UNION BUDGET 2011-2012 HIGHLIGHTS

NEW DELHI: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday presented to Parliament India's budget for the coming financial year beginning in April. 

Following are the highlights of the budget: 

TAXES  
* Standard rate of excise duty held at 10 percent; no change in CENVAT rates 
* Personal income tax exemption limit raised to Rs 180,000 from Rs 160,000 for individual tax payers 
*For senior citizens, the qualifying age reduced to 60 years and exemption limit raised to Rs 2.50 lakh. 
*Citizens over 80 years to have exemption limit of Rs 5 lakh. 
* To reduce surcharge on domestic companies to 5 percent from 7.5 percent. 
* A new revised income tax return form 'Sugam' to be introduced for small tax papers. 
* To raise minimum alternate tax to 18.5 percent from 18 percent 
* Direct tax proposals to cause 115 billion rupees in revenue loss 
* Service tax rate kept at 10 percent 
* Customs and excise proposals to result in net revenue gain of 73 billion rupees 
* Iron ore export duty raised to 20 percent 
*Nominal one per cent central excise duty on 130 items entering the tax net. Basic food and fuel and precious stones, gold and silver jewellery will be exempted. 
*Peak rate of customs duty maintained at 10 per cent in view of the global economic situation. 
*Basic customs duty on agricultural machinery reduced to 4.5 per cent from 5 per cent. 
*Service tax widened to cover hotel accommodation above Rs 1,000 per day, A/C restaurants serving liquor, some category of hospitals, diagnostic tests. 
*Service tax on air travel increased by Rs 50 for domestic travel and Rs 250 for international travel in economy class. On higher classes, it will be ten per cent flat. 
* Electronic filing of TDS returns at source stabilised; simplified forms to be introduced for small taxpayers. 
* Works of art exempt from customs when imported for exhibition in state-run institutions; this now extended to private institutions. 

SUBSIDIES 
* Subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 1.44 trillion rupees 
* Food subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 605.7 billion rupees 
* Revised food subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 606 billion rupees 
* Fertiliser subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 500 billion rupees 
* Revised fertiliser subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 550 billion rupees 
* Petroleum subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 236.4 billion rupees 
* Revised petroleum subsidy bill in 2010-11 at 384 billion rupees 
* State-run oil retailers to be provided with 200 billion rupee cash subsidy in 2011-12 

FISCAL DEFICIT
* Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1 percent of GDP in 2010-11 
* Fiscal deficit seen at 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011-12 
* Fiscal deficit seen at 3.5 percent of GDP in 2013-14 

SPENDING 
* Total expenditure in 2011-12 seen at 12.58 trillion rupees 
* Plan expenditure seen at 4.41 trillion rupees in 2011-12, up 18.3 percent 

REVENUE 
* Gross tax receipts seen at 9.32 trillion rupees in 2011-12 
* Non-tax revenue seen at 1.25 trillion rupees in 2011-12 
* Corporate tax receipts seen at 3.6 trillion rupees in 2011-12 
* Tax-to-GDP ratio seen at 10.4 percent in 2011-12; seen at 10.8 percent in 2012-13 
* Customs revenue seen at 1.52 trillion rupees in 2011-12 
* Factory gate duties seen at 1.64 trillion rupees in 2011-12 
*Service tax receipts seen at 820 billion rupees in 2011-12 
* Revenue gain from indirect tax proposals seen at 113 billion rupees in 2011-12 
* Service tax proposals to result in net revenue gain of 40 billion rupees in 2011-12 

GROWTH, INFLATION EXPECTATIONS 
* Economy expected to grow at 9 percent in 2012, plus or minus 0.25 percent 
* Inflation seen lower in the financial year 2011-12 

DISINVESTMENT 
* Disinvestment in 2011-12 seen at 400 billion rupees 
* Government committed to retaining 51 percent stake in public sector enterprises. 

BORROWING 
* Net market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 3.43 trillion rupees, down from 3.45 trillion rupees in 2010-11 
* Gross market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 4.17 trillion rupees 
* Revised gross market borrowing for 2010-11 at 4.47 trillion rupees 

POLICY REFORMS 
* To create infrastructure debt funds 
* FDI policy being liberalised. 
* To boost infrastructure development with tax-free bonds of 300 billion rupees 
* Food security bill to be introduced this year 
* To permit SEBI registered mutual funds to access subscriptions from foreign investments 
* Raised foreign institutional investor limit in 5-year corporate bonds for investment in infrastructure by $20 billion 
* Setting up independent debt management office; Public debt bill to be introduced in parliament soon 
* Bills on insurance, pension funds, banking to be introduced. 
*Constitution Amendment Bill for introduction of GST regime in this session. 
*New Companies Bill to be introduced in current session 

SECTOR SPENDING 
* To allocate more than 1.64 trillion rupees to defence sector in 2011-12 ( 11% hike in defence allocation ) 
* Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund raised to 180 billion rupees in 2011-12 
* To provide 201.5 billion rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2011-12 
* To allocate 520.5 billion rupees for the education sector. Rs.21,000 crore for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. 
* To raise health sector allocation to 267.6 billion rupees ( 20% hike in health budget ) 
* Rs.500 crore more for national skill development fund. 
* Rs.54 crore each for AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) centres at Murshidabad and Mallapuram. 
* Rs.58,000 crore for Bharat Nirman; increase of Rs.10,000 crore. 
* Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wage rates linked to consumer price index; will rise from existing Rs.100 per day. 
* Increased outlay on social sector schemes. ( Social sector allocation up by 17%) 
* Infrastructure critical for development; 23 percent higher allocation in 2011-12. ( Rs 2,14,000 cr allocated for infrastructure sector ) 


AGRICULTURE ( Farm loans at 4 per cent ) 
* Removal of supply bottlenecks in the food sector will be in focus in 2011-12 
* Agriculture growth key to development: Green Revolution waiting to happen in eastern region. 
* To raise target of credit flow to agriculture sector to 4.75 trillion rupees 
* Gives 3 percent interest subsidy to farmers in 2011-12 
* Cold storage chains to be given infrastructure status 
* Capitalisation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of 30 billion rupees in a phased manner 
* To provide 3 billion rupees for 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation 
* Actively considering new fertiliser policy for urea 
* Food storage capacity to be augmented - 15 more mega food parks to be set up in 2011-12; of 30 sanctioned in previous fiscal, 15 set up. 
* Comprehensive policy on further developing PPP (public-private-partnership) model. 
* Farmers need access to affordable credit. 
* Moving to improve nutritional security. 
* Necessary to accelerate production of fodder. 

ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY (Pranab on economy ) 
* "Fiscal consolidation has been impressive. This year has also seen significant progress in those critical institutional reforms that will pave the way for double digit growth in the near future." 
* "At times the biggest reforms are not the ones that make headlines, but the ones concerned with details of governance which affect the everyday life of aam aadmi (common man). In preparing this year's budget, I have been deeply conscious of this fact." 
* Food inflation remains a concern 
* Current account deficit situation poses some concern 
* Must ensure that private investment is sustained 
* "The economy has shown remarkable resilience." 
* Setting tone for newer, vibrant economy. 
* Economy back to pre-crisis trajectory. 
* Development needs to be more inclusive. 

ON GOVERNANCE 
* "Certain events in the past few months may have created an impression of drift in governance and a gap in public accountability ... such an impression is misplaced." 
* Corruption is a problem, must fight it collectively 

MORE 
*Govt to move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy for kerosene, LPG and fertilisers. 
*Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge B Srikrishna, to complete its work in 24 months; to overhaul financial regulations. 
* Five-fold strategy against black money; 13 new double taxation avoidance agreements; foreign tax division of CTBT strengthened; strength of Enforcement Directorate increased three-fold. 
* Bill to be introduced to review Indian Stamp Act. 
* New coins carrying new rupee symbol to be issued. 
* Anganwadi workers salary raised from Rs.1,500 to Rs.3,000. 
* Mortgage risk guarantee fund to be created for economically weaker sections. 
* Housing loan limit for priority sector lending raised to Rs.25 lakh. 

National Parks in India

Bandhavgarh National Park
Check out the place where firstly and formostly the white Tigers of Rewa were discovered Bandhavgarh. This park is some of the left out preserved wild pockets of Madhya Pradesh of what were once splendid forests that extended across the whole of Central India.

Ranthambore National Park
A nearby attraction of Sawai Madhopur, in the state of Rajasthan, Ranthambore National Park is an outstanding example of Project Tiger’s efforts at conservation in the India.

Kaziranga National Park
The land of Rhino is counted among the two major wild pockets, the only surviving habitats of this prehistoric survivor in India.

Kanha National Park
Ever though what it feels like to visit a tiger country, then visit the state of Madhya Pardesh, check out the wilds of Kanha and see for yourself why this place is called a wild hideout taken straight from the famous “Jungle Book”.

Sundarbans National Park
Come to Sundarbans where adventure awaits you at every corner. Known as the largest estuarine delta in the world, this Tigerland vibrates with countless forms of colourful life.

Manas National Park
Assam is the state of the Great One Horned Rhino. Beside the Kaziranga there’s Manas another habitat of the Rhino’s, located in one of the remotest region among the foothills of Himalayas.

Bandipur National Park
Lies halfway down the Mysore-Ooty highway became one of the first of India’s Tiger Reserves and the southernmost of the nine reserves specially established under Project Tiger.

Sultanpur National Park
Sultanpur national park was a stretch of marshy land that has been remodeled and converted into a water body. The park is home to a large range of birds, both resident and migratory.

Royal Chitwan National Park (Nepal)
Established in 1973, provides a great wildlife experience with its rich flora and fauna. Short grass makes the months of February-May the best game-viewing season, but the autumn months are perfect for visiting, with Himalayan views, and in winter months of December-January, Chitwan has quiet a pleasant climate compared to Kathmandu.

Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal)
Largest and most undisturbed wild area of the Terai region of the Nepal Himalayas. Simialar to Chitwan park, but with a drier climate and a more remote location, Bardia encompasses 1,000-sq-kms of riverine grassland and sal forests.

Rajaji National Park, Uttaranchal
Situated in the forested hills, east of Haridwar, is quiet known for its wild Elephants, which have an approximate population of 150. Because of the pleasant climate this hideout becomes a pretty good tourist destination and a perfect retreat for picnicking.

Dudhwa National Park, U.P.
Also popular as a Tiger Reserve, this national park is located in the district of Lakhimpur, along the Indo-Nepal border. Another major attraction of this wild reserve is the Barasingha or the Swamp Deer, found in the southwest and southeast region of the park.

Bandipur & Nagarhole National Parks, Karnataka
Two of the most attractive national parks of Karnataka are Nagarhole and Bandipur. Even if separate entities, they are a part of a large neighboring wildlife reserve that also includes Madumalai Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu and Wynad Reserve of Kerala.

Bhalukpong, Arunachal
For the energetic visitor, keen to experience of faraway Arunachal Pradesh, Bhalukpong is a place to visit. On the edge of the luxuriant forest of the Pakhui Game Sanctuary, along the Kameng river lies the village settlement of Bhalukpong, also known as the gateway to Bomdila and the Tawang Monastery.

Simplipal National Park, Orissa
Simplipal is counted among the earliest Project tiger reserves of India and is located in the northern-forested belt of Orissa. Beside the faunal attractions, the attractive terrain also includes numerous waterfalls.

Nandankanan Zoo, Orissa
A combination of a beautiful botanical garden, a zoo and a sanctuary, Nandankanan, is situated 20-km from Bhubaneshwar, and is popularly known as the “Garden of Pleasure” in Orissa. The zoo at Nandankanan is world famous for its White Tigers.

Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary, Orissa
Aqua fauna is what going to attract you to this sanctuary, the breeding center of the Giant Olive Ridley Turtles, who crossover the Pacific to come here and lay their eggs.

Namdhapha National Park, Arunachal
Tucked away in the northern most state of Arunachal, is the Namdhapa National Park, famous for the extremely elusive snow and the clouded Leopard. The park is also a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.

Velvadhar Blackbuck Sanctuary, Gujarat
Popularly known as the home of the Indian Black Buck, has attracted worldwide attention for the successful conservation of the fastest of the Indian Antelopes – Black Buck.

Wild Ass Sanctuary, Gujarat
Gujarat is an exciting place for wildlife enthusiasts, mainly because it resides some of the unique wild attractions within its numerous sanctuaries. Wild Ass sanctuary is another of Gujarat’s wild surprises famous for its large wild Ass herds.

Dachigam National Park, J&K
Of all the sanctuaries present in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, the one at Dachigam is the best known. Once an exclusive hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Kashmir, it was declared a national park in 1951, owing to a strictly enforced conservation programme, to preserve the or Hangul population or the Kashmiri Stag.

The Great Himalayan National Park, H.P.
The National Park with an area of 620-sq-kms is caved out of the splendid mountain terrain of the Kullu District and has the representative area of temperate and alpine forests of Himachal. It is also one of the largest protected area of the state.

Dibru Saikhowa National Park, Assam
Located on the alluvial flood plains of Brahmaputra in Upper Assam neighboring Arunachal is a biosphere reserve called Dibru Saikhowa National Park Its also an orchid paradise besides being a home to numerous wild animals and birds.

Milroy or Pabha Sanctuary, Assam
This splendid wildlife reserve even if doesn’t have many faunal varieties to offer, still it possesses the most coveted one, the Wild Water Buffalo.This sanctuary has been exclusively built for the protection of the wild water buffalo.

Nameri National Park, Assam
Nameri is the second Tiger reserve of Assam, situated at the foothills of eastern Himalayas. The hilly backdrop, deciduous and the river Jia Bhoroli have added a unique natural charm to it.

Pin Valley National Park, H.P.
Tucked in between the snow laden higher reaches and scree slopes covered with scanty tufted vegetation, Pin Valley National Park forms the natural habitat of a number of endangered animals including Himalayan Ibex, Snow Leopard, Bharal, Wooly Hare, Tibetan Wolf, and Snow Cock.

Hemis High Altitude National Park, J&K
Hemis is a high altitude protected area that was created in the year 1981, in the eastern part of the cold desert of Ladakh, for the conservation and protection of its unique flora and fauna.

Mind Blowing Facts

1. Turtles have no teeth.
2. Prehistoric turtles may have weighed as much as 5,000 pounds.
3. Only one out of a thousand baby sea turtles survives after hatching.
4. Sea turtles absorb a lot of salt from the sea water in which they live. They excrete excess salt from their eyes, so it often looks as though they’re crying.
5. Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless inert gas at room temperature and makes up about 0.0005% of the air we breathe.
6. Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
7. Helium Balloon Gas makes balloons float. Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top.
8. Camels can spit.
9. An ostrich can run 43 miles per hour (70 kilometers per hour).
10. Pigs are the fourth most intelligent animal in the world.
11. Dinosaurs didn’t eat grass? There was no grass in the days of the dinosaurs.
12. Dolphins can swim 37 miles per hour (60 kilometers per hour).
13. A crocodile’s tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth? It cannot move. It cannot chew but its Digestive juices are so strong that it can digest a steel nail, Glass pieces, etc.
14. Sharks are immune to disease i.e. they do not suffer from any Disease.
15. Animals are either right- or left-handed? Polar bears are always left-handed, and so is Kermit the Frog.
16. Paris, France has more dogs than people.
17. New Zealand is home to 70 million sheep and only 40 million people.
18. Male polar bears weigh 1400 pounds and females only weight 550 pounds, on average.
19. Bison are excellent swimmers? Their head, hump and tail never go below the surface of the water.
20. There are 6 to 14 frog?s species in the world that have no tongues. One of these is the African dwarf frog.
21. A frog named Santjie, who was in a frog derby in South Africa jumped 33 feet 5.5 inches.
22. The longest life span of a frog was 40 years
23. The eyes of a frog flatten down when it swallows its prey
24. The name `India’ is derived from the River Indus
25. The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
26. Chess was invented in India.
27. The’ place value system’ and the ‘decimal system’ were developed in 100 BC in India.
28. The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called ‘Mokshapat.’ The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices.
29. India has the most post offices in the world
30. ‘Navigation’ is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH
31. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nou’.
32. Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world
33. The’ place value system’ and the ‘decimal system’ were developed in 100 BC in India.
34. A snail can sleep for 3 years.
35. The names of the continents all end with the same letter with which they start
36. Twenty-Four-Karat Gold is not pure gold since there is a small amount of copper in it. Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.
37. Electricity doesn’t move through a wire but through a field around the wire.
38. The first bicycle that was made in 1817 by Baron von Drais didn’t have any pedals? People walked it along
39. The first steam powered train was invented by Robert Stephenson. It was called the Rocket.
40. A cheetah does not roar like a lion – it purrs like a cat (meow).
41. The original name for the butterfly was ‘flutterby’
42. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.
43. Ants don’t sleep.
44. Dolphins usually live up to about twenty years, but have been known to live for about forty.
45. Dolphins sleep in a semi-alert state by resting one side of their brain at a time
46. A dolphin can hold its breath for 5 to 8 minutes at a time
47. Bats can detect warmth of an animal from about 16 cm away using its “nose-leaf”.
48. Bats can also find food up to 18 ft. away and get information about the type of insect using their sense of echolocation.
49. The eyes of the chameleon can move independently & can see in two different directions at the same time.
50. Cockroach: Can detect movement as small as 2,000 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom.
51. Dragonfly: Eye contains 30,000 lenses.
52. Pig’s Tongue contains 15,000 taste buds. For comparison, the human tongue has 9,000 taste buds.
53. The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero.
54. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
55. Earth weighs 5,972,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons
56. Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.
57. A duck’s quack doesn’t echo anywhere
58. Man is the only animal who’ll eat with an enemy
59. The average woman uses about her height in lipstick every five years.
60. The first Christmas was celebrated on December 25, AD 336 in Rome.
61. A Cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
62. A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can’t
63. A rat can last longer without water than a camel can
64. About 10% of the world’s population is left-handed
65. Dolphins sleep with one eye open
66. Snakes have no external ears. Therefore, they do not hear the music of a “snake charmer”. Instead, they are probably responding to the movements of the snake charmer and the flute. However, sound waves may travel through bones in their heads to the middle ear.
67. Many spiders have eight eyes.
68. The tongue of snakes has no taste buds. Instead, the tongue is used to bring smells and tastes into the mouth. Smells and tastes are then detected in two pits, called “Jacobson’s organs”, on the roof of their mouths. Receptors in the pits then transmit smell and taste information to the brain.
69. Birds don’t sweat
70. The highest kangaroo leap recorded is 10 ft and the longest is 42 ft
71. Flamingo tongues were eaten common at Roman feasts
72. The smallest bird in the world is the Hummingbird. It weighs 1oz
73. The bird that can fly the fastest is called a White it can fly up to 95 miles per hour.
74. The oldest living thing on earth is 12,000 years old. It is the flowering shrubs called creosote bushes in the Mojave Desert
75. Tea is said to have been discovered in 2737 BC by a Chinese emperor when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water.
76. A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water. If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, one will feel thirsty. If it’s reduced by 10%, one will die.
77. Along with its length neck, the giraffe has a very long tongue — more than a foot and a half long. A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue
78. Ostriches can kick with tremendous force, but only forward. Don’t Mess with them
79. An elephant can smell water three miles away
80. If you were to remove your skin, it would weigh as much as 5 pounds
81. A hippopotamus can run faster than a man
82. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history
83. The world’s known tallest man is Robert Pershing Wadlow. The giraffe is 5.49m (18 ft.), the man is 2.55m (8ft. 11.1 in.).
84. The world’s tallest woman is Sandy Allen. She is 2.35m (7 ft. 7 in.).
85. The only 2 animals that can see behind themselves without turning its head are the rabbit and the parrot.
86. The blue whale is the largest animal on earth. The heart of a blue whale is as big as a car, and its tongue is as long as an elephant.
87. The largest bird egg in the world today is that of the ostrich. Ostrich eggs are from 6 to 8 inches long. Because of their size and the thickness of their shells, they take 40 minutes to hard-boil. The average adult male ostrich, the world’s largest living bird, weighs up to 345 pounds.
88. Every dolphin has its own signature whistle to distinguish it from other dolphins, much like a human fingerprint
89. The world’s largest mammal, the blue whale, weighs 50 tons i.e. 50000 Kg at birth. Fully grown, it weighs as much as 150 tons i.e. 150000 Kg.
90. 90 % of all the ice in the world in on Antarctica
91. Antarctica is DRIEST continent. Antarctica is a desert
92. Antarctica is COLDEST continent, averaging minus 76 degrees in the winter
93. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and it doesn’t have a moon. Its atmosphere is so thin that during the day the temperature reaches 750 degrees, but at night it gets down to -300 degrees.
94. Jupiter is the largest planet. If Jupiter were hollow, you could fit 1000 earths inside! It is made up of gas and is not solid. The most famous feature on Jupiter is its Red Spot, which is actually an enormous hurricane that has been raging on Jupiter for hundreds of years! Sixteen moons orbit Jupiter.
95. Saturn is a very windy place! Winds can reach up to 1,100 miles per hour. Saturn is also made of gas. If you could find an ocean large enough, it would float. This planet is famous for its beautiful rings, and has at least 18 moons.
96. Uranus is the third largest planet, and is also made of gas. It’s tilted on its side and spins north-south rather than east-west. Uranus has 15 moons.
97. Neptune takes 165 Earth years to get around the sun. It appears blue because it is made of methane gas. Neptune also has a big Spot like Jupiter. Winds on Neptune get up to 1,200 mile per hour! Neptune has 8 moons.
98. Pluto is the farthest planet from the sun… usually. It has such an unusual orbit that it is occasionally closer to the sun than Neptune. Pluto is made of rock and ice.
99. Just about everyone listens to the radio! 99% of homes in the United States have a least one radio. Most families have several radios.
100. Sound is sent from the radio station through the air to your radio by means of electromagnetic waves. News, music, Bible teaching, baseball games, plays, advertisements- these sounds are all converted into electromagnetic waves (radio waves) before they reach your radio and your ears.
101. At the radio station, the announcer speaks into a microphone. The microphone changes the sound of his voice into an electrical signal. This signal is weak and can’t travel very far, so it’s sent to a transmitter. The transmitter mixes the signal with some strong radio signals called carrier waves. These waves are then sent out through a special antenna at the speed of light! They reach the antenna of your radio. Your antenna “catches” the signal, and the radio’s amplifier strengthens the signal and sends it to the speakers. The speakers vibrate, and your ears pick up the vibrations and your brain translates them into the voice of the radio announcer back at the station. When you consider all the places the announcer’s voice travels.
102. Every radio station has its own frequency. When you turn the tuning knob on your radio, you are choosing which frequency you want your antenna to “catch.”
103. Mountain lions are known by more than 100 names, including panther, catamount, cougar, painter and puma. Its scientific name is Felis concolor, which means “cat of one color.” At one time, mountain lions were very common!
104. The large cats of the world are divided into two groups- those that roar, like tigers and African lions, and those that purr. Mountain lions purr, hiss, scream, and snarl, but they cannot roar. They can jump a distance of 30 feet, and jump as high as 15 feet. It would take quite a fence to keep a mountain lion out! Their favorite food is deer, but they’ll eat other critters as well. They hunt alone, not in packs like wolves. They sneak up on their prey just like a house cat sneaks up on a bird or toy- one slow step at a time. A lion can eat ten pounds of meat at one time!
105. Queen ants can live to be 30 years old
106. Dragonflies can flap their wings 28 times per second and they can fly up to 60 miles per hour
107. As fast as dragonflies can flap their wings, bees are even faster… they can flap their wings 435 times per second
108. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.
109. You can’t kill yourself by holding your breath
110. Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day
111. Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people
112. The elephant is the only mammal that can’t jump!
113. Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!
114. Women blink nearly twice as much as men
115. Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible
116. Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.
117. More people are allergic to cow’s milk than any other food.
118. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand
119. Earth is the only planet not named after a god.
120. It?s against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.
121. Some worms will eat themselves if they can’t find any food!
122. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open
123. Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not
124. Slugs have 4 noses.
125. Owls are the only birds that can see the blue colour.
126. Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end
127. More than 1,000 different languages are spoken on the continent of Africa.
128. There was once an undersea post office in the Bahamas.
129. Abraham Lincoln’s mother died when she drank the milk of a cow that grazed on poisonous snakeroot
130. After the death of Albert Einstein his brain was removed by a pathologist and put in a jar for future study.
131. Penguins are not found in the North Pole
132. A dentist invented the Electric Chair.
133. A whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound
134. Alexander Graham Bell’s wife and mother were both deaf
135. Cockroaches break wind every 15 minutes.
136. Fish scales are an ingredient in most lipsticks
137. Canada” is an Indian word meaning “Big Village”.
138. 259200 people die every day.
139. 11% of the world is left-handed
140. 1.7 liters of saliva is produced each day
141. The world?s oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!
142. The largest beetle in the Americas is the Hercules beetle, which can be 4 to 6 inches in length. That’s bigger than your hand!
143. A full-grown male mountain lion may be 9 feet long, including his tail!
144. There are two kinds of radio stations: AM and FM. That’s why there are two dials on your radio. AM is used mostly for stations that specialize in talking, such as Christian stations at have Bible stories and sermons; sports stations that broadcast live baseball and football games; and stations that specialize in news programs and “talk shows,” where listeners call the station and discuss various topics. FM is used mostly for stations that specialize in music.
145. The average lead pencil can draw a line that is almost 35 miles long or you can write almost 50,000 words in English with just one pencil
146. The Wright Brothers invented one of the first airplanes. It was called the Kitty Hawk.
147. The worst industrial disaster in India occurred in 1984 in Bhopal the capital of Madhya Pradesh. A deadly chemical, methyl isocyanate leaked out of the Union Carbide factory killing more than 2500 and leaving thousands sick. In fact the effects of this gas tragedy are being felt even today.
148. Mars is nicknamed the “Red Planet,” because it looks reddish in the night sky. Mars has 2 moons.
149. Venus is nicknamed the “Jewel of the Sky.” Because of the greenhouse effect, it is hotter than Mercury, even though it’s not as close to the sun. Venus does not have a moon but it does have clouds of sulfuric acid! If you’re going to visit Venus, pack your gas mask!
150. Tens of thousands of participants come from all over the world, fight in a harmless battle where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets.