124 results found
Dilemmas of the Indian Railways.
The Railway Minister's maiden Budget was full of promises and beautiful dreams which if realised will surely make the Indian Railways one of the world?s best. If he can succeed in fulfilling his pledges, Indian railways will have a great turnaround and facelift.
As the Modi Govt presents the rail budget this week, it is worth reflecting on the growing gap between the Indian railway system and that of China. If the British Raj understood the strategic significance of the railways, the rulers of independent India squandered the advantage and have wrecked the system rather than build on it.
Evidence from several countries suggests that last-mile connectivity solutions—the transport options available to commuters from the origin of their journey to the point of accessing a public transit system—enhance citizens’ mobility and increase metro rail ridership. This brief evaluates India’s operational metro rail transit systems to identify the missing links in the provision and effective implementation of last-mile connecti
India's most significant investment project in Afghanistan has been the Hajigak mines in Bamiyan province. A Steel Authority of India Ltd-led consortium of six companies had won the rights to extract iron ore from the mines in 2011.
The report examines India's urbanization, highlighting rapid population growth, metro rail expansion, sustainable transport policies, and financing challenges, while assessing efforts in localization and revenue enhancement for metro systems.
The slow pace of rail track construction in India is a total contrast to the development across the border. China has already built a 1142 km-long electrified railway line from Golmud to Lhasa. Now it has plans to extend it to Shigatze and Yatung, reaching almost Nathu La pass.
While Nepal has signed up for a rail link with Tibet, it stands to gain more from projects with the Indian Railways.
Election Commission's reported decision to implant a 'verification mechanism' in the electronic-voting machines to be deployed in the four-State Assembly polls could have anything but the intended consequences.
Low-income groups are more susceptible to multimorbidities due to unequal access to healthcare in urban areas
As the COVID-19 infection rate continues to increase in the United States (US), this brief examines the country’s social protection system and compares it to those of other rich OECD countries. It argues that implementing basic social protection measures in a time of crisis such as this, may be costly both in resources and time. While addressing immediate needs imposed by the public health emergency is priority, in the long term, institutionali
That China is now preparing to extend its railway into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir should stir PM Modi to recognise the significance of the railways for India's national security and factor it into the rail budget to be presented to Parliament next week.
Kisan Rails is a step taken in the right direction as it intends to capitalise on the robust railway network — and cutting-edge technology — to co
The Indian railway is the largest passenger rail system in the world, yet it makes up just about 13% of India's transport sector
Metro policy is a well-thought-out plan but it has left some gaps, which are bound to pull down the whole process
The rail connectivity schemes in the Northeast, if implemented in a timely manner, would possibly achieve what decades of politico-administrative soft power and military hard power struggled to - bring about peace and economic development in a region embroiled in protracted ethnic conflicts.
As the two biggest Asian economies, China and Japan are directly involved in infrastructure development in many Asian countries and this has led to fierce rivalry between the two. The recent decision of the Indonesian government to offer the construction of Jakarta-Bandung high speed network to China came as a bolt from the blue to Japan.
The study urges urgent action to improve the state of sanitation and demands facilities comparable to those at airports
Using embedded PMC personnel would hinder the development of cohesive Afghan security forces, which can both deter terrorists and sensitively respond
The financial condition of the Indian Railways (IR) is weakening by the day because of mounting losses in the passenger business. This, at a time when it is making efforts to improve its services through new capital intensive initiatives. IR’s freight revenue has traditionally subsidised its passenger revenue, resulting in one of the lowest passenger fares but one of the highest freight rates in the world. Since freight trains and passenger tra
The loss of lives of nearly 10,000 people in “untoward incidents” annually on the Indian Railway network should no longer be allowed to remain as
Any governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) needs to consider the deadliest applications of AI
The Akhaura-Agartala rail link is a major milestone in India-Bangladesh cooperation, enhancing connectivity, trade, and people-to-people contact
The growing China-India rivalry in rail connectivity in Nepal can could potentially drive advancements in its linkages. Nevertheless, Nepal should app
Trump phenomenon will play out in the world with uncertaintyonly going to grow in years to come as democracies take recourse to rising tides of nationalism
In 2019, the Indian Railways (IR) recorded zero fatalities from accidents caused by operational errors. However, many people continue to meet with train-related mishaps that are beyond the IR’s control; many of these accidents result in death. The IR’s experience in preventing deaths in accidents caused by operational errors (technically called “consequential accidents”) offers lessons on minimising all railways-related fatalities. This p
When China set up the ‘Big Fund’ in 2014, its mandate to companies was chip-making rather than the development of a self-reliant industry based on R&D. This strategy has left gaps in China that the US is now intending to exploit through its new rules. It has introduced a sweeping set of export controls that will make it more difficult for Chinese companies to develop cutting-edge technologies, especially semiconductors.
Indian Railways remains one of the largest owners of land in the country along with the defence services and the port trusts. And yet, India has been unable to either free up the unutilised land for most part, nor has it been able to monetise it adequately.
Despite the prevailing environment of gloom and doom due to the Ukraine crisis, the Indian economy’s ability to resist imported inflation is greater
Critics rail that the H1B programme has strayed from its original purpose and become a parking spot for 'aliens' with no clear expiry date.
By guaranteeing significant investments in new supply chains and tackling poverty in the Central Asian nations, the EU can forge a coherent and mutual
Government should take suitable steps to improve the share of rail transport in both freight and passenger segments
The COVID-19 outbreak poses immense challenges to Africa’s resilience. The pandemic’s economic fallout, caused by disruptions in global and regional value chains and a slump in commodity prices, can derail the progress which the continent has recorded in recent years. Despite the bleak forecasts, however, African countries have managed to mount a concerted response to the pandemic. This paper examines the extent of the economic and health imp
The Observer Research Foundation’s first Tech Huddle was held on 23 November 2023 and focused on the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in India, highlighting the rapid growth and adoption of AI as well as the complexities associated with developing regulatory frameworks for it. AI governance is in its infancy, both globally and in India, and grapples with issues such as the explainability of AI systems as well as the embedded biases, s
Bangladesh is trying to engage in various sub-regional connectivity projects via road, rail, and sea routes with India.
Bilateral relations between China and Bangladesh will strengthen further once the road and rail links are established between the two countries through Myanmar. The prospects for the road-rail links have brightened after Myanmar cleared the transit facility, the Chinese envoy for Bangladesh has said.
India is facing a sudden shortage in power generation in power plants amidst the scorching summer heat.
The discussion at the COP26 summit was solely focused on EVs and Metro rail and left out crucial sectors of public transport and NMT
History is all set to repeat itself in the subcontinent. As usual, the search for a permanent thaw in the India-Pakistan relationship seems to be hitting a big bump in the days ahead that might possibly derail the bilateral negotiation process initiated during the Islamabad SAARC Summit in January this year.
With a very high population density, India has to prevent the virus from reaching vulnerable populations through a systematic approach.
Anyone driving to the hills on the mandatory pilgrimage trail cannot but notice the ubiquitous drum or two in front of roadside stalls - its presence advertising fuels in a way that no pure-for-sure campaign can match.
