The budget for the year 2009-10 will be presented by the government today. The budget is anticipated to expand the budget deficit as well as market borrowing requirement for supporting its growth. 

Some among the topics which will be covered by the Union Finance Minister in today’s ...

As a sunrise industry, the biotechnology sector is looking up to the national budget, to be presented in parliament by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday, for a fillip in times of global recession and slowdown in the Indian economy.
 

"The government must incentivise R&D ...

Concession on student loans, higher spending on education and health, fuel price cut - students and young professionals have a whole list of expectations as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents India's national budget for this fiscal Monday.
 

Rakhi Malhotra, a college student who ...

Amid high expectations in a slowing economy, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present India's national budget for this fiscal Monday, seeking a fine balance between the need for resources to fund welfare schemes and minimising the burden on the average citizen and industry.
 

The ...

Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the "tatkal" window will be reduced from five days to two days and the minimum service fee under the scheme will be slashed to Rs.100 from 150.


The 'tatkal' is a service which facilitates people - who have not planned their journey in advance nor ...

Indian Railways will have women security personnel now. Their numbers in the proposed commando battalions will also be increased. The Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said these in the railways budget presented in parliament on Friday.

The women Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel ...

Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, while presenting the rail budget for 2009-10 in parliament on Friday, said that all railway zones have been instructed for ensuring the availability of 'Janata Khana' - national and regional cuisines - in trains. 

"National and regional cuisines ...

These are the updates on the highlights of railway Budget 2009-10:-

No increase in passenger, freight fares
Rs.1,102 crore allocated towards improving passenger amenities
Kolkata metro to be extended
Rs.50 billion increase in budgetary support in 2009-10
Freight ...

Few more highlights of the railway Budget presented by Mamata Banerjee on Friday have been given below;-


Rs.25 pass for unorganised sector employees of income below Rs.1,500 up to 100 km
New "Yuva" fully air-conditioned train for youth
Yuva fares Rs.299 up to a ...

Some more highlights of the rail budget for the current fiscal are;-

New train information system to be started in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi
50 mobile rail ticket vans to be introduced
ATMs on 200 mid and small sized stations
Integrated security scheme rolled out for 140 ...

According to the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, more importance will be given to price stability as the prices of essential items as well as food grains have gone up in a rapid manner in the past few days. 


"The government monitors the price situation regularly, with price ...

The highlights of the rail budget for the current fiscal presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Lok Sabha on Friday:

50 world class stations to be developed on public private partnership model
309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities
50 ...

The Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee started the presentation of her ministry's budget for the current fiscal on Friday with the promise of addressing the concerns of average passengers.

"People all over the country have high expectations from the railway budget," Banerjee told ...

According to the Economic Survey 2008-09, the government should have a public accountability information system (PAIS) with internet access which will give the information with respect to the funds which are allocated as well as the expenditure along with names of ...

Just a day before the government presents the railway budget, the Economic Survey for 2008-09 has recommended that the government should allow private players in passenger train operations to tourist spots.

"About a dozen tourist routes could be identified and a single licence issued to ...

Amidst much gossip and expectations, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday gave final touches to ‘her’ rail budget, which will be presented in parliament on Friday.

Shifting from the claims of high surplus by her predecessor Lalu Prasad, Mamta Banerjee has maintained from the ...

According to the Economic Survey 2008-09 which was released today, the impact left by climate on agriculture, water resources, health, sanitation, coastal zone infrastructure, forests as well as extreme events during the last fiscal year is grave. 

Climate change has happened due to the ...

Owing to the shortage of long-term finance, it is difficult to achieve the investment target set for the infrastructure sector for the 11th Five-Year Plan period. The government has estimated an investment requirement of $500 billion in the infrastructure sector for the plan period that ends in ...

The Economic Survey has expressed its satisfaction on the pension reforms that were made by the new pension system (NPS).

Efforts are underway to extend the NPS to new segments (autonomous bodies, state governments and unorganised sector) and introducing micro-pension initiatives," said the ...

India's Economic Survey released by Pranab Mukherjee in parliament on Thursday has indicated the decontrolling of petrol and diesel prices "at the earliest" and for the reforming of the subsidies to cooking gas and kerosene. 

The survey said the subsidies rule, including that of ...

The Economic Survey 2008-09 which was presented by the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, has called for the liberalization of the reforms related to banking and financial markets. The reforms related to enhancing foreign investments in the banks in a step by step fashion as well as lifting ...

Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee, will be presenting a ‘pro-people’ budget in Parliament on Friday. There are expectations of upgrading railway amenities and food served in trains.
"It will be a pro-people budget, a simple budget, people's budget," Banerjee ...

According to the Economic Survey 2008-09 released on Thursday, the government had allocated about 105,298 seats on a weekly basis to the foreign airlines so that the connectivity of India with rest of the world will be enhanced during 2009-10 fiscal year. 


The designated carriers have ...

According to the Economic Survey presented today, even though the health sector in India has displayed a vast improvement, there is still a deficit of about 28000 health sectors. 
According to the survey, 34% of the existing health infrastructure is in rented buildings. The other major ...

The Indian exports may continue to remain restrained this year in the midst of a dismal outlook for the trade sector and world trade volume output which is set to decline by 11%.


Citing the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections of the negative growth of 1.3% in the world output ...

The Economic Survey has advocated sweeping policy changes such as foreign investment in multi-brand retailing and higher foreign stake in insurance companies.

The survey report card suggested the ceiling on foreign equity in insurance sector be raised to 49% from 26%. 


According to the ...

The survey stated that "achievements of SSA till December 2008 are opening of 276,903 new schools, construction of 225,383 school buildings, construction of 918,981 additional classrooms, 182,019 drinking water facilities, construction of 251,023 toilets, supply of free textbooks to 8.4 crore ...

The introducing of the new income tax code, the reforming of the existing tax structure and duties and the slashing of subsidies on fuel, fertilisers and food were some among the measures which have been suggested by the Economic Survey.


The survey has called for creation of a new income tax ...

The survey, which was tabled by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in parliament on Thursday, said that the rise in off take of bank credit and the upturn in the power generation capacity were positive pointers towards the recovery of Indian economy. 

The provision of credit by banks to most ...

Economic Survey 2009-10 which the government presented in parliament on Thursday has called for the revitalising of the divestment policy. This is aimed at the generating of a minimum of Rs.25, 000 crore annually.


According to the survey, all the unlisted public sector enterprises should sell ...