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Wednesday, February 25, 2026
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The FinePrint

Decoding India’s defence budget & how various govts struggled to spend it—from UPA to NDA

Every February, headlines focus on defence budget allocation. But real question is—how much money was actually spent & why did promise-delivery gap widen in some years, narrow in others?

Sujatha, Abhay, Deva, now Devuji—top Maoist surrenders over the past year

In February 2025, Home Minister Shah fixed 31 March, 2026 as the deadline to end Naxalism in the country. As many as 2,167 Maoist cadres surrendered in 2025 alone.

Unnao rape survivor now wants to study law, fight for those sexually assaulted

On days when there is no court hearing, the house becomes her classroom. She has enrolled in a BA programme course at Delhi University’s School of Open Learning.

Where does the law stand on Himanta Biswa Sarma’s video of ‘shooting’ Muslims?

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's Hindu-Muslim polarisation is clearly done to maximise the odds of winning. But an important legal question is: does it expose him to legal liability?

Ladakh decisions fell within military responsibility. Political class mustn’t have been burdened

As in 1971, the political leadership in 2020 did not get involved in military matters and gave the directive correctly, with the defence minister advising the Army chief, “Jo uchit samjho wo karo'.

Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s 6 years as Rajya Sabha MP—no questions, no Bills, 1 debate

On his report card as Rajya Sabha MP, ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi told ThePrint: ‘I didn’t ask questions for the sake of asking questions…But there are several other areas where I contributed.’

What a viral monkey, an IKEA plush toy, and a US Supreme Court ruling reveal about tariffs

Punch’s attachment to his plush toy is not based on its country of origin, but on the comfort it provides. Similarly, consumers prioritise trust and design over geopolitical labels.

Drains to dividends: How Ghaziabad showed the way to cash in on green bonds, rewrite civic finance

A push to conserve groundwater has evolved into test case for climate finance, fiscal discipline & market credibility in urban local bodies—now more are betting on 'green' money to clean up their act.

Indian judiciary must stop panicking over AI

To assume courts weigh every word committed to paper is to ignore reality. The Indian judiciary has long had a "Control+C" problem.

Lucknow’s most fearless voice is 14. Dhruv Rathee, Kunal Kamra, police are hearing him

At 14, Ashwamit Gautam has already experienced fame and an FIR. ‘If I were older, my situation could have been like Sonam Wangchuk or Umar Khalid.’

On Camera

Pew’s religious diversity study is producing perverse results

Pew’s survey on religious diversity around the world is interesting, but simply lacks enough nuance to warrant serious consideration.

In 1st budget under BJP mayor in 44 yrs, BMC hikes outlay to Rs 81k crore, focus on big-ticket infra

India's richest civic body’s outlay is 8.77% higher than last year’s, with the biggest allocation being made for infra growth. BMC also proposed an AI boost to its service delivery.

What to expect on the defence front as Modi embarks on Israel visit, second since 2017

The two sides will sign a framework agreement on defence cooperation that will allow companies from both sides to collaborate deeper.

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.