With the Union Budget 2026, India's 74th, fast approaching, all eyes are once again on New Delhi's North Block as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is preparing to table it on February 1, 2026, marking her ninth Budget presentation in a row.
The Indian Army achieved a significant logistics milestone on December 16, 2025, by transporting tanks, artillery guns and dozers into the Kashmir Valley using a special military train.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety has determined that the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express accident was caused by sabotage, prompting increased security measures and investigations.
The NHRC has issued a show cause notice to the Tamil Nadu government regarding an attack on a migrant worker, identified as Suraj, demanding his tracing, medical treatment, and compensation.
210 deaths were directly attributed to commuters falling from overcrowded trains.
Every passenger gets 55 per cent concession on train journeys, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said regarding demands to restore pre-Covid fare concessions for senior citizens and media persons.
The Central Information Commission (CIC) attains its full strength after nine years with the appointment of Raj Kumar Goyal as chief and eight other information commissioners.
Under the plan being worked out, the labour component of the railway projects, which include the expansion of train lines or conversion of line gauge, would be funded from NREGS, as most of these projects require a large labour force and generate employment opportunities in rural areas.
Indian Railways has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the stampede at New Delhi Railway Station. Those seriously injured will receive Rs 2.5 lakh, and those with minor injuries will receive Rs 1 lakh. The stampede occurred late Saturday night, resulting in at least 18 fatalities and more than a dozen injuries. The incident was triggered by a surge in passengers waiting to board trains for Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh is taking place, on platforms 14 and 15 of the station.
The idea is to establish a robust and forward-looking legal framework that addresses the financial stress of power distribution companies, which are facing losses of over 6.9 trillion, while curbing high industrial tariffs that, according to the government, have affected competitiveness, constrained economic growth, and slowed the transition to clean energy.
An independent probe from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is unlikely in the Jalgaon train tragedy due to the negligence of passengers, according to railway sources. The tragedy occurred when 12 passengers were killed after stepping down from their train due to a fire rumor and were struck by another train. Experts say the CRS probe is unlikely because the passengers' actions were deemed negligent. While the CRS is typically involved in serious railway accidents, the 1998 rules allow for discretion when deaths or injuries result from passenger negligence. Passengers had ample time to move to safer locations but remained on the side tracks, ultimately leading to the tragic incident.
Kavach 3.2 version is being installed on approved high-density routes, the railway officials said, adding that upgrading and installation of the latest version on new routes will go on simultaneously to cover a wider railway network in a shorter period.
The incident occurred between Diva and Kopar railway stations when the overcrowded train was going towards Kasara, an official said.
The Indian Railway Ministry has requested Twitter (X) to remove disturbing images and videos related to the February 15 stampede at New Delhi Railway Station, citing concerns about the dignity of the deceased and the trauma experienced by survivors and their families. The request followed complaints from relatives of those affected by the stampede, which claimed 18 lives and injured several others.
The employees' unions said that squarely blaming the driver, who is not alive to defend himself, amounts to making him a scapegoat for the systematic shortcomings of the Railways.
According to the railway ministry, this non-lethal yet effective tool will help women RPF personnel tackle challenging situations swiftly, particularly while safeguarding female passengers travelling alone or with children to ensure their safer train journeys.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal was on Saturday given additional charge of the law ministry while Road and Transport Minister C P Joshi was entrusted with the charge of the railways ministry, following the resignation of Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Bansal on Friday.
With a large number of Indian youth aspiring to work in the railways, delays in filling up railway job vacancies were a point of criticism against the BJP in the run-up to the elections.
A woman loco pilot was killed in the Malda division of West Bengal after being hit by a speeding train while returning from a washroom break. The incident has sparked outrage among loco pilots' unions who have been demanding improved washroom facilities and safety measures for female drivers. This incident highlights the ongoing struggle for safe working conditions for women loco pilots, who face numerous challenges due to the lack of basic amenities and support.
The Quetta-bound Jaffar Express was targeted in the Spizend area of Mastung on Tuesday, latest in a series of attacks that have targetted this train since March this year.
Among India's 150,746 railway bridges, 25.8 per cent are over a century old.
The government is planning to set up an integrated transport planning authority for faster and comprehensive planning among multiple transport ministries such as highways, railways, and shipping & ports.
"The new upgraded Passenger Reservation System (PRS) will allow over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute. This will be an increase of roughly five times from 32,000 tickets per minute in the current PRS," it added.
All bookings done up to October 31 under the Advance Reservation Period of 120 days will remain intact, it added.
'I think that kind of change is coming. We should stay prepared for that change, whichever industry or sector we are in, we must be prepared.'
The government will look to standardise rules around operations protocol during failure of automatic signalling.
The newly inaugurated Pamban Bridge in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, is designed to withstand cyclones of greater intensity than the 1964 disaster that significantly damaged the old bridge. The new bridge features a vertical lift spanner and is built to withstand wind speeds of 230 kmph and considerable seismic loading, according to a senior official from the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The bridge's construction incorporated several safety protocols, including a seated lift spanner and girders positioned well above sea level, ensuring minimal risk from high tides and cyclones.
Following the alleged molestation of two Australian women cricketers in Indore, a Madhya Pradesh minister advises players to inform local authorities when going out due to their popularity in India.
Following the alleged molestation of two Australian women cricketers in Indore, a Madhya Pradesh minister advises players to inform local authorities when going out due to their popularity in India.
AISA general secretary and Bihar MLA Sandeep Saurav along with others in a press statement said that the committee formed by the ministry is a "conspiracy" to postpone the matter till the elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) adoption rate has risen to over 4.35 per cent, with more than 100,000 people out of 2.3 million eligible individuals opting for it, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) chairman S Ramann said in an exclusive interview with Business Standard on Monday. He also said that six states had approached the PFRDA for help in adoption of the scheme.
A deadly stampede at New Delhi Railway Station occurred on Saturday evening as passengers confused two trains with similar names, "Prayagraj Express" and "Prayagraj Special," and rushed to change platforms after an announcement. The confusion led to a surge of people on the stairs, resulting in the tragic deaths of 18 people. The Railway Ministry stated that the arrival of the "Prayagraj Special" at platform 12 caused panic among those waiting for the "Prayagraj Express" at platform 14, leading to the stampede. An unprecedented rush of passengers due to the Maha Kumbh and the delay of multiple trains heading to Prayagraj contributed to the chaos. The incident highlighted the dangers of inadequate crowd management during peak travel periods.
Vaishnaw travelled in the engine of a Kavach-fitted train, which, while speeding at 130 kmph, stopped 50 metres before red signal on its own without any manual interference with the braking function by the loco pilot.
Hours before the blast in Delhi, eight people, including three doctors, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives were seized with the uncovering of a "white collar" terror module on Monday.
The Indian Railways has decided to not cancel any more passenger trains to accommodate more freight traffic for coal transport. It will also gradually restore the ones it cancelled recently. The national transporter is of the view that coal supply is now reaching normative levels and does not need any more special measures. "Early data suggests that coal supply has stepped up since the passenger trains were cancelled.
'Where rostering systems are automated and duty time software interfaces directly with DGCA, the assertion that they suddenly discovered crew shortages is simply implausible.' 'If adequate crew planning hasn't materialised within 12 to 24 months from inception, how will 45 days -- from December 5 to February 12 -- suddenly resolve matters?'
A former Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1994-batch, Vaishnaw has handled important responsibilities for over 15 years and was particularly known for his contribution to the public-private partnership (PPP) framework in infrastructure, something that will help him in the rail sector.
It has also formed a committee which will examine the grievances of those who have passed the exams under different railway recruitment boards and those who have failed.
'These children possess catastrophically low birth weights -- often 1.4 kgs or less. Such extremely low birth weight results in profoundly compromised neo-natal immunity.' 'The escalation to 97 deaths in three months precipitated contemporary attention precisely because this magnitude concentrates the humanitarian emergency, rendering it impossible for the administrative machinery to ignore.'
The government is developing ports across the country as centres for green hydrogen production and export, Sarbananda Sonowal, minister of ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW) said on Tuesday. "Across the country, over 12 million tonnes of green hydrogen-based e-fuel capacity has been announced.
