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.
The conflict may disrupt Budget 2026-2027 projections, squeezing revenues and raising subsidies, prompting fiscal adjustments and potential reforms, echoing lessons from the Covid-era shock, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die, concluding a Budget session marked by the passage of key legislations and the defeat of a Constitution amendment bill on women's reservation. The session saw frequent opposition protests and discussions on various issues, including the West Asia conflict.
Trinamool Congress MP Deepak Adhikari, also known as Dev, has urged West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to expedite the long-pending Ghatal Master Plan, a crucial flood-management project for his constituency. Dev received assurances that the project, aimed at mitigating annual floods in the low-lying Ghatal area, would be taken forward, with hopes for budget allocation by the BJP government.
The Indian government is set to accelerate reforms, including measures to enhance foreign direct investment, speed up divestment, and boost asset monetisation, to maintain economic growth despite rising fuel and fertiliser import costs driven by the West Asia crisis.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has instructed officials to ensure the transparent and timely implementation of welfare schemes announced in the budget. She also appealed to the public to take precautions during the ongoing heatwave.
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.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed officials to ensure the transparent and timely implementation of welfare schemes announced in the budget, warning of potential fund reductions for departments failing to utilise allocated budgets effectively.
Nearly 150 Indian Super League players, including national team members, face an uncertain future as their contracts expire amid ongoing disputes between the AIFF and clubs over the league's structure.
Heer Sara needed a lot more fizz, humour, and maybe even some stranger danger, suggests Deepa Gahlot.
'We won not (only) because we were able to carry out long-range precision strikes.' 'That is, of course, one of the reasons but we had better situational awareness about what's happening than Pakistan.'
The Gujarat assembly complex received a bomb threat via email, leading to the evacuation of staff and MLAs and a search operation by local police.
Dinesh Trivedi's experience as a businessperson and his fluency in Bengali are expected to be crucial in strengthening India-Bangladesh relations, particularly in attracting Indian investments to Dhaka.
The Indian central government has reduced its total expenditure by approximately 60,000 crore in FY26, below its revised estimate, to successfully achieve the fiscal deficit target of 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the latest data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
The NDA government has gradually nuanced its position on the issue of demographic challenge.
The Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai was evacuated following a bomb threat received via email during the budget session, prompting security checks and a search operation.
The Delhi Legislative Assembly received a bomb threat via email hours before the scheduled budget presentation, prompting heightened security measures and an investigation.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there are some parties that have expressed their inability to attend this particular meeting for their own reasons.
From psychological mind-benders to folklore nightmares and zombie comedies, these 10 Hindi horror films prove Bollywood has produced far more than just things that go bump in the night.
Indian states significantly increased their reliance on market borrowings to finance gross fiscal deficits in 2025-26, with the share of market borrowings rising to 76.3 per cent, even as the weighted average cut-off yield on State Government Securities (SGS) and spreads over central government securities also increased.
The Odisha Gymnastics Association is under investigation for allegedly using the name of its deceased president to secure funds from the state government. A complaint questions the association's governance and financial practices, including the sanctioning of funds from multiple agencies for the same event.
With hot weather due and memories fresh of the scorching 2025 Club World Cup, FIFA has for the first time mandated three-minute hydration breaks in each half for all 104 matches of the World Cup starting this week in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has mandated a uniform policy for all sports grounds in the state, focusing on modern sanitation, separate changing rooms, and CCTV surveillance to ensure the safety and enhance the performance of women athletes. This directive aims to strengthen the sports ecosystem and encourage greater participation from women.
'There is a relationship between the audience and the film, and money should not come in between them.'
An Indore court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Congress councilor Fauzia Sheikh Alim, who is accused of refusing to sing 'Vande Mataram' during a municipal corporation meeting, citing a prima facie case under BNS section 196(1).
The scheme, called 'Suhana Safar', targeted customers who aspire to own a car but were hesitant because of concerns around arranging the down payment or managing future EMI obligations.
A report indicates that mid-tier banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) entities in India are highly exposed to cyberattacks due to aggressive digitisation coupled with insufficient cybersecurity investments.
Moody's Ratings has highlighted that Indian banks are among the most exposed in the Asia-Pacific region to the West Asia crisis, primarily due to India's high dependence on energy imports, which could lead to increased inflation, higher interest rates, and strained borrower cash flows.
Siddaramaiah met Rahul Gandhi to discuss his future role within the Congress party after resigning as Chief Minister of Karnataka. The meeting addressed his potential future roles and the formation of the new Karnataka government.
Compared with a year ago, the effective cost of studying abroad for Indian students has increased by roughly 10%-12% due to currency depreciation and rising living costs.
Too many EMIs draining your salary? Ramalingam Kalirajan explains the safe borrowing limit that protects your income from a dangerous debt trap.
World chess champion D Gukesh is ranked 19th behind the legendary Viswanathan Anand at 13th.
'I don't like talking about my struggles because I find them quite small in comparison to what I have seen happening to the people in my country.' 'I don't think pursuing your dreams is a struggle.'
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed parliament on the ongoing border dispute with India, stating both countries have agreed to seek resolution through diplomatic means and expert consultation. Shah's remarks about Nepal also encroaching on Indian territories have sparked controversy.
A lesson for India is to clearly define objectives beforehand, so that the adversary or other parties do not attempt to mitigate them midway.
Indian IT stocks have seen a significant decline of up to 33 per cent year-to-date in 2026, largely due to artificial intelligence (AI) disrupting traditional outsourcing models, leading analysts to predict a challenging FY27 for the sector despite some cushion from rupee depreciation.
Top leaders of opposition parties including Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC's Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal and Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, besides Left leaders and those from smaller parties, are likely to attend the meeting at the Constitution Club in the national capital.
A devastating fire at a bed and breakfast hotel in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, has claimed 21 lives, including foreign nationals. The incident has brought intense scrutiny to the densely packed area, a popular hub for patients seeking affordable accommodation near Max Hospital, raising serious concerns about fire safety compliance and building norms in such establishments.
Tata Motors' 2026 Tiago facelift is a tech-loaded and safety-focused entry-level hatchback, with prices starting at Rs 4.69 lakh.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Thursday hit out at the previous Left Democratic Front government, claiming that it had left behind huge liabilities, including Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board borrowings, amounting to Rs 5.07 lakh crore.
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