Rakesh Joshi

IDBI clarifies that no official communication about any cancellation of disinvestment The Budget 2026-27 had estimated Rs80,000 crore through disinvestment and asset monetisation, as against Rs33,837 crore in the revised estimates for 2025-26. The steep target set by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union finance minister, came despite persistent historical challenges, as the government has routinely missed or significantly revised its divestment goals in previous years.

It began as an internet punchline but has now turned into a youth movement of sorts. Young Indians are rallying around the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) – a parody political movement that started as online satire but has rapidly become a vehicle for venting anger over unemployment, corruption and the state of our democracy. The movement, a cheeky riff on the name of Bharatiya Janata Party, has flooded social media with memes, mock campaign messaging and jokes carrying an edge of public frustration.

The Reserve Bank of India has handed the government a record surplus transfer of about Rs2.86 lakh crore – a windfall generated largely from profitable dollar sales during foreign exchange interventions. Some are dismayed that this amount falls short of the Rs3-lakh-crore-plus bounty that government economists were hoping for. Still, it represents the largest share of expected government revenue in more than two decades, with the exception of 2019-20.