It has been reported that Preity Zinta met the Union Finance Minister before he presented his Budget for this year. Seemingly, she asked him to deliver a woman-friendly budget. Ahe asked for policies that would bring a change in the mental attitude of looking at women/female children as a financial burden. Tough luck, Preity! That cannot be achieved with the budgeting alone. What we need is a mass education and eradication of dowry programme. But this is much easier said than done.

So what has the Finance Minister delivered for the women of India? Any goods for us in his kitty?

1. The 'no income tax' slab has been raised for everyone till Rs. 1,50,000, but for women, it has been raised upto Rs. 1,80,000.

2. There will be a Rs 500 crore corpus fund to subsidise all women Self Help Groups (SHGs). The SHGs are groups formed by women, who contribute and pool money every month and then help each other set up small-scale business or educate the children better.

3. The Ministry of Women and Child Development gets a budgetary allocation of RS 7,200 crore. It means more facilities and amenities especially for women and mothers. Also, there is a 24 per cent increase in child development money. Better for your children.

And if you missed Union Railways Minister Laloo's gifts for you, here are the details...

1. Free local rail travel for all undergraduate girls in Mumbai.
2. 50% discount in rail fares for all women aged 50 and above.

Are you satisfied with these little gifts from the Union finance Minister and the Union Railways Minister? Or have these budgets left you high and dry?