English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Railways on a rebranding drive

Published

10 years ago

on

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Some platforms may soon host shaadis

By Sujit Bhar

Indian Railways is on a rebranding drive it says, this process having started from its last financial year. It says it wants to look new, improved. Recent announcements, however, have taken the people by surprise.

Here are two news items that one may find a bit strange.

The first says that railway platforms may soon host wedding receptions. The railways want to rent out platforms at less busy stations for wedding receptions and even other functions. As a test case, the Indian Railways has chosen two “safe” locations, the Surat and Navapur stations, in Gujarat and Maharashtra, respectively.

A proposal to this effect has been sent to the ministry for approval, a report says.

A senior railway official has been quoted as saying: “Surat station is massive, and there are people there who would actually pay to have their wedding receptions or parties on platforms as well. We will propose platform No. 4 for the project as it has two-three booking offices, which is ideal for these kind of functions,” he added.

The second news item shows the capitalist motive within the somewhat socialist objectives of Indian Railways.

It says that the fourth largest railways in the world (after the US, China and Russia) will now be branding not only its trains but also the stations. Technically it is possible that multinational companies such as Pepsi or Coca-Cola could be in the fray, as well as Indian specials such as Reliance or Tata Motors, maybe.

The idea is to keep fares at its current levels (which have, anyway, become less poor-friendly with the introduction of surge pricing), while earning better returns from the branding exercise. Whether such branding exercises would be extended to freight trains is not clear.

The proposal, as reported, is not just for providing ad space. It would be a package, where the “sponsor” would be able to do its branding exercise inside as well.

These were probably necessitated when the railways were slipping into deep deficits, coming out of the once surplus era.

A quick look at its finances – as Railway Minster Suresh Prabhu has admitted in Parliament, the system itself remains unproductive – reveals the following.

The railways’ operating ratio was a sad picture today, explained the minister. He said that for every rupee gained, the railways was spending 92 paise on just operations. This was as steep fall from the days of railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav (2004-2009) when Indian Railways allegedly managed a massive surplus, inviting studies from Ivy League colleges. Yadav was invited to lecture at eight Ivy League schools including Harvard and Wharton.

So what happened suddenly? It seems that there was some number fudging involved, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had refuted Lalu Prasad Yadav’s claims. The uplift of the railways, said the CAG was more of a “cosmetic exercise,” according to an agency report.

It was somewhat like the case of showing that single crocodile chick over and over again. It was, the CAG had said, a “new practice of issuing a statement of cash and investible surplus”. How did this happen? The CAG pointed out that the claim made by Lalu (in 2004), of a “profit” of Rs 25,000 crore, actually covered this “cash and investible surplus”.

It was just a fudging of the books, in which this was not included in the “net surplus”. Sadly, the so-called “cash surplus” included the money available for paying dividend, contribution to the Depreciation Reserve Fund used for renewal or replacement of existing assets. It also included other funds for investment, the agency reported.

It was a huge fall from grace for the Indian public sector behemoth. Now that the Railway budged is part of the main Union Budget, there will not only be a huge budgetary crutch provided, but also a leeway to escape [public scrutiny.

This branding process should also help.

Last year the railways had announced that 400 ‘A-1’ and ‘A’ category stations “shall be offered to interested parties for redevelopment on ‘as is where is’ basis.”

This is a large number and one has to wait and see how it works out.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Amit Shah praises Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, says Nation above post

Amit Shah hailed Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, saying BJP places the nation and students above any position while highlighting the government’s commitment to examination reforms.

Published

17 hours ago

on

July 26, 2026

By

Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to step down as Union Education Minister, saying the move reflected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to placing the nation and students above any political position.

In a post on X, Shah said that for BJP workers, the country, its youth and students are more important than any office. He described Pradhan’s resignation as an example of the party’s guiding principle of prioritising national interest over personal ambition.

Shah highlights government’s focus on exam reforms

Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government respects the sentiments of students and remains committed to strengthening the examination system following concerns over alleged paper leaks.

He said the Centre has introduced strict measures to ensure severe punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks and expressed confidence that these steps would deliver justice to students who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Praises Pradhan’s work as Education Minister

Recalling Dharmendra Pradhan’s tenure, Shah highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his time in the Education Ministry. He credited Pradhan with helping implement the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding PM SHRI schools, promoting digital education, strengthening skill development and improving coordination between industry and academic institutions.

Shah also said Pradhan worked towards making examinations more inclusive and student-centric, adding that his tenure reflected his commitment to the vision of a developed India.

Resignation follows NEET controversy

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for accountability.

The resignation has triggered political reactions across party lines. While opposition parties have described the development as a result of sustained student protests, BJP leaders have projected it as an example of accountability and commitment to national interest.

Continue Reading

India News

Assam flood death toll rises to 66, over 6.5 lakh people still affected

Assam’s flood situation improved slightly on Saturday, but more than 6.54 lakh people remain affected in six districts. Four fresh deaths have pushed the state’s flood toll to 66.

Published

17 hours ago

on

July 26, 2026

By

Assam floods

The flood situation in Assam showed marginal improvement on Saturday, though the disaster continued to impact more than 6.54 lakh people across six districts. Four more deaths were reported during the day, taking the total number of fatalities in this year’s floods to 66.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three of the latest deaths were reported from Sivasagar district, while one person lost their life in Charaideo.

The number of affected people declined from over 7.05 lakh across nine districts on Friday to 6,54,800 across six districts on Saturday, indicating a gradual improvement in the overall situation.

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district

Among the affected districts, Sivasagar continues to be the worst hit, with nearly 2.9 lakh people impacted by the floods. Charaideo follows with around 1.9 lakh affected residents, while more than 1.3 lakh people remain affected in Jorhat.

The other districts still facing flood-related challenges are Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Nagaon.

Relief operations continue across affected areas

The ASDMA said the state administration is operating 274 relief camps and aid distribution centres across the affected districts. Around 18,902 displaced people are currently taking shelter at these facilities.

The latest daily bulletin also stated that floodwaters have inundated 810 villages across the state, while 34,970.8 hectares of agricultural land have suffered damage.

Rivers flowing above danger level

The floods have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several areas.

Authorities said the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh are flowing above the danger level, and officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

Continue Reading

India News

UP Government forms new SIT led by 3 IPS officers to probe Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a new SIT led by three IPS officers to investigate the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case in Ayodhya following Supreme Court directions.

Published

17 hours ago

on

July 26, 2026

By

Ram Mandir

The Uttar Pradesh government has reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IG Kiran S, with DIG Somen Verma and SSP Dr Gaurav Grover as members, to investigate the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. 

The move comes after directions from the Supreme Court, which sought a reconstituted investigation team to ensure an independent and comprehensive probe into the allegations.

The newly formed SIT is expected to continue the investigation and submit a status report before the Supreme Court on July 27.

Senior IPS officers to lead the probe

According to the state government, the investigation will now be supervised by senior IPS officers.  The revamped SIT has been tasked with examining all aspects of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations and carrying the investigation forward.

The Supreme Court had observed that criminal investigations and technical examination of theft-related cases are more effectively handled by experienced police officers, leading to the reconstitution of the SIT under senior IPS leadership.

Probe to continue under court supervision

The case relates to the alleged embezzlement of offerings (chadhava) donated by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation and will review the SIT’s status report at the next hearing.

Authorities are expected to continue examining evidence collected during the earlier stages of the investigation as the newly constituted SIT proceeds with the case.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com