PPP (public-private-partnership) projects is a subject on which railway minister Mamata Banerjee has again sounded optimistic.

Renewed optimism on PPP projects

Business Standard

Recovery will enable govt to continue with fiscal consolidation.

Growth may return to 9% in 2011-12

Say railways do not have enough capacity and offer relatively poor service.

Unchanged railway freight rates won't hurt truckers

92% increase in outlay on new lines to Rs 9,583 crore for the year.

1,000 km rail lines planned

The Economic Survey 2010-11 presented in Parliament today confirms India&rsquo;s robust and continuing growth story. It acknowledges India&rsquo;s impressive GDP expansion estimated at 8.6% for 2010-11, up from 8% in the previous year, underscored by a strong rebound in agriculture and robust growth in the services and manufacturing sector.

Inflation management and reforms agenda

&ldquo;The Survey reaffirms the reforms agenda in several areas including agriculture, education and financial services.

Economic Survey: Hari Bhartia

Impact will be more on import-dependent food items, says Economic Survey.

West Asian crisis: Food prices may remain high

&ldquo;Inflation and oil prices are the main concerns. Infrastructure has to keep pace with economic development. the steps outlined for streamlining land acquisition and environment clearance need to be implemented fast.

Economic Survey: Y M Deosthalee

&ldquo;The Survey&rsquo;s emphasis on skill development, promotion of innovation and reforms in higher education as potential engines of growth is welcome. We support the view that the agriculture sector needs investments for ushering in a second Green Revolution.

Economic Survey: Rajan Bharti Mittal

Resource mobilisation may prove a problem for financing projects.

New manufacturing facilities in the works

The finance minister&rsquo;s legacy will be determined by this year&rsquo;s Union budget.

Diminutive Mukherjee's opportunity to stand tall

Prescriptions and wishlists

After playing a crucial role in breaking the logjam in Parliament, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is all set to steer clear the cloud over the prospects of a sustained 9 per cent or more economic growth in coming years in his sixth budget to be presented on Monday. Morarji Desai with eight full budgets holds the record for presenting maximum number of budgets, though in two different stints.

Elite FMs' club: Pranab's sixth Budget today

One of the priorities of Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee will be to make the budget people-friendly. Rising food prices are pinching everybody and he would like to do his bit to increase purchasing power. Hiking the tax exemption limit might be one of the tax relief measures in this regard.

People-friendly Budget

The key challenge for the finance minister&rsquo;s team will be to come up with a Budget that addresses the problems of high inflation without compromising on growth, keep on the path of fiscal consolidation and formulate tax proposals keeping in mind the introduction of Direct Taxes Code (DTC) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) next year.

Checking on challenges

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has a relatively experienced team this time compared to last year&rsquo;s, when both the revenue secretary, and the chief economic advisor were new. Most of the senior officials in the finance ministry had worked on last year&rsquo;s Budget and are expected to provide the continuity this year as well.

An experienced team behind Budget 2011

The outlook on fixed income market should be to continue accumulating at lower levels with a three-month investment horizon

All eyes on the fiscal deficit: Mahendra Jajoo

The idea that govt should run like a business or a household has led Republicans dangerously astray at the federal level

Where the Republican reformers are, and aren't

One hundred years ago, in May 1913, the quintessential modern ballet, The Rite of Spring, premiered in Paris. Igor Stravinskyâ€™s classic score became a staple of the repertoires of many orchestras, not just those playing avant garde compositions.For the better part of that centennium, we in India have indulged in our own rite of spring, called Budget-watching. It was simple initially. â€œBuy before the Budget,â€ the ads said in the second half of February and one did just that, or tried to, anyway. It was mostly penny-ante stuff: toiletries, match boxes, sugar, edible oils, and the perennial favourite of all finance ministers, the evil weed (smoking wasnâ€™t taboo then). The fear that come February 28, taxes on these would go up effective immediately came true more often than not. The kindly neighbourhood trader pleaded helplessness if one asked for them in the third week. But all these aforementioned rare goodies miraculously reappeared on the store shelves shortly after

Shreekant Sambrani: The rite of spring

The FMâ€™s primary task is to restore confidence in India and its government among investors

Shubhashis Gangopadhyay: Budgeting for investment

T N Ninan: Nine years laterâ€¦

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