Cathay Pacific profits jump 72%

Cathay Pacific Airways has reported a 72% rise in profits for 2007, but says conditions will be harder in 2008.

Cathay reported a net profit of $901.9m (£454m) for 2007, higher than expected and helped by the weak dollar and sales at Air China, in which it owns 18%.

Including its Dragonair subsidiary, Cathay Pacific carried 23.35m passengers last year, a rise of 28.5%.

But the company said 2008 would be more difficult, because of high fuel prices and a slowdown in the global economy.

"Any substantial slowdown in world economic activity would pose risks to anticipated passenger and cargo volumes and revenue," chairman Christopher Pratt said.

Dragonair, which focuses on mainland China, was taken over by Cathay in September 2006. Last year was its first contribution to annual profits.

China one-child rule 'to remain'

The Chinese leadership has denied suggestions that it is about to alter its controversial one-child policy.

Family planning chief Zhang Weiqing said there would be no change in the rule limiting families in cities to one child and those in rural areas to two.

His comments come a week after another family planning official said a policy change was under discussion.

The rule has been blamed for creating a gender imbalance, with families eager to have boys rather than a girls.

'Incremental'

Correspondents say many in China think the one-child rule is unsustainable in the long term.

But Mr Zhang, director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, denied the policy would be overhauled.

"Changes to the family planning policy now could lead to population rises, posing higher pressure on China's future development," the Xinhua state news agency quoted him as saying.

Last week Zhao Baige, the vice-minister at the National Population and Family Planning Commission, told reporters she wanted an "incremental" change in the policy, although she said some form of population control would remain in place.

From time to time China has considered changes to its one-child policy but has always backed off, fearing a massive spike in population growth.

Strict family-planning controls were introduced during the 1970s to combat China's soaring population.

Malaysia chooses new parliament

Malaysians have been choosing a new parliament in an election expected to see Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's huge majority reduced.

Inflation, rising crime and ethnic tensions have made inroads into support for his National Front coalition, analysts say.

Mr Badawi called for ethnic minorities to support him.

Some violence linked to the election has been reported in the north-east of the country.

Police in Terennganu State said they had fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of several hundred people protesting at what they saw as vote-rigging.

Arrests

Supporters of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) stopped buses they suspected of carrying National Front coalition supporters pretending to be voters from the district, said local police chief Ayob Yaacob.

He said 22 people were arrested and the rest of the crowd ran away.

Prime Minister Badawi said before voting began that he did not want a government "made up of only one race" after polls indicated his Chinese and Indian coalition allies might fare badly. Ethnic minorities make up more than a third of the population.

The National Front is still expected to be returned to power by the country's 10.9m eligible voters, as it has at all previous 11 general elections.

Mr Badawi is seeking another five-year term, and he knows that he will get it, the BBC's Robin Brant reports from the capital Kuala Lumpur.

But he has already conceded that he is unlikely to equal the staggering 91% of seats won at the last general election, our correspondent says.

His deputy, Najib Tun Razak, told the BBC that the benchmark for the coalition was a two-thirds majority, giving them power to change the constitution.

`Racial discrimination'

The National Front dominates Malaysian politics and currently controls all but one of Malaysia's 13 states and three federal territories - the northern state of Kelantan, which is held by PAS.

However, analysts say ethnic tensions and widespread concerns about price rises are likely to lead to gains for the opposition parties, including one led by the former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Mr Ibrahim, who is banned from holding office after being jailed for corruption in a trial he says was politically motivated, has promised to end racial discrimination if his Justice Party wins.

"We want strong Malays, strong Chinese, strong Indians," he told a campaign rally on Thursday night.

"Take the best Malays, let them work with the best Chinese and the best Indians."

Many ethnic minorities complain that government policy has denied them fair access to jobs, education, and housing.

Tensions have increased in particular in recent months as a result of a series of illegal street demonstrations. Last November, 10,000 Indians took to the streets during one protest.

Our correspondent says opposition parties put up a strong challenge in certain places, but the overall picture is expected to be much the same as every election since the end of British colonial rule in 1957 once the results are in.

New African billionaires arrive

Africa has two new billionaires on the block, both of whom are black.

But Africa's richest men, according to the Forbes rich list, remain two white South Africans who inherited their wealth.

They have now been joined by a Nigerian industrialist who seems to be in every industry going and a black South African mine magnate.

But with only four entries on the list Africa remains the continent with the fewest mega-rich citizens.

You need at least $1.3bn to get in, and there are currently 1062 on the list.

New entrant Aliko Dangote is Nigerian and has built a $3.3bn fortune from a loan from his uncle.

In a little over 25 years, Mr Dangote has built an empire that includes the number one sugar production company in the country, a cement factory and a virtual monopoly on the production of pasta in Nigeria.

His company bought two refineries in the last days of the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, but the sale was cancelled by the new president Umaru Yar'Adua, after allegations that due process was not followed.

Last year Mr Dangote told the BBC about his close connections with government.

"If we don't have the right people there then [all the] money I have is useless. If the country turns into another Zimbabwe, for example, then I will become a poor person," he said.

The second newcomer is South African Patrice Motsepe.

The lawyer who bought several unprofitable gold mines and turned them round, now has a fortune of $2.4bn.

Born in the township of Soweto, he moved from being the first black partner at Bowman Gilfillan law firm in Johannesburg to running a mining contract firm after Apartheid collapsed.

His African Rainbow Minerals now has annual sales of $875 million.

Forbes says Mr Motsepe took full advantage of the Black Economic Empowerment laws that require mining firms to be over a quarter black-owned.

Two white South Africans remain on the list:

Nicky Oppenheimer and family own De Beers and are worth $5.7bn. Johann Rupert and his family head Swiss luxury goods group Richemont. This includes the Cartier label and their fortune has dipped to $3.8bn.

gold record high

Gold held near a record high on Thursday, within sight of the next target of $1,000 an ounce as a sliding U.S. dollar lifted the metal's appeal.

-- Gold was at $985.90/986.70 an ounce, steady from $985.70/986.50 late in New York. Gold rallied to another record at $991.80 an ounce on Wednesday as the dollar struck an all-time low against the euro and crude oil surged.

-- Silver edged up to $20.73/20.78 an ounce from $20.61/20.66 an ounce, holding near Wednesday's 27-year high at $20.82 an ounce.

-- The dollar resumed its slide and fell to record lows against the euro on Wednesday amid growing pessimism over the U.S. economy.

-- Spot platinum rose to $2,252/2,257 an ounce from

$2,240/2,247 an ounce.

-- Spot palladium fell to $550/555 an ounce from $552/556 an ounce.

-- Gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell $1.1 an ounce to $987.3 an ounce -- off its record high of $995.20 hit on Wednesday.

India announces girl child award

The Indian government has announced it will pay poor families nearly $3000 to bring up their girl children.

The scheme is hoped to discourage the widespread practice of aborting female foetuses, which has led to a gender imbalance in parts of the country.

India outlawed gender selection and selective abortion in 1994, but the practice still continues.

British medical journal Lancet says 10 million female foetuses have been aborted in India in the past 20 years.

Under the new scheme, poor families in seven Indian states will be paid cash at the birth of a daughter and again at different stages throughout her childhood up to the age of 18 years.

'Not poor alone'

India's Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Choudhury said she hoped the scheme would encourage families to look upon girls as an asset rather than a liability.

One women's rights activist welcomed the scheme, but said it was not just the poor who should be targeted.

"The problem of sex selective abortion is mostly with those who are above the poverty line," said Bajayalaxmi Nanda.

"I think it is the urban, the middle class, the prosperous who are doing so.

"The pressures are myriad ... a kind of cultural preference, like dowry, like female right to inheritance, to land, to property and to other things. These are the basic areas that need to be looked at," Ms Nanda said.

Female foeticide is a particular problem in the wealthy northern state of Punjab - where just 793 girls are born for every 1000 boys.

Activists have called on the government to promote grassroots schemes to tackle ingrained attitudes towards women - and to elevate their status so they can also benefit from India's rapid development.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Female infanticide occurs in 80% of states

Worst-affected states include wealthiest areas

927 girls born for every 1,000 boys

Infant mortality rate: 60/1,000

Opec dashes oil supply rise hopes

The head of Opec, the cartel of oil-producing nations, has said it is unlikely to increase production at this week's meeting.

It had been hoped members would boost the supply of oil to help prices fall from their historically-high levels.

Crude oil hit a new record of almost $104 a barrel at the start of the week but settled at $99.52 late on Tuesday.

Oil ministers from Opec member nations are gathering in Vienna ahead of their meeting which starts on Wednesday.

"I don't think Opec would consider increasing production because then we would be increasing to meet a demand that doesn't exist," Opec President Chakib Khelil said.

US government data, due on Wednesday, is expected to show it has a good supply of crude oil and domestic fuel.

US President George W Bush said it would be an error if Opec members didn't recognise the impact high prices were having on the US.

"I think it is a mistake to have your biggest customer's economy to slow down....as a result of high energy prices," he said.

Earlier the International Energy Agency had said it favoured output to remain at current levels, even as supplies were tight.

Oil prices have risen to record highs due to high demand for the commodity and the weakening dollar, which has prompted investors to switch to oil and other reputed safe havens such as gold.

Dollar halts decline against euro

The dollar has halted its decline against the euro ahead of a eurozone interest rate decision on Thursday.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is unlikely to cut rates below 4%, analysts said, but hints of future cuts could prompt euro weakness.

The ECB expressed concern on Monday about the effects of the strong euro on the region's cooling economy.

One euro was worth $1.521 by late trade in New York, slightly off the all-time high of $1.528 seen on Monday.

One euro bought 76.58 pence. At one point it on Monday bought 76.78p, an all-time high.

Exporter fears

Since the beginning of last week, the dollar has fallen against the euro as analysts forecast steeper rate cuts in the US - whose economy has been hit by the sub-prime credit crisis - than in the eurozone. Higher interest rates can make eurozone assets relatively more attractive to investors.

On Monday, the ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet expressed concerns about the rising euro amid fears that the currency's strength could damage European exporter profits.

This view was echoed by a group of eurozone finance ministers.

Analysts interpreted the comments as a call to the US to prevent further declines in its currency but did not see the comments as a precursor to immediate intervention in the currency market.

"The market hasn't completely re-evaluated the situation based on these statements, but they have taken the edge off some of the euro strength we have seen recently," said Johan Javeus, a foreign exchange strategist at SEB.

Australian rates at 12-year high

Australia's central bank has raised its key interest rate to its highest level in 12 years, as it attempts to combat rising prices.

The Reserve Bank raised rates by 0.25% to 7.25% in a bid to dampen domestic demand and keep a lid on inflation.

The move was anticipated, but will put increasing stress on home owners struggling to pay their mortgages.

It is the 12th rate rise in Australia in the last six years and some believe there is more to come.

Home owners with a US$280,000 (£141,000) mortgage will face extra repayments of about $50 a month.

Many mortgage holders in Australia will be feeling the pain, while others simply cannot afford to enter the property market, says the BBC's Australia Correspondent Phil Mercer.

It is estimated that 300,000 Australians risk losing their homes if interest rates continue to rise.

"I pay 1,200 [Australian] dollars a month (£562; $1,116) on the mortgage," one Sydney homeowner told the BBC.

"I have to work very hard. I have to cut down so much, on food, on shopping, to pay the mortgage," he said.

Commodities boom

The decision bucks the trend among many major international central banks, which have been cutting rates to try to stimulate their economies in the face of a slowdown.

Australia has experienced more than 15 years of solid growth, thanks largely to a commodities boom fuelled by exports to China and India.

The Australian Reserve Bank expects that the rising price of iron ore and coal, Australia's biggest exports, will bring higher revenues and keep demand strong.

Its governor, Glenn Stevens, said that inflation was high last year and remained a threat for 2008, despite signs the world economy was slowing and recent turmoil in financial markets.

"There is tentative evidence that some moderation in household demand is beginning to occur," he said. "The extent of that moderation is uncertain, however."

African power cuts hit gold firm

Gold Fields says that South Africa's power crisis will see quarterly gold production fall by between 20% and 25%.

The world's fourth-largest gold miner said that scaling back production would put 6,900 jobs at risk.

South Africa's mines were forced to suspend production for five days in January as power cuts raised fears that miners could get trapped underground.

Since then, mining companies have been operating with 10% less electricity than they would normally use.

In last week's South African budget, state-owned Eskom was allocated 60bn rand ($7.6bn, £3.9bn) over the next five years to tackle the power cuts.

"The inability of Eskom to supply the mines their full power requirements has caused a significant crisis in the South African mining industry," said Terence Goodlace, the head of Gold Fields South Africa operations.

"It is paradoxical that we have to consider downscaling in the current record-high gold price environment," he added.

Gold has been trading at record levels

Uganda hosts brain drain summit

The first conference addressing the global shortage of health workers is opening in Kampala.

The World Health Organization says a further four million doctors, nurses, midwives and other health care professionals are needed.

The WHO says the shortage is affecting basic services such as immunisation, child birth and treatment of diseases.

There is a critical shortage of health workers in 57 countries, most of which are in Africa.

Medical staff from Africa and Asia often migrate to richer countries where pay and conditions are better.

On average, one in four doctors trained in Africa is working in the developed world.

The conference, which is being attended by health ministers from some of the worst affected countries, aims to produce a global action plan.

No lack of money

The WHO says there is a need for more education and training to create a larger pool of health workers.

But there are also calls for improved management of the migration of health professionals.

The BBC's Sarah Grainger in Kampala says the issue seems to be more concerned with organisational problems rather than a lack of funds.

Some $12bn in international aid is devoted every year to health.

The WHO wants to see a quarter of that spent on the workforce, rather than drugs or treatments.

The brain drain, and the best way to retain talent, is a hot topic of debate across Africa.

Thousands of Africans move abroad each year to earn more money and attain a higher standard of living.

The UK and the US are the preferred destinations.

In 2003, 5,880 UK work permits were approved for medical personnel from South Africa, 2,825 from Zimbabwe, 1,510 from Nigeria and 850 from Ghana.

Russia deepens Ukraine gas cuts

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has cut supplies of gas to Ukraine again, and said further cuts may follow in the wake of a dispute over debts.

State-owned Gazprom cut supplies by a further 25% on Tuesday, following a 25% cut a day earlier - thereby cutting supplies by half.

Prior to the news, the EU called for an emergency internal meeting amid fears the row could hit European supplies.

Much of the gas Russia sells to Europe passes through pipelines in Ukraine.

Map of main European gas pipelines

The EU said the meeting would ensure "a fully coordinated EU response to the situation," adding "we look to both parties to ensure that gas supplies to the EU remain unaffected".

The news of the second cut was made after a 1700GMT deadline on Tuesday.

"If the Ukrainian side does not return to the negotiating table, I do not exclude a further reduction in supplies," Sergei Kupriyanov, a Gazprom spokesman, said on state television.

The dispute started after Russia said Ukraine had not paid its debts for previous deliveries, which Gazprom says totals $1.5bn (£770m).

But Ukraine maintains the payments have already been made.

Escalating crisis

Gazprom said it reduced supplies to Ukraine by 25% on Monday after talks broke down last week.

Monday's cut effectively ended supplies of gas directly from Russia, which make up a quarter of Ukraine's imports. The rest of Ukraine's imports comes from other states but travels through Russian pipelines.

Naftogaz, Ukraine's state gas company, earlier said it reserved the right to take "appropriate" action - and disrupt supplies to Europe that transit Ukraine - if Gazprom carried out the threatened additional cut.

But after the announcement, a spokesman said the firm had no plans for such a move at present thanks to warm weather and sufficient reserves.

European fears

Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov reassured European gas users on Tuesday that shipments of Russian gas would continue.

"Export deliveries via Ukrainian territory are carried out in full volume," he said.

European Commission spokesman Michele Cercone said: "They [Gazprom] reassured us that gas supplies to the European Union will not be affected.

A National Grid spokesperson said the UK did not rely on pipelines crossing Ukraine for its gas. "The UK doesn't get any of its gas direct from Russia," he said.

Kiev tension

A previous row between the two sides saw Russia cut gas to Ukraine in 2006. It also hit exports to Western Europe and affected diplomatic relations between Brussels and Moscow.

The BBC's Europe business correspondent Dominic Laurie says since that last crisis, a lot of work has been done to improve the relationship.

"Top officials meet often, and there's now an early warning system with Gazprom that alerts Brussels about dips in supplies at the Russian end," he said.

"The trouble is, the problems aren't there - but further west - in Ukraine. Kiev's energy relationship with Russia is the one that matters, and that just seems to be getting worse."

Inflation tops China 2008 agenda

Tackling record levels of inflation is one of China's major tasks for this year, Premier Wen Jiabao has said.

Inflation rose by 7.1% in January - the highest level in more than a decade - and opinion polls show it is one of Chinese people's top concerns.

Speaking at the opening of China's annual parliamentary session, he said economic growth would slow to about 8%.

Chinese politicians are worried higher food prices could lead to discontent and social unrest, correspondents say.

Prices, particularly for basic food items such as pork and eggs, rose markedly last year in China, partly because of supply problems.

An unusually cold winter in southern China this year also damaged winter crops, pushing up prices further.

Inflationary pressure

Economists believe China will be able to control inflation, but the government appears to recognise the danger of rising prices.

In his work report at the start of China's National People's Congress (NPC), Premier Wen focused on controlling inflation.

"Last year's price increases are still exerting a fairly strong influence and quite a few factors are creating inflationary pressure," he said.

"We have to take into consideration the ability of individuals, enterprises and all sectors of society to tolerate price increases."

Premier Wen said the consumer price index should be held at around 4.8% this year.

In order to tackle inflation, he said the government would expand production of basic necessities, such as grain and cooking oil.

More balanced development

It will also prevent valuable farmland being used for construction and control the amount of grain that is exported.

The premier said economic growth would be slightly less than 2007's 11.4% because the government wanted more balanced development.

"The primary task... this year is to prevent fast economic growth from becoming overheated growth," he said.

The two-week NPC draws delegates from across China for a largely ceremonial event at which there is limited public debate.

They will discuss a range of subjects, such as the upcoming Olympics Games and the restructuring of government departments.

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5000 km range Agni to be tested in 2009

India hopes to test a long range missile with near ICBM (intercontinental balistic missile) capabilities largely the preserve of countries like US,Russia,China,France and UK till now by early next year.The Agni -III plus missile with a strike range in excess of 5000 km was in the design stage at present.

ID proof mandatory for citizens

From January 15 citizens of Delhi will have to carry a photo identity card at the instance of lieutenant governor Tejinder Khanna.If caught by the police without such ID then get ready for some intensive questioning till the officer is convinced.The document must have the person's photo -electoral I card,driving license,ration card.Other IDs like school,college and office ID too could be acceptable.

New Govt Schemes for Minority Women

In view of the poor soci-economic status of Muslim women the government is finalizing a scheme for leadership training and skill development aimed at tackling the double discrimination faced by them. The Women and Child development Ministry's scheme will reach out to minority women so that they can move out of the confines of their home and community and assume leadership roles accessing facilities that will improve their lives and livelihoods. In the first phase the scheme called the Leadership Development for Life ,Livelihood and Civil Empowerment of Minority women will be launched in five states with a large minority population.It is expected to reach 35000 to 50000 women directly and many more indirectly. Government agencies will give them training,inputs and information so that they gain confidence to interact with the government system.Initially the scheme would be implemented through NGOs to encourage the sector to take up work with this marginalized community.The literacy rate among Muslim women is worse than women from other religious groups.Only 50% of Muslim women are literate.The female work participation rate among Muslims is a bare 14% against 27.5% for Hindus.The WCD ministry is also working on a proposal to provide training for women belonging to vulnerable sections for competitive exams especially IAS,IPS and IFS.

2008- International Year of Sanitation (4, Jan 2008)

Recognizing the impact of Sanitation on Public Health,poverty reduction,economic and social development and the environment United Nations launched 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation to accelerate progress for 2.6 billion people worldwide who are without proper sanitation facililites.India is a signatory to this resolution.The central objective of the International Year of Sanitation is to put the global community on track to achieve the sanitation MDG.India is committed to achieve this objective on a time bound manner and has set out its own goals.As against the UN target to halve the proportion of people without success to basic sanitation by 2015 as defined in the Johannesburg Plan of Action India is committed to increase the sanitation cover from present 50% to cent percent by 2012 AD.

Gaza issues toxic water warning

The water authority in the Gaza Strip has urged people to boil their drinking water to avoid the spread of disease.

The authority said Israel's blockade had delayed essential supplies, including chlorine, and there was now a risk of water being contaminated.

The authority said the situation could lead to a health disaster to Gaza's 1.5m inhabitants.

UN officials have asked Israel to lift the blockade. Israel says its actions are to counter militant rocket fire.

The Coastal Municipality Water Utility issued the warning in radio and newspaper advertisements, blaming Israel for the absence of equipment and chemicals for treating water.

It said there had been no deliveries of chlorine through the Israel-controlled goods crossing since 21 January.

Israel has tightened its blockade of the Gaza since the militant Hamas movement took control in June 2007.

Further restrictions on everything except humanitarian and medical supplies were imposed in recent weeks in response to continued rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel.

US and China agree hotline plan

China and the United States have formally agreed to the setting up of a military hotline.

The link, to prevent military misunderstandings becoming crises, is expected start operating soon.

The deal was signed at a meeting of senior US and Chinese defence officials in Shanghai.

Establishing a hotline has been long planned and was last discussed during a visit to China in November by the US defence secretary, Robert Gates.

"The agreement will allow us to move forward on installing the actual equipment in the next few weeks," said a statement from the US defence department.

First link

It is the first time China has agreed to such a link between its defence ministry and that of another country, and it is hoped the move will prevent a repeat of some of the problems which have dogged military relations between Beijing and Washington.

In 2001, relations plummeted after a collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a US spy plane over the South China Sea.

The Shanghai meeting also saw the signing of an accord which will allow US officials to search Chinese military archives for information on thousands of US servicemen missing since WWII.

It is thought the agreement could help establish the fate of those who went missing in action during the Korean War. China supported the North Korean side and ran some prisoner-of-war camps.

Record for Afghan poppy planting

Opium poppy production in Afghanistan reached another record high last year and Kabul must do more to stop it, a US State Department report says.

The report says that the poppy cultivation helps Taleban insurgents obtain money and weapons.

The drug trade hinders progress towards economic stability and democracy, the report adds.

Afghanistan grows nearly all of the world's opium poppy crop in an illegal trade worth billions of dollars.

"Eliminating narcotics cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan will require a long-term national and international commitment," said the State Department.

"The Afghan government must take decisive action against poppy cultivation soon to turn back the drug threat before its further growth and consolidation make it even more difficult to defeat."

The report says production of the poppy was up more than a third on 2006 and good weather helped increase the yield of land already under cultivation.

In a report published at the beginning of February, the UN estimated that the amount of opium poppy cultivated in the volatile southern provinces would increase this year.

But the UN's assessment also predicted the overall harvest would be "similar to or lower than" last year's record-breaking level.

Poppy-free provinces

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) based its findings on interviews in almost 500 villages.

Afghanistan says it is making progress on curbing poppy cultivation by persuading farmers not to plant and through destroying poppy fields.

Acting counter-narcotics minister General Khodaidad, in an interview with Reuters news agency, said he was optimistic.

"We are doing better than last year and will have more poppy-free provinces this year," he said.

The growth in Afghanistan's opium crop began in earnest after the overthrow of the Taleban by US-led and Afghan forces in 2001.

బుద్గేట్ ౨౦౦౮-౨౦౦౯

1. RS. 60,000 CRORE AGRICULTURAL DEBT RELIEF ప్యాకేజీ.
2. COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER FOR SMALL AND MARGINAL ఫర్మేర్స్.
3. 4 CRORE FARMERS TO బెనేఫిట్.
4. RS.2,80,000 CRORE TARGET SET FOR FARM CREDIT IN 2008-౦౯
5. SHORT TERM CROP LOAN TO CONTINUE AT 7 PER CENT INTEREST.
   
6. IRRIGATION AND WATER RESOURCES FINANCE CORPORATION TO BE SET అప్
7. RAINFED AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO BE STARTED.
   
8. RS.3, 966 CRORE FOR SCHEMES FOR SCs AND స్త్స్
9. RS. 18,983 CRORE FOR SCHEMES EARMARKING 20 PER CENT FUNDS FOR SCs AND STs .
10. MULTI-SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR ALL 90 MINORITY CONCENTRATION DISTRICTS
11. ALL WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS CREDIT-LINKED TO BANKS TO BE COVERED UNDER JANASHREE BIMA YOJANA
12. NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME TO COVER ALL 596 RURAL DISTRICTS
13. A NATIONAL PROGRAMME TO BE LAUNCHED FOR THE ELDERLY
14. RASHTRIYA SWASTHYA BIMA YOJANA FOR WORKERS UNDER BPL CATEGORY IN UNORGANIZED SECTOR
15. A STATEMENT ON CHILD RELATED SCHEME INTRODUCED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME
16. MID-DAY MEAL SCHEME TO BE EXTENDED TO UPPER PRIMARY CLASSES IN ALL BLOCKS
17. SPECIAL MECHANISM FOR NORTH-EASTERN BORDER AREAS
18. GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH 16 CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES
19. 3 IITs, 2 IISERs AND 2 SCHOOLS OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE TO BE ESTABLISHED
20. 6,000 HIGH QUALITY MODEL SCHOOLS TO BE OPENED
21. NEW SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME FOR PROMOTING INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE
22. EACH DISTRICT TO HAVE A NEHRU YUVA KENDRA
23. SCHOOLS IN WATER DEFICIENT HABITATIONS TO HAVE DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
24. SUBSIDY ON HOUSES UNDER INDIRA AWAS YOJANA INCREASED FROM RS. 25,000 TO RS. 35,000 IN PLAIN AREAS AND FROM RS. 27,500 TO RS. 38,500 IN HILL/DIFFICULT AREA
25. RS. 1000 CRORE PROVIDED FOR AAM ADAMI BIMA YOJANA
26. ALLOCATION UNDER INDIRA GANDHI OLD AGE PENSION SCHEME INCREASED FROM RS. 2392 CRORE TO RS. 3443 CRORE
27. RS. 32,667 CRORE PROVIDED FOR FOOD SUBSIDY UNDER PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
28. RS. 1000 CRORE PROVIDED FOR ESTABLISHING A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
29. Rs. 750 CRORE ALLOCATED FOR UPGRADING 300 ITIs
30. SIX MEGA-CLUSTERS PLANNED FOR HANDLOOMS, POWERLOOMS AND HANDICRAFTS
31. GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE RS. 16,436 CRORE AS EQUITY SUPPORT AND RS. 3,003 CRORE AS LOANS TO CENTRAL PUBLIC SECTOR ENTERPRISES
32. BACKWARD REGION GRANT FUND RETAINED AT RS. 5,800 CRORE; BIHAR, ORISSA AND UTTAR PRADESH TO GET NEARLY 45 PER CENT OF THE AMOUNT
33. INCOME TAX EXEMPTION LIMIT HIKED TO RS. 1.5 LAKH; 10 PER CENT TAX FOR INCOME BETWEEN RS. 1.5 LAKH AND RS. 3 LAKH; 20 PER CENT BETWEEN RS. 3 LAKH AND RS. 5 LAKH. INCOME ABOVE RS. 5,00,001 TO ATTRACT 30 PER CENT INCOME TAX
34. EXEMPTION LIMIT FOR WOMEN TAX PAYERS INCREASED TO RS. 1,80,000 AND FOR SENIOR CITIZENS TO RS. 2,25,000
35. NO CHANGE IN CORPORATE INCOME TAX RATES AND SURCHARGE
36. NO CHANGE IN THE PEAK RATE OF CUSTOMS DUTY
37. CUSTOMS DUTY ON PROJECT IMPORTS SLASHED FROM 7.5 PER CENT TO 5 PER CENT
38. DUTY ON STEEL AND ALUMINNUM SCRAP ABOLISHED
39. EXCISE DUTY ON PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR REDUCED FROM 16 PER CENT TO 8 PER CENT
40. SMALL CARS, TWO AND THREE WHEELERS, BUSES AND THEIR CHASSIS TO COST LESS
41. NON FILTER CIGARETTES TO COST MORE, EXCISE ON NON FILTER CIGARETTES WILL BE AT PAR WITH FILTER CIGARETTES
42. FOUR MORE SERVICES BROUGHT UNDER SERVICE TAX NET
43. THRESHOLD LIMIT OF EXEMPTION FOR SMALL SERVICE PROVIDERS INCREASED FROM RS. 8 LAKH TO RS. 10 LAKH
44. CUSTOMS DUTY ON CRUDE AND UNREFINED SULPHUR BROUGHT DOWN FROM 5 TO 2 PER CENT
45. EXPORT DUTY ON CHROME ORE INCREASED FROM RS. 2000 TO RS. 3000 PER METRIC TONNE
46. CENVAT ON ALL GOODS REDUCED FROM 16 TO 14 PER CENT
47. CENTRAL SALES TAX PROPOSED TO BE REDUCED TO 2 PER CENT FROM APRIL 08
48. EXCISE DUTY ON BULK CEMENT BROUGHT ON PAR WITH PACKAGED CEMENT; CLINKERS TO ATTRACT EXCISE DUTY OF RS. 450 PER METRIC TONNE
49. PAN MADE COMPULSORY FOR ALL TRANSACTIONS IN THE FINANCIAL MARKET SUBJECT TO SUITABLE EXEMPTION LIMIT
50. ALLOCATION FOR DEFENCE INCREASED BY 10 PER CENT FROM 96,000 CRORE TO RS. 105,600 CRORE
51. REVENUE DEFICIT ESTIMATED AT RS. 55,184 CRORE
52. FISCAL DEFICIT PEGGED AT 2.5 PER CENT OF GDP