Current Affairs/General Knowledge/Computer Awareness Union Budget 2013-14

Following are some of the key highlights of the Union Budget 2013-14 presented b
y Finance Minister P Chidambaram in Parliament:
1. In 2013-14, the budget estimate is Rs 16,65,297 crore.
2. The revised expenditure target is Rs 14,30,825 crore
3. Plan expenditure Rs 5,55, 322 crore
4. Rs 14,000 crore capital infusion into public sector banks in 201314
5. SIDBIs refinancing facility to MSMEs to be doubled to Rs 10,000 crore
3. Rs 7 lakh crore targets fixed for agri credit for 2013-14 compared to Rs 5.75
lakh crore in the current year.
4. Rs 500 crore would be allocated for addressing environmental issues faced by
textile industry
5. No change in income tax slabs
6. Relief of Rs 2,000 for tax payers in tax bracket of Rs. 2-5 lakh
6. 24.3 % hike in expenditure for health care both rural and urban health missio
n.
7. Headline WPI inflation to 7 per cent and core inflation to 4.2 per cent.
8. Eastern Indian states to get Rs 1,000 crore allocation for improving agricult
ural production.
9. Average economic growth rate in 11th Plan period is 8 per cent, highest ever
in any Plan period
10. Rs 500 crore allocated for programme on crop diversification.
11. Food grain production in 2012-13 will be over 250 million tons
12. Rs 14,873 crore for JNNURM for urban transportation in 2013-14 against Rs 7,
880 crore in the current fiscal
13. Rs 10,000 crore set aside for incremental cost for National Food Security Bi
ll
14. Rs 80,194 crore allocated for Rural development schemes in 2013-14.
15. About Rs 33,000 crore for MGNREGA
16. Rs 5,000 crore will be made available to NABARD to finance construction of g
odowns and warehouses
17. Rs 17,700 crore to be allocated for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICD
S)
18. Rs 13,215 crore to be provided for mid-day meal scheme.
19. Rs 5,284 crore to various Ministries for scholarships for SC/ST, OBC and min
ority students.
20. Tax free bonds issue to be allowed up to Rs 50,000 crore in 2013-14 strictly
on capacity to raise funds from the market
21. Rs 4,727 crore to be allocated for medical education and research.
22. Current year's economic growth rate will be below India's potential growth r
ate of 8 per cent
23. Concessional 6% interest on loans to weavers.
Fiscal deficit :
i. Fiscal deficit seen at 5.2 % of GDP in 2012/13
ii. Fiscal deficit seen at 4.8 % of GDP in 2013/14
iii. Fiscal deficit to 3 % by 2016/17
Revenue Deficit
i. Revenue Deficit seen at 3.9 % 2012/13
ii. Revenue Deficit seen at 3.3 % 2013/14
iii. Revenue deficit to 1.9% by 2016-17
Tax benefits in RGESS extended to 3 years
i. The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme (RGESS) will be liberalised to enable
first time retail investors to invest in mutual funds and listed shares and not
in one year alone, but for three successive years,
ii. Under the scheme, an individual with an income of less than Rs 12 lakh would
get tax incentives for investing up to Rs 50,000 in the stock market.
iii. Also, the limit for investors wanting to invest in RGESS has been raised to
Rs 12 lakh from Rs 10 lakh earlier.
October 13, 2013 at 12:31am Like 1
Current Affairs/General Knowledge/Computer Awareness RAIL BUDGET - 2013-14
Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal presented the Union Railway Budget for 2013-
14 in Parliament today. The first Congress minister to present a Railway Budget
in 17 years.
The Railway Budget for 2013-14 on Tuesday spared passengers from any further hik
e in fares but raised various other charges on tickets along with freight tariff
of less than 5 per cent.
Highlights of Budget:
1. No hike in passenger fares; 67 new express and 26 passenger trains to be laun
ched.
2. Indian Railways to join 1 billion tonne select club with China.
3. Educational tourist train"Azadi Express" proposed
4. Train Collision Avoidance System to be put to rigorous trials
5. Passenger earning target Rs 32500 crore this year.
6. Freedom fighters to renew their passes only once in 3 yrs.
7. Complementary passes for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Olympic awardees.
8. Coach making facilities at Bhilwara and Raebarelli.
9. Indian Railway Financial Management Institute to be set up at Secunderabad.
10. Coaches to be made wheelchair friendly.
11. Hostel facilities for all single women railway employees at all Div.HQS.
12. Free wi-fi facility at select trains.
13. 1800111321 number for redressing complaints
14. Wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi in Odisha.
15. E-ticketing to be made available through mobile phone.
16. Target of investment of 1 lakh crore through PPP mode in 12th FYP.
17. For the first time, Arunachal Pradesh brought under Rail Network.
18. UID-Aadhar to be used for ticket reservation.
19. Freight loading estimated to be 1007 tonnes this year.
20. Railways to fill up 1.52 lakh vacancies.
21. 47000 vacancies reserved for differently abled to be filled.
22. Dronacharya awardees to get Shatabdi and Rajdhani passes.
New Trains Introduced:
Presenting the 2013-14 Railway Budget, Mr. Bansal also said that five Mainline E
lectrical Multiple Units (MEMUs) are being introduced this year besides 8 DEMUs.
1. Hazrat Nizamuddin-Mumbai AC Express via Bhopal, Khandwa and Bhusawal - weekly
service, and a similar venture between Bikaner and Chennai.
2. Vaishnodevi, a New Delhi-Katra AC Express - run six days a week.
3. A Puri-Ajmer Express, which would be a weekly service, is also being introduc
ed so also a weekly Puri-Sai Nagar Shirdi Express.
4. Una-Nangaldam in Himachal Pradesh is being connected to Hazoor Saheb Nanded i
n Maharashtra through a weekly express train which would travel via Anandpur Sah
eb.
5. Weekly Ahmedabad-Jodhpur express and a similar venture between Bandra and Har
idwar, and Bandra and Jaisalmer.
6. Yesvantpur-Lucknow Express - weekly via Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh.
7. 9 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains to be introduced.
New factories/workshops to be set up:
1. New Forged Wheel Factory at Rae Bareli in collaboration with Rashtriya Ispat
Nigam Limited.
2. A Coach Manufacturing Unit in Sonepat District (Haryana) in collaboration wit
h State Government.
3. A Midlife Rehabilitation Workshop at Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) in collaboratio
n with the State Government.
4. Bikaner and Pratapgarh workshops to undertake POH of BG wagons.
5. A workshop for repair and rehabilitation of motorized bogies at Misrod (Madhy
a Pradesh).
6. A new wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi (Odisha).
7. A modern signaling equipment facility at Chandigarh through PPP route