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To pee or not to pee? Indian Railways has the answer!

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  Ah, the ever so fragrant journey of train travel in India! It is a unique experience, isn't it? Indian Railways (IR), in their gallant attempt to curb the olfactory assault of train toilets, has employed various methods over the years. bio-tanks, modular toilets, vacuum evacuation,  auto-essensers and even bum showers—sorry, health faucets/jet cleaners. When it comes to addressing some of the age-old problems, they have really thrown the kitchen sink at them. In a phased manner, they fitted bio-tanks in all their coaches, putting a stop to dumping all the toilet waste on the track. Never mind that it took the Supreme Court’s gavel to get them moving. IR’s detractors call other measures listed above half-hearted, and even their on-board housekeeping service is inefficient, leaving the toilets stinking to the seventh heaven. It is a veritable odyssey of odors! But have these efforts made train toilets cleaner and less odorous? Well, according to some of my graceful and more eloqu
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Indian Railways and Shakespeare, the bard on board with sixty phrases

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Sudhanshu Mani Indian Railways (IR) was once a glorious marvel of professional excellence. Ok, not quite!! While it never had a 'spotless reputation’ , it certainly has ‘ seen better days’ . Now, it seems to have degenerated into a Shakespearean comedy, brimming with twists, turns, and a cast of characters that make the bard's works pale in comparison.   A bit of a background first. IR’s daily escapades can make your ‘hair stand on end’ . From overcrowded trains, surprise platform changes to last-minute train rerouting, passengers are often left with ‘bated breath’ , wondering where they would end up next. ‘All of a sudden’ , the loud whistle blows, and the train lurches forward, leaving those who had hoped to ‘sleep one wink’ out of luck. It’s enough to make even the most seasoned traveller cry out, "For goodness’ sake, what’s next?"   The journey on IR is truly an adventure leading you ‘up and down’ . One minute, you're chatting with your seatmate and t
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Sprinkle Some Ghālib Magic: Elevate Your Eloquence

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  Sprinkle Some Ghālib Magic: Elevate Your Eloquence Much like the bard whose influence on the English language resonates through phrases, idioms, and words created by him, Ghālib's impact is profound, albeit not easily discernible. Ghālib pioneered an entire genre of poetry and a distinctive prose style, yet attributing the invention of idioms and phrases directly to him proves challenging. Undeniably, in the early phases of his poetic journey, his writing style remained enigmatic to many. Reflecting on his own craft, he would express it by saying:   Mushkil hai zabas kalaam mera ai dil sun sun ke use sukhanwaraan-e-kaamil Aasāñ kahne kī karte haiñ farmāyish goyam mushkil vagarna goyam mushkil   ( zabas: plentiful, a lot, sukhanwaraan-e-kaamil: complete, perfect poets, farmāyish: request, goyam mushkil vagarna goyam mushkil: saying it is difficult but not saying is also difficult.   O heart, my creations are indeed not very easy to comprehend. When they hear my wo
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Export of Vande Bharat trains, South America calling!

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Export of Vande Bharat trains,  South America calling! Two recent news concerning Indian Railways (IR) and Vande Bharat trains caught my attention.   https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/vande-bharat-express-indian-railways-trains-to-be-manufactured-in-standard-gauge-for-exports-says-ashwini-vaishnaw/articleshow/108494143.cms?utm_source=wa_channel&utm_medium=notification The central message of this announcement underscores the global prevalence of the Standard Gauge (SG) in modern rail systems, prompting Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to embark on the development of an SG version. Emphasizing the imperative for timely action, the announcement delineated that planning for potential exports five years down the line necessitates immediate commencement of design work. This is essential due to the extensive duration required for manufacturing, testing, and obtaining international validation.   https://www.financialexpress.com/business/railways-fe-exclusive
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Rail Budget 2024, did tracks twist, hopes take a Detour? Sudhanshu Mani

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Rail Budget 2024 Did tracks twist, hopes take a detour ? Sudhanshu Mani   The interim budget, strategically positioned before general elections, serves the purpose of obtaining authorization for spending from the Consolidated Fund of India until the presentation of the full-fledged general budget by the newly-elected government. Ideally, it should refrain from announcing populist measures; however, historical trends reveal a tendency to utilize this platform for such declarations while also highlighting the government's accomplishments over the preceding five years.   In the case of the interim budget delivered by Piyush Goyal in February 2019, schemes involving direct payments to farmers and workers in unorganized sectors were unveiled, with the benefits retroactively effective from January 2019. Anticipations were rife that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman might introduce new or augmented schemes. While outlining the government's commitment to inclusive growth,
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