TERI University is all set to get an academic chair under the Railway Ministry, after a formal announcement by the Union Minister at the time of presenting the Railway Budget.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has estimated the prioritised resource requirement for critical infrastructure needs at Rs 8,098.19 crore for Karnataka during the 12th Plan period. Nabard has adopted the theme "Critical Rural Infrastructure for agriculture and rural development" for 2013-14.

According to Nabard, the critical infrastructure is defined as that infrastructure, which if created, will support increased credit flow under agriculture and benefit a large number of people.

Decrying indiscriminate use of natural resources and deforestation in the name of growth, Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan today said that industries and corporates should focus on protecting the environment and ensure balanced and sustained development.

"...There are some industries, which feel that we should indiscriminately use natural resources, cut down our forests and use them for growth," she told reporters here on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute, an autonomous body under the union ministry of environment.

Finance minister P Chidambaram batted for sustainable development repeatedly in his speech, marking the arrival of the phrase in mainstream political and economic lexicon.

The FM wants credit for acting on environment, but does the wrong things

The "mool mantra" of Budget 2013 is inclusive and sustainable development, says Finance Minister P Chidambaram. But, as far as the environment is concerned, there is no substance in the Budget that tells us how the direction of growth will be environmentally sound. Instead, the finance minister talks about the Cabinet Committee on Investment, which has been set up to fast-track clearances. There is no indication in his speech that this drive for investment will be cognisant of the needs for sustainability and will strengthen, not weaken, the regulatory system that governs green clearances.