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.

Union Budget boosts IT and startups, but Manipur leaders say state ignored and demand a peace and reconciliation fund.
The Union Budget is presented as promoting startups, IT-enabled services and high-value agriculture to boost incomes and rural livelihoods, while Manipur political actors split between endorsing these opportunities and condemning the Budget for failing to address the state's security crisis and for lacking a dedicated peace and reconciliation fund.

Union Budget ignored unemployment and inflation, raising concerns about job creation and fiscal devolution and regional neglect.
The Budget is criticised for failing to address rising unemployment and inflation and for lacking concrete job creation measures; critics warn it will increase inflation and point to unfulfilled past employment and farmer income commitments. The presentation included the 16th Finance Commission report on tax revenue devolution for 2026-2031, but opponents say it does not remedy perceived neglect of certain states or restore the federal balance through targeted allocations.

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.

Telangana denied its rightful share in the Union Budget, prompting demands for accountability from its MPs and ministers.
Telangana was alleged to have been denied its rightful share in the Union Budget, characterised as a continued discriminatory approach by the Centre; the BRS demands accountability from the State Government, Telangana MPs, and Union Ministers for the absence of funding for key projects and contrasts the state's treatment with substantial assistance to neighbouring states.

Budget: measures boost manufacturing and data centre investment, raise capex, hike STT, and overhaul share buyback taxation.
The Union Budget 2026-27 raises the capital expenditure target to Rs 12.2 lakh crore, offers long-term tax incentives for global data centres, proposes a Securities Transaction Tax hike on derivatives, overhauls share buyback taxation to protect minority shareholders, reduces select TCS rates and grants procedural relief for revised tax returns, and follows the 16th Finance Commission recommendation to keep states' share of central taxes at 41% for five years.

Union Budget criticised as lacking economic strategy and reducing support for vulnerable groups, worsening inequality and unemployment.
Opposition parties criticised the Union Budget 2026-27 as lacking coherent economic strategy, reducing expenditure across key sectors, and neglecting measures to address unemployment, falling manufacturing, farmer distress, declining household savings, and rising income inequality, while being characterised as anti-people and anti-federal in allocation choices.

Union Budget 2026-27 largely ignores agriculture and rural labour, cutting research funding and omitting rural employment schemes.
AIKS asserts the Union Budget 2026-27 largely ignores agriculture and rural labour, noting a cut in funding to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, omission of MGNREGA and VB-GRAMG from the speech and figures, and a skewed increase in Animal Husbandry and Dairying allocations favouring credit, private breeding and foreign investment rather than broader agricultural support.

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 hailed as focused on growth, welfare, jobs and MSME support; BJP rejects opposition criticism and seeks popular mandate.
The 2026-27 Budget is presented as a growth- and welfare-focused fiscal plan prioritising MSME support, job creation, sectoral measures for agriculture and fisheries, and skill development, framed as policy continuity toward a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Government spokespeople reject opposition claims that the Budget is hollow, calling such criticism politically motivated and asserting public trust in the Prime Minister obviates need for opposition endorsement.

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.

Andhra Pradesh GST collections hit a record January high, driven by AI-led compliance despite recent rate cuts.
Andhra Pradesh's net GST rose 6.72% to Rs 3,073 crore in January 2026, marking the highest-ever January GST collections. Gross GST was Rs 3,479 crore, with SGST at Rs 1,284 crore and IGST settlement at Rs 1,789 crore. Officials credited AI-driven compliance-data analytics, targeted audits and identification of ineligible IGST input tax credit claims-for over Rs 144 crore in additional collections, contributing to a widening tax base and stable revenue performance despite recent GST rate reductions and removal of compensation cess.

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.