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Did the 2026-27 Union Budget live up to India’s science ambitions and scientists’ expectations? The views vary depending on what specific sectors have received and the initiatives announced, and they’re not all rosy. Here are comments from seven leading scientists from around India, including heads of key departments, institutes, and a leading State university, compiled by New Delhi-based freelance science journalist T.V. Padma for The Hindu.To read this comments in article form, click here. N. Kalaiselvi, Director-General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) CSIR director-general N. Kalaiselvi. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT I view the Union Budget 2026-27 as…

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav. File | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav said on July 27 that the Agnipath recruitment scheme will be cancelled “as soon as we come to power”. The declaration comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced reservation for retired Agniveers in the U.P. Police.“As soon as we come to power, the short-term ‘Agniveer’ military recruitment that compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers will be cancelled within 24 hours. This is our demand on ‘Agniveer’. Old recruitment should be…

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal questioned UPA-era deals and policy decisions such as the import of palm oil. | Photo Credit: ANI Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday (February 8, 2026) dared Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to cancel trade pacts with ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore if they were against national interest.Mr. Sharma, a former UPA Commerce Minister, was reacting to Mr. Goyal’s press conference on Saturday (February 7, 2026) in which he had questioned UPA-era deals and policy decisions such as the import of palm oil from foreign countries.“It’s ironic that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in…

South Africa’s Marco Jansen during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between New Zealand and South Africa, at Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, on February 14, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI The ability to generate pace and bounce is Marco Jansen’s natural gift, but the 6.8-feet-tall pacer’s subtler variations are a result of improvisation and relentless training.Jansen dug deep into his bag of tricks and pulled out a delivery that he developed on his own to take the sting out of New Zealand’s innings in their T20 World Cup contest on Saturday (February 14, 2026). On the…

Mohammad Akram weaves his autorickshaw through peak evening traffic in Colombo. It is almost 6.30pm and he promises a quick tour of the must-see spots. The capital city of Sri Lanka is lit up in evening lights as Mohammad, in crisp Tamil, lists the touristy places and things one must buy. “Tea, spices, and gems,” he says, his eye on the road. “What would you like to try first?” In Colombo, we discover, much like in Chennai, auto-drivers are the best tourist guides. It is the night before the grand launch of City of Dreams Sri Lanka, said to be…

In the summer of 1991, India’s most radical decision was not liberalisation. It was honesty. The government acknowledged that the old model had exhausted itself and that incrementalism would no longer suffice. Budget 2026 arrives at a quieter but comparable moment. Growth is respectable, balance sheets are healthier, and yet something fundamental feels constrained. Not by demand, but by design.This budget will not be judged by how much it spends. Fiscal space is thin, and everyone knows it. The real test is whether it is willing to question the architecture of the Indian state itself.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADIndia’s policy…

The Union Budget 2026-27 presented science as an instrument of growth, with large numbers on biopharma, semiconductors, carbon capture, and research-linked industrial finance on paper. However, expert reactions to this budget point to a more fragile reality.As the state attempts to move from adopting technologies to creating them, by building mission-linked platforms in biopharma, semiconductors, critical materials, and climate, it seems that the limiting factor isn’t the ambition of schemes but what the government actually delivers — including reliable and timely funds, autonomy for research institutions, and the transparency and performance of large finance vehicles for innovation.In 2023-24, allocation for…

JD(U) leaders were tight-lipped over the absence of Nitish Kumar, the party president, at the NITI Aayog meeting held in Delhi (File) | Photo Credit: PTI The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML)L], a constituent of the INDIA bloc, claimed, that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the NITI Aayog meeting out of embarrassment over the Centre’s refusal to grant special category status to the State.The party also slammed the National Democratic Alliance-led (NDA) Central government for “misleading” people over the special package and announced protest marches next month.However, JD(U) leaders were tight-lipped over the absence of Nitish Kumar,…

Image used for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The rupee gained 21 paise to 90.44 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Monday (February 9, 2026), supported by positive sentiments after India and the U.S. reached a framework for an interim trade pact. Forex traders said the rupee opened on a lower note, but soon gained the lost ground and was trading on a positive note after India and the U.S. on Saturday (February 7) announced they have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement under which both sides will reduce import duties on a…

Pakistan’s players during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Pakistan, at R Premadasa Stadium, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 15, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI Pakistan’s 18 overs of spin against India in Colombo entered the record books of T20 World Cup history after they bowled the joint-most overs in the tournament’s history.The Salman Agha-led Pakistan bowled a remarkable 18 overs of spin against India in Colombo, equalling the record for the most overs of spin delivered in a T20 World Cup innings.The only other instance of 18 overs of spin in a…