Insights, a blog published by IMPRI.
There were high hopes from the just-presented Union budget 2025-26, given the challenges facing the economy. There have been consistent signs of a slowdown in the economy, rising unemployment and persisting high inflation.
The unemployment rate in the last five quarters, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), has been hovering around 6.5 per cent of the labour force. This broad fact of the economy is often highlighted by the government to demonstrate that there is no immediate crisis in employment generation.
Under the new Trump administration, the Indo-Pacific is likely to regain prominence but with a sharper focus on hard power dynamics
IMPRI Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, hosted a panel discussion on ‘Defence, Foreign Policy, and the Union Budget 2025-26’ under its 6th Annual Series of Thematic Deliberations and Analysis of the Interim Union Budget 2025-26.
India is going to make available cloud computing capacity to researchers and industry at ultra-low costs per compute (jargon for a single computational operation, like running a specific algorithm). The idea is sound, and needs to be implemented, and scaled up. But it will not prevent India still being a laggard in AI.
The Quad foreign ministers met shortly after Donald Trump took office at the White House. This ministerial meeting was also the first engagement of the United States (US)’ new secretary of state, Marco Rubio. While speculations were rife about the future of Quad after Trump won the polls earlier last year, the prompt meeting of Quad foreign ministers suggests the grouping is likely to remain a key priority for Trump.
The 2025-26 Union Budget presents a crucial moment for India's healthcare trajectory.