BSE-Greenex includes top 20 companies based on green house gas numbers, free float market capitalisation and turnover.

Expectations are also high for a smooth and quick ushering in of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that will do away with multiple duties that retailers are expected to pay currently.

With general elections still two years away, and reforms being the dire need of the hour, Dalal Street expects policymakers to take tough decisions on managing expenditure and levying stiffer taxes.

The agreement was the second massive bailout of Greece following a euro 110 billion ($146 billion) rescue in 2010 that didn't return the country to solvency.

The country's largest lender SBI was the top loser from the Sensex pack, falling 7.91 per cent on reports that the bank has committed to provide loan of around Rs 1,200 crore to the debt laden Kingfisher Airlines.

In its pre-Budget memorandum to the Finance Ministry, the industry chamber has recommended continuation of 10 per cent standard rate of excise duty in the next financial year.

There has been a vociferous campaign to raise prices of diesel cars either by removing the excise benefit small diesel cars receive or imposing a Rs 80,000 'Diesel Tax' on all vehicles.

\"Employers today are looking for most skilled, educated workers. I don't want them to find them in India or China. I want businesses to find those workers in the US,\" Obama said.

Poor financial management over the past few years has left Indian Railways staring at an earnings shortfall of Rs 7,000 crore despite gross budgetary support of Rs 20,000 crore.

The government is planning to enhance income tax exemption from the existing limit of Rs 1.5 lakh in the upcoming Budget.

The petroleum ministry asks the finance ministry to scale down the excise duty on branded diesel in the forthcoming budget due to the sharp drop in the sale of the fuel.

According to top sources in the Railway Board, while the unreserved and janata categories could be spared, while high-end passengers, especially on busier routes, will have to pay extra.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the Budget session of Parliament will start on March 12, with the Railway Budget slated to be presented on March 14.

The economic growth is likely to fall to a three-year low of 6.9 per cent, mainly due to sharp slowdown in manufacturing, agriculture and mining sectors, against 8.4 per cent expansion in the last fiscal.

Schedule for the Budget session of Parliament will be decided on Tuesday amid indications that the Union Budget 2012-13 may be presented around the middle of March.

A senior finance ministry official told Mail Today that \"health like education comes in the social sector, so we cannot accord it infrastructure status at this point\".

The Jaipal Reddy-led ministry has asked the finance ministry to waive the customs duty and slash sales tax levies on natural gas as it is a green fuel being sold to priority sectors.

A senior Steel Ministry official says so far, there has been no discussion on raising the duty on iron ore exports and this is not likely to happen in the forthcoming Budget since iron ore miners are already paying 30 per cent duty on overseas shipments.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says that he will address the slippages in economic parameters in the upcoming Budget.

The representatives of trade unions suggested the government should come out with more social security initiatives and take steps to strengthen public sector undertakings.