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Union Budget: Defence Gets Big Push, No Tax Relief

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
  • Feb 01, 2026
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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented the Union Budget 2026–27 in Parliament, delivering an 85-minute speech that focused on strategic priorities such as defence modernisation, infrastructure expansion, healthcare, and digital creativity, while offering no major direct relief to the common man.


There was no change in income tax slabs, though the government extended the deadline for filing revised income tax returns by three months—from December 31 to March 31—providing additional compliance flexibility to taxpayers.


Significantly, the budget carried no direct election-oriented announcements, despite Assembly elections scheduled later this year in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. Sitharaman, who arrived in the Lok Sabha wearing a traditional Kanjeevaram sari from Tamil Nadu, avoided region-specific populist measures.


Defence Spending Sees Sharp Rise
In the first budget presented after Operation Sindoor, the Finance Minister underlined emerging geopolitical challenges and national security concerns. The defence budget has been increased from ₹6.81 lakh crore to ₹7.85 lakh crore—an overall rise of 15.2 percent.


Capital expenditure on weapons procurement and military modernisation has seen a sharper jump. The allocation stands at ₹2.19 lakh crore this year, compared to ₹1.80 lakh crore in the previous budget, marking a 22 percent increase.


Healthcare, Rail, and Urban Development


To make life-saving treatment more affordable, import duty has been removed on 17 cancer drugs and medicines for seven rare diseases, including hemophilia, sickle cell disease, and muscular dystrophy.
The government announced the establishment of three Ayurvedic AIIMS and five medical hubs to promote India as a global medical tourism destination.
Seven new high-speed rail corridors were also announced, connecting major economic and urban centres across western, southern, northern, and eastern India.


For urban infrastructure, ₹12.2 lakh crore has been earmarked for the development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities with populations exceeding five lakh.
Focus on Youth, Education, and Women
To promote the creator economy, Content Creator Labs will be set up in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges nationwide.


Additionally, girls’ hostels will be constructed in around 800 districts, ensuring at least one hostel in each district to improve access to education and safety for women.