2007 to be the year of broadband: Kalam

Following are the highlights relating to economy in President A P J Abdul Kalam's address to the joint sitting of Parliament:

• Rate of inflation showing an upward trend in recent months
• Government to take all necessary steps to ensure that the poor are not adversely affected by inflation
• Economy to grow by close to nine per cent during current year 11th Five Year Plan target of 9 per cent annual growth feasible
• Fiscal responsibility not an academic obsession
• Growth to ensure equity and keep inflation under check
• Additional employment generation a major focus area
• Social safety net under NREGA to cover whole India in five years
• Government committed to provide food security to poor; strengthen Public Distribution System
• Government to step up investment in agriculture
• New rehabilitation policy on anvil; amendments in Land Acquisition Act to follow.
• Acquisition of agricultural land for industry and terms of compensation issues of major public concern
• Urgent need for national consensus on energy pricing and policy
• Emphasis on building world-class infrastructure; government to promote public-private partnership
• Government succeeds in ensuring a turnaround of Indian Railways
• Manufacturing sector to grow by about 11 per cent in 2006-07
• FDI inflows exceed $10 billion; exceed FII inflows for the first time
• 2007 to be the year of broadband
• Negotiations to be launched on a broad basis in India EU trade and agreement
• India welcomes resumption of negotiations in the WTO