IPA Webdesk
Modi pitches Budget 2026 as human-centric reform push
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday framed the Union Budget 2026 as a people-focused roadmap designed to strengthen the country’s economic foundations while accelerating long-term reforms, signalling continuity in policy priorities amid a challenging global backdrop. Speaking hours after the Budget’s presentation in Parliament, Modi described the fiscal plan...
Chidambaram faults Budget 2026 for lacking economic strategy
Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram has mounted a sharp critique of the Union Budget 2026 presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, arguing that it fails to confront the principal economic challenges flagged in the government’s own economic survey and offers little by way of a coherent strategy at a time...
Karnataka stands to gain most from new devolution formula
Karnataka is poised to emerge as the largest beneficiary of the 16th Finance Commission’s horizontal devolution framework, while Madhya Pradesh is projected to face the sharpest relative reduction, according to assessments of the formula’s draft weightings for the 2026–31 award period. The recalibration is expected to significantly alter how...
Markets’ slide not a verdict on budget
Market volatility following the Union Budget does not reflect the substance or eventual impact of the fiscal plan, Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Sanjeev Sanyal said on Sunday, pushing back against claims that the immediate sell-off amounted to a rejection of the government’s economic strategy. Speaking in an exclusive...
Budget fine print offers muted hope for salaried households
Union Budget 2026 landed without the headline tax relief many salaried households had anticipated, leaving the structure of personal income tax slabs unchanged and offering no broad-based reduction in rates. That initial disappointment, however, sits alongside a set of policy measures that signal incremental gains for middle-income earners and...
Defence modernisation gets sharp budgetary lift
A significant expansion in funding for military modernisation has been built into the Union budget for FY2026/27, with capital allocations rising to Rs 2.19 lakh crore, marking a 21.84 per cent increase over the previous year and underscoring a sustained push to upgrade platforms, weapons and industrial capacity. The...
Uttarakhand shrines tighten entry rules ahead of yatra
Temple committees overseeing some of Uttarakhand’s most visited pilgrimage sites are moving to tighten entry rules, with Yamunotri Dham announcing that non-Hindus will not be permitted to enter the shrine premises during the forthcoming Chardham Yatra, scheduled to begin in April. The decision places Yamunotri alongside Gangotri Dham and...
Opposition chief’s absence sparks Beating Retreat row
A political dispute has erupted after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi did not attend the Beating Retreat ceremony, prompting sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which accused the Congress leadership of disregarding constitutional traditions and national symbols. The Beating Retreat, held annually on January 29, marks the...
Spiritual leader’s claim on Trump and Modi draws scrutiny
A statement by self-styled spiritual leader Jagatguru Paramhans Acharya has triggered public debate and official pushback after he alleged on January 30 that former US President Donald Trump used a “tantra-mantra vashikaran” spell to influence Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisions. The claim, aired in a video address and amplified...
Ansari remarks ignite fresh political dispute
Former vice-president Hamid Ansari’s comments on medieval rulers Mahmud of Ghazni and the Lodi dynasty have triggered a sharp political exchange, with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing what it describes as the “Congress ecosystem” of reframing historical narratives in a manner it says undermines Hindu sentiments. The controversy followed...
Trade unionism blamed for industrial slowdown by top judge
A senior Supreme Court judge has ignited a fresh debate on labour relations by blaming entrenched trade unionism for shuttered factories and stalled industrial expansion, arguing that adversarial labour practices have weighed on productivity even as worker exploitation remains a concern that can be addressed through legal means. Justice...
UGC caste rules put BJP in bind
The Union government’s newly notified caste equity framework for universities has placed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in a political and ideological dilemma, as it attempts to balance its stated commitment to social justice with the anxieties of its traditional support base within upper-caste communities. The regulations, issued by...
Modi maintains lead as Gandhi gains ground
Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains the dominant preferred choice for the country’s top post, securing solid public backing, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has recorded notable gains in voter preference, according to the latest India Today–CVoter Mood of the Nation survey. The January 2026 edition of the biannual nationwide...
Top court flags risks in UGC equality rules
The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed unease over provisions in the University Grants Commission’s new Equality Regulations, warning that parts of the framework could legitimise segregation on campuses and undermine constitutional guarantees. The concern was raised while hearing a petition that challenges the legality and intent of the regulations,...
Supreme Court stay triggers JNU protest over UGC rules
Students at Jawaharlal Nehru University intensified protests on campus after the Supreme Court ordered an interim stay on the University Grants Commission’s new rules, a move that has sharpened debate over admissions, equity and the limits of regulatory reform in higher education. The demonstrations followed the court’s decision to...
Top court halts UGC equity rules
Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold the University Grants Commission’s Equity Regulations aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination on university campuses, saying the framework appeared prima facie vague and open to misuse, and warning that unchecked operation could carry far-reaching social consequences. A bench led by Chief Justice D...
US criticism targets Europe’s India trade choice
Comments by Scott Bessent criticising Europe’s decision to finalise a sweeping trade agreement with India have sharpened an already tense debate over how Western economies balance commercial priorities with geopolitical commitments linked to the war in Ukraine. Bessent, a prominent investor and economic commentator who has advised US policymakers...
UGC norms spark widening backlash in Uttar Pradesh
Protests against newly notified University Grants Commission regulations widened across Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, drawing students, teachers, farmers’ groups and members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party onto the streets, while dissent within the party sharpened with resignations and public criticism from senior figures. Demonstrations were reported from Lucknow,...
