THE HEADLINES :-
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gives strong push to manufacturing, infrastructure and job creation proposing simpler tax and customs system in Union Budget.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails Budget as human-centric with path-breaking reforms.
- Both Houses of Parliament to initiate discussions on Motion of Thanks to President’s Address today.
- President Droupadi Murmu embarks on six-day visit to Odisha and Chhattisgarh today.
- India beat Pakistan by 58 runs to storm into semi-finals of ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
- Asian Rifle And Pistol Shooting Championships 2026 begins in New Delhi today.
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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27, giving a strong push to manufacturing, infrastructure and job creation, while proposing a simpler tax and customs regime. In her ninth consecutive Budget in Parliament, Ms Sitharaman laid out a multi-pronged strategy to sustain growth amid global uncertainty, including expanding domestic electronics and semiconductor capabilities, de-risking infrastructure projects, skilling India’s youth for emerging technologies, and easing compliance for taxpayers and importers.
The Budget placed renewed emphasis on the services economy as a jobs engine. A high-powered Education-to-Employment and Enterprise Committee will realign skilling with market needs, including the impact of emerging technologies.
A major structural reform comes with the Income Tax Act, 2025, effective April 1, 2026, containing simpler rules and redesigned forms. Budget 2026 provided compliance relief for individuals, including extended timelines for revising returns to March 31 from December 31 earlier, staggered ITR due dates, and easier filing of Form 15G/15H through depositories.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Union Budget is human-centric and strengthens India’s foundation with path-breaking reforms. Prime Minister also described it as historic and a catalyst for accelerating the country’s reform trajectory and long-term growth. Calling the government’s reform agenda a “Reform Express,” Prime Minister said, the reform express that India is riding today will gain new energy and new momentum from this budget. Prime Minister further said, this is a unique budget that focuses on reducing the fiscal deficit and controlling inflation, while also emphasising high CAPEX and high growth.
Earlier, while addressing the gathering at the Dera, the Prime Minister said that the Union Budget will not only bring new strength to rural areas and increase the income of farmers, but it will also give a strong boost to ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’.
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Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Bhupender Yadav has lauded the Union Budget, calling it a youth-centric budget that advances a developed India by balancing economic growth with ecological sustainability. Mr Yadav highlighted that the Budget lays a strong foundation for realising the vision of an environmentally sound ecological growth in a fast growing economy.
AYUSH Minister Prataprao Jadhav also hailed the Union Budget for strengthening holistic healthcare and promoting traditional medicine. Mr Jadhav said that the allocation of 4 thousand 4 hundred 8 crore rupees to the AYUSH Ministry will accelerate the integration of AYUSH systems with mainstream healthcare, promoting evidence-based research and innovation, and strengthening institutional infrastructure.
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To support labor-intensive industries, a five-part integrated program for the Textile Sector was proposed in the Union budget, including the National Fibre Scheme and ‘Samarth 2.0’ for modernizing skills. The ‘Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj’ initiative will specifically strengthen Khadi and handloom. For MSMEs, the budget introduces a 10,000 crore rupees SME Growth Fund to help small businesses grow into ‘Champions. Surat-based textile industrialist and National Chairman of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), Champalal Bothra, has hailed the announcements made for the textile sector in the budget.
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The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has welcomed the Union Budget, describing it as a progressive and comprehensive roadmap that strengthens India’s competitiveness, boosts investment, and enhances ease of doing business. In a statement, USISPF said the Budget’s strong focus on trade facilitation, customs modernisation, tariff rationalisation, banking sector reforms, and strategic sectoral support aligns closely with industry priorities and reinforces India’s position as an attractive global investment destination. On the tariff front, the forum said targeted customs duty rationalisation would support India’s manufacturing, clean energy, and high-technology ambitions.
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Both Houses of Parliament are scheduled to take up motion of thanks on the President’s address today. A report:
President Droupadi Murmu will be on a six-day visit to Odisha and Chhattisgarh beginning today. The President, who is scheduled to arrive at Bhubaneswar this evening, will attend a series of official, academic and cultural programmes across Khordha, Jajpur, Balasore, Puri and Mayurbhanj districts. More from our Correspondent:
“President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to undertake a series of religious, academic and developmental engagements in Odisha over the next few days. Tomorrow, the President will offer prayers at the Maa Biraja Temple in Jajpur and perform rituals at Navi Gaya. She will later attend the 12th Convocation Ceremony of Fakir Mohan University in Balasore as the Chief Guest. In the evening, President Murmu will proceed to Puri for darshan at the Shree Jagannath Temple. On Wednesday, the President will visit her home district Mayurbhanj where she will inaugurate a holiday home at Rairangpur, visit a Girls’ Higher Secondary School, unveil the statue of tribal leader Bhanjbir Sunaram Soren and inaugurate a sports complex. On Thursday, President Murmu will attend a special programme at the Rairangpur Jagannath Temple and visit Simlipal National Park. On the 6th of this month, she will interact with tribal women and youth groups before returning to Bhubaneswar to attend the Black Swan Summit India. The President is scheduled to leave Bhubaneswar for Chhattisgarh on the 7th of this month. Prakash Dash, Akashvani, Bhubaneswar.”
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The Budget Session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council will begin today with the Governor’s address. The session will continue till 27th February. Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav will present the budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the House on Tuesday. This will be the first full-fledged budget of the new government formed under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the Assembly elections 2025.
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The budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will commence today. The session will begin with the address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Later, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the Finance Minister, will present his second budget of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
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A 4.6-magnitude earthquake shook Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district early this morning. Officials said, the tremor occurred at 5:35 AM, with Pattan area as the epicenter. There were no reports of any damage due to the earthquake, when reports last came in.
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Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has warned the United States that any attack on his country would result in a ‘regional war’, as US President Donald Trump amasses military assets in the Middle East. While addressing a large crowd, Khamenei said the US wants to swallow Iran and its vast oil and natural gas resources, adding that what happened during the recent anti-government protests was similar to a coup since a large number of government offices, banks and mosques were stormed
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In the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket ODI World Cup, India defeated arch rivals Pakistan by 58 runs at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe yesterday. Chasing a target of 253 runs, Pakistan were bundled out for just 194 in 46.2 overs. For India, Ayush Mhatre and Khilan Patel each picked up three wickets. Earlier, Vedant Trivedi’s fighting half-century and a crucial partnership between Kanishk Chouhan and Khilan Patel helped India to post 252 on board in 49.5 overs. Kanishk Chouhan was declared Player of the Match.
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Asian Rifle and Pistol Shooting Championships 2026 will begin today at Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in New Delhi. The event will bring together elite athletes from across Asia for two weeks of exciting competition. Competitors will vie for victory in men’s, women’s, junior, and youth categories across 10 m, 25 m, and 50 m rifle and pistol events. The competitions will include individual, team, and mixed team formats, showcasing a full range of shooting talent.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:-
- Almost all newspapers today open with elaberate details of Budget 2026 – 27. The Statesman leads with, Union Budget FY27: A balanced push for growth, reforms, and resilience amid global uncertainties.”
- Budget creates career pathways for youth across design, health, tourism captures The Poineer.
- Focus on mental health; comprehensive push to scale up the Ayush ecosystem notes The Hindu.
- Corridor to future: High-speed rail, freight, one for rare earths, highlights The Indian Express.
- Corpus of 2,04,401 crore rupees cleared for disaster management, The Hindustan Times.
- The Times of India taking recourse to the 16th Finance Commission questions, “Does India risk getting old before it gets rich?”
- The Indian Express on its sports page carries a picture of the proud shuttler. With the headline, Tall and talented, Devika reaps rewards for trainingyears away from home.
- The Statesman under the caption, “Growth with guardrails, has an editorial dedicated to the Union Budget. The newspaper writes, the Union Budget sends a clear signal about how the government intends to navigate an increasingly uncertain global economy. Rather than leaning on short-term stimulus or headline-grabbing giveaways, the emphasis has been placed firmly on manufacturing-led growth, fiscal discipline, and long-term institutional reform. The renewed focus on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, rare-earth materials, capital goods and textiles reflects an attempt to align domestic production with global supply-chain shifts, particularly as geopolitical fragmentation redraws trade routes.
- To the delight of Bird enthusiasts, On the ‘Big Bird Day’ on Sunday, “Baikal teal, smoky wabler sighted in NCR”, informs The Hindustan Times.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gives strong push to manufacturing, infrastructure and job creation proposing simpler tax and customs system in Union Budget.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hails Budget as human-centric with path-breaking reforms.
- Both Houses of Parliament to initiate discussions on Motion of Thanks to President’s Address today.
- President Droupadi Murmu embarks on six-day visit to Odisha and Chhattisgarh today.
- India beat Pakistan by 58 runs to storm into semi-finals of ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
- Asian Rifle And Pistol Shooting Championships 2026 begins in New Delhi today.