Union budget 2025-26: Major allocations for security, census and regional development

NEW DELHI: The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated adequate funds for the nation’s security, regional development, and necessary administrative activities.

The Union Territory of Puducherry is given Rs 3,432.20 crore to meet their various developmental needs. The long-overdue provision for the budgetary exercise on Census 2021 is minuscule with just Rs 574.80 crore set apart, which is a tad higher than the amount allocated in 2024-25 at Rs 572 crore.

This implies that the much-delayed decadal exercise that was originally slated for 2020-21 but was pushed back by the COVID-19 pandemic will be further delayed.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been sanctioned Rs 3,893.35 crore, which is marginally less than Rs 3,966.21 crore allocated for the last fiscal. In contrast, the Special Protection Group (SPG), which gives top-class security, has been provided with Rs 489.00 crore as against Rs 510.97 crore allocated in the previous fiscal.

Allocation of the Delhi Police Budget has also increased, and the final Budget for 2025-26 will be Rs 12,259.16 crore compared to Rs 11,400.81 crore in 2024-25.

The revenue expenditure has been further segregated into Rs 11,315.63 crore and capital expenditure into Rs 943.53 crore that will further strengthen the law enforcement apparatus in the national capital.One of the most significant changes in this year’s Budget is the separate allocation for Jammu & Kashmir Police, which now functions directly under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) like Delhi Police.

The J&K Police will get Rs 9,325.73 crore, a huge increase from Rs 8,665.94 crore in 2024-25, to strengthen law enforcement in the region. Urban security has been granted the Safe City Project to the tune of Rs 215.34 crore. Grants-in-aid to the state governments have been provided for Rs 3,494.39 crore, and union territory governments have been granted Rs 1,515.02 crore for regional development schemes. North-eastern states have been granted a capital outlay of Rs 810.00 crore. This goes on to prove that the Government is not backing off in giving infrastructure growth in the region.

Despite the expectation of increased funding, the Nirbhaya Fund for women’s safety enhancement remains the same at Rs 200 crore, which has raised questions over the need for more investment in women’s security measures.