Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today presented Union Budget 2012, the 81st Budget in India's history. Individually, this is Mukherjee's seventh annual Budget, second-highest by any Finance Minister.

There was one man who dominated headlines this year - first for bringing an able (if one could say that) government to its knees, then for getting the nation to take to the streets to lament the inability of the government to do anything right, then for rifts in his paradise, then for - you get the drift.

Is there any surprise here? Sachin might well be the sportsperson of the decade, if not the last two decades and indeed, for a better part of this millennium for India. As compatriot and starry-eyed fellow player Virat Kohli put it, for the better part of 20 years, Sachin has carried the burden of a nation's expectation on his shoulders alone.

Katrina Kaif, a British-Indian actress and model, has tasted success with films like Namastey London, New York, Rajneeti, and Welcome. The glamorous actress shot to fame this year with her sizzling performance in an item number, in her movie Tees Maar Khan.

Anna Hazare, anti-corruption and the Lokpal Bill – three words that have been synonymous with each other this past year, and three words that have been on the lips of every Indian.
The Lokpal bill targets the corruption that has permeated all ranks of government, and aims at addressing citizen grievances and protecting the interests of whistle-blowers. Literally translated, Lokpal means “protector of the people.”

With the tablet’s popularity skyrocketing this year, it is the Samsung Galaxy Tab that we have to thank for bringing Android into the tablet market.

Goa - the land of beaches, is a perfect blend of the traditional and modern aspects of life. An ideal combination of sun, sand, and surf, Goa is a must-go if you are touring India. The best time to visit is between the cooler months of November and March, when the weather is pleasant and the seas are calm and clear.

The most talked about car of the year, the Maruti Swift took up to 50,000 bookings prior to launch!

Yoga is undoubtedly the ‘in’ thing today. Gone are the days when people ran on treadmills and spent hours puffing and panting. The mantra for fitness has migrated over the years from the pricey gyms to silent yoga centres under thatched roofs. The trend was triggered after Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor attributed Suryanamaskarasfor her ‘size zero’ figure.

Has Sonia Gandhi Made Manmohan Singh a dummy PM? The Corrupt Have Treated the PM with Contempt, as SC Hearing Shows! Were the Likes of Raja Emboldened by any Support from Her?

Inaction (or slow action) continues to reign in India even as the 2G scam appears to be evolving by the day. Questions raised by the Supreme Court yesterday and reports emanating from the CBI periodically only make for spicy reading, with little in terms of quick follow-up action, giving ample time for suspected political and economic criminals to plan their defence and escape strategy.

One 9/11 was all it took for the U.S. to keep a repeat, or anything close, at bay. Perhaps, they received some geographical help as well given that America is not surrounded by hostile Muslim neighbours just as India is. But you have to give it to the U.S. for its single-mindedness in pursuing the perpetrators of 9/11. Ten years on, Al-Qaeda is now crippled and almost non-existent with its dreaded leader Osama bin Laden killed in a U.S. raid at his hideout in Pakistan a few months ago.