India, Feb. 1 -- The Union Budget 2026?27 on Sunday proposed major healthcare and welfare initiatives, including customs duty waivers on key drugs for cancer and rare diseases, the establishment of a second National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in North India, and new schemes to empower Divyangjan with dignified livelihood opportunities.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the ninth Union Budget in Parliament, said the government will exempt basic customs duty on 17 cancer medicines and seven drugs for rare diseases. "These measures are aimed at reducing treatment costs and providing financial relief to patients who require specialised therapies," she noted. The exemptions will cover personal imports...