Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/article/union-budget-2026-healthcare-sector-calls-for-digital-push-and-tax-rationalisation-for-medical-devices-23614645" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Budget</a> to the Parliament on February 1. As the country gears up to see how its precious tax money is to be spent in financial year 2026, the nation&rsquo;s youth wants to put in their two cents as well.
<h2>Roti, kapda, makaan</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Susmita-a_e.jpg" alt="Susmitha Akula" width="1280" height="720" /> Susmitha Akula
We keep building more roads, but who&rsquo;s taking care of their upkeep? &ldquo;Infrastructure is not just about building more roads and highways, but directing funds towards its regular maintenance,&rdquo; says Susmitha Akula, 19, an anthropology student. She also urges for more spending on irrigation infrastructure, as well as government-aided harvest machinery. Akula gets our vote for highlighting a grouse of the common man. &ldquo;There should be skill-training for officials who oversee implementation of government policies at a grassroots level,&rdquo; she says, arguing for stronger welfare policies &ldquo;funding NGOs dealing with development of minority groups, social entrepreneurship, funding in-house production of medicine and facilitating its supply and so on is important.&rdquo; Lastly, she calls for &ldquo;creation and protection of non-partisan think tanks to overlook matters of civil crime and corruption.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h2>Brain drain, refrain</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Nachiket-a_e.jpg" alt="Nachiket Gurjar" width="1280" height="720" /> Nachiket Gurjar
Nachiket Gurjar, 19, a political science student at St Xavier&rsquo;s College, identifies a gap in the education system, &ldquo;The budget should focus on increasing funding for primary education,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;as most of the lower level schools are underdeveloped.&rdquo; He&rsquo;d also seek more funding for research and development. &ldquo;This would ensure that our intelligentsia doesn&rsquo;t migrate abroad,&rdquo; referring to the problem of &ldquo;brain drain&rdquo;. His third pick is what all Mumbaikars would agree with &mdash; spending on infrastructural growth such as public roads and sanitation.
<h2>The Three Es</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Swara-Patil_e.jpg" alt="Swara Patil" width="1280" height="720" /> Swara Patil
Spending on defence should be a priority, says Swara Patil, 19, a political science student at St Xavier&rsquo;s College, but not at the cost of other aspects. &ldquo;My Budget would focus on three Es &mdash; education, economic development, and environment.&rdquo; The Budget should, in her opinion, focus on skills-based training for the youth, as well as building proper educational infrastructure. She also pushes for qualitative economic development, stating, &ldquo;Economic growth should not just be in terms of numbers, but should reflect in &nbsp;everyday lives of citizens. This includes employment opportunities and skill development. This will increase the quality of life.&rdquo; Lastly, she stresses upon saving the environment, &ldquo;There is nothing without the environment that sustains us. It is time we do something tangible to save the Earth.&rdquo;
<h2>Lower taxes = More foreign investment</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Ankit-a_e.jpg" alt="Ankit Chakraborty" width="1280" height="720" /> Ankit Chakraborty
With the recent increase in long-term and short-term capital gains taxes, because of which, &ldquo;in my opinion, India is losing out on a lot of foreign investment&rdquo;, says Ankit Chakraborty, 21, a recent graduate of communication and media from Christ (deemed) University in Bengaluru. &ldquo;Also, the Rupee isn&rsquo;t doing well compared to Dollars. If I was a foreign investor, I&rsquo;d want to invest in India since it&rsquo;s an emerging market and better returns, but if I have to pay such high taxes along with currency depreciation, it just makes no sense,&rdquo; he adds, pushing for lower taxes. &nbsp;His next priority would be education, and research and development. &ldquo;In the last few years, we have focused a lot on defence, and the railways. According to the NEP 2020, our education spending should be around 6 per cent, but right now it&rsquo;s hovering around 2-3 per cent.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h2>Cheaper movie tickets</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Nila-Varma_e.jpg" alt="Nila Varma" width="1280" height="720" /> Nila Varma
Indian cities need to be walkable,&rdquo; says Nila Mukund Varma, 19, a mass communication <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sunday-mid-day/article/indulge-in-these-gen-z-book-recommendations-in-2026-23612474" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">student</a>. &ldquo;Walking &nbsp;around should not feel like a survival show. My hostel is barely five kilometers from college, but completely unwalkable. We need better pedestrian infrastructure.&rdquo; She would also put lesser taxes on movies, saying that a movie ticket should not cost '480.
<h2>Not fare!</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Yugandhara_e.jpg" alt="Yugandhara Bandiwadekar" width="1280" height="720" /> Yugandhara Bandiwadekar
Remember when a Rs 5 bus ticket could get you across town? With fares having doubled, the rising cost of public transportation is a major concern for Yugandhara Bandiwadekar, 19, a second-year science student. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d want bus fares to reduce their fares, especially for shorter distances.&rdquo; Rising fuel costs are partly to blame, of course. &ldquo;My mother tells me how you could fill your car&rsquo;s fuel tank up for Rs 200 at one point. Now that amount gets you barely halfway through.&rdquo; After paying more for a bus or car ride to, says, the movie theatre, there&rsquo;s yet another thing that empties wallets: &ldquo;The food at theatres now costs more than the movie tickets!&rdquo;

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Roti, kapda, makaan

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