Date: 15th Mar 2012

Important News of the Day

1. World Consumer Day- 15th March.

2. New CM of Uttar Pradesh- Akhilesh Yadav.

3. CM of Punjab- Prakash Singh Badal.

4. Railway Budget announced by Dinesh Trivedi. Some highlights of this budget are as follows:

• Rail budget estimated cost Rs. 60,100cr. 
• Railway to contribute 2%-2.5% of GDP.
• 19,000 KM of tracks to be laid.
• Bring down the operating ratio to 84.9% in 2012-13.
• 1,00,000 jobs to be offered by railways in 2012-13.
• Now lower income group can travel 150Km with their Rs.25/- pass instead of 100Km earlier.
• Platform tickets to cost Rs 5.
• FARES INCREASED AFTER 8 YEARS
  The Railway Minister announced a fare increase of 2 paise per km for passenger train, 3 paise per km for express trains, 5 paise per km for sleeper, 10 paise per km for AC three tier, 15 paise per km for AC two tier and 30 paise per km for AC first class.
• Freight earning at Rs 89,339 crore for FY 13.
• Green toilets to be installed in 2,500 coaches in the next one year.  
• Plan to provide rail connectivity to Nepal and Bangladesh. 
• Fares to be rounded off, said Dinesh Trivedi. For eg Rs.11 will be Rs 10 and Rs 16 will be charged Rs 15 only.
• Railway investment in the 12th Plan to be Rs 7.35 lakh crore against Rs 1.92 lakh crore in the 11th Plan.  
• Railways to take up linking of Agartala to Akura in Bangladesh. 

5. Encyclopaedia Britannica to stop printing after 244 yrs, will now focus on its online encyclopaedias.

6. World's tallest man at 8 ft 3inches is Sultan Kosen from Turkey.

7. Inflation at 6.95%, up after 5 months.

8. Kingfisher cuts overseas flights.

9. MRPL eyes Mallya's M'lore Chemical Fertilizers (MCF) stake.

10. Roopam Sharma, first lady to be the CEO of Basketball Federation of India (BFI).