VIJAYAWADA: To provide quality, affordable and hygienic meals to rail passengers, Indian Railways in collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has introduced the concept of Economy Meals. Anticipating the surge in passenger traffic during summer, rail passengers, particularly for those travelling in general coaches, are provided with two types of meals at an affordable cost. These meal counters are now operational at over 100 stations across Indian Railways.

BENGALURU: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modis agenda is to nurture the countrys economy and everyone should support him and the government that has taken this up on priority. Terming the UPA rule as a dark decade as the economy went into a bad state, she said, But now we have become the fifth largest economy and we are confident of moving to the top three within the next few years. We need political stability for this. At an interaction program

In the vibrancy of Bharatiya democracy, elections serve as the cornerstone of our collective voice and aspirations. However, the sanctity of this democratic process often comes under scrutiny due to unethical practices. Its high time we reevaluate the efficacy of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) issued by Election Commission of India (ECI) and transition towards a more robust Ethical Code of Conduct. The MCC, designed to regulate the behaviour of candidates and political parties during elections,

Imtiaz Alis biopic on Amar Singh Chamkila is a wake-up call. The singer, known as the Elvis of Punjab and his singer-wife, who sang wildly popular dirty ditties, were gunned down in 1988 and their killers were never caught. Chamkilas detractors accused him of peddling sleaze with his ribald lyrics and raunchy beats, though the man seemed to have prided himself simply on giving the people what they wanted. Which was mostly horny humour and catchy tunes. After all, sex sells. Then, now, and foreve

The first sign was in the purple staining the ground. Little rivulets of purple bled from bruised fruit. Over our heads, birds grasped the bounty on the boughssome fruits were a fresh, leaf-green, and others were a wine-purple. If you touched them, they nearly exploded in your hands, and so you had to be gentle. Its the season for the mulberry or the shahtoot, that once-a-year abundance of handpicked sweetness. Mulberry trees can be quite small, which means you can reach for the fruit without br

Baba Ramdev has shown an uncanny and amazing ability to remain in the headlines, nor is he a stranger to controversies, harsh criticism and vile abuse. Some years back a leading English news magazine had published him on its cover with a picture in crass taste. He was also accused by Brinda Karat of exploiting his workforce and mixing animal products in his ayurvedic potions. It didnt take the Baba long to bounce back and land an almost knock-out punch displaying his nationalist credentials. But

Did India become richer or poorer during the UPA years? And how does the Modi government compare? At first, it may seem difficult to compare across different eras. For instance, the UPA had to deal with the 2008 financial crisis. But the Modi government had to deal with a once-in-a-century pandemic. Which was the bigger challenge? There is a simple way to account for this. Just compare the performance of the Indian economy with respect to other countries during the same period. Let us look at th

SAMBALPUR: Union Minister and BJPs Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday said comprehensive planning will be done for agriculture-based economy in Sambalpur district. Attending a special event organised by Sri Ramachandi Devi Seva at Themra here, he highlighted various measures taken by the union government for the welfare of farmers and said the Centre is planning big in the field of agriculture, especially in view of the needs of the country. If farmers are made self-re

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has set his sights on transforming Porbandar, Gujarat, into a burgeoning tourist centre if elected to the Lok Sabha from the region. Mandaviyas vision for Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, includes the development of cruise tourism and the launch of the RoRo and Ropax initiatives -- ships where passengers and vehicles can be moved. Unlike conventional cruise vessels, such ships are used for transportation over a coastline or inland waters and is

India fastest growing economy during last 3 financial years: Sitharaman

VIJAYAWADA: Stating that the goal of the TDP is to transform the State into a trillion-dollar economy, party general secretary Nara Lokesh made it clear that the coming TDP allied NDA government will certainly strive hard to achieve this target. During the TDP regime renowned industries like Kia, TCL and HCL set up their units in the State providing employment to lakhs of youth, Lokesh said and pointed out that not even a single industry has been launched in the State YSRC formed government. Int

I got scammed recently. I didnt lose any money; my son came and rescued me before that. But I did engage in a 50-minute conversation with two men masquerading as members of the Mumbai Police, threatening to arrest me under the PMLA (Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, in case you didnt know). Im a rational being normally and sceptical about most things, so Im amazed that I stayed in the conversation as long as I did. The odd thing is I wasnt scared; I knew I hadnt done anything wrong. And yet, I

At a time when violence linked to the Maoist movement is in rapid decline across the country, under mounting security forces pressure, there has been an abrupt and dramatic escalation in Chhattisgarh. Significantly, of the 99 Left Wing Extremism-linked fatalities recorded by the South Asia Terrorism Portal across India in 2024 (till April 7), Chhattisgarh alone accounts for 78. There were 88 fatalities in Chhattisgarh through 2023, and 72 in 2022. It is evident, moreover, that the escalation has

Art has the power to foster cultural change and initiate dialogue transcending all boundaries. In the public sphere, be it murals or sculptures, it has always existed in ancient and traditional art and architectural marvels such as temple walls or caves of Ajanta and Ellora. In the contemporary era, public art has taken new shape in forms of experimental art through street art, graffiti and public installations among many others. A public space is a collective representation of the identity of a

Bengaluru is now in news for all the wrong reasons. What was once a charming garden city famous for its salubrious weather, charming lakes and flowering trees has become an urban hell-hole with nightmarish traffic, frequent power cuts, pot-holed roads in the last decade. Now, it has gone one step ahead and has exhausted all its water resources. With temperature touching nearly 40s, the city has kissed its famed weather too goodbye. In other words, Bengaluru has become just another dusty, dirty,

BHUBANESWAR: The Naveen Patnaik-led government might have set its ambition to achieve a one trillion dollar economy by 2030, but a latest report by a national rating agency India Ratings and Research (IRR) indicated that Odisha is not among the states that are likely to hit the mark by 2047. According to the report released on Monday, eight states will have economies exceeding one trillion dollar each by 2046-47 financial year. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat would be the first to achieve the

On a sweltering summer afternoon a few days ago, I found myself about to doze off while idly scrolling on Instagram, when a video jolted me awake. A person had a chart consisting of thousands of tiny red and white squares, meticulously arranged as a graphic visualisation of the number of weeks left in his life. The ones which hed lived were red, and the others were blank waiting for him to fill them. An assumed life expectancy of 80 years showed that he had 2,190 weeks left, since he was 38. He

The leaders of opposition parties preparing to enter the electoral arena have been shouting themselves hoarse about the absence of a level playing field, tax terrorism and government agenciesunder the control of the Centreacting not as watchdogs, but well-trained blood-thirsty hounds of the hunt. The fear of contempt has stopped the critics of Prime Minister Modi from criticising the judiciary for failing to safeguard citizens rights and the Constitution of the country. However, the baffling adm

A few days ago, I had occasion to engage in a very interesting conversation with a retired space engineer who has spent most of his working life designing and working on some of the most fascinating space vehicles at NASA. He had taken his first degree in engineering from India. I was not surprised to hear that he had not needed or used more than about 10 per cent of his engineering knowledge from his first degree. He averred that for most of his work as a space scientist, he had to devise innov

Prime Minister Modi has tasked key stakeholders for Modi 3.0 action plan aligned with Viksit Bharat@2047. Resting on its four pillarsPoor, Farmers, Women and YouthViksit Bharats recipe shall undoubtedly dominate the first 100-day plan document. Common denominators that link these four pillars are key socio-economic capital assets like education, healthcare, employment, sanitation, etc. Tracking and commenting on education policies for over 15 years, my heart beats faster for the first five highe

While the controversy of the Sangita Kalanidhi award for the virtuoso TM Krishna is rocking the Carnatic music world, another unsavoury controversy has broken out in Kerala. A veteran Mohiniattam artist, Kalamandalam Satyabhama, made disparaging comments about another veteran artists skin colour and physical appearance without taking his name. The crux of her comments was that Mohiniattam should be performed only by beautiful, fair-skinned female artists and not black-skinned male artists. This

With the pride of being the melting pot of the worlds cultures comes a challenge that is unique to Indias cultural and religious tapestry; ensuring equal rights and protection for all citizens while balancing personal laws. As a Directive Principle of State Policy, the Indian policy framework must strive to secure a pan-India Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The Uttarakhand government was the first to introduce a UCC for the state. While it is a largely progressive Code, there are a few hits and misses

One vertical and a second horizontal! said Brahm Dev, the doyen of Dehraduns photographers, to his household help. He was giving her tips on photography as she went around taking pictures at home. The 1940s saw Brahm Dev and his brother Raj arrive in Dehradun as refugees uprooted during the Burmese disturbances. They went on to build RK Studio on Ashley Hall (very close to where Ruskin Bond had in his early days written The Room on the Roof). All of us had met at a book release, and it was midni

The Berlin Wall, Eastern Europe, 221B Baker Street, Manhattan, Hudson, Thames crime suspense films often take us on a virtual tour to these destinations. But India as a backdrop has remained relatively untouched. But Homi Adajanias Murder Mubarak (2024) based on Anuja Chauhans novel Club You to Death, brings crime suspense home to India. The film is about a murder that takes place inside an elite club in Delhi, the investigation into which leads to another murder and uncovers dark secrets beneat

Ian Hall , Griffith University India will soon hold the biggest election ever conducted , starting on April 19 and running through early June. Almost 950 million registered voters will be able to cast ballots to elect the 543 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. The result is not a foregone conclusion, but most analysts expect Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win another five years in office. After a decade in power, the opinion polls suggest Modi is still well

The 'One Nation, One Election' proposal could add economic output worth Rs 4.5 lakh crore, or increase real GDP growth by 1.5%, estimates submitted by the former president Ram Nath Kovind-led panel have claimed. The report also noted that simultaneous elections will not only lead to higher average real GDP growth, but also result in lower inflation, higher investments and relatively higher public spending, particularly, capital expenditure than revenue expenditure. This is the elusive magic poti

RANCHI: Former Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is currently lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to land scam on January 31, will study the Constitution of India and other books related to Economy and Jharkhand Movement. Hemant Sorens wife Kalpana Soren revealed on social platform X that she has been asked by her husband to bring those books on Sunday while visiting him in the jail on Saturday. The thr

An old maxim states that people, in general, are quick to believe that which they wish to be true. The truismattributed to Julius Caesarplays out in Indias public discourse rather predictably every few months. The episodes of ricocheting rhetoric with surround sound effects follow the release of data on the state of the economy. Typically, in the intensely polarised political amphitheatre, every episode finds the believers singing the rah-rahraagand the sceptical atheists argue in disbelief. The