A heartwarming video from Bengaluru shows schoolchildren in a remote-area school daily bringing fruits for their teacher Deepali Dahikamble, a Teach For India fellow, after she casually mentioned liking them. The clip captures tiny hands passing fruits through the staff room window with pure sincerity, no prompting or rewards involved. Over 624k views on Instagram, it highlights innocent generosity and attentiveness in young students. Reactions praise the kids' kindness and the teacher's influence in nurturing empathy beyond academics. The ritual reflects simple joys and values like sharing instilled early in everyday school life.

Actress Celina Jaitley has made a heartfelt public appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention in the case of her brother, Major Vikrant Jaitley, detained in the UAE since September 2024. The former Special Forces officer faces vague national security charges with limited information provided. Celina broke down in an interview, highlighting family distress and lack of legal aid. The Delhi High Court has directed the MEA to appoint a legal firm, leading to pro bono assistance from a UAE-based company. The case underscores the need for diplomatic support for Indian citizens abroad.

Amid renewed US tariff threats under President Donald Trump, India faces mounting pressure to curtail its substantial Russian oil imports, which constitute 40% of its crude supply at discounted rates. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is leading negotiations to explore alternatives like Venezuelan crude to fill potential gaps while maintaining energy security. Surging Brent prices exacerbate the economic appeal of Russian barrels, but continued reliance risks derailing a major US-India trade deal. Experts suggest a gradual diversification strategy to balance cheap energy needs with strategic partnerships, avoiding inflation spikes and refinery disruptions. The situation underscores India's geopolitical tightrope walk in global energy markets.

Union Budget 2026 offers no direct income tax relief or slab changes for the salaried middle class, retaining the standard deduction at Rs 75,000 allowing tax-free income up to Rs 12.75 lakh. Indirect benefits include reduced TCS on overseas remittances to 2%, duty exemptions on cancer/rare disease medicines, and cheaper manufactured goods like microwaves and electronics components. Job creation via record capex over Rs 12 lakh crore aims indirect support. Experts note the budget may not cheer average salaried taxpayers, lacking broad consumption stimulus despite fiscal prudence.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sharply criticized Union Budget 2026, calling it a "Humpty Dumpty budget" that is directionless, visionless, actionless, and anti-people, anti-women, anti-farmer, anti-education, and against SC, ST, OBC communities. She accused the Centre of allocating "not a single paisa" for Bengal, linking the market crash (Sensex fell over 1,600 points initially) to the budget's shortcomings. Opposition leaders echoed criticism as "lacklustre" with nothing for farmers or youth employment. The government defended it as historic for Viksit Bharat by 2047, with PM Modi praising reform momentum. Moody's called it "tactical." The budget faced backlash amid global uncertainties and US tariffs.

Union Budget 2026-27 witnesses significant rises in allocations for defence (Rs 6.81 lakh crore), railways (Rs 2.65 lakh crore), roads, rural development, and agriculture. Health up to Rs 1.06 lakh crore, education research innovation boosted. Infra capex record levels, manufacturing incentives expanded. Fiscal deficit targeted 4.3% GDP. The budget emphasizes growth through capital spending, self-reliance, and sectoral pushes amid global challenges.

Union Budget 2026-27 cuts Swachh Bharat Mission allocation by nearly 50% to Rs 5,000 crore from previous levels, with major reductions in urban schemes like sanitation and waste management. Rural components see lesser impact, but overall cleanliness drive faces resource constraints. The budget prioritizes other infra and manufacturing, though states receive grants for local sanitation. Critics highlight risks to ODF status maintenance and urban hygiene amid growing cities. Government emphasizes multi-year achievements and continued state support.

Union Budget 2026-27 increases health sector allocation to Rs 1.06 lakh crore, a significant rise focusing on medical education, research, and infrastructure. Key initiatives include 75,000 new medical seats over five years, expansion of AIIMS-like institutions, and enhanced funding for vaccination programs and cancer care. The budget emphasizes preventive healthcare, digital health records, and rural medical facilities, aiming to strengthen India's health ecosystem amid rising demands for quality care and disease management.

Union Budget 2026 announces seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities like Mumbai-Pune, Hyderabad-Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi-Siliguri to enhance economic linkages and sustainable mobility. State-wise highlights include freight corridor for West Bengal (Dankuni-Surat), rare earth corridors spanning Odisha-Kerala-Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu, bird-watching ecotourism in Pulicat Lake (Tamil Nadu-Andhra), Buddhist circuits in Northeast (Assam etc.), and industrial/logistics hubs in Uttar Pradesh. Poll-bound states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam receive targeted connectivity and sector supports for balanced regional growth.

Union Budget 2026-27 reduces pollution abatement allocation to Rs 1,091 crore from Rs 1,300 crore revised estimates, amid severe urban air quality issues and increasing climate extremes like heatwaves, flooding, and cyclones. MoEFCC total rises 8% to Rs 3,759.46 crore, with gains for surveys and tribunal. Government highlights multi-channel funding via states and sanitation grants. Critics including Rahul Gandhi and activists call for greater priority, labeling pollution a national health emergency requiring deeper investment.