• Allocation for education up 34.2%

• Allocation for health and family welfare up 21.9%

• Central sales tax rate to be reduced from 4% to 3%

Social Sector

• Allocation for school education up 35%, with Rs 10,671 crore going to Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

• 100,000 National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme a year (Rs 6,000 per student) for study in Classes IX-XII

• Initial allocation of Rs 12,000 crore for National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, to be expanded from 200 districts to 330 districts

• 1,396 ITIs be upgraded into centres of excellence in specific trades under public-private partnership

• Farm credit target Rs 225,000 crore, 50 lakh new farmers to be added to the banking system

Industry

• Peak customs rate for non-agricultural products cut from 12.5per cent to 10 per cent

• 1% higher education cess on all taxes

• No change in the general CENVAT rate

• Excise duty exemption limit for small-scale industry raised from Rs 1 cr to Rs 1.5 crore

• Increase in tax burden on cement (excise) and IT companies

• No surcharge on income tax on all firms and companies with a taxable income of up to Rs 1 crore

• No change in service tax rate

... contd.