Union Budget 2026: Ministry of Home Affairs Allocation Rises to ₹10,387 Crore in Budget 2026–27, Census and Disaster Management Get Major Push

Key Points:

The Union Government has allocated ₹10,387.35 crores to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the financial year 2026–27, in the Union Budget 2026. This registers a sharp increase from ₹7,480.15 crores in the Revised Estimates of 2025–26, according to the Notes on Demands for Grants presented with the Union Budget. The aforementioned increase highlights over 9% increase from the previous fiscal year, depicting an enhanced security commitment to India’s territories. 

Census 2027 Preparations Drive Major Rise In Spending

The enhanced allocation is primarily driven by preparations for Census 2027, higher spending on disaster management, and expanded administrative expenditure. The Census was previously supposed to be conducted in 2020-21, but was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic. Of the total allocation, ₹9,878.54 crores has been earmarked for revenue expenditure, while ₹508.81 crores has been allocated towards capital expenditure.

See Also: Union Budget 2026: Healthcare Allocation Gets a Boost of ₹1.06 Crore as Govt. Focuses on Universal Health Coverage, AIIMS Expansion, Digital Health and Medical Research

Intelligence Bureau Budget Witnesses Significant Boost

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been allocated ₹6,782 crores in the FY 2026-27, marking an increase from ₹4,159 crores of FY 2025-26. This marks a significant increase of ₹2,623 crores in IB budget allocation. 

A significant portion of the ministry’s budget, ₹6,000 crores has been allocated to the Census, Survey and Statistics/Registrar General of India, making it the single largest component of MHA’s expenditure. The sharp rise reflects the scale of preparatory and operational requirements ahead of the upcoming national census.

Disaster Management And NDRF Receive Enhanced Focus

The government has continued to prioritise disaster preparedness and response, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) receiving ₹2,002.14 crores, an increase over previous years. Additionally, ₹2,056.25 crores has been allocated under relief on account of natural calamities, reinforcing the Centre’s focus on disaster mitigation and humanitarian assistance.

The ministry’s establishment expenditure stands at ₹3,037.46 crores, covering secretariat functions, official language promotion, and institutional operations. The MHA Secretariat alone has been allocated ₹937.16 crores, reflecting rising administrative and operational costs.

Under central sector schemes and projects, the ministry has been allocated ₹959.36 crores. Freedom Fighters’ Pensions and Benefits get ₹589.97 crores, ₹93.14 crores is allocated for Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates, Helicopter Services in the North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh received an allocation of ₹106.20 crores, and ₹100 crores are allocated for Disaster Management Infrastructure.

See Also: Union Budget 2026: Record Allocation for Railways Focuses on Infrastructure, Safety, and High-Speed Corridors

Transfers to States and Union Territories have been earmarked at ₹160.07 crores, including allocations for Home Guards, Civil Defence, and administration of central laws. 

Despite the overall increase, capital expenditure remains relatively limited, indicating that the ministry’s focus for the coming year is on operational readiness and large-scale administrative exercises, rather than major infrastructure expansion.

The Budget 2026–27 signals a clear shift in the Ministry of Home Affairs’ priorities towards nationwide administrative exercises such as the Census, sustained disaster response mechanisms, and strengthening internal institutional capacity. While social relief and welfare continue to receive attention, the modest capital outlay suggests restrained long-term infrastructure planning under this demand.

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