Budget Trivia

R K Shanmukhan Chetty, who served as the finance minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet between 1947 and 1949, presented the first Budget of independent India on November 26, 1947.
Morarji Desai has presented the maximum number of Budgets. He was the Finance Minister from 1959 to 1964 and also from 1967 to 1970. He presented 10 Budgets - a record that stands even today. He presented five annual and one interim Budget during his first stint, and three final and one interim in his second term.
Jaswant Singh was Finance Minister for 13 days.
Initially, budget papers were printed in Rashtrapati Bhavan. But in 1950, the Budget papers were leaked. Thus the printing venue was shifted to security press located in Minto Road. However, since 1980, the Budget papers are being printed in North Block. There is a special printing press in the basement of the North Block to print the Budget.
Both Yaswant Sinha and Manmohan Singh have presented five Budgets in a row. The first time he took over the office of the Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha's government was pulled down before he could present a proper Budget and instead had to present an interim Budget for 1991-92. He was appointed Union Finance Minister for the second time in 1998, when the Bharatiya Janata Party was voted to power. In the election held in May 1991, the Congress returned to power and Manmohan Singh became the finance minister. He presented the final Budget for 1991-92 in July 1991.
In 1991-92 the interim and final Budgets were presented by two ministers of two different political parties.
Yaswant Sinha's 1991 Budget was in backdrop of forex crisis. His 1999 Budget was in backdrop of Pokhran blasts. The 2000 Budget was presented by Sinha in the backdrop of the Kargil war, while the 2001 Budget is presented in the backdrop of the devastating Gujarat earthquake.
In an election year, Budget may be presented twice - first to secure vote on account for a few months and later in full.
The finance minister is required to submit the Budget to Parliament usually on the last day of February, so that the Lok Sabha has one month to review and modify the Budget proposals.
The term 'Budget' is said to have come from the old French word bougette, which means 'little bag.'
Of 17 Budgets since 1991-92, on 10 occasions the stock markets fell in the one month following the Budget.
Last year, Rs 89,000 crore was allocated as defence expenditure against Rs 18,854 crore 10 years back.
The employees printing the Budget papers are kept in complete isolation (quarantine) in the Finance Ministry for one week before the Budget.

Railways trivia

The Darjeeling Railway:

1800: The Darjeeling Steam Tramway (DST) begins operations on Siliguri-Darjeeling section.
1881: DST becomes Darjeeling Himalayan Railays (DHR).
1915: DHR opens two new branches to Kishengunj and Teesta Valley
1948: DHR is taken over by the State and it became a world heritage site on December 2, 1999.
May 2000: Diesel hauling of DHR inaugurated.

Running the Railways:

1849: Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) incorporated. A 'guarantee system' that assured 5 percent returns to all British railway companies in India established.
1853: Railways begin in India with private funds and government support.
1868: Calcutta and South Eastern (CSER) suffers flood losses, transfers all lines to government in return for capital costs, becoming the first state owned railways.
1882: Almost 75 railway operations, owned by the private sector and princely states and a variety of track gauges. Post of Director General of Railways (DGR) is created in the Central Public Works Dept (CPD) to coordinate the network.
1889: States takes over Nizam Railways.
1900: GIPR taken over by state.
1901: Based on the recommendations of Sir Thomas Robertson Committee, a Railway Board is set up with three members.
1904: More members included in the Board.
1905: Powers and structure of Railway Board are formalised. It is now under Dept of Commerce and Industry with an independent Chairman.
1907: Govt purchases all major lines and re-leases them to pvt operators
1920: Based on Acworth Committee recommendations govt takes over actual management of all railways and separates railway finances from general finances. This practice is followed even today.
1922: Retrenchment Committee under Lord Inchcape recommends drastic cuts in workforce and expenses.
1922: Railway Board reorganised, overriding powers given to Chief Commissioner railways.
1924: Railway finances separated from general govt budget.
1925: First Railway Budget presented.
1925: EIR Co and GIPR, the largest networks, taken over the state.
1937: The post of Minister for Transport and Communication created. The minister was a civil servant and dealt with the Railway Board.
1951: Zonal grouping of Railways begins.

Railways' First:

August 16, 1853, 3:35 pm: 21 gun salute launches first passenger train in India, by Great Indian Peninsular Railway from Bori Bunder to Thane -- 400 passengers, 14 carriages, three engines, Sindh, Sultan and Sahib. Journey time: 1 hour 15 minutes.
August 15, 1854: First train in east India, Howrah to Hoogly.
July 1, 1856: First train in south India, Veyasarapdy (Madras) to Wallajah Road (Arcot).
March 6, 1859: First train in north India, Allahabad to Kanpur
1862: First princely state-owned line, Dabhol to Miyagam in Baroda. Train pulled by oxen. Later became Baroda State Railways.
August 1, 1864: First train arrives in Delhi from Calcutta, ferried on boats across Ganga in Allahabad 1867: First suburban service begins from Virar to Bombay Backbay.
1873: World`s first metre gauge service begins, Delhi to Rewari.

Half Ticket, Full Service:

1862: 2-tier seating started in III classes.
1871-74: Gas lamps introduced in many passenger carriages.
1872: Air-cooling introduced in I class coaches on GIPR lines.
1874: IV class introduced; coaches with no seats.
1888: AH Wheeler and Co introduces Railway Library series publications.
1905: Lavatories provided in all lower class carriages.
1936: Air conditioning introduced in coaches.
1952: Fans and light mandated for passenger coaches.
1956: III class passengers allowed use of dining car.
1967: II class sleeper coaches for long distance trains.
1974: III class abolished.
1986: Computerised reservation started at Delhi.

Going Loco:

1893: First railway foundry set up at Jamalpur.
1895: First locomotive built with old parts at Ajmer workshop.
1899: Lady Curzon, first locomotive built in India, at Ajmer.
January 26, 1950: Chittaranjan Loco Works (CLW) set up. Builds first steam engine, 'Deshbandhu.'
1952: TELCO begins productions of YG locos.
1959: First steam loco designed by CLW.
1961: Diesel Loco Works, Varansi established.

What's in a Name?

January 1, 1882: GIPR station opened to public in Bombay.
1887: Station named Victoria Terminus (VT) after Queen Victoria on her jubilee year.
May 4, 1996: VT renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
IB, near on South Eastern Railway is the shortest station name.
Venkatanarasimharajuvariapeta on Southern Railways is the longest station name.