MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Government of India

Ministry of Science & Technology

NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY-CYBER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:37PM by PIB Delhi

(Release ID: 2117875)

Source: Government of India

Fiscal Health Index 2025

Mapping India’s State-Level Economic Resilience

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:42PM by PIB Delhi

Introduction

The Fiscal Health Index (FHI) initiative by NITI Aayog aims to evolve an understanding of the fiscal health of states in India. The FHI analysis covers eighteen major states that drive the Indian economy in terms of their contribution to India’s GDP, demography, total public expenditure, revenues, and overall fiscal stability. Odisha leads the Index, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand and Gujarat. As states are responsible for approximately two-thirds of public spending and one-third of total revenue, their fiscal performance is important for the country’s overall economic stability. The report objectively evaluates each state’s fiscal health through a composite index, facilitating comparisons and benchmarking against best practices. The composite Fiscal Health Index has been developed using data from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), covering the Financial Year 2022-23.

 

Objectives of the Fiscal Health Index

 

• To provide a comparative analysis of fiscal health across Indian states through standardized metrics.
• To identify areas of strength and concern in states’ fiscal management practices.
• To promote transparency, accountability, and prudent fiscal management through empirical assessment.
• To assist policymakers in making informed decisions aimed at enhancing fiscal sustainability and resilience.

 

Key Indicators Evaluated

 

The Fiscal Health Index 2025 is based on a comprehensive set of indicators that are grouped into five broad categories:

1. Tax Buoyancy Tax buoyancy is a ratio of change in tax revenue in relation to change in gross state domestic product or GSDP of a state. It measures how responsive a taxation policy is to growth in economic activities.

   Revenue Generation and Mobilization: Assessment of states’ own revenue receipts, tax buoyancy, and non-tax revenue generation.

2. Debt-to-GSDP The debt-to-GDP ratio is a metric that compares a state’s total public debt to its gross state domestic product (GSDP), indicating its ability to repay its debts, and is often expressed as a percentage.

   Expenditure Management and Prioritization: Evaluation of efficiency in expenditure allocation, prioritization of capital expenditure, and adherence to fiscal discipline.

3. Debt Management: Analysis of states’ debt-to-GSDP ratios, interest payment burdens, and overall sustainability of debt portfolios.
4. Fiscal Deficit Management: Measurement of states’ fiscal deficit as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and adherence to statutory limits.
5. Overall Fiscal Sustainability: Composite analysis of revenue, expenditure, deficit, and debt indicators to gauge long-term fiscal health.

 

Key Findings

Odisha leads the fiscal health index with a top score of 67.8, excelling in the Debt Index (99.0) and Debt Sustainability (64.0). It maintains low fiscal deficits, a strong debt profile, and a high Capital Outlay/GSDP ratio. Chhattisgarh (55.2) and Goa (53.6) follow, excelling in Debt Index and Revenue Mobilization, respectively. Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh excel in non-tax revenue mobilization, averaging 21% of Total Revenue, with Odisha benefiting from mining premiums and Chhattisgarh from coal block auctions. Conversely, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala face significant fiscal challenges, including low expenditure quality, poor debt sustainability, and high fiscal deficits. States like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh allocate around 27% of their Developmental Expenditure to Capital Expenditure, while West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan allocate only about 10%. While top states excel in Debt Index and Sustainability, West Bengal and Punjab struggle with rising debt-to-GSDP ratios, raising concerns about debt sustainability.

 

Sustainability of Debt Portfolios Sustainability of debt portfolios refers to state’s ability to meet its current and future debt obligations without defaulting or requiring exceptional financial assistance, focusing on both solvency and liquidity.

• Top Performers: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Goa excel in Debt Index, Debt Sustainability, and Revenue Mobilization.
• Revenue Mobilization: Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh effectively mobilize non-tax revenue (average 21% of Total Revenue).

• Debt Index The ratio of Interest Payments to Revenue Receipts (IP/RR) indicating the percentage of Revenue Receipts used for interest payment on account of outstanding debt.

  Aspirational States: Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala face fiscal challenges like poor debt sustainability and high deficits.

• Capital Expenditure: High allocation (27%) by Odisha, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh; Low allocation (10%) by West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan.
• Debt Concerns: West Bengal and Punjab face growing debt burdens and increasing debt-to-GSDP ratios.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The Fiscal Health Index 2025 offers a valuable tool for assessing the fiscal performance of Indian states. It highlights the need for continuous monitoring, prudent fiscal management, and proactive measures to enhance states’ financial health. The Index underscores the importance of revenue generation, efficient expenditure management, debt control, and adherence to fiscal deficit targets for overall fiscal sustainability. The FHI report has been shared with all States/UTs to help them evaluate their fiscal performance across key indicators. States are encouraged to adopt sustainable fiscal practices suited to their economies and work towards fiscal prudence through appropriate state-level interventions

References

https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-01/Fiscal_Health_Index_24012025_Final.pdf

https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/184/AU5286_7JIvqM.pdf?source=pqals

Fiscal Health Index 2025

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Santosh Kumar | Ritu Kataria | Rishita Aggarwal

(Release ID: 2117890) Visitor Counter : 41

Source: Government of India

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal to inaugurate Startup Mahakumbh

2nd edition of Startup Mahakumbh to be held from April 3-5 at Bharat Mandapam

Over 45 Tribal entrepreneurs to participate in the event

Event to witness representation from over 50 countries

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:47PM by PIB Delhi

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the second edition of Startup Mahakumbh, set to take place at Bharat Mandapam from April 3-5, 2025.The event  aims to contribute further to India’s economic growth and showcase to the world the unfolding story of Bharat. Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology,Shri Jitin Prasada, will deliver a special address during the inaugural event.

The event’s unmatched scale and diversity of participants will provide an invaluable platform for entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders to come together, share ideas, and create lasting connections. With a strong focus on fostering innovation and collaboration, Startup Mahakumbh will lay the foundation for the next wave of entrepreneurial success. During this year’s edition Tribal entrepreneurs are also set to take the stage with participation from 45+ startups including those incubated at IIM Calcutta, IIM Kashipur, and IIT Bhilai.

Explaining the theme of the event, Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, said, “Startup Mahakumbh will be a true ‘sangam’ of startup and industry ‘MahaRathis’ from across the Indian districts and the world – Jile se Jagat tak. With representation from multiple districts of India and 50 countries, the event will be a great opportunity to connect and collaborate. While at one end we will have a flying taxi made in India on display, at the other we have countries like Korea setting up a pavilion of 11 startups and Nepal putting up the largest pavilion with one of its startups showcasing a 2-stage rocket powered by sustainable hybrid propulsion rocket engines. I am really excited and looking forward to the next three days of some pathbreaking ideas and enriching discussions.”

The first edition of the flagship startup event attracted over 48,581 business visitors engaging with 1306 exhibitors including finest startups, soonicorns, and unicorns, from 26+ states and 14+ countries. It also hosted 300+ incubators and accelerators and 200+ leading angel investors, VCs, and family offices.

Startup Mahakumbh brings together the entire startup ecosystem of India including entrepreneurs, investors, incubators and accelerators, and industry leaders from several sectors. The event is led by FICCI, ASSOCHAM, IVCA and Bootstrap Advisory & Foundation; and supported by SIDBI, GEM, ECGC, Meity and DPIIT Startup India.

For more information, visit www.startupmahakumbh.org.

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Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

(Release ID: 2118013) Visitor Counter : 16

Source: Government of India

Till Feb 2025, Indian Railways Installs 209 MW Solar Plants at 2,249 Stations and Service Buildings

Indian Railways Solar Power Expansion Reaches 2249 Installations Units with 1489 Added in the Last Five Years, 2.3 Times More Than 628 in the Previous Five Years

Rajasthan Leads in Solar Power Expansion with the Highest 275 Installations Units Among All States and UTs

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:45PM by PIB Delhi

Indian Railways is making all endeavors to promote solar energy in line with the Government policies to proliferate renewable energy, environmental sustainability and to achieve long-term financial savings. The transition to renewable energy is an ongoing process.

Indian Railways has planned to progressively procure renewable energy through different power procurement modes for Round The Clock (RTC) power, which is hybrid solution for renewable power includes solar and wind etc. Most of the work of setting up of solar plants is undertaken by Railways through Power Purchase Agreement under developer mode.

During implementation of solar energy, many challenges like regulatory constraints, power evacuation and connectivity issues were faced by the railways. To tackle these issues, State Governments and Transmission Utilities were pursued on regular basis.

So far, about 209 MW of solar plants on 2249 Railway stations and service buildings across the country have been provided. State-wise and year-wise details are as under:

 

S.No.	State	Railway Stations Provided with Solar Plants (in Nos.)
		2014-15 to 2019-20	2020-21 to February, 2025	Cumulative upto February, 2025
1	Rajasthan	73	200	275
2	Maharashtra	43	213	270
3	West Bengal	12	222	237
4	Uttar Pradesh	78	93	204
5	Andhra Pradesh	33	126	198
6	Karnataka	86	60	146
7	Madhya Pradesh	49	74	134
8	Odisha	30	103	133
9	Gujarat	11	96	112
10	Telangana	35	60	95
11	Bihar	25	42	81
12	Assam	27	48	78
13	Tamil Nadu	42	31	73
14	Jharkhand	10	35	47
15	Haryana	9	23	36
16	Punjab	19	11	30
17	Uttarakhand	1	17	18
18	Himanchal Pradesh	1	16	17
19	Tripura	15	1	16
20	Chhattisgarh	10	5	16
21	Kerala	12	1	13
22	Delhi	4	3	8
23	J & K	2	4	6
24	Nagaland	0	2	2
25	Meghalaya	0	1	1
26	Manipur	0	1	1
27	Chandigarh	0	1	1
28	Puducherry	1	0	1
	Total	628	1489	2249

 

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2118010) Visitor Counter : 32

Source: Government of India

Indian Railways Implements Digital Solutions for Transparent Revenue Monitoring

Regular Workforce Assessment Ensures Efficient Manpower Utilization in Indian Railways

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:43PM by PIB Delhi

Indian Railways has a detailed mechanism in place for continuous monitoring of revenue generated at each Railway Station. Based on passenger earnings and footfalls, Railway stations are categorized into Non-suburban Grade (NSG1-6), Suburban Grade (SG1-3) and Halt Grade (HG1-3) Stations.

The sources of revenue at the station include:

1. Passenger earnings: Reserved passenger earnings (through the Passenger Reservation System) and unreserved passenger earnings (through Unreserved Ticketing System).
2. Freight earnings: transportation of Goods, demurrage, wharfage, etc.
3. Other Coaching earnings: Parcel, Luggage, platform tickets, postal haulage charges, cloak room charges, demurrage / wharfage of Parcels, etc. and
4. Sundry earnings: revenue from rent, leased parking lots, catering receipts, revenue from commercial utilization of land, advertisements on coaches and stations, etc.

Designated officials such as Commercial Inspectors, Travelling Inspectors of Accounts, etc. of the concerned Division supervise the revenues. The monitoring of revenue generated at each Railway station is done by concerned officials at all levels i.e. Station, Division and the Zonal Head Quarters.

With a view to ensure transparency, accuracy and efficiency in the present revenue management system, following digital applications are in use which are developed by domain experts of CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems):

• Passenger Reservation System (PRS)
• Terminal Management System (TMS)
• Parcel Management System (PMS)
• Freight Operations Information System (FOIS)
• Traffic Accounts Management System (TAMS)
• Online payment system
• e-payment system
• e-Balance sheet
• Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS) etc.

Human resources are very vital asset of Indian Railways and it is imperative that it is utilized effectively, efficiently and rationally. In order to optimally utilize the manpower continuous review of manpower is crucial, in view of changing workload condition, introduction of new technologies, working systems and creation of new assets.

Indian Railways assessing the workload of each employee regularly by reviewing the yardsticks from time to time for achieving the same. Besides this, work studies and benchmarking are regularly conducted for rationalization of manpower for various activities of different departments to review the provision of staff.

The workload of each employee is also guided by provisions of Hours of Employment Regulations (HOER), which is statutory in nature. Classification of staff as per HOER is also periodically revised based upon job analysis. This exercise enables Indian Railways to deploy manpower for new organizations & assets and also to utilize its existing human resources in most efficient and productive manner.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2118008) Visitor Counter : 32

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:42PM by PIB Delhi

Presently, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project (508 Kms) is the only sanctioned project of High-Speed Rail in India under execution with technical and financial assistance from Government of Japan.

Being highly capital intensive, the decision to sanction any HSR Corridor/Project depends on many factors such as outcome of DPR, techno-economic feasibility, availability of resources such as financing options.

In order to increase the speed and capacity of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes, following works/surveys have been taken up:

Delhi-Mumbai section (1386 Km):

1. The work for raising sectional speed to 160 kmph has been sanctioned and is in advance stage.
2. Out of 1386 Km route length, 196 Km has 4 rail lines and construction of 3^rd & 4^th line between Dahanu Road-Virar (64 Km) has been taken up.
3. Survey for 3^rd and 4^th line in the balance section for 1126 KM has-been sanctioned.
4. 1404 Km of Western DFC (double line) has been commissioned and the work in the balance section for 102 Km has been taken up.
5. Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Corridor (double line) covering length of 508 Km has been taken up.

Delhi-Howrah section (1450 Km):

1. The work for raising sectional speed to 160 kmph has been sanctioned and is in advance stage.
2. Presently, out of 1450 Km route length, 194 Km is 4-line section, 312 Km is 3-line section and balance 944 Km is double line rail section.
3. Following projects have been sanctioned and work taken up:

• Multi tracking of Son Nagar – Andal (375 Km)
• Aligarh  – Daud Khan 3^rd line (18 Km)
• Mughalsarai – Allahabad  3^rd line (150 Km)
• Kalipahari-Bakhtarnagar 5^th Line (18 Km)
• Saktigarh-Chandanpur 4^th line (43 Km)
• Extension of Nimcha up avoiding line (9.42 Km)

4. Surveys for construction of 3^rd line of 480 km, 4^th line of 96 Km and 5th line of 151 Km have been sanctioned.
5. Eastern DFC (1337 Km) has been commissioned.

Augmentation/Improvement of passenger amenities on Indian Railways is a continuous and on-going process. Accordingly, Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations which envisages development of stations with a long-term approach. It involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the amenities at the stations like improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift/escalators as necessary, platform surfacing and cover over platform, cleanliness, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’, better passenger information systems, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station.

The scheme also envisages improvement of building, integrating the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration, amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks, etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term. So far, 1337 stations have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

In order to ensure safety, Indian Railways continuously upgrades and modernises its signaling system like Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals, Complete Track Circuiting of stations, Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates (LC) etc. Indian Railways has also gone for implementation of advance technology system “Kavach” as an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system which required safety certification of highest order.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

 

(Release ID: 2118006) Visitor Counter : 35

Source: Government of India

DoT Intensifies Action to Curb Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) Through Jan Bhagidari

Nearly 1.75 Lakh Unauthorized DID Numbers Disconnected in DoT’s Anti-Spam Drive

DoT’s Chakshu Module of Sanchar Saathi Empowering Public Participation in fighting against Spam and Combatting Cyber Fraud

DoT Urges Enterprises to Comply with Telecom Regulations to Avoid Strict Penalties

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:42PM by PIB Delhi

As part of its ongoing efforts to combat spam calls and cyber fraud, DoT has disconnected approximately 1.75 lakh Direct Inward Dialing (DID)/landline telephone numbers that were found to be involved in unauthorized promotional activities and illegal activities.  

Recently it has been observed that large number of spam calls are being originated from telecom identifiers like numbers starting from 0731, 079,080 etc by misusing PRIs, Lease Line, Internet Lease Lines, SIP and IPLC. Citizens, under the Jan Bhagidari , have been reporting such instances of Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC) / spam / fraud call  on  Chakshu module of Sanchar Saathi.

DoT analyses this crowd sourced data to act against such telecom resources. Identified cases are forwarded to the DoT’s field offices Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) for detailed investigation. In instances where violations are confirmed, telecom services are suspended for those engaging in unauthorized promotional activities.

Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) have been advised to take immediate necessary steps to ensure the scruples  compliance of  Unified License conditions relating to the curbing the misuse of PRIs including SIP trunks, Lease Line, Internet Lease Lines, IPLC  etc. , and to regularly check for their bonafide use .

Call to Action for Enterprises/Bulk customers:

The DoT calls on Enterprises/Bulk customers/ Consumers to ensure their telecom services are used in compliance with established regulations, avoiding any misuse for unsolicited commercial communication. Violations could result in severe penalties, including disconnection of services.

Additionally, the DoT encourages citizens to continue reporting spam calls through the Chakshu module of Sanchar Saathi(www.sancharsaathi.gov.in), fostering a collaborative effort to make telecom services more secure and user-friendly. The Department remains dedicated to strict monitoring and prompt action against UCC violators to protect consumer interests.

Citizens can use Sanchar Sathi App to report misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and cyber frauds. The App can be downloaded from

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dot.app.sancharsaathi

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/sanchar-saathi/id6739700695

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(Release ID: 2118007) Visitor Counter : 38

Source: Government of India

Kisan Rail Facilitates Swift Transport of Perishables from Surplus Regions to Markets Across the Country

Since August 2020, Indian Railways Operated 2,364 Kisan Rail Services, Transporting 7.9 Lakh Tonnes of Perishables; 65 Services from Gujarat Transported 18,250 Tonnes to Different Parts of the Country

Railways, Agriculture and other Ministry with States and other Stakeholders Identify Key Circuits for Efficient Movement of Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Perishables Across India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:41PM by PIB Delhi

Kisan Rail enables movement of perishables including fruits and vegetables from production or surplus regions to consumption or deficient regions in reasonable time.

Since the launch of Kisan Rail service on 7^th August 2020, Railways have operated around 2,364 Kisan Rail services, transporting approximately 7.9 lakh tonnes of perishables.  Out of these, 65 services have operated from Gujarat to different parts of the country, transporting 18,250 tonnes (approximately) of fruits and vegetables.

Potential circuits for movement of vegetables, fruits and other perishables are identified in consultation with Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Agriculture/Animal Husbandry/Fisheries Departments of State Governments as well as local bodies and agencies, Mandis etc., and services are planned on the basis of demands placed taking into consideration, operational feasibility.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2118005) Visitor Counter : 40

Source: Government of India

Indian Railways Achieves ₹2.56 Lakh Crore Revenue in 2023-24 with Net Profit of ₹3,260 Crore Amid Major Investments in Staff, Pension, and Energy

Indian Railways Adopts Two-Pronged Strategy to Boost Profits by Increasing Revenue and Enhancing Operational Efficiency

Freight Loading Surges 29% to 1,591 MT in 2023-24; Indian Railways Targets 1.6 Billion Tonnes in 2024-25 to Become World’s Third Largest Freight Carrier

Railways Expands Freight Business with Private Investment in Terminals, Modern Wagons, Cargo Aggregation, and Competitive Tariff Policies

Railways Strengthen Cost Management Through Electrification, Workforce Optimization, and Operational Efficiencies, Saving ₹4,700 Crore on Diesel in 2023-24

Indian Railways Pioneers Green and Sustainable Initiatives with HOG Trains, Electrification, LED Adoption, Renewable Energy, and Hydrogen-Powered Trains

Rail Network Speed Potential Expands to 80,000 km at 110 kmph, with 23,000 km Upgraded for 130 kmph Since 2014

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:39PM by PIB Delhi

During 2023-24, the earning of Indian Railways (IR) was ₹2,56,093 cr and revenue expenditure was ₹2,52,834 cr. The net Revenue has improved to Rs 3,260 crore in 2023-24. Major expenditure is done on Staff cost, Pension, energy consumption etc.

To increase the profit, Indian Railways (IR) has adopted two-pronged approach i.e. increase the revenue and bring efficiency in operational expenditure. 

Due to implementation of several freight revenue initiatives, the freight carried by IR during 2020-21 was 1,233 million tonnes which increased to 1,591 million tonnes during 2023-24 i.e. a growth of 29%. IR is set to achieve 1.6 billion tonnes freight loading in the FY 2024-25 making it the third largest freight handling railway system in the world. Some of the important measures to improve the freight include-

• Encouraging private sector to develop the modern rail freight terminals under ‘Gati Shakti Multi- Modal Cargo Terminal (GCT)’ policy and augmenting/ upgrading the infrastructure at railway owned goods sheds.
• Implementing various schemes for private sector to invest in wagons including the commodity focused specialized wagons such as wagons for cement, oil, steel, fly-ash, automobiles etc.
• Facilitating cargo aggregation and thereby, expand the commodity basket by the schemes including the policy of “Cargo Aggregator Transportation Product” and “Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Services”.
• Implementing the several tariff related measures to enhance the rail share by making rail mode competitive with respect to road. These include Short Lead Concession for traffic upto 90 Km, Liberalized Automatic Freight Rebate scheme for traffic loaded in empty flow direction, discounts on loading of bagged consignment in open and flat wagon, discount in freight to Fly ash/Bed ash traffic, operation of Mini Rake for Container train, fixation of special haulage rate for Bulk Cement (cement in loose form) when transported in normal containers.

IR has also undertaken many initiatives to increase non-fare revenue such as measures to increase the advertisement earnings, implementing the NINFRIS (New and Innovative Ideas and Concepts Scheme for Generation for Non-fare Revenue) policy to encourage innovative revenue-generating ideas. Some examples of NINFRIS Contracts are Nursing pods, luggage wrapping and sanitization, digital cloakrooms, disposal linen kiosks, imitation jewellery kiosks, Khadi selling kiosks, handicraft kiosks, Kiosks for online education platforms, facilities for electric charging facilities, oxygen parlours, etc. An e-auction policy has been implemented to expedite the bidding for assets such as leased parcel space, parking lots, ATMs etc.  The benefits of e-Auction module include – realization of true earning potential of each asset, reduction the time taken in finalization of Tenders and prevent revenue loss on this account, re-award of contract in quick time in case of failure in commencing by any contractor etc.

IR has also undertaken steps to improve the earning from passenger segments such as running of special trains, augmentation of on-board capacity, and introduction of new trains with higher facilities on appropriate fare.

Similarly, various measures are being regularly taken in railways to ensure optimum expenditure.  Some of the expenditure management on railways includes manpower management, electrification of Railway tracks etc.  Measures like electrification of Railway tracks has led to savings of more than Rs 4700 crore under Diesel traction in FY 2023-24.    

Cleanliness is a continuous process and various measures have been taken for maintaining cleanliness at stations and trains which include integrated housekeeping contracts at major stations & trains, mechanized cleaning, bio-toilets in passenger coaches, On Board Housekeeping Service (OBHS) scheme in long distance trains, Clean Train Station (CTS) scheme for identified trains en-routed at nominated stations, dustbins for bio-degradable and non-biodegradable wastes etc.

IR has taken various steps to promote environment friendly & sustainable practices. Some of them are as under: –

• Conversion of End on Generation (EOG) trains into Head on Generation (HOG) trains to reduce noise, air pollution and diesel consumption.
• Construction of Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs).
• Procurement of renewable energy from different power procurement modes for its future energy requirements.
• Provision of energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting in all Railway installations including stations, service buildings, residential quarters and coaches for reduction in electricity consumption.
• Use of star rated appliances.
• 98% of railway tracks have been electrified, resulting in saving in diesel consumption.
• Harnessing hydrogen gas to drive train sets.
• Green Certifications of railway establishments.
• Proper waste management.

Improvement/up-gradation of Rolling Stock to enhance safety and comfort of passengers is a continuous and ongoing process on IR. The initiatives include LHB coaches with operating speed of 160 Kmph, better riding index, improved aesthetics and safety features like Lightweight design, Anti-telescopic & Anti climbing features, Centre Buffer Coupler, Axle mounted disc brake system etc. as compared to the conventional ICF coaches of the 1960s.

In its constant endeavor to provide faster service and better travel experience to the passengers, IR are introducing Vande Bharat trains and Namo Rapid Rail service, which have modern coaches, enhanced safety features and better amenities. Presently, 136 Vande Bharat services and 2 Namo Rapid Rail services are in operation on the IR network.

IR have also introduced modern State-of the Art fully Non-AC Amrit Bharat trains. These trains have advanced features like Semi-Permanent couplers for jerk free travel, horizontal sliding windows, better aesthetics of Berths with enhanced look & feel on the lines of Vande Bharat Sleeper, improved crashworthiness in coaches, Emergency Talk Back Unit, improved LED Light fitting & Charging Sockets, foldable snack table and bottle holders, mobile holders etc. These trains comprise 12 Sleeper Class Coaches and 8 General Class coaches. Presently, 4 Amrit Bharat services are in operation.

Besides the improvement in rolling stock, the following measures have been taken by IR to upgrade railway tracks:

1. Using modern track components consisting of 60kg, 90 Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) rails, Pre-stressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC) Normal/Wide base sleepers with modern elastic fastenings.
2. Laying of fan-shaped turnout on PSC sleepers with Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossings.
3. Providing Steel Channel/H-beam Sleepers on girder bridges while carrying out primary track renewals.
4. Using 130m/260m long rail panels for rail renewals to minimize weld- joints.
5. Field-welding by mobile Flash Butt Welding Plant and advanced USFD Testing technique of Rail/ Welds by Phased array technology.
6. Mechanization in Track renewal/ replacement using Track Relaying Trains, Points & Crossing Changing machines, Track laying Equipment etc.
7. Deployment of Integrated Track Monitoring Systems (ITMS) and Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) for comprehensive health assessment to project optimal maintenance requirements.
8. Induction of advance modern machines for track maintenance i.e., high output tampers, high output Ballast Cleaning Machines and Rail Grinding machines etc.
9. Adopting Self-propelled Ultrasonic Rail Testing Car (SPURT) and Rail Cum Road Vehicle (RCRV) based USFD system for testing of rails/welds.
10. Using web enabled Track Management System (TMS) for integration and data analytics of the track inspection records received through various sources to enable precise maintenance inputs.

As a consequence of above measures, speed potential of 110 kmph has now been improved significantly to about 80,000 km at present which was only about 31,000 km in 2014. In addition, upgradation and improvement of about 23,000 km track has been done from 2014-15 to 2024-25 (up to Feb’25) for speed potential of 130 kmph. 

IR strives to provide affordable services to all strata of the society. IR gave a subsidy of Rs. 56,993 crores on passenger tickets in 2022-23. This amounts to concession of 46% on an average, to every person, travelling on Railways. In other words, if the cost of providing service is Rs. 100, then the price of ticket is Rs. 54 only. This subsidy is continuing for all passengers. Further, concessions beyond this subsidy amount are continuing for many categories like 4 categories of Persons with disabilities (Divyangjans), 11 categories of patients and 8 categories of students.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2118003) Visitor Counter : 42

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:06PM by PIB Delhi

MOIL has recorded its best-ever financial year performance in FY’25, achieving remarkable milestones across key performance indicators:

• Record manganese ore production: 18.02 lakh tonnes, 2.7% higher y-o-y.
• Record manganese ore sales: 15.87 lakh tonnes, registering a growth of 3.3% y-o-y.
• Record Ferro manganese production: 12000 MT, 18% higher y-o-y.
• Exploratory core drilling: 1,07,530 meters, marking a 22% growth over CPLY. This extensive exploration will serve as the foundation for expanding production from existing mines and the development of new manganese mines across the country.

 

Shri Ajit Kumar Saxena, CMD, MOIL, congratulated the entire MOIL workforce for this record performance and expressed confidence of higher growth momentum in the coming year.

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