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Wither railway security: 4 train accidents within 12 hours on Friday left 7 dead

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The past year has seen a sharp increase in train derailments and accidents; a majority of them have been reported from Uttar Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have hastily replaced Suresh Prabhu with his close confidante, Piyush Goyal, as the Union railway minister in September this year following two major rail derailments that rocked India in quick succession, yet the change of guard has done little to prevent more tragedies from hitting Indian railway- the world’s largest railway network.

Between Thursday evening and Friday – in a span of just 12 hours – four train accidents left seven people dead and injured at least 11 others. Three of these accidents were reported from Uttar Pradesh – the state which has accounted for the maximum number of train derailment incidents this year – while one was reported from Odisha. There were two derailments, including the much publicised incident of the Vasco Da Gama Express near Manikpur station in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot district that killed three people early Friday morning, one incident of an engine decoupling from the wagon and a train hitting a car at an unmanned crossing.

The spate of accidents began at 7.19 pm on Thursday when a local train hit a Bolero vehicle at an unmanned crossing near Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, killing four people and injuring as many. The vehicle, packed with people belonging to a marriage party, was hit at Matha Bhusunda village under the Musafirkhana police station.

Then, at 4.18 am, 13 coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derailed near Manikpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing three people, including a six-year-old boy and his father, and injuring nine other passengers. The Patna-bound passenger train, which derailed soon after leaving the Manikpur Railway Station in Chitrakoot district, was moving slowly as a result of which casualties were less, officials said.

Then, less than two hours after the Manikpur derailment, a Paradeep-Cuttack goods train jumped the rails between Goraknath and Raghunathpur in Odisha at 5.55 am. While no deaths were reported, the down line was disrupted tillSaturday.

In the fourth incident, the engine of Jammu-Patna Archana Express separated from the train near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. This happened twice. The engine first decoupled at around 2.35 am and was re-coupled within an hour following which railway personnel gave the train clearance for its onward journey at around 3.17 am. However, the engine and the first coach (same as earlier) separated again at around 5.25 am and were reattached at 6.05 am.

“After re-examination by staff and senior officials it was decided that the train should be given a new locomotive to ensure that such problem does not happen again,” a spokesperson for North Central Railway told news agency PTI. The train finally left at 7.25 am after security clearances were received. The official said some mail express trains and goods trains were delayed due to the incident.

The year 2017 has witnessed a series of train derailments, mostly having occurred in Uttar Pradesh, although in most cases incidents of passenger deaths were not reported.

On August 19, the derailment of the Utkal Express near Muzaffarnagar in UP had claimed 22 lives and left over 150 injured while over 100 people were injured when the Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district on August 23.

The two train tragedies had paved the exit of then Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu who Prime Minister Narendra Modi replaced with Piyush Goyal during a reshuffle of his council of ministers on September 3.

However, a mere change of guard in the railway top brass has not prevented rail derailments from continuing unabated at a time when the Prime Minister and the BJP are busy trying to showcase the proposed Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project in poll-bound Gujarat.

Under Goyal’s watch as railway minister, this is possibly the fourth derailment – the first in which passenger deaths have been reported. On September 7, the Ranchi-Delhi Rajdhani Express had derailed near Minto Bridge in New Delhi while seven coaches of the Shaktipunj Express had derailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district. No casualties were reported in either of these mishaps that happened within hours of each other. On September 14, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, one coach of the Jammu-New Delhi Rajdhani Express had derailed at the New Delhi railway station.

In November last year, the Indore-Patna Express had derailed in Pokhrayan near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing over 150 people.

-With inputs from PTI[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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In Nagpur, Rahul Gandhi says true meaning of caste census is justice

“Different institutions of government are formed by the Constitution. If there was no Constitution, then the Election Commission would not have been formed,” he said.

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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that the true meaning of a caste census is justice, adding that his party will also “break the wall of 50 per cent” reservation limit.

Addressing the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Nagpur, the former Congress chief hit out at the BJP and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of attacking the Constitution and thereby attacking the voice of the country.

Ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the event was organised at the Suresh Bhatt Hall in Reshimbagh area of Nagpur, which is adjacent to Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir, a memorial of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.

Attack on Constitution by RSS-BJP is an attack on the voice of India, Gandhi said. He explained the idea behind the Constitution and said it is not just a book but it is a way of life. He said what is written in the Constitution has been said by many great personalities like Lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, and Phule.

“It is written in it that there should be equality among all, every religion, every language, every caste should be respected,” the Congress leader said.

“Different institutions of government are formed by the Constitution. If there was no Constitution, then the Election Commission would not have been formed,” he said.

India’s education system, IIT, IIM, primary education system, and secondary education system were created because of the Constitution, he said, adding that “if this is removed, you will not get a public school, public hospital, public college”.

Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments on Congress leader, saying, “Whenever I talk about caste census, Modiji says that Rahul Gandhi talks about dividing the country. But I am telling the country that 90% of the people of India are not participating in the progress of the country.”

He added, “If you see tribal, Dalit, backward people, you will see them standing in MNREGA queue or working as laborers. You will not find these people in the media or the judiciary.”

“Whatever the BJP-RSS people say or do… Caste census will be conducted in India and the wall of 50% reservation will be broken,” he said.

The Rae Bareli MP recalled a meeting that he attended recently in his constituency where he asked the officers to introduce themselves. Gandhi said when the introduction started, he did not find a single name belonging to the Dalit and OBC categories.

“From corporate to judiciary, we do not see people from Dalit, OBC and tribal communities. This is the situation everywhere, where we cannot see 90% of India,” Gandhi added.

The senior Congress leader also spoke on how the idea of caste census came to him, saying, “When he was interacting with the public, a small voice came to him – caste census. But then gradually this voice grew bigger. We have named it caste census, but its real meaning is justice.”

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Indian exporters may face higher tariff under Trump’s America First agenda

The US stands as India’s largest trading partner, with annual trade exceeding $190 billion.

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With Donald Trump all set to become the 47th President of the United States, Indian exporters may face high customs duties on products such as automobiles, textiles, and pharmaceuticals if the new administration pursues its “America First” agenda, according to trade experts.

The experts have also indicated that Trump might tighten H-1B visa regulations, which could raise costs and hinder growth for Indian IT companies. With over 80 per cent of India’s IT export revenues stemming from the US, these changes could make the sector vulnerable to shifts in visa policy.

The US stands as India’s largest trading partner, with annual trade exceeding $190 billion.

Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), said that Trump might extend tariffs beyond China to include India and other nations, citing Trump’s earlier statement that India is a large tariff abuser and his October 2020 statement labeling the country as the tariff king. These comments hint at the likelihood of more challenging trade negotiations during Trump’s second term.

“His America First strategy is expected to advocate for protective measures, including reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, which could hinder key exports such as automobiles, textiles, and pharmaceuticals, diminishing their competitiveness in the US market,” Srivastava stated.

However, he also said that a tougher US policy towards China could potentially open up new markets for Indian exporters.

The bilateral trade in goods between the two countries stood at $120 billion in 2023-24 as against $129.4 billion in 2022-23.

A GTRI report had earlier stated that according to WTO’s World Tariff Profiles 2023, the US also imposes high duties on items like dairy products (188 per cent), Fruits and vegetables (132 per cent), cereals and food preparations (193 per cent), oilseeds, fats and oils (164 per cent), beverages and tobacco (150 per cent).

International trade expert Biswajit Dhar remarked that Trump is likely to increase tariffs across different sectors to fulfill his MAGA (Make America Great Again) mandate. “With Trump’s return to power, we are headed toward a new era of protectionism,” Dhar predicted, pointing out that sectors such as electronics might be adversely affected.

Furthermore, Dhar raised concerns about the future of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), emphasising, based on Trump’s past decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), there may be uncertainty surrounding IPEF’s stability. Launched on May 23, 2022, the 14-nation bloc could face challenges ahead.

Ajay Sahai, Director General of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), stated, “While we might see Trump advocating for more balanced trade, disputes around tariffs are likely to arise amid rising protectionist trends and stricter immigration policies.”

Agneshwar Sen, Partner for Tax and Economic Policy (International Trade) at EY India, said that the US might strategically implement high tariffs to promote domestic manufacturing and adjust existing supply chains, potentially leading to increased tariffs on Indian exports such as textiles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and engineering products.

“India may need to look for alternative markets, which would be challenging, or consider retaliatory tariffs on US exports. Alternatively, we should prepare for a trade deal that is appealing to the US, not only protecting our existing interests but also facilitating new opportunities,” Sen noted.

Additionally, Srivastava pointed out that Trump’s concerns regarding outsourcing could result in policy changes affecting IT exports. H-1B visa regulations are crucial for facilitating the movement of skilled IT professionals from India. “A stricter immigration approach from Trump could potentially alter visa rules, thereby raising costs for Indian IT companies,” he explained, PTI reported.

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FIR filed against Mithun Chakraborty for provocative speech

According to reports, the complaint against Chakraborty pertains to a speech he made during a BJP programme at the EZCC in Salt Lake area on October 27, based on which police registered an FIR at Bidhannagar South Police Station.

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A case was registered against actor-turned-BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty by West Bengal Police on Wednesday for allegedly delivering a provocative speech during a party programme in North 24 Parganas district last month.

According to reports, the complaint against Chakraborty pertains to a speech he made during a BJP programme at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake area on October 27, based on which police registered an FIR at Bidhannagar South Police Station.

The programme, which took place in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP’s membership drive.

“We have started an investigation into the case,” said a senior officer of Bidhannagar police reported by PTI.

BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIR a result of vendetta politics. Chakraborty has not commented on the FIR yet.

“There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool,” the BJP state president said.

Chakraborty, who was awarded India’s highest film honor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, asserted on October 27 that the “masnad” (throne) of West Bengal will be claimed by the BJP following the 2026 Assembly elections. He pledged to utilise all necessary efforts to accomplish this objective.

During his address at a program organised by the EZCC, Chakraborty stated, “In 2026, the masnad will be ours, and we will undertake all actions required to achieve this goal.”

In reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir’s communal comments directed at BJP supporters during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty cautioned against any attempts to intimidate voters affiliated with the saffron party, encouraging them not to abstain from participating in the forthcoming Assembly elections. He called upon the booth-level workers of the BJP to firmly resist any such efforts.

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