Technology

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The Indian Railways has tripled expenditure on safety over the last decade, from Rs 39,200 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,17,693 crore in 2025-26, prioritising passenger safety amid modernisation, the Parliament was informed on Friday.

"Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways. As a consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has been a steep decline in the number of accidents," Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply to questions in the Rajya Sabha.

The indigenously developed hi-tech Kavach Automatic Train Protection (ATP), which requires safety certification of the highest order (SIL-4), has been installed along large sections of the Indian Railways network after successful field trials were carried out in 2016. Kavach aids the loco pilot in running trains within specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes in case the loco pilot fails to do so, and also helps to run trains safely during inclement weather.

The funds utilised on Kavach works so far, up to Dec 2025, are Rs 2,573.36 crore. The allocation of funds during the year 2025-26 is Rs 1,673.19 crore. Requisite funds are made available as per the progress of works, the minister said.

Based on the deployment of Kavach version 3.2 on 1465 route km on South Central Railway and experience gained, further improvements were made. Finally, the Kavach specification version 4.0 was approved by RDSO in July 2024.

Kavach version 4.0 covers all the major features required for the diverse railway network. This is a significant milestone in safety for Indian Railways. Within a short period, IR has developed, tested and started deploying the Automatic Train Protection System, the minister said.

After extensive and elaborate trials, Kavach Version 4.0 has been successfully commissioned on 1297 route kilometres, covering the high-density Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes. On the Delhi-Mumbai route, Kavach version 4.0 has been commissioned on the junction cabin–Palwal–Mathura–Nagda section (667 Rkm) & Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Virar section (432 Rkm) and on the Delhi–Howrah route on Gaya–Saramatanr (93 Rkm) and Bardhaman- Howrah section (105 Rkm).

Further, trackside Kavach implementation work has been taken up on 23,360 route km covering all important sections of the Railways.

Specialised training programmes on Kavach are being conducted at centralised training institutes of Indian Railways to impart training to all concerned officials. By now, more than 48,000 technicians, operators and engineers have been trained on Kavach technology. This includes about 45,000 Loco Pilots & Assistant Loco Pilots. Courses have been designed in collaboration with IRISET.

The cost for the provision of Track Side, including Station equipment of Kavac,h is approximately Rs 50 lakh/Km, and the cost for the provision of Kavach equipment on locomotives is approximately Rs 80 lakh/loco.

Indian Railways has also taken up the work of installing CCTV cameras in coaches and locomotives with the purpose of improving the safety and security of the passengers. The provision of CCTV cameras is expected to deter miscreant activities, vandalism, thefts and also assist in the investigation of the incidents. Accordingly, Zonal Railways and Production Units have initiated action for the procurement and installation of CCTV cameras in coaches and locomotives.

To date, approximately 12,300 coaches (including all operational rakes of Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains) and 460 locomotives, plying over the Indian Railways network, are equipped with CCTV cameras, the minister added.

--IANS

sps/vd

Washington, Feb 13 (IANS) The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced the first awards under a Quad-backed initiative to use artificial intelligence (AI) to modernise agriculture across the United States of America and the Indo-Pacific.

The program, called Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen AGriculturE, or AI-ENGAGE, will support six international research projects, officials said on Thursday.

The NSF is investing $2.4 million in the effort.

The initiative is being carried out with partner agencies in Australia, India and Japan.

It brings together the NSF, Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

NSF described the effort as "a signature achievement of the Quad, demonstrating how the four nations' shared commitment to critical and emerging technologies research can transform agriculture to address pressing global challenges".

The projects will apply artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to farming.

The goal is to help farmers increase crop yields, manage pests more effectively, and strengthen resilience.

"By integrating current and emerging technologies, like AI, into agriculture, we are advancing scientific frontiers to provide US farmers and their international counterparts with tools they need to increase crop yields, more effectively manage pests, strengthen agricultural resilience, and ensure a more secure food supply," said Brian Stone, performing the duties of NSF Director.

The six projects are spread across major US universities and involve researchers from at least three Quad countries.

Purdue University will develop autonomous aerial and ground robots for early disease detection in apple orchards.

Iowa State University will build "BRIDGE", an AI-based smartphone app and chatbot to help farmers identify and manage crop pests and diseases in real time.

Kansas State University will implement "Smart Scout", a computer vision system to estimate soybean yield and detect "lodging", or crops falling over.

Missouri University of Science and Technology and the University of Tennessee will develop the "HARVEST" system. It will use multimodal AI for pest and nutrient management in corn and rice.

Washington State University will advance AI-driven genomic selection models to develop more resilient and productive wheat varieties.

Cornell University will create image-based phenotyping tools to speed up breeding of high-quality tomatoes, onions and strawberries.

Each project must include researchers from at least three of the four Quad nations.

Each partner agency will fund its own researchers.

NSF is contributing about $2.4 million to US leads and leveraging about $4 million from the other Quad partners.

The total investment exceeds $6 million.

The Quad -- the United States, India, Japan and Australia -- has expanded cooperation in recent years beyond security to include critical technologies, supply chains and climate resilience.

Food security and agricultural innovation have become shared priorities as climate risks and supply disruptions increase across the Indo-Pacific.

--IANS

lkj/khz

Mumbai, Feb 12 (IANS) Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a Navratna public sector company, on Thursday reported a 15.51 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise in consolidated net profit for the October–December quarter of the financial year 2025–26 (Q3 FY26).

The company's net profit increased to Rs 395 crore in the third quarter, compared with Rs 342 crore in the same period last financial year, as per its stock exchange filing.

IRCTC’s revenue from core operations also showed strong growth. It rose 18 per cent to Rs 1,449 crore during the quarter, compared to Rs 1,224.65 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.

The increase in revenue was mainly driven by better performance across its key business segments, including catering services, internet ticketing, Rail Neer packaged drinking water, and tourism.

However, the company’s expenses also went up during the quarter. Total expenses for the October-December period increased by 21 per cent to Rs 1,001 crore, compared with Rs 824 crore in the same quarter last financial year.

Along with the quarterly results, IRCTC’s board of directors announced a second interim dividend for the current financial year.

The company declared a dividend of Rs 3.50 per equity share of face value Rs 2 each, which translates to 175 per cent for FY 2025–26.

Eligible shareholders will receive Rs 3.50 for every IRCTC share they hold.

According to the exchange filing, IRCTC has fixed Friday, February 20, 2026, as the record date to determine eligible shareholders for the dividend. Earlier in the current financial year, the company had paid one dividend in August 2025 and another interim dividend in November 2025.

On the stock market front, IRCTC shares closed 1.01 percent lower at Rs 622 on Thursday, compared to the previous closing price of Rs 628.35 on the NSE. The company announced its third-quarter results after market hours on Thursday.

In terms of long-term performance, IRCTC shares have delivered over 79 per cent returns to investors in the last five years. However, the stock has declined by more than 3 per cent over the past three years and has fallen over 18 per cent in the last one year. So far in 2026, the stock is down 9.28 per cent on a year-to-date basis, though it has remained nearly flat over the last five trading sessions.

--IANS

pk

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the Union Budget 2026-27 has come at a rare moment for India’s economy, where strong growth and low inflation are being achieved together.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, FM Sitharaman described this phase as a ‘Goldilocks moment’ and said it was the result of sustained effort, careful planning and timely policy action, not chance.

“According to the first advance estimates released by the National Statistical Office, India’s real GDP growth is projected at 7.4 per cent for 2025-26, while nominal growth is estimated at around 8 per cent,” Finance Minister stated.

“At the same time, consumer price inflation has softened to nearly 2 per cent and has remained under control for a continuous period,” she mentioned.

FM Sitharaman further stressed that atmanirbharata remains a core principle of the government’s economic strategy.

“The budget focuses on building domestic manufacturing capacity and ensuring energy security, while also helping citizens become self-reliant in their own lives,” FM Sitharaman explained.

“Measures aimed at improving ease of living, generating employment, raising agricultural productivity and increasing household purchasing power are all part of this approach,” the Union Minister stated.

Highlighting steps to develop human capital, the Finance Minister said the government has set a target of creating one lakh allied health professionals over the next five years.

“An outlay of Rs 1,000 crore has been provided for this initiative in the current year. This move would not only create jobs but also strengthen health services and support the growth of medical tourism,” the Minister highlighted.

FM Sitharaman also announced the formation of a high-powered education-to-employment and enterprise standing committee.

The committee will focus on preparing India’s youth for the services sector, with the goal of capturing 10 per cent of the global services market by 2047.

“Key areas of focus will include IT, fintech, logistics, healthcare, tourism and creative services,” she stated.

“The panel will work on addressing skill gaps, infrastructure needs and credit constraints, while suggesting reforms in standards, accreditation and digital regulation. This would help expand exports in areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud services and professional services, FM Sitharaman added.

--IANS

pk/na

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) Anil Rajput, Chairman of FICCI CASCADE, one of the country's top industry bodies, on Wednesday said the United Nations should declare February 11 as the 'International Anti-Smuggling Day' to raise awareness against smuggling globally.

Speaking to IANS during an event here, Rajput said that smuggling is increasing both in the country and globally.

Therefore, “we urge the United Nations to declare February 11 as 'International Anti-Smuggling Day' to raise awareness against smuggling worldwide and to encourage all countries to join forces to raise their voice against the problem of smuggling on this day,” he added.

At an event in the national capital, experts said that India has signed 42 mutual customs cooperation agreements and is negotiating 21 more with major trading partners. This has significantly strengthened the country's international enforcement framework against smuggling.

At the event, Mohan Kumar Singh, Member (Compliance Management), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), said that enforcement must move beyond incident-based seizures to network-based disruption.

He further stated that enforcement must shift to network-based disruption, targeting financial flows, logistics enablers, and international linkages that sustain the illicit ecosystem.

He stated that smuggling has evolved into an organized, technology-driven economic crime with a direct impact on national security and economic stability.

Referring to recent Union Budget announcements, Singh said that AI-powered image analytics and expanded container scanning at major ports will further strengthen enforcement capabilities, while GST simplification and customs reforms will continue to promote compliance and reduce incentives for illicit trade.

He highlighted the intensive enforcement results in the first three quarters of the current financial year, including the seizure of approximately 500 kg of gold, approximately 150 million illicit cigarette sticks, over 20 metric tons of red sanders, approximately 120 kg of cocaine.

In addition, approximately 50 kg of heroin, approximately 350 kg of amphetamines, and approximately 3,700 kg of hydroponic cannabis have also been seized at airports, the statement said.

-IANS

abs/na

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday said that India followed the world in 4G, marched with the world in 5G and will lead the world in 6G.

Responding to questions in the Lok Sabha today, the minister highlighted India’s rapidly transforming digital landscape and future roadmap.

India has rolled out 5G at the fastest pace in the world. Within just 22 months, 5G services have been launched in 99.9 per cent of the country’s districts, setting a global benchmark.

“Telecom service providers have invested nearly Rs 4 lakh crore for this expansion, with over 5 lakh BTS (Base Transceiver Stations) installed nationwide,” he mentioned.

Currently, 400 million citizens are benefiting from 5G services, and this number is expected to rise to 1 billion by 2030, he stated.

Highlighting efforts to extend digital connectivity to the last mile, Scindia said the expansion of Wi-Fi networks is ushering in a new revolution in rural India.

He noted that Maharashtra ranks among the top states in the country in terms of Wi-Fi hotspots deployments. The minister further underlined that broadband connectivity in India has surged from 60 million connections a decade ago to 1 billion today.

By 2030, the government aims to further strengthen and deepen this digital infrastructure.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is no longer a follower of technology but has emerged as a global digital leader,” said Communications Minister, adding that the revolution is no longer confined to metropolitan cities but is reaching villages across the country, reshaping citizens’ lives, education, healthcare, and livelihoods.

Meanwhile, the government said India has improved its global ‘Network Readiness Index 2025’ (NRI 2025) position by four slots and is now placed at 45th rank, leading in several indicators. The report has been published by the Portulans Institute, an independent, non-profit research and educational institute based in Washington, DC.

“India has not only improved its ranking but has also improved its score from 53.63 out of 100 in 2024 to 54.43 out of 100 in 2025. It is noteworthy that India leads in several indicators,” said Ministry of Communications.

--IANS

na/

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) India’s participation as ‘Country of the Year’ at the ‘BIOFACH Germany 2026’ underscores its growing role in the global organic ecosystem, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The ‘BIOFACH Germany 2026’, world’s leading trade fair for organic products, was held in Nuremberg, and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) led India’s participation with a prominent and high-impact presence, highlighting the country’s rich agricultural heritage and its growing stature as a reliable global supplier of organic products.

“Trade visitors are being provided insights into Indian organic products, value creation models and partnership opportunities,” according to a Commerce Ministry statement.

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal highlighted India’s position as one of the world’s leading producers of organic products.

He underlined the key amendments made in India’s organic regulation, the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), which further strengthen the credibility of India’s organic framework.

Agrawal also emphasised the complementarities between India and the European Union bloc, noting their combined demographic and economic strength.

Referring to the successful conclusion of negotiations of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement, he stated that the agreement would enhance bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthen resilient supply chains and support sustainable growth.

He also called for the early conclusion of the Mutual Recognition Agreement on organics between India and the European Union to further expand organic trade.

The India Pavilion spans 1,074 square metres and hosts 67 co-exhibitors, including organic product exporters, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), cooperatives, organic certification and testing laboratories, state government organisations and commodity boards.

According to the ministry, it showcases a wide range of organic products such as rice, oilseeds, herbs, spices, pulses, cashew, ginger, turmeric, large cardamom, cinnamon, mango puree, essential oils, tea, coffee and millets.

Notably, exhibitors from over 20 States, including Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, are participating in the exhibition, highlighting region-specific organic produce and value-added products.

--IANS

na/

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) South Africa’s High Commissioner to India Prof. Anil Sooklal said on Wednesday that the proposed SACU (Southern African Customs Union)–India Free Trade Agreement would significantly boost trade and investment flows between the two regions.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, the High Commissioner said that this would be the first free trade agreement between India and a regional bloc in Africa. The SACU consists of five member countries - Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa - and South Africa participates as part of that customs union in trade negotiations. Both sides have agreed to expedite discussions, he added.

He further stated that trade and investment flows between India and South Africa have been very significant. "South Africa is India’s largest trading partner on the African continent, and India is our fourth-largest trading partner globally. Our two-way trade stands at approximately $20 billion, which accounts for nearly 20 per cent of India’s total trade with Africa," he observed.

Sooklal also pointed out that South Africa’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, attended the CII India–Africa Conclave recently, where South Africa was the guest country. On that occasion, Minister Tau held a bilateral meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss key initiatives to deepen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

The High Commissioner also said that India has been a leading voice of the Global South. During India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a decisive role in ensuring the African Union became a full member of the G20. This was widely appreciated across Africa.

India also initiated the Voice of the Global South Summit, which brought focus to the concerns of developing nations. India continues to be not only a leading voice but also a leading initiator in shaping a more inclusive global system, he observed.

Sooklal further stated that the India–Brazil–South Africa (IBSA) cooperation has contributed significantly to addressing issues of global governance. Recently, on the margins of the G20 Summit in South Africa, there was an IBSA Summit where Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Prime Minister Modi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met to discuss key areas of cooperation.

Interestingly, one of the newer areas of collaboration is cooperation in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

IBSA has played a key role in advocating reform of global institutions, including the WTO, the Bretton Woods institutions, and the UN system, while addressing developmental challenges faced by the Global South.

Talking about the US boycott of the G20 meet in South Africa, the envoy said, although it was unfortunate that the United States was absent, the summit in Johannesburg was very successful. "All other member states attended, and we adopted a comprehensive declaration addressing major global challenges."

"This demonstrated that the G20 is a collective platform. No single country can paralyse it. By staying away, one does not achieve constructive outcomes. On the contrary, cooperation is the only effective way to address global challenges," he added.

On New Delhi’s stand against US tariff pressures, he said that India has taken a principled stand regarding the weaponisation of tariffs and the imposition of unfair unilateral measures.

India, now the world’s fourth-largest economy, has demonstrated that no external pressure can force a country to compromise its sovereignty. India’s approach has given strength and confidence to many developing nations facing similar pressures, he pointed out.

Sooklal also said that the upcoming AI Summit in India is an extremely significant event. India, along with France, played a key role in initiating global AI discussions. AI is evolving rapidly and presents immense opportunities, especially for developing countries. At the same time, it brings challenges that require global cooperation.

Hosting the AI summit in India demonstrates that the Global South can lead in emerging technologies. This summit will likely produce important outcomes and strengthen international cooperation in AI governance, he added.

--IANS

sps/vd

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) India must move beyond adding solar capacity to transform its energy system, with distributed solar, storage and smarter grids to meet an expected rapid surge in demand, according to a new report.

A report from Tata Power said that by 2035, solar will be at the "heart of India's competitiveness, powering industries, energizing communities, shaping smart cities, and creating millions of livelihoods."

India will witness the largest increase in energy demand worldwide in the coming decades, it said, adding microgrids could become the backbone of rural manufacturing clusters, digital learning, modern health centres and community‑level e‑mobility.

Further, distributed solar will extend clean‑energy progress beyond major cities, which calls for policy frameworks to support faster deployment, smarter grids and long‑term investment confidence, the report said.

“India will witness the largest increase in energy demand worldwide in the coming decades. Clean and green energy will play a major role in meeting this increased demand where what will matter the most is affordability and accessibility,” said Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO and Managing Director of the Tata Power Company Limited.

Tata Power highlighted six policy priorities including resource adequacy frameworks, storage procurement mandates, domestic manufacturing incentives, green open access with digital approval systems, advanced forecasting standards as well as circularity and panel‑recycling norms.

"States will be required to plan for firm, dispatchable capacity alongside renewables. This ensures reliability as solar usage increases and creates a clear role for hybrids and storage-backed solutions," the blog post said.

Upcoming guidelines will encourage utilities and developers to add battery and pumped-hydro storage, which will in turn help manage variability, reduce curtailment, and support round-the-clock renewable supply, it added.

Tata Power forecasted collaboration on R&D for advanced modules and emerging technologies as well as workforce development. Manufacturing innovation to strengthen domestic supply chains and grid modernization efforts with utilities and regulators are other critical areas which require collaboration, it added.

India is now third in solar capacity and fourth in overall renewables, adding 26.6 GW of solar in the first nine months of 2025 up 54 per cent on year‑on‑year basis.

—IANS

aar/na

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Nifty Midcap 150, despite a one‑month decline of 3.53 per cent in January, emerged as a top gainer on annual basis, delivering one‑year returns of 8.26 per cent, a report said on Tuesday.

The report from Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund said the index delivered returns of -2.52 per cent and 0.61 per cent over the last three months and six months respectively.

Commodities were the only positive contributor to the Nifty 500 in January, the report further said. Among sectors, Metals and Defence gained around 6 per cent, while FMCG, Realty and Consumer Durables fell between 6 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.

The Nifty 50 fell 3.10 per cent in January but rose 7.71 per cent over the past year. Nifty 500 remained flat in January and closed the year up 6.94 per cent and midcap and smallcap indices were negative for the month, down about 3.53 per cent to 5.52 per cent.

Value factor continued to outperform other metrics in terms of stock gains, up 2.4 per cent in January and about 25 per cent over the year, while “Momentum, Low Vol and Quality ended lower in January however they have been positive over the year”, the report said.

The Nifty Smallcap 250 and Nifty Microcap 250 saw monthly declines of 5.52 per cent and 5.66 per cent, respectively, the report added.

Silver emerged as the best performer in asset classes, delivering the highest returns of 43.34 per cent for the month and 226.50 per cent YoY, while gold returned 14.06 per cent in January and 77.16 per cent over the year.

CPI inflation stayed low but edged up to 1.33 per cent in January. The 10-year G-sec yield moved up to 6.70 per cent indicating a mild uptick in market rates even as policy rates remained unchanged.

Domestic activity stayed resilient with Composite PMI at 59.5 and GST collections strengthening to Rs 1.93 lakh crore.

—IANS

aar/na