The prime minister said that he would be comfortable if the Current Account Deficit is 2.5 to 3 percent of GDP.<br /><br />
Budgetary allocations were also made to a pilot programme on Nutri-Farms for introducing new crop varieties.
Chidambaram said that there was also the need to explore alternative transportation methods available in the country like the National Waterways.
The finance minister said that he proposed to increase the surcharge from 5 percent to 10 percent on domestic companies whose taxable income exceeds Rs 10 crore a year.
The finance minister P Chidambaram, has managed to use the bikini formula on the fiscal deficit number of the budget. Fiscal deficit is the difference between what a government earns and what it spends.
The Union finance minister allocated Rs 33,000 crore to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the Budget 2013-14.
There's nothing of note for the sector barring some encouragement for the affordable housing sector.
He says his budget will focus on inflation and measures to control it.
Now creating jobs is critical to political nirvana. So, one can be sure that the budget will talk about jobs.
The Survey is highly wanting when it comes to the commitment of social security for unorganized workers, Roy said in a statement.<br /><br />
UPA-II's last budget may offer some sops to salary earners and households as Finance Minister P Chidambaram will look to balance the compulsions of growth and fiscal prudence with election year politics.
The Economic Survey underlines the need of shifting national spending from consumption to investment and removal of impediments in increasing further investments, savings and job creation.<br /><br />
Will the Finance Minister be able to present a budget that keeps its corporate allies at an arms length?
Overall employment in the last one year to June 2012 increased by nearly by 7 lakh led by the IT and BPO sector that accounted for almost half of the increase.
Amid concerns of possible downgrade of India's credit rating, the Economic Survey today said the government is taking steps to improve interactions with rating agencies to ensure that they make "informed decisions".
The economic survey released by the government today paints a "cautiously optimistic" picture of the economy and suggests that the government will present a fiscally prudent budget tomorrow, analysts say.
There is a time for dour defence, and there is a time to go over the top. A place in history awaits Chidambaram.
The Economic Survey does the usual job: paints the facts as they are, and give us a picture of concerns and challenges. And all the signs in this one are that the budget is likely to be a cautious one.
The government's Chief Economic Advisor has suggested that output of core sectors be accelerated and implementation of big ticket projects is speeded up.
Raghuram Rajan has said it clearly: "uncapped subsidies" are problematic. Is Sonia Gandhi listening?
The pre-budget Economic Survey is refreshingly straightforward in asking the government to fix the problems within to revive growth
The Survey for 2012-13 is likely to make a strong case for accelerating reforms to offset the domestic and global factors stunting growth
Bansal has been given a free pass on his gravy train, with commentators buying too readily into his 'reforms' rhetoric even though he hasn't quite walked the talk.
The railway minister said that the Parsuramkund-Rupai sector in Assam has been identified as a project of national importance and he will pursue for its approval.
Railways will introduce 67 new express trains, 27 new passenger trains and run of 58 trains will be extended. Here's the complete list.
Rail fares should have been hiked for the development of the county. Hiking fares was a necessity. It was not hiked because elections are due next year, says the common man
During the Railway Budget 2013, Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal proposed that Free Wifi access in some trains. Obviously his comments have generated quite a buzz on Twitter with the term Free Wifi trending on the micro-blogging site.
The 'spin' that is being given to Bansal's "non-budget" gives cause for disquiet in the context of Chidambaram's upcoming Union Budget. It signals that the attempt to daub lipstick on a pig and certify it as presentable is under way.
Pawan Kumar Bansal has grossly underfunded important projects, but will add 1.52 lakh new employees to a bloated employee muster