Railway minister Dinesh Trivedi may have chosen pragmatism over populism in effecting an increase in passenger fares in the Railway Budget he presented to Parliament on Wednesday — something not done by his predecessors over the past eight years.

The 2012-13 Railway Budget will see the introduction of 75 new trains under various categories, Another 39 trains will do an extended run. A special train called “Guru Parikrama” for pilgrimage to Sikh holy places will also be introduced.
Eighty-four railway stations across India will be converted into “adarsh” stations in 2012-13. Mr Trivedi said an Indian Railway Station Development Corporation had been set up to redevelop stations. All this requires money too.
While not touching freight rates, Mr Trivedi noted that cross-subsidisation of passenger fares with freight earnings is a model that “is not sustainable over a long period”.

India, while acknowledging that the current situation in Afghanistan is “fragile” has said it is monitoring the developments in its neighbouring country closely as the US-led International Security As

The plan of National Commission for Mino-rities (NCM) to organise a seminar on “Police and Minorities” may be redolent with noble intentions but its enthusiasm in sensitising the police force in deali

The arrest of two Italian marines for allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala appeared to be escalating into a diplomatic row between India and Italy on Wednesday.

Aiming to earn “political goodwill” ahead of the next general elections and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s keen desire to improve the country’s ailing public healthcare system, the UPA II is planning

With India firm in its stand that the country’s laws would prevail in the Indian fishermen shooting incident, the Italians are now banking on the ballistics inspection report of the weapons used by their Marines to help bring out the truth.
Visiting Italian deputy foreign minister Steffan de Mistura, who met secretary (west) Madhusudan Ganapathi at South Block on Friday afternoon, told reporters later, “We want the truth.”

The arrest of two Italian Navy Marines on Sunday for allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen who they mistook for pirates appeared to be escalating into a diplomatic row.

Italy reiterated on Mon

The attack on an Israeli diplomat on Indian soil on Monday, in a manner of speaking, has brought the bitter tension between Israel and Iran right to South Block’s doorsteps. The coming days will be important for India as it tries to continue to walk the diplomatic tightrope while two of its close friends in West Asia slug it out over Monday’s attack.
Israel accused “Iran and its client Hezbollah” of carrying out Monday’s strike in New Delhi and a thwarted attack in Tbilisi, Georgia. Tehran rubbished these charges saying that it was “all lies”.

Buoyed by the success of its fighter aircraft Dassault Rafale bagging India’s biggest ever defence deal, France is now hoping for success in the arena of nuclear power as well.