An Indecisive Indian

During Nitish Kumar's tenure as Minister of Railways in the early 2000s, I had the privilege of serving as Master of Ceremonies at numerous official and semi-official events where he graced the occasion as chief guest. I was then a middle-level railway executive, and I distinctly recall how he not only remembered my name but consistently made the effort to greet me personally with a warm smile. His thoughtful gestures left me genuinely gratified, and I held him in high esteem as a man of admirable character, even though I differed in my assessment of his policies for the Indian Railways, which I did not consider progressive enough. However, regrettably, I now find myself compelled to view him as the epitome of political inconsistency, the ultimate Aaya Ram Gaya Ram (Ram cometh, Ram goeth) player. The phrase, literally meaning Ram has come, Ram has gone, refers in Indian politics to the frequent floor crossing, turncoating, party switching and legislative horse trading practise...

  Are the Vande projects in doldrums? Sudhanshu Mani Optimism is not entirely based on reason. Apart from obvious positive signs, hypes, premature declarations and announcements, sentiments and belief in a certain growth trajectory also matter. The budget and market watchers would have us believe that, thanks to another bumper enhancement in budgetary support to Indian Railways (IR), the Capex in more advanced trains, new safety features, station upgrades, High-Speed Rail, new routes and multiple tracks, the Capex level in railways will top Rs 3 lakh crore. This may actually happen, given the support that the Central government is committed to provide to IR for growth of the economy as a whole and reduction in logistics costs, in spite of IR’s poor financial performance if  viewed in isolation. Add to that the hype that the ministry creates is hardly revisited to examine the actual progress on the ground, you get heady level of optimism in rail sector; a sector which was once ...

Whither goest thou, Indian Railways, in 2024 and beyond? Sudhanshu Mani 2 023 has come to a close and evaluating the performance of Indian Railways (IR) reveals a varied landscape. While strides in infrastructure stand out, the year has witnessed underwhelming freight loading and financial outcomes, falling short of anticipated growth and projections. On the positive side, significant progress has been made on the two Dedicated Freight Corridors, which had long suffered delays. These corridors, nearing completion after some focused execution in recent years, signify a crucial milestone in enhancing freight transport. Despite cost escalation and challenges in loan servicing affecting competitive pricing, belying the promise of significant reduction in logistics costs, the progress on these corridors after a decade of uncertainty is commendable. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), vital for connectivity and national security, has continuously faced sluggish progress....