Business
What’s likely to be unveiled by the Railway Budget

The Rail Budget this year will focus on making long-distance travel comfortable, densening the railway network in the poll-bound states and enhancing the connectivity in metro cities as well as the Northeast region.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her fourth Budget on Tuesday (February 1).
This will be the sixth joint Budget after the merger of the Rail Budget with the Union Budget in 2017.
As per information, it is expected that the Centre will increase the Rail budget by 15 to 20 per cent this year.
With the Assembly elections in five states round the corner, the Centre can announce new railway facilities for the common passengers.
Although the Railways incurred a loss of Rs 26,338 crore in the last one year, this time the Rail Budget is expected to be enhanced to around Rs 2.5 lakh crore.
Last year, the Centre allocated a record budget of Rs 1,10,055 crore for the Railways.
The Centre can also propose the electrification of a record 7,000 km of railway track this time as part of its efforts to achieve complete electrification of broad-gauge railway lines by the end of 2023.
The lower and the middle class pay special attention to the Rail Budget as they share a deep connection with the railways, which is considered as the lifeline of the country. There is also a possibility of the announcement of high-speed trains in the Budget.
Plans are being made to strengthen the rail connectivity in the poll-bound states and metro cities. For this, the government can involve some private partners.
A bullet train between New Delhi and Varanasi can also be announced in the Budget. Significantly, the work of the first bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is already underway.
Similarly, announcement of a bullet train on the Delhi-Howrah route is also expected in the Budget.
Announcements regarding semi-high speed trains on the Golden Quadrilateral route, expansion of Vande Bharat Express and new dedicated freight corridors are also expected.
As per the sources, the special focus in the Rail Budget will be on the Golden Quadrilateral Routes, on which the government can announce to run semi-high speed trains having a speed of 180 to 200 kmph. These trains will be like the Vande Bharat Express.
The replacement of the old ICF coaches in all trains and installation of new LHB coaches, is another major announcement to be expected in the Budget.
About ten new light trains (aluminium ones), which are energy efficient, can be announced for long distance journeys. Similarly, a proposal to make 6,500 aluminium coaches, 1,240 locomotives and about 35,000 wagons can be proposed in the Budget.
Railways is also manufacturing several special trains replacing the traditional IPS coaches with the LHB coaches made of German technology. Also the coaches for a new ‘Deccan Queen’ are being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
For this new ‘Deccan Queen’, two specially designed coaches for guards, five AC chair car coaches, 12 non-AC chair car coaches and one pantry cum dining coach have been made. This train will have 20 coaches and each one will have its own specialty. On the same lines, other trains are also expected to be announced in the Budget.
In the Rail Budget, the Centre will also be focusing on the expansion of the rail network in the Northeast region.
In the last Budget also, the Finance Minister had announced plans to build new DFC corridors for routes like East Coast, East-West and North-South. Just before the Manipur elections, for the first time since Independence, a goods train reached Rani Gaidinliu railway station in Tamenglong district of Manipur.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has recently taken stock of the Jiribam-Imphal new line project in Manipur through an aerial survey. The project includes the longest tunnel in the country, which will connect Guwahati and Imphal. Vaishnaw had said that Rs 7,000 crore has been allocated this year for various rail projects in the Northeast.
Business
Maharashtra govt issues notice to Ola Electric over missing trade certificates

Pune, April 4: The Maharashtra government has issued a notice to Ola Electric Mobility Limited, asking the company to explain why some of its stores in the state are operating without valid trade certificates.
According to the notice from the Transport Commissioner’s Office, several Ola Electric showrooms and service centres in Maharashtra are being run without the required documents.
The notice also accuses the company of illegally selling vehicles through these unauthorised outlets.
According to media report, the notice, dated March 31, gives the company three days to respond.
“This is a very serious matter, and you are requested to provide an explanation within three days as to why action should not be taken against your company for this act,” the notice said.
It was reportedly signed by Joint Transport Commissioner Ravi Gaikwad. However, as of now, Ola Electric has not responded officially on the issue.
The notice follows an earlier inspection drive initiated by the state transport authority.
On March 21, NDTV Profit had reported that Maharashtra’s Transport Commissioner had instructed all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to carry out special checks at Ola Electric stores.
These inspections reportedly revealed that many outlets were functioning without the necessary trade certificates.
As per the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, every vehicle distributor or manufacturer must obtain a trade certificate to register and sell vehicles.
In addition, Rule 35 of the same law states that each showroom or dealership must have a separate certificate from the concerned registration authority.
The shares of the electric two-wheeler manufacturer closed lower by Rs 1.42 or 2.63 per cent to close the intra-day trade at Rs 52.62 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
Earlier this week, the company saw a sharp drop in its electric two-wheeler sales in March 2025, selling 23,430 units — a steep 56 per cent decline compared to the same month last year.
The company said on April 1 that the fall was mainly due to disruptions caused by its recent shift to handling vehicle registrations in-house, a process that began in February.
Business
Cabinet okays 4 projects worth Rs. 18,658 crore to expand track network of Indian Railways

New Delhi, April 4: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved four projects to expand the track network of Indian Railways with an investment of Rs 18,658 crore, according to an official statement issued on Friday.
The four projects covering 15 districts in three states – Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh – will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 1,247 km.
These projects include Sambalpur-Jarapda 3rd and 4th Lines, Jharsuguda-Sason 3rd and 4th Lines, Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa 5th and 6th Lines, and Gondia-Balharshah doubling
The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-needed infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways. The projects are in line with PM Modi’s vision of a New India, which will make people of the region “Aatmanirbhar” with comprehensive development in the area, which will enhance their employment/ opportunities, the official statement said.
The projects are part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which entail integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.
With these projects, 19 new stations will be constructed, enhancing connectivity to two Aspirational Districts (Gadchiroli and Rajnandgaon). The multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to around 3,350 villages and about 47.25 lakh population.
Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalkasa lines will provide direct connectivity to new areas such as Baloda Bazar, and this will create possibilities for the setting up of new industrial units, including cement plants, in the region.
These lines are essential routes for the transportation of commodities such as agricultural products, fertiliser, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, and limestone. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 88.77 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum), the statement said.
With rhe Railways being an environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, the new projects will help both in achieving climate goals and minimising logistics costs of the country. The projects are expected to reduce oil import by 95 crore litres and lower CO2 emissions by 477 crore kg, which is equivalent to planting 19 crore trees, the statement added.
National
‘Waqf Bill will benefit Muslims, no threat to religious sites,’ says Shahabuddin Razvi

New Delhi, April 4: Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, the National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, expressed his support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, stating that it would significantly benefit Muslims and ensure the betterment of their socio-economic conditions.
He praised the passage of the bill in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and thanked the Modi government.
Maulana Shahabuddin, giving his first reaction to passage of bill, said, “The Waqf Amendment Bill does not harm common Muslims, it will benefit them. The only ones who stand to lose are the Waqf land mafias who have illegally occupied valuable land. Common Muslims will not be affected by this.”
He further stated that the bill is aimed at protecting the interests of the poor and vulnerable sections of the Muslim community.
The Maulana explained that the revenue generated from Waqf land would be used to improve the socio-economic status of impoverished Muslims, particularly those unable to afford quality education for their children.
“The income from Waqf land will be used for the benefit of poor Muslims, helping children from low-income families get a better education, and assisting orphans and widows in their development,” he said.
Maulana Shahabuddin assured that the funds would be used according to the intention of the Waqf and aimed at opening schools, colleges, madrasas, and orphanages to uplift the educational and social standing of underprivileged Muslims.
Addressing concerns about the impact on religious sites, Maulana Shahabuddin stated, “The Waqf Amendment Bill poses no threat to religious sites. Mosques, madrasas, Eidgahs, cemeteries, and shrines will remain unaffected. The government will not interfere with these religious institutions in any way.”
He further cautioned the Muslim community against falling prey to misleading political narratives, urging them not to be swayed by political figures seeking to exploit the situation for their own gain.
“Some politicians are misleading Muslims for their own interests. I appeal to the Muslim community to not fall for their provocations,” he added.
In the early hours of Friday, the Rajya Sabha approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with a majority of 128 votes against 95, following a heated debate. The Bill had been passed in the Lok Sabha just a day earlier, after nearly 12 hours of intense discussions.
Drawing a parallel to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) controversy, Maulana Shahabuddin recalled how political leaders misled the Muslim community, causing unwarranted fear that Muslims would lose their citizenship.
“When the CAA law was introduced, Muslims were misled into believing that their citizenship would be revoked. However, after its implementation, it became clear that no Muslim in India lost their citizenship, and instead, many were granted citizenship,” he stated.
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