President's address to Parliament

Budget session begins today

President Pranab Mukherjee opened the Budget session today. Here are the highlights so far from his speech:

* Domestic, global factors affected India's growth

* Plan to include food subsidy in Direct Cash Transfer

* Recovery in economic growth likely

* Inflation is easing gradually, but still a problem

* Government committed to enacting Food Securit Bill

* Hope Budget session will be productive

* Past year has been a difficult one for both global and Indian economies

* India's food grain production, stocks comfortable

* Aim to make India self-sufficient in urea by 2017

* Next Urban Renewal Plan Mission being finalised

* Govt committed to up manufacturing share in GDP to 25% in a decade

* Confident of enacting Land Acquisition Bill

* To create 18.1 MT grain storage over next two years

* Government committed to creating 100 million jobs in a decade

* Govt concerned over sexual offences against women; has begun implementing series of administrative measures to improve safety

* Govt considering a scheme for concessional credit to handloom sector to benefit about 10 lakh weavers

* Govt to introduce Constitution Amendment Bill to give effect to Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement