Sreenath takes advantage of the free WiFi Internet service available at Ernakulam station to learn. The WiFi service, launched in 2016 as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative, provides free Internet to passengers under Railwire, the retail broadband distribution model of RailTel Corporation of India Limited.

Being surrounded by books is a matter of routine for civil services aspirants, but Sreenath K, a coolie who cleared the written test of the Kerala Public Service Commission, the preparation is just about his phone and earphones as he goes about his job.

Sreenath has been earning his livelihood carrying heavy luggage at Ernakulam Junction in Kerala for the past five years.

Unlike his colleagues, he deftly balances the luggage on his shoulders and listens to his digital coursework at the same time – his teachers speaking to him through the earphones.

A high school pass-out, he takes advantage of the free WiFi Internet service available at Ernakulam station to learn.

“I have appeared thrice for the exam and this is the first time I used the WiFi at the station. What I do is put on my earphones and listen to the study material as I carry the luggage or solve questionnaires in my mind. This way I can study while I work. I revise all my work at night when I get free time,” Sreenath told PTI over phone.

The WiFi service, launched in 2016 as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative, provides free Internet to passengers under Railwire, the retail broadband distribution model of RailTel Corporation of India Limited.

As of May 2018, at least 685 railway stations have been equipped with WiFi technology across the country, with the Indian Railways setting a target of providing this facility at all 8,500 stations by March 2019 at a cost of Rs 700 crore.

Sreenath hails from Munnar, a town in the Western Ghats mountain range. The name Munnar is believed to mean “three rivers”, referring to its location at the confluence of Mudhirapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers.

Ernakulam is the nearest major railway station from Munnar.

He said the free WiFi service at the station opened up opportunities for him he never thought were available in the first place – reams of practice question papers, downloadable at a speed of 20-40 mbps, easy access to online examination forms, and above everything else, he saves money on books.

If he qualifies for KPSC after interview, he is likely to be a village field assistant under the land revenue department.

“I will keep studying. While I work as a coolie because I have the pressure of running my house, I will keep studying and appearing for exams. If I appear for enough exams, I am bound to get a good job,” Sreenath said.

He has also applied for exams advertised recently by the railways for 62,000 Group D posts of trackman, cabinman, leverman, pointsman, gangman and others.

“What is my ideal job? A person of some authority to change things in my village maybe,” he said.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/really-inspiring-coolie-clears-civil-services-written-test-and-modis-digital-india-played-a-big-role-in-his-dream-success/1160019/

On an epic rail journey, our writer joins 800 Hindu devotees and, thanks to their kindness and friendship, enjoys life on board as much as visits to spectacular temples

Don’t worry, she’s lighter than a feather,” said the man as he tried to pass his aged mother to me – in the train – up from the tracks. She eyed me suspiciously, decided I wasn’t a safe pair of hands and vaulted up the last couple of steps, pushed past me and hobbled down the carriage.

The son shrugged and gestured down the line where swarms of people, bored of waiting for the train to pull into a platform, were clambering across the tracks to reach it. A resourceful, determined character your average Indian pilgrim. And I was one of them, sort of.

Indian Railways’ tourism arm runs dozens of Bharat Darshan tours across India each year – lasting from a few days to a couple of weeks – aimed at the country’s hundreds of millions of devout Hindus, taking them to the most important religious sites.

Transport, accommodation on the train or in basic hostels, vegetarian food and endless cups of chai are all included. And the cost? About 1,000 rupees a day, around £11. A bargain for a westerner, just-about-affordable for a retired Indian teacher and a once-in-a-lifetime act of devotion for a farmer.

My seven-day trip started near Hyderabad and would take me south to Tamil Nadu and its famously colourful temples. Hopefully I would also get a glimpse of India and Hinduism through locals’ eyes.

But I was slightly nervous as I waited on the platform at midnight. I’ve done a few Indian overnight train journeys but in air-conditioned carriages and only for a night at a time. Here I would be in the most basic sleeper coach (something’s got to give for £11) for a week with more than 800 devotees with whom I might not be able to communicate. And I had no idea how I was going to wash. My girlfriend had given me two packs of wet wipes, only half in jest. In Hyderabad I had bought a small bucket (hopefully just for showering), plus a sheet, pillowcase and fleecy blanket.

I had expected a scrum when the train arrived but only a few people boarded. I had the carriage to myself, I think, because there was no power and I stumbled to my assigned berth in darkness. Half an hour later, with the train on its way and me cosy under my blanket, I was asleep.

I woke to shouts, laughter and bright lights at 4am and peered blearily out from my covers. The coach was packed with people and bags, so many bags. My neighbours had joined south of Hyderabad and were visibly startled to see my pasty white face. We nodded hellos and I rolled over and dozed as they noisily devoured snacks.

There would be plenty of time to become best friends because the first stop on our itinerary was Tiruchirapalli, nearly 1,000km away. A chai boy woke me at six and thrust a scalding hot plastic cup into my hands. The coach was loosely divided into sections of eight bunks and I had one of the upper ones, my favourite, because you could sit on a lower seat during the day, watch the scenery and chat, or climb up to your place to read or snooze.

Introductions were made over a breakfast of chapatis, rice and dhal ladled onto metal plates from giant vats dragged down the aisle. I hadn’t brought a plate, a schoolboy error, so was given a flimsy paper one which made the whole business of balancing it on my knees while eating a sloppy meal with my right hand (I’m left-handed) on a bouncy train just that little bit more difficult. I also had an audience. My neighbours, a boisterous 13-strong extended family, watched my every clumsy mouthful with horror and hilarity.

Head of the family was MV Koteswara, a lawyer who spoke good English and quickly decided I was hopeless. “Keep close to us, do what I tell you and it’ll be OK,” he said. But he couldn’t do anything about delays and we arrived the next morning at Tiruchirapalli many hours late, dangerously late to be able to complete the first darshan of the trip.

I’d got the impression that we were on a bit of a holiday jaunt, a coach tour of the Lake District, but I was wrong. Darshan was taken very seriously. To complete darshan the believer must behold a deity (often in the form of a statue), holy person or sacred object and receive a blessing. Darshan is only possible at certain times of the day and people often queue for hours to get just a few seconds in front of the deity, so a late train was bad news.

A fleet of very tired buses took us a few miles to the river island of Srirangam and its vast temple complex devoted to Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu. My neighbours raced to join the darshan queue but as a non-Hindu I was not allowed in the inner sanctum (some temples allow non-Hindus, some don’t) so explored the complex’s many courtyards, towers and shrines. A couple of hours later the pilgrims emerged successful, chatting excitedly and back on the buses women led gentle devotional chanting.

Meeting an earnest young student, Yakanna, forcefully illustrated the importance of darshan. His parents were farmers and had taken out a bank loan so he could go on this trip. “It’s a lot of money for them,” he explained, “but they know it’s something that means so much to me and are happy for me.”

The pattern was set for the next few days: pretty comfortable nights, food cooked in the “pantry car” and pepped up with homemade pickles produced by my neighbours, washing in buckets of cold water in the surprisingly clean bathrooms (although many men took advantage of lengthy stops to strip to their undies on the tracks and wash) and some amazing temples.

The most extraordinary was a further 230km south at Ramanathaswamy on Rameswaram island where darshan started with a bathe in the sea, then continued into the temple itself for pilgrims to visit 22 separate theerthams (tanks and wells) where buckets of water were thrown over them. Thousands of people crowded, dripping wet, small children shivering, through the dark complex. It was an incredibly moving scene. The mood on the train that night was particularly high, at least once clothes hung out of carriage windows had finally dried.

I was the only westerner on the train and my presence was met with everything from indifference to incredulity but always friendliness. I never got very far wandering through the train because I would be invited to sit for a chat (Google Translate made a good stab at Telugu, most passengers’ first language) every few metres. Life on tour did have its challenges. There was no personal space, physical or emotional, but that’s India and I confess I did sneak off once or twice for a quiet beer and a chicken masala.

I had a great time, met some wonderful people, learned about Hinduism and came away with a bit more understanding of Indian life – and two unopened packs of wet wipes.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/may/04/india-rail-trains-pilgrimmage-tamil-nadu-kerala?CMP=share_btn_tw

The Ballarshah andChandrapur railway stations in Maharashtra have been adjudged winners of the national transporter’s in-house station beautification contest, a statement from the ministry said on Wednesday.

The Nagpur Division of Central Railway has beautified the two stations with paintings, sculptures and murals based on wildlife at the Tadoda National Park and local tribal art.

The number two slot has gone to Bihar’s Madhubani station, which features stunning artwork by local artists, and Tamil Nadu’s Madurai station, which also depicts popular scenes from local culture on its walls, the statement said.

The third prize has gone jointly to three stations – Gandhidham in Gujarat, Kota in Rajasthan and Secunderabad in Telengana.

The first prize winners will get Rs 10 lakh, second prize winners Rs 5 lakh and the third prize winners Rs 3 lakh.

A total of 62 entries from across 11 railway zones were received by the railway board for the best stations where beautification work had been done by local artistes.

A committee of senior officials reviewed the entries and chose the winners.

The idea behind the beautification project is to make railway stations look more inviting and attractive. In many zones, schoolchildren, local NGOs and even corporate houses came forward to paint them, donate paintings or sponsor particular sites for beautification.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ballarshah-and-chandrapur-railway-stations-bag-top-honours-in-beautification-contest/story-Pm6aKaeZcHMkaUC5g4rYdI.html

To ensure substantial savings for Indian Railways, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has advocated implementation of electronic reverse auction (ERA) for all high value procurements which will result in a 10 percent saving in costs and a total saving of up to Rs. 20,000 crores in procurement.

Keen to ensure transparency, ease of doing business and prevent monopolisation by cartels in the Indian Railways through ERA, this fresh initiative is expected to secure substantial savings for the sector. Currently, Indian Railways has an annual total capex of Rs.1, 50, 000 crore.

Additionally, Indian Railways procures goods worth Rs 50,000 crores annually for the production and maintenance of rolling stock, passenger and goods, services and other safety related works.

The implementation of ERA for all high value procurement including the supply of goods, services as well as projects and works, is expected to improve transparency and competitive bidding. Electronic Reverse Auction will also provide a level playing field to the industry engaged in supply of goods, services and works.

Another advantage is Ease of Doing Business as it will eliminate human intervention and will provide paperless transactions. This will also offer more competitive bids for Railways’ supply items and for Works and Services.

Buyers will also save time and money as all the bids arrive in the same format, which simplifies comparison. Lastly, EPA will prevent the formation of cartels, thus preventing the alteration of prices.

CRIS, the IT wing of Indian Railways has developed a new software for adoption. The software will be easy to operate by all without charging any fee. It will also cover Government of India Policy initiatives such as “Make in India Policy” and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Earlier, in a bid to reduce expenditure on procurement, the Ministry of Railways has issued a new set of guidelines for electronic auction/reverse auction for works, services and earnings tenders.

As per Railway Board guidelines, purchase through reverse auction (RA) shall be the preferred method for procurement of stores tenders valued at more than Rs.10 crores, and for works and services for tenders valued higher than Rs. 50 crores in each case. However, it notified that the process would be followed only when at least three approved vendors or three proven/likely competitive sources would be present and financial bids are undertaken in single currency/parameter.

The new guidelines state that each tender should clearly specify essential technical and commercial parameters in a transparent manner. The Board said the convener of the tender committee constituted for the purpose will ascertain the initial electronic RA period (e-RA), auto-extension period and minimum decrement in percentage value of the last successful bid.

After submission of the initial bid, the ministry said tenderers would not be allowed to revise taxes and other levies. It further noted that during the auction period, identities of the participating tenderers would not be disclosed

On the other hand, bidders will be required to electronically submit a technical and commercial bid and initial price offer (IPO). Once the last offer is made, bidders will not be permitted to withdraw the same.

Once the bids are submitted, the Tender Committee will undertake technical and commercial evaluation of the same, as per guidelines, delegation and estimated value of tender. IPO of those bidders categorized as ‘Qualified for Award of Contract’, the Ministry said, would be assesses separately.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/railways-reverse-auction-will-save-rs-20-000-crore-annually-118050200421_1.html

Railway authorities have come up with a wearable GPS device, resembling a fitness band, for track maintainers or gangmen. The move is also aimed at preventing seniors from asking track staff to do odd jobs.

The proposed app would integrate all passenger grievance and redressal mechanisms in the railways

Move over Twitter, Facebook, helplines and complaint registers, if you are looking to lodge your grievances with the Railways.

The national transporter is going to launch a dedicated mobile application — rather appropriately named ‘MADAD’ (Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel) — later this month to enable its passengers to lodge complaints, be it over food quality or dirty toilets. They can also requests emergency services through the app.

The complaint lodged through the app will directly reach the relevant officials of the divisions concerned and the action is taken can be relayed online, thus fast-tracking the entire process of registration and redressal of grievances.

Passengers will also be able to track the status of their complaints and be notified about any action taken in the case.

The proposed app would integrate all passenger grievance and redressal mechanisms in the railways.

“As of now, we have 14 channels through which passengers can register their grievances. Each has its own response time and even standards of response. While some are active, others are not. We wanted to have one transparent, standardised grievance redressal process. This app is likely to be launched this month,” a senior official said.

Passengers can register their grievances simply by keying in their PNRs and they will receive a complaint ID through SMS at the time of registration. This will be followed by personalised SMS regarding the action taken by the department concerned.

The app would also display total monthly complaints received and resolved by the Indian Railways and show ranking of top five and bottom five railway stations and Rajdhani, Shatabdi trains of each zone in terms of faster complaint resolutions to encourage transparency and accountability, the official said.

“The introduction of this system does not mean that we will not respond to complaints on the other forums. But eventually, we want to use this one integrated system. This will also represent a holistic picture of weak, deficient areas and will enable focused corrective action by officials concerned,” the official said.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/problem-with-railways-food-sanitation-lodge-complaint-through-madad-app-118041500225_1.html