New Delhi - Share markets plunged by about 3 per cent as India's United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government presented an interim budget in parliament Monday which doubled budgetary deficits and predicted difficult times ahead.

Acting federal Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the budget, said the move was inevitable in view of the slowing of the economy due to the global economic downturn.

New Delhi, Feb 17 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has hailed the interim budget for 2009-10, presented in Parliament today.

Complimenting acting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for his budget speech and the Interim Budget for 2009-10, Chidambaram said: "He had before him an unenviable task - having to present an Interim Budget at the end of a difficult year caused by a global financial crisis. It is, however, a matter of satisfaction that the Indian economy has weathered the global crisis reasonably well and is expected to post a growth rate of 7.1 per cent in 2008-09."

New Delhi, Feb 16 : Acting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that the enactment of the Right to Information Act 2005 at the Centre and in many States has bridged a critical gap in the public decision making process and ushered in greater accountability of public servants.

Presenting the Interim Budget 2009-2010 in the Lok Sabha, Mukherjee said that the Second Administrative Reforms Commission was set up by the Government in August

New Delhi, Feb 16 : Acting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the country''s 16th vote-on-account in Parliament on Monday for fiscal 2009-10.

Prior to Mukherjee''s announcement, India has seen 15 vote on accounts in the past six decades.

The first vote-on-account was presented in 1951 and since then, every time the government changed hands. The last vote-on-account being 2004, by former Finance Minister Jaswant Singh.

To create awareness regarding the benefits of early detection of cancer, PM’s wife Gursharan Kaur, US Ambassador David C Mulford and his wife and CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat together with many others participated in a walk in New Delhi on Sunday.

While flagging off the “Walk for Life” organised by CanSupport, an NGO providing palliative care to cancer patients, Mrs. Singh said, “Cancer detected in early stages can be cured and cancer patients need the emotional support of their friend and family in the fight against it.”

New Delhi, Feb 16 : The Recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission approved by the Government has benefited over 4.5 million Central Government Employees including Defence forces and Para-