The Union Budget for 2010-11 allocated Rs 4,574 crore to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, an almost 80% increase from the previous year's allocation of Rs 2,585 crore. The allocation for welfare of SCs and backward classes saw a 78% increase to Rs 3,154.75 crore from Rs 1,767.69 crore last year. Key areas that witnessed large increases in allocation included the Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship (101% increase), Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (295% increase), and welfare of handicapped (46.6% increase). The increased funds will support programs for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes

1. Life Insurance Corporation said on Tuesday it would pump in about Rs 10,000-crore (Rs 100-billion) in the stock
markets by March-end, taking its annual equity investment to Rs 60,000 crore (Rs 600 billion) this fiscal.
"Our investment in the equity market so far has already crossed Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion) and we expect to
close the fiscal (2009-10) with an investment of Rs 55,000-60,000 crore (Rs 550-600 billion)," LIC [ Get Quote ]
executive director (investment operations) N Mohanraj told PTI.
During 2008-09, LIC invested Rs 40,300 crore (Rs 403 billion) in the equity market, Mohanraj said.
This fund infusion in the market by the country's biggest domestic financial institution boosted the sentiments at
bourses, which witnessed volatility, especially after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in America in 2008.
On further prodding about investments details, the company ED said, it is sector agnostic and spread across many
companies.
Besides, LIC is also participating in the primary market by investing in follow-on public offer by public sector
companies.
LIC was among the largest investors in NTPC's Follow-on Public Offer and going forward it would bet in other PSU
public offers.
The company would be aiming for a good portion of Rural Electrification Corporations offer, he said.
REC is looking at raising close to Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion) through a FPO this month. The company plans to sell
17.17 crore (171.7 million) shares through the FPO, which will constitute 17.39 per cent of its fully diluted post-issue
capital.
The issue consists of a fresh issue of 12.87 crore equity shares and an offer for sale of 4.29 crore (42.9 million)
shares.
Asked about the cause for increasing exposure in the stock markets, Mohanraj said, the sentiment in the equity
market is improved and slew of public offers are in pipeline.
Moreover, the investment is also linked to premium collection. If the premium towards equity-linked ULIPs goes up,
the investment in the equity market goes up, he said.

2. As per a disclosure by Reliance Industries [ Get Quote ] last month, LIC increased its stake in RIL to 6.94 per cent
over the past two years through open market transactions.
LIC has hiked stake in the Mukesh Ambani-led company to 6.94 per cent from five per cent for Rs 6,182 crore (Rs
61.82 billion).
The transactions were done between May 27, 2008 and January 4, 2010. LIC now holds 22.69 crore (226.9 million)
shares of RIL representing 7.33 per cent voting rights in the company.
In terms of premium collection, the market share of LIC among 23 players in the sector jumped to over 65 per cent at
Rs 44,178 crore (Rs 441.78 billion) during the first nine months of 2009-10, from Rs 29,457 crore (Rs 294.57 billion)
during the same period last fiscal.
Health insurance: How to choose the best plan
nsurance, by definition, is morbid. What if I die suddenly? What if my home caught fire? What if I had to undergo
expensive medical treatment? What if something that I thought happened only to others befell me?
Insurers, who work with large samples, calculate the probability of such an event and, hence, the possibility of them
having to pay out a sum of money to mitigate, to the extent possible, the effects of that disaster.

3. However, the possibility of you undergoing some kind of expensive medical treatment during your lifetime is far more
likely than you dying suddenly or your house burning down. Given that costs at private healthcare facilities, where
you are most likely to land up, is high, and, doubling every four years 10 months or so, the rest of your money life
could easily go out of whack if you had to incur such expenses.
Just 12 per cent of India's population is covered with some sort of health insurance. Pared to the bone, for a
comparatively small price, health insurance provides you the money you need, and you do not have to undergo
expensive medical treatment of some varieties, mainly involving hospitalisation.
The basic type is an indemnity cover, i.e., the insurer only reimburses costs. As cost is the primary point of pain,
there's sense in buying it. Click on NEXT to know about the different plans on offer...
Buying a child insurance plan
Areview of leading insurance plans for children launched in
2009 and which you could consider as investments for their prosperous future.
Let us first talk about a few basic questions that come to every parent's mind when they think of buying a child
insurance plan. Once we answer these it will help you in deciding which child insurance plan best suits your children.
Why take a children's insurance plan?
Simply because children's plans help you save so that you can fulfil your child's future dreams and aspirations.

4. These plans go a long way in securing your child's future by providing the required protection and financing the key
milestones in their lives, even if you are not around to oversee them. Children's plans are specifically designed such
that you will be able to provide the required economic support to your child when it is most needed.
Who should take a children's plan?
All parents who have the capacity to afford such a plan should invest. It is imperative that the plan be taken by the
earning parent/parents so that the financial security is provided to the child. In case of an eventuality to the insured
parent, the proceeds from the claim can be managed by an appointee (spouse) till the child becomes a major.
Which plan to choose?
You should choose a plan that satisfies your need. Each plan has specific feature/features that make it unique.
Although charges are important criteria to choose between unit linked plans, the features and flexibilities offered by
the plans are also equally significant while choosing a children's plan. With careful selection, you can get the product
that is customized to your needs.
Click NEXT to read the review of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company's Young Star Super, ICICI
Prudential's Smart Kid New Unit Linked RP, Kotak's Headstart Future Protect and Birla Sunlife's Children's
Dream Plan.
www.investmentyogi.com is a one-stop personal finance website which helps in managing finances,
investments and taxes through services like financial planning, online tax filing, budgeting and 'Ask the
Expert'.
(finance)
80% jump in Social Justice Ministry funds
Aiming to give a boost to the social sector and especially the welfare of
backward classes, the Union Budget for 2010-11 effected an almost 80 per cent hike in the allocation for the Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment.

5. The Union Budget has allocated Rs 4,574 crore (Rs 45.74 billion) to the ministry, almost 80 per cent more than the
previous year's allocation of Rs 2,585 crore (Rs 25.85 billion).
Also, the allocation under the sub-head 'Welfare of SCs and welfare of Backward Classes' has seen a mammoth 78
per cent increase over the last year.
While the allocation under this head was Rs 1,767.69 crore (Rs 17.67 billion) last year, this year it is Rs 3,154.75
crore (Rs 31.54 billion).
In fact the highlight of the ministry is the 101 per cent increase in the allocation for Rajiv Gandhi [ Images ] Fellowship.
In the previous year, Rs 79 crore (Rs 790 million) was provided for this programme, aimed at incentivising backward
poor students.
However, this time, Rs 159 crore (Rs 1.59 billion) have been allocated for this programme.
Also, the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana has witnessed an budgetary hike of 295 per cent.
It has received Rs 388 crore (Rs 3.88 billion) this year, compared to last year's allocation of Rs 98 crore (Rs 980
million).
Similarly the sub-head for welfare of handicapped has also received a healthy budgetary hike of 46.6 per cent over
last year. The allocation for this head was Rs 271.36 (Rs 2.71 billion) crore last year, while for 2010-11 it is 398.08
crore (Rs 3.98 billion).
In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee [ Images ] said: "this (the increased allocation), will support
the programmes being implemented for the target population groups covering the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
Tribes, Other Backward Classes, persons with disabilities and senior citizens.
"With this enhancement, the ministry will be able to revise rates of scholarship under its post-matric scholarship
schemes for SCs and OBC students, which is long overdue."
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