on Cuba by cutting off external oil supplies and issuing an executive order to impose tariffs on countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, while indicating the start of diplomatic contact to induce negotiations; Mexico, as a current supplier, warns this approach risks humanitarian consequences.

Federal intervention in protests limited to requested assistance; federal buildings and property will be vigorously protected.
President Trump instructed DHS not to intervene in protests in Democratic-led cities unless local authorities request assistance, while ordering federal agencies, including ICE and Border Patrol, to strongly protect federal buildings and property. The administration has deployed National Guard and federal law enforcement to several jurisdictions. Minnesota officials sued over a federal immigration enforcement surge after two fatal shootings by federal officers; a federal court declined to halt operations and the Justice Department called the suit frivolous. Officials suggested reducing enforcement presence if state and local authorities cooperate.

Realtor's alleged suicide during tax raids sparks political clash over alleged harassment and calls for investigation.
A realtor allegedly died by suicide during Income Tax raids, triggering accusations of harassment and coercion by ruling party leaders and demands for a deeper probe, while opposition figures defended the Income Tax department's enforcement actions; the dispute highlights calls to treat economic offences differently and questions about procedural conduct during raids.

International Trade Fair 2026 to empower farmers by promoting market linkages, processing, value addition, and branding.
The Department of Agriculture will hold the International Trade Fair 2026 (Feb 6-8) with partners to provide a platform for farmers to showcase value added products, create market linkages, and facilitate access to national and international markets. The fair focuses on processing and value addition, agro ecology, branding and credit services to transform farmers into entrepreneurs by promoting processing and value addition initiatives and related support services.

Cow slaughter ban reaffirmed, enforcement including illegal slaughterhouse closures and no governmental recognition of contested religious titles.
Uttar Pradesh reiterates that cow slaughter is fully prohibited and enforcement includes closure of illegal slaughterhouses, action under the National Security Act, and policies to support cow shelters; the government disclaims recognizing contested religious titles like Shankaracharya, framing such recognition as a monastic matter while limiting its role to maintaining public order.

Karnataka and Jupiter Meta launch privacy-first research to benchmark and strengthen the startup ecosystem.
Karnataka signed an MoU with Jupiter Meta for a privacy-first, pro bono research study of 2,000 stakeholders to generate actionable insights on founder needs, ecosystem gaps, program effectiveness and opportunities-with focus on tier 2 and tier 3 cities-and to benchmark the State against other start up hubs to inform and strengthen initiatives like the Karnataka Booster Kit.

Article 370 allegedly fostered regional discrimination; its abrogation is said to restore constitutional uniformity and equal rights.
Article 370 was alleged to have been misused to discriminate against and isolate Jammu and Ladakh, with the 1953 Praja Parishad events cited as evidence of suppression of calls for equal constitutional treatment. The August 2019 abrogation is presented as restoring constitutional uniformity and equal rights, enabling inclusive development in Ladakh through increased budgets, infrastructure projects, connectivity expansion and social initiatives, alongside memorialisation and public recognition for historical sacrifices.

Medaram Maha Jathara concludes; government deployed 42,000 personnel and funded major shrine reconstruction and developments.
The state government renovated the shrine and reconstructed altars at a cost of about Rs 101 crore, with additional development works of about Rs 150 crore to improve facilities. Approximately 21 government departments coordinated the event and 42,000 personnel were deployed for crowd control, security, cleanliness and medical services; medical camps, ambulances and bike ambulances were provided. Several devotees complained of inadequate public transport.

Japan and Britain to boost cybersecurity and diversify critical minerals supply chains to strengthen economic resilience.
Japan and Britain agreed to accelerate cooperation by establishing a cyber strategic partnership to strengthen cybersecurity protections for economic infrastructure and to cooperate on diversifying supply chains and bolstering resilience for critical minerals, addressing export restriction risks and supporting multilateral trade frameworks including expansion of the CPTPP.