India News
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw trolled over missing Kavach after Odisha train accident
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav said a high-level probe panel has been set up to look into what happened exactly before the two passenger trains on different lines derailed and collided. There is another question arising on the Coromandel Express’ wrong track.
The Odisha train accident has claimed over 280 lives leaving hundreds injured. The Railways have become targets for trolls given the number of deaths in Odisha.
The trolls have been very specific in getting after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw since he had posted a video on the Kavach anti-collision system n which he explained in detail how the system would work to prevent collisions. Social media users asked the minister why was Kavach not installed on the stretch which saw the horrific accident. Some even demanded Vaishnaw resign. Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma confirmed there was no Kavach deployed on the incident route. The Kavach just might have saved so many lives.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said a high-level probe panel has been set up to look into what happened exactly before the two passenger trains on different lines derailed and collided. There are other theories for the accident with some saying the Coromandel Express was on the wrong track.
The Indian Railways had announced to implement Kavach protection system over 2000 km during 2022-23. Around 34,000 km network was planned to be brought under Kavach. With Vaishnaw’s video explaining Kavach getting viral, Trinamool Congress s leader Saket Gokhale said only 2% of the total Railway routes have been brought under Kavach.
Gokhale claimed it was mere repackaging of the anti-collision device proposed by Mamata Banerjee when she was railway minister. In 2011-12, Indian Railways under Banerjee had developed the Train Collision Avoidance System system. The Narendra Modi government typically renamed the system to Kavach only to take credit, Gokhale said.
There was no progress on deploying this crucial rail safety technology until 2019 when three companies were approved for manufacturing and installing Kavach on railway tracks, the Trinamool leader said.
On Twitter, a journalist said similar accidents have happened in the past but the then Railway Ministers like Nitish Kumar and Lal Bahadur Shastri have taken moral responsibility and resigned from the position.
The accident has drawn condolences and outrage from India and abroad. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that he was deeply saddened by the loss of hundreds of lives in the accident. Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said he was broken at seeing the images from the train accident and extended his condolences to the people who lost their close ones, he said Canadians are with the people of India in this difficult time. The European Commission and Turkey have also expressed their condolences at the loss of lives in the tragedy.
India News
Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat operators prevents major accident, notices stones, rods on tracks, hit emergency brakes
Giving the details about the train and the incident, the CRPO said, KM 158/18, 158/19 on the Gangarar-Soniyana section were the stopping points for Train No. 20979 Vande Bharat Udaipur-Jaipur.
On Monday at Rajasthan’s Bhilwara, train operators of the Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express noticed stones and iron rods on the railroad track and quickly stopped the train using emergency brakes.
The Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Western Railway confirmed the incident and said that the RPF has opened a complaint under the Railways Act after personnel inspected the scene in the Gangarar-Soniyana section.
Giving the details about the train and the incident, the CRPO said, KM 158/18, 158/19 on the Gangarar-Soniyana section were the stopping points for Train No. 20979 Vande Bharat Udaipur-Jaipur. Two rods, each measuring one foot, were inserted into the joggle plate on the previously mentioned km, together with some ballast, which caused the standstill, he added.
The incident took place under the control of RPF/post/Bhilwara at about 09:55. The area is governed by SHO/Gangarar in the Chittaurgarh district, according to the CPRO.
DSC/Ajmer, IPF/Bhilwara, PWI/Gangarar, local Police, and GRP authorities all paid the location a visit. SP/Chittaurgarh has been informed by DSC/Ajmer. RPF has filed a lawsuit in accordance with the Railways Act. The PWI/Gangarar is also providing SHO/Gangarar with a FIR, the official continued.
Meanwhile, stones, rail fasteners and iron rods are seen being laid on the railway tracks in a video that is going popular on X, formerly Twitter.
Fortunately, the alert loco pilots on duty quickly identified the impediment and took prompt action by deploying emergency brakes, averting any potential disaster. Their quick action likely saved lives and made sure that everyone on board was safe.
The District Police and the Railway Protection Force are both aggressively looking into this worrying situation. Their efforts are concentrated on finding individuals accountable for putting lives at danger and interfering with railway operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udaipur-Jaipur Vande Bharat Express last month, which runs six days a week, except Tuesday. It departs from Udaipur city at 7:50 in the morning and gets to Jaipur at 14:05.
India News
Karnataka Eid clash: 43 persons arrested in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government is not going to tolerate people throwing stones on religious processions of other religions.
Tension gripped Karnataka’s Shivamogga district as two groups clashed during Eid e Milad un Nabi processions near Ragigudda. 43 persons have been arrested in the clashes on Monday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government is not going to tolerate people throwing stones on religious processions of other religions.
Section 144 has been imposed Ragigudda by the Shivmogga district administration. CM Siddaramaiah said the situation is currently under control. The police has arrested 43 persons. He added it is wrong to pelt stones to disturb the religious procession of others. He said the government is not going to tolerate such actions.
Milad un Nabi processions is usually marked by large gathering and celebrations. The procession was halted due to the chaos. The police said the protestors tried to breach the barricades set by the security forces. The police forces had to resort to a lathi charge in order to disperse the crowd. About five people were injured during the clashes.
Senior police officials said the situation was under control and the issue had been resolved. They appealed to the people to maintain peace and not spread rumours. Siddaramaiah said cases were being booked against those found guilty as pelting stones at another religious procession is against the law.
Siddaramaiah added Shivamogga city has been brought to normalcy again. All possible actions are being taken by the police force. The situation continues to be tense all over the city of shivamogga. The security arrangements have been tightened. The shops and the market has been asked to close down.
2500 policemen, two platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), two platoons of rapid action force and 12 platoons of District Armed Reserve have been stationed across the city to thwart any untoward incident. The murder of Harsha, the Bajrang Dal activist which made national news had taken place in shivamogga city in February 2022.
India News
Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti 2023: History, Date and Significance
Shastri was a freedom fighter and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He played an important role in India’s independence movement.
On 2nd October 2023, India also celebrates the birth anniversary of another great leader, Lal Bahadur Shastri. The day holds special significance as India remembers the legacy and life of the man who served as India’s second Prime Minister. Lal bahadur Shastri was born on October 2, 1904 in Mughalsarai, Uttar Pradesh. He is a symbol of dedication and selfless service to the nation.
Shastri was a freedom fighter and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He played an important role in India’s independence movement. He was sent to the prison several times by the British government. After India got its independence in the year 1947 he served in many important ministerial positions in the government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Lal Bahadur Shastri was born into a lower middle class family. His father’s name was Sharda Prasad Srivastava who was also a teacher. Ram Dulari Devi was a house wife. He was born with the name Lal Bahadur Srivastava. He earned the title Shastri due to his academic excellence. He was commited to education during his entire life. He went on to become not only a leader but also an academic and an activist.
Lal Bahadur Shastri showed unwavering dedication to the Indian National Congress political party. He served as the second Prime Minister of India from 1964 until his death in 1966. His tenure as Prime Minister marked a significant progress and change in India.
He held many important positions which included Minister of External Affairs and Railways. His tenure had many notable achievements which included signing of the Tashkent Agreement. The Tashkent aimed to ease tensions between India and Pakistan.
This diplomatic respect earned him respect on the global arena. Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kisan which means hail the soldier and hail the Farmer. The slogan means emphasizes on the vital contributions of farmers and soldiers to the country’s prosperity.
