1.   

Long Term Vision on Trade and Commerce

The long term vision of the government is to make India a major player in world trade by 2020 and assume a significant role in international trade organizations. The policy tools being adopted in this context are: the Strategy Paper focussing on the targeted commodity and country wise strategy in the medium term and the Strategic Plan / vision and the Foreign Trade Policy in the long run.

2.   

Economic growth in 2013-14 to be around 5%: RBI

The Reserve Bank Wednesday said India's economy would grow about 5 percent in this financial year while the current account deficit would be below 3 percent of GDP. The central bank also asserted that the country is ready for the tapering of the US Federal Reserve's bond purchases. "We are seeing some glimmerings of stronger growth. But it's too early to say we have certainly hit bottom. But I am hopeful that we should be around 5 percent," RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan told reporters on the sidelines of the Delhi Economic Conclave here.

3.   

Foodgrains output may touch new record in 2013-14

India's foodgrains production this year is likely to break the previous record of 259.29 million tonnes achieved in 2011-12 if weather remains favourable through the ongoing rabi season, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today. The country had harvested a record 259.29 million tonnes of foodgrains in the 2011-12 crop year (July-June). However, the output fell marginally to 255.36 million tonnes last year due to drought in some parts of the country.

4.   

Priority for Setting Up of Private Industrial Parks

Under schemes of various manufacturing Ministries/ Departments, assistance is provided as per scheme parameters for setting up of sector-oriented industrial parks. Among the schemes administered by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, under the schemeof Mega Leather Cluster, Government of India provides graded assistance based on size (area in acres) limited to a certain fixed percentage of the project cost as grant in aid for all components of the project, except the cost of the land, subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.125 crore per cluster.