New Delhi, July 31: Passengers travelling by train can now book and pay for excess luggage online while reserving their tickets, as Indian Railways on Friday rolled out a new digital facility aimed at making the travel process more convenient.

The service integrates excess luggage booking with the online ticket reservation system, eliminating the need for passengers to visit parcel offices separately before boarding.

Previously, travellers carrying baggage beyond the free allowance had to complete a separate booking process at railway parcel counters, often leading to additional paperwork and long queues.

The online excess luggage booking facility is available only to passengers holding confirmed tickets and is restricted to travel classes where carrying luggage beyond the free allowance is permitted upon payment of the prescribed charges.

Passengers travelling in AC First Class, AC 2-Tier, First Class, Sleeper Class and Second Class can avail of the service.

However, those travelling in AC 3-Tier and AC Chair Car will not be eligible, as the maximum permissible baggage limit in these classes is the same as the free luggage allowance.

Under the existing baggage rules, AC First Class passengers are entitled to carry up to 70 kg free of charge and can carry a maximum of 150 kg after paying excess luggage charges.

Passengers in AC 2-Tier and First Class are allowed 50 kg free, with a maximum permissible limit of 100 kg.

Sleeper Class passengers can carry 40 kg free and up to 80 kg in total, while Second Class passengers have a free allowance of 35 kg and a maximum limit of 70 kg.

In contrast, AC 3-Tier and AC Chair Car passengers can carry up to 40 kg, which also serves as the maximum permissible limit.

Indian Railways has clarified that passengers carrying baggage beyond the free allowance but within the prescribed maximum limits will be required to pay applicable excess luggage charges.

Apart from weight restrictions, the Railways also enforces size limits for luggage carried inside passenger coaches.

Trunks, suitcases and boxes measuring up to 100 cm × 60 cm × 25 cm are generally permitted inside compartments.

However, passengers travelling in AC 3-Tier and AC Chair Car coaches must adhere to a smaller size limit of 55 cm × 45 cm × 22.5 cm.

New Delhi, July 30: A 21-year-old woman who was injured during the police action at the July 20 Jantar Mantar protest has shown satisfactory clinical recovery and was discharged from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital on Thursday.

The hospital said the decision to discharge her was taken after taking her stable condition and overall recovery into consideration.

The woman, who had participated in the protest, was brought to RML Hospital in an unconscious state after suffering asphyxia during a stampede-like situation that occurred amid the Parliament march.

Her condition had initially required intensive care and ventilatory support for several days. However, she gradually improved and regained full consciousness and independent mobility nearly ten days after being admitted to the hospital.

In its latest medical update issued on Thursday, RML Hospital said the patient had made a “satisfactory recovery following comprehensive critical care management” after undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.

“On admission, she was resuscitated in the Emergency Department and shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where she was managed on ventilatory support. Following sustained clinical improvement, she was successfully weaned off ventilatory support and, after one week in the ICU, was shifted to the Nursing Home ward for further recovery and rehabilitation,” the hospital said.

The hospital further stated that Thursday marked the 10th day of the woman’s hospitalisation and that she had reached a stable condition and was “fully conscious, alert, coherent, and hemodynamically stable” and had resumed a normal oral diet.

RML Hospital also said that she was ambulatory without assistance and had regained the ability to independently perform her regular daily activities, indicating significant improvement from the condition in which she was initially admitted.

“In view of her satisfactory clinical recovery and stable condition, she is being discharged today with appropriate medical advice and follow-up instructions,” the hospital added.

The woman was among the protesters who participated in the July 20 demonstration at Jantar Mantar, which was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) under the banner of ‘Sansad Chalo’.

The protest was held to demand accountability from the government over the NEET paper leaks and other examination-related irregularities, along with action to address concerns raised by students.

The demonstration later turned violent when some miscreants resorted to stone-pelting, following which security personnel used mild force to disperse the demonstrators. The clashes during the protest resulted in several protesters and police personnel sustaining serious injuries.

Bengaluru, July 30: Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest in Bengaluru on Thursday condemning alleged irregularities in recruitment conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), with several protesters being detained by police while attempting to lay siege to the KPSC office.

It can be noted that the KPSC is allegedly facing a major cash-for-jobs and OMR tampering scandal involving the recruitment of 400 Veterinary Officers, featuring leaked question papers, Rs 80 lakh bribes per seat, and the suspension of the KPSC Chairman.

The protest was led by ABVP Bengaluru Organizing Secretary Manikantha Kalasa. It was organized over allegations of large-scale irregularities in the recruitment of Veterinary Officers and Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs), which have sparked widespread concern among aspirants and the public.

As the demonstration intensified outside the KPSC office in Bengaluru, police deployed additional personnel to maintain law and order. Barricades were erected on roads leading to the office to prevent protesters from entering the premises.

During the protest, minor scuffles and pushing and bumping were reported between ABVP activists and police personnel as demonstrators attempted to breach the barricades and march towards the KPSC office. Police subsequently detained several protesters to prevent further escalation.

ABVP leaders alleged that repeated irregularities in KPSC recruitments have created anxiety among students and job aspirants across the state and demanded a fair, transparent, and impartial investigation into the alleged scams.

The alleged recruitment irregularities have become a major issue of public debate in Karnataka, with investigations currently underway. Protesters urged the state government to ensure accountability and restore confidence in the recruitment process.

Anticipating further attempts to gherao the KPSC office, police maintained heavy security arrangements in and around the premises. Extensive barricading was put in place from the KPSC office near Vidhana Soudha up to the road leading towards the CID office, restricting public access to the area.

Authorities allowed entry only to KPSC staff members and individuals with essential work at the office.

Meanwhile, candidates selected for the Veterinary Officer posts met Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara in Bengaluru and urged him to complete the recruitment process at the earliest. The candidates maintained that they had secured high marks in the examination and were selected on merit, adding that they were willing to face any investigation.

Several candidates broke down while speaking to reporters and appealed to the government to proceed with their appointments. They stated that if any of the selected candidates are found guilty of wrongdoing during the course of the probe, appropriate action may be taken against them.

The selected candidates further alleged that a large number of employees working on a contractual basis fear losing their jobs if meritorious candidates are appointed and are therefore creating hurdles in the recruitment process.