CURRENT AFFAIRS for PCS, IAS, BANKS: Current Affairs for IAS Exams

Single Budget from next year

With the ambition of putting an end to the populism, the Union Cabinet has decided to bring the curtains down on the 92-year-old tradition of presenting a separate Rail Budget.
It has been decided to merge the Rail Budget and the General Budget. Railway Minister will not present budget for the year 2017-18. Instead, Finance Minister will present a “unified” budget.
The decision, taken on the recommendation of a NITI Aayog committee headed by its member Bibek Debroy, reflects the decrease over time in the relative size of the Rail Budget compared to some of the other components in the General Budget, such as defence and roads & highways.
Reform was intended to “deglamorise” the Railways portfolio and discourage the leveraging of the Rail Budget for handing out largesse to vote banks.
Decisions like that are commercially crucial but politically challenging, especially fare hikes would now become routine ones taken any time during the course of a year without as much public glare, said an official.

Intercropping of horticulture and floriculture crops in one field has not only enhanced profit for floriculturists but also ensured economic safety and better returns for them.
With improved technology, cross-cultivation of short and long-term crops — tomato and jasmine — in one acre of land has resulted in increased profitability and regular income throughout the year.
The farmer can also offset the loss that might occur in one crop with the profit in another crop. Small onion (shallot) can also be raised on bunds of irrigation channels. No additional water is necessary.
Adoption of simple technologies will also improve the quality of vegetables. After harvesting onion, cauliflower can be raised in the same field. Such cropping method will enhance the quality, colour and taste of the flower, he says.
Farming should be carried out scientifically, especially raising of hybrid crops as they were sensitive to climate, soil and water condition. Farmers should grow as many crops as possible to make agriculture remunerative.