Ø Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, presenting the Narendra Modi
government’s first full-year Railway Budget on Thursday, left passenger fares
untouched and steered clear of announcing any new trains. Instead, Mr. Prabhu
launched a slew of measures aimed at making train travel easier, more
comfortable and safer. The passenger-friendly proposals include SMS
alerts for train timings, provision for Wi-Fi facility in 400 stations,
user-friendly ladders for upper berths, 17,000 bio-toilets, and installation of
cameras for the safety of women travellers. Also, it has been proposed that
tickets can now be booked four months in advance (from two months earlier), and
those travelling unreserved can buy a ticket within five minutes. The fund
allotment for passenger amenities has been increased by 67 per cent, he said,
requesting corporates, non-governmental organisations, and religious bodies to
come forward and invest generously for passenger amenities. Mr. Prabhu
pointed to an “improvement” in the financial performance of 2014-15. His
target, therefore, for 2015-16 is an operating ratio — a key metric that shows
the percentage of money spent on the money earned — of 88.5 per cent. That
figure was 91.8 per cent in 2014-15 and 93.6 per cent in 2013-14. This, he
said, would be the best operating ratio in the last nine years. Fresh
revenues were raised through an increase in freight rates on coal, iron ore and
steel, a move that will be operational from April 1, and bring about Rs. 4,000
crore. The budget made it clear that Railways would be an integral part
of Prime Minister Modi’s pet schemes such as Swachh Bharat, Make in India, and
Digital India. This, according to Vishwas Udgirkar, Senior Director, Deloitte
in India, shows that “the Railway Budget is not a document in isolation.”
Ø Efforts have been redoubled by the Forest Department of Haryana
government to bring the mythical Saraswati river to the surface by creating a
stream at its point of origin at Saraswati Udgam Sthal in the Adi Badri area of
Yamunanagar district.
Ø A month-long camel safari of women cadres from the Border Security Force
(BSF) was flagged off from Bhuj in Gujarat. The all-women expedition
will pass through various border villages of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab ending
at Attari on Indo-Pak border in Punjab on March 22. A retreat parade
will be held at Attari to celebrate the completion of the safari, a first such
initiative jointly organised by the BSF and Tata Steel Adventure Foundation as
part of the border guarding agency’s golden jubilee year celebration for
2014-2015.
Ø The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday
gave approval for establishing the New Development Bank (NDB) and the BRICS
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA). Heads of the five nation BRICS group
— Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — decided at their sixth summit
in Fortaleza in July last year to create a development bank as well as a
reserve fund to finance infrastructure projects and other sustainable
development projects. The $100 billion BRICS CRA would help countries
deal with short-term liquidity pressures, provide mutual support and further
strengthen financial stability. The agreement will enter into force and
the Bank begin operations only after all member-countries deposit their
instruments of ratification with Brazil. The release added that signing
of the agreement for the establishment of the New Development Bank was expected
to allow India to raise and obtain more resources for the much-needed
infrastructure development, the lack of which was coming in the way of
inclusiveness and growth. India will hold the Presidency of the New
Development Bank for the first six years. The Bank will be based in Shanghai,
China’s financial hub.
Ø Activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on an indefinite fast since
November 4, 2000, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers)
Act, has been conferred with the Sthree Shakti award. The award is in
recognition of her extraordinary courage and determination.
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