U.S. deal will not include sensitive sectors: Goyal

The trade deal with the United States, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media late on Monday night, will exclude sensitive agricultural items and dairy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, adding that the details would be made public "soon".

Under the deal, the U.S. has agreed to lower its 25% "reciprocal" tariffs on India to 18% and entirely remove the additional "penalty" tariffs of 25% it had imposed on India for its import of Russian oil.

Bihar's ₹3.47-lakh-crore budget bets big on social justice, education, tech

The newly formed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday tabled a ₹3.47-lakh-crore budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the Bihar Assembly, placing major emphasis on education, technology, innovation and social justice. The State government said it expects tax revenue of around 65,800 crore during the year. Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the budget marks an increase of about ₹30,000 crore over last year's outlay of ₹3.17 lakh crore.

Minority education body set up in Uttarakhand

Taking a step further to abolish the State madrasa board, the Uttarakhand government on Tuesday formed the Uttarakhand State Minority Education Authority which will decide the syllabus of the education institutions meant for the minorities.

Uttarakhand opens Nanda Devi, 82 other Himalayan peaks for mountaineering

With an aim to boost adventure tourism, Uttarakhand on Tuesday announced to open 83 major Himalayan peaks for mountaineering expeditions. The newly opened peaks range in altitude from 5,700 metres to 7,756 metres and include some of the world's most renowned and challenging summits including Mount Kamet (7,756 m), Nanda Devi East, the Chaukhamba and Trishul groups, Shivling, Satopanth, Changabang, Panchachuli and Neelkanth.

Kerala to move ahead with first phase of RRTS

Amid the alleged indifference of the Union government to the demands of Kerala for high-speed travel, and claims by technocrat E. Sreedharan that he has started working on a high-speed rail project as suggested by the Centre, the State government has accorded inprinciple approval for the proposed 583-km Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.

Telangana witnesses steady rise in cancer cases; doctors stress early detection

Telangana has recorded a steady rise in cancer cases over the past decade, increasing from 40,177 in 2015 to 52,334 in 2024, signalling a growing public health burden in the State. The figures were shared in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament last December.

India's next industrial shift - electrons over molecules

For over a century, the world's factories, kilns and trucks have been powered by "molecules" – oil, coal and gas burnt for heat and motion. That age is now giving way to one where competitiveness is increasingly written in electrons: clean and reliable electricity. The nations that move the fastest from molecules to electrons will not only cut emissions but also win supply chains, capital and jobs.

On this score, China has opened a decisive lead. It is not merely adding renewables at record pace. It is redesigning industry itself to run on grid power. In 2024, close to half of China's industrial energy came as electricity. India is closer to one quarter. The gap directly affects export competitiveness and resilience to fuel price shocks.

How did the space sector fare in the Budget?

While budget numbers for the space sector suggest that the stateled programme is stabilising, the Finance Ministry has overlooked the structural reforms that industry bodies like the SatCom Industry Association-India and the Indian Space Association have demanded.

Why the government has increased capital spending for the defence sector

The government has announced a record ₹7,84,678 crore for defence in the FY2026-27 Union Budget, addressing urgent military needs amid geopolitical tensions. The increased funding aims to enhance domestic capabilities and support the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

SC questions WhatsApp, Meta on personal data

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would not permit instant messaging platform WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, to breach the right to privacy of millions of their "silent consumers" in India through the sharing and commercial exploitation of personal data.

India enters elite group with successful missile tech test

The Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully carried out the flight demonstration of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha, on Tuesday.

84% waste-pickers from SC, ST, OBC groups: govt.

The Union government on Tuesday released data for the first time on the ongoing enumeration of waste-pickers across the country, showing that a total of 1.52 lakh such workers had been profiled and validated so far in urban areas of 35 States and Union Territories. At the national level, 84.5% of overall waste-pickers were from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the Other Backward Classes, while 10.7% were from communities in the General category.