For most of his first stint as finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee had Indira Gandhi as his prime minister. In his second stint, the prime minister was Manmohan Singh.
'Unfortunately, today most ministers are busy with either election duty or praising duty. They are not interested in serving duty.' 'Ministers have become relaxed like retired people still holding onto jobs.' 'Look at how the NEET paper leaked. But there is no accountability.' 'After 12 years, they have become saturated. They are short of ideas.'
Delhi Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot on Tuesday said the budget file has been resent to the home ministry for approval, amid a row between the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation and the Centre over the issue.
Pakistan has increased its defence budget by 17.6 per cent to PKRs 3,000 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, as announced by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The federal budget, estimated at PKRs 18,771 billion, targets 4 per cent GDP growth, with significant allocations for debt service and pensions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted economic stability and ongoing discussions with the IMF, while the opposition protested Imran Khan's incarceration during the budget session.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
Budget has already bombed at the box office and passing it without a revisit will be a mockery of the exercise though any modification may be short lived and perfunctory, observes V Ranganathan.
The Delhi government has approved the Delhi EV Policy 2.0, which will phase out fresh registrations of internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheelers and three-wheelers over the next two years, starting with a ban on ICE 3Ws and N1 category LCVs from January 1, 2027, and ICE 2Ws from April 1, 2028.
The Assam cabinet has decided to restrict the issuance of Aadhaar cards to individuals over 18 years of age, a move aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from acquiring the document. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that exceptions would require district commissioner proposals and state government approval, with a complete ban for all communities over 18 set for April 1, 2027.
Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Tuesday resigned as Pakistan's Finance Minister amid mounting speculation that he would play a key role in the caretaker administration that is expected to oversee the next general election scheduled for mid-May.
One of the standout stories of the TVK victory was that of 30-year-old R Sabarinathan, the son of Vijay's driver from Virugambakkam.
India's economy registered a robust 7.7 per cent growth in the fiscal year 2025-26, an increase from 7.1 per cent in the previous year, with the January-March quarter alone seeing a 7.8 per cent expansion.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed a six-month foreign asset disclosure scheme for small taxpayers like students, tech professionals and relocated NRIs as she presented the Union Budget 2026-27.
Sitharaman continues with the tradition she set in 2019, carrying the budget speech in a 'bahi-khata', which she used after dropping the briefcase tradition.
Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the chief minister of Assam for a second consecutive term, along with four other ministers, marking the formation of the third successive NDA government in the state.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to soothe the frayed nerves of India's financial regulators by saying the government would not undermine their autonomy. Mukherjee's assurance came a day after Reserve Bank of India Governor D Subbarao went public with his "concerns" over dilution of the central bank's role in dealing with inter-regulatory disputes in the Ordinance issued last month.
Police are investigating claims of a firing incident outside the residence of Diljit Dosanjh's manager in Karnal, allegedly at the behest of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's aides. The incident has sparked a political row, with AAP accusing BJP of intimidation tactics after Dosanjh declined to join the party.
The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged irregularities in the Ram temple donation funds, a move welcomed by the Ram Mandir Construction Committee chairperson. The trust itself requested the inquiry to counter misinformation, while an opposition MP demanded a Supreme Court judge-led investigation.
Indian banks, which are increasingly getting worried due to asset-liability mismatch, have sought the government's approval to float tax-free bonds.
After reviewing the preparations at the headquarters of the National Testing Agency (NTA), Pradhan said meetings have been held under the Cabinet secretary, and all the states have been asked to cooperate.
Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez is in New Delhi on her sixth visit to India.
British armed forces, including Royal Marine Commandos, intercepted the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel, marking the UK's first such operation. The action aims to disrupt Russia's funding for its war in Ukraine, with the UK government highlighting the shadow fleet's role in sustaining Moscow's military efforts.
Shots were allegedly fired outside the residence of Diljit Dosanjh's manager in Karnal, with a social media post linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claiming responsibility. The incident has sparked a political row between AAP and BJP, with allegations of intimidation tactics.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of being 'anti-women' and obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha. He criticised the TMC's opposition to the bill and defended the BJP's commitment to increasing women's representation in politics.
AM Shahjahan and Vanni Arasu from IUML and VCK respectively were sworn in as ministers in Tamil Nadu, increasing the number of allies in the TVK government. This marks the first time representatives from both parties have been inducted into the state cabinet, signifying a shift in Tamil Nadu's coalition dynamics.
Pakistan has significantly increased the price of high-octane fuel, impacting luxury vehicle owners, while also seeing increases in petrol, diesel, and airline fares due to rising global oil prices.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday participated in a traditional 'halwa' ceremony, marking the final stage for the preparation of the Union Budget 2026-27, to be unveiled on February 1 in the Lok Sabha.
'As the Bihar government's focus is on development and infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores, Rishu Sinha created a network to pay a decent commission to government officials for securing tenders.'
There are wide spread speculations in corridors of power in the Capital that Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia may take over as the next finance minister of India.
In a major embarrassment to the Congress-led United Democratic Frontn government in Kerala, state Finance Minister K M Mani was on Thursday booked by the vigilance and anti-corruption bureau in the bar bribe scam.
M Govinda Rao hopes the Budget will contain the deficit while continuing to create conditions for pushing growth.
Maharashtra BJP MLC Pravin Darekar announced the launch of 'Devabhau' and 'Chhava' cooperative taxi services in Mumbai, aiming to counter private aggregators and benefit drivers directly, but the scheme has drawn sharp criticism from social activist Anjali Damania and the Opposition Congress over the proposed use of Mumbai Bank funds and its political branding.
Will he tax the salaried class more? Will he give respite to the corporates? Will he smile at the housewife, the pensioner, the middle class? Will he usher in more reforms to boost the economy?
The minister customarily meets industry chambers, industrialists, economists, agriculturalists, trade unions and so on for pre-Budget interactions.
The Maharashtra government has formally acquired the iconic Air India building in south Mumbai for Rs 1,601 crore, completing the transfer of agreements from Air India Assets Holding Company to the state Public Works Department.
India's first maritime lender, state-owned Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL) hit the ground running with a Rs 4,300 crore disbursement announcement last Tuesday, within months of being registered as a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in June 2025.
Indian equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade, driven by persistent concerns over the unresolved US-Iran situation and continued outflows from foreign institutional investors.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused central forces of attempting to search her car while en route to Kolkata airport, alleging misuse of central machinery by the BJP ahead of state elections.
Why would a country that requires close to $90 billion in net foreign capital annually to create jobs, build productive capacity, and sustain rapid growth permit $30 billion of capital to flow abroad, thereby contributing to pressure on the rupee? asks Debashis Basu.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Uttar Pradesh government has questioned Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and administrator Gopal Rao regarding allegations of donation money theft and financial mismanagement at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
There were two questions everyone wanted to know the answer to. 1. Did Raghuram Rajan advise the Congress on the much-discussed NYAY scheme, as claimed by Rahul Gandhi? 2. Will Raghuram Rajan become India's next finance minister?
