Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: Tirur is presently being served by 90 train services including 20631/20632 Mangaluru Central-Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express, inter alia providing connectivity to cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, etc. To facilitate the passengers of Tirur, stoppage of 22475/22476 Hisar-Coimbatore Express has been provided at Tirur w.e.f 28.01.2026. Further, 16329/16330 Nagercoil-Mangaluru Junction Amrit Bharat Express (with scheduled stoppage at Tirur), has also been introduced w.e.f 27.01.2026.

Besides, provision of stoppages of train services depends on the traffic justification, operational feasibility including availability of extra time on the section & availability of matching infrastructure such as Platform length etc.

Angamali – Sabarimala New Line Project

Angamali – Sabarimala  via  Erumeli  new  line  project  was sanctioned in 1997-98 on 50:50 cost sharing basis. Work on Angamali-Kaladi (7 Km) and long lead works on Kaladi-Perumbavoor (10 Km) was taken up. However, further works on this project could not be taken forward due to protests by local people against land acquisition and fixing of alignment of the line, court cases filed against the project and inadequate support from the Government of Kerala. Accordingly, the project was kept under abeyance in Sept, 2019.

Subsequently, to provide connectivity to Sabarimala Shrine, a survey on alternate alignment i.e. Chengannur – Pamba (75 Km) new line was also carried out. However, the project was not found feasible.

Meanwhile, the estimated cost of the Angamali – Sabarimala  via  Erumeli  new  line  project was updated at ₹3,801 crore and submitted to Government of Kerala for the acceptance of the estimate and willingness to share cost of the project.

In August 2024, the Government of Kerala communicated their conditional consent. Government of Kerala was requested by Railway to submit unconditional consent for sharing the cost.

Then the Minister of Railways requested the Chief Minister of Kerala to acquire land using their share of 50% of the cost of the project. Once land acquisition by State starts, work can proceed further.

Now, on the request of Ministry of Railways, the Govt. of Kerala has initiated land acquisition proceedings and the Angamali – Sabarimala new line project has moved forward. Ministry of Railways is following up the land acquisition process with Govt. of Kerala.

Budget allocation in the recent years has increased significantly. Budget allocation for infrastructure  projects  and  safety  works,  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Kerala including Angamali – Sabarimala project is as under:-

https://x.com/i/status/2019702172381073892

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

So far, 1,337 stations have been identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme have been taken up at a good pace.

VINOD BHAT

India has emerged as the 2nd largest mobile manufacturer in the world

Delhi, Feb 06:

Driven by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, Government of India has taken several policy initiatives to develop a complete ecosystem of electronics manufacturing. As a result of which, electronics manufacturing in India has expanded significantly in the last 11 years, which can be seen from the following statistics:

#

2014-15

2024-25

Remarks

Production of electronics goods (Rs.)

~1.9 Lakh Cr

~11.3 Lakh Cr

Increased 6 times

Export of electronics goods (Rs.)

~0.38 Lakh Cr

~3.3 Lakh Cr

Increased 8 times

Production of mobile phones (Rs.)

~0.18 Lakh Cr

~5.5 Lakh Cr

Increased 28 times

Export of mobile phones (Rs.)

~0.01 Lakh Cr

~ 2 Lakh Cr

Increased 127 times

Government of India launched the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) in 2020 to boost domestic manufacturing of mobile phones in the country. The mobile phone production has more than doubled from Rs. 2.14 Lakh crores in FY 2019-20 to Rs. 5.5 Lakh crores in FY 2024-25. As a result, India has emerged as a 2nd largest mobile manufacturer in the world. The mobile phone exports have increased ~8 fold from Rs. 0.27 Lakh crores in FY 2019-20 to Rs. 2 Lakh crores in FY 2024-25. India has become a net exporter of Mobile Phones from being an importer of the same in 2014. Till December 2025, the Scheme has attracted investment of Rs. 15,172 Cr and generated additional employment of 1,71,448 persons.

Subsequently, Government of India has also launched PLI 2.0 for IT Hardware in 2023 to create a robust domestic manufacturing ecosystem for IT hardware (laptops, tablets, servers, etc.), attract large investments, reduce import reliance, and make India a trusted global supply chain hub. Till December 2025, the Schemes have led to a total cumulative production of Rs. 16,531 crore, total cumulative investment of Rs. 856.64 crore and total cumulative employment of 4,776 (direct jobs).

The year-wise details of production under the PLI Schemes are as follows:

To reduce import dependency and generate employment, Government has undertaken various initiatives for development of electronics manufacturing ecosystem to support mobile phone manufacturing, consumer electronics, industrial electronics, strategic electronics, auto electronics, telecom etc. in the last 11 years which includes:

• • Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS)
  • Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC and EMC 2.0) Scheme
  • Semicon India Programme
  • Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 to prioritize domestically manufactured products in public procurement
  • Reforms in taxation including rationalization of tariff structure, exemption on basic custom duty on capital goods, etc.
  • Allowing 100% FDI in electronics manufacturing, subject to applicable laws / regulations

VINOD BHAT

UPI is now live in over eight countries

Delhi, Feb 06:

Government of India has signed Memorandum of understanding (MoU)/ agreements with 23 countries for sharing or cooperation on India Stack / Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), primarily for replication and adoption of India’s digital governance platforms. These MoUs focus on cooperation in areas such as digital identity, digital payments, data exchange and service delivery platforms, aligned with India’s broader DPI diplomacy under the India Stack framework. The list of countries with which MoUs are signed is at AnnexureI.

UPI is now live in over eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar, positioning India as a global leader in digital payments. Its growing international adoption is boosting remittances, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening India’s position in the global fintech landscape.

MoUs have been signed with Cuba, Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (LPDR) for Digilocker.

Apart from this, the Government of India has taken measures to share the success of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) globally. India Stack Global (https://www.indiastack.global/) showcases India’s DPI and facilitates its adoption by friendly countries. The portal provides access to 18 key digital platforms.

The Global DPI Repository (https://www.dpi.global/), launched during India’s G20 Presidency (2023), serves as a global knowledge platform, with India contributing the highest number of DPI solutions.

Brief details of key Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and digital solutions are as follows:

Aadhaar – A biometric-based digital identity platform that enables unique identification and authentication of residents for efficient service delivery.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – A real-time digital payment system enabling instant, interoperable, and secure person-to-person and merchant transactions.

CoWIN – A digital platform for end-to-end management of vaccination services, including registration, scheduling, and certification.

API Setu – A platform that enables secure and standardized sharing of government data and services through APIs.

DigiLocker – A digital document wallet that allows citizens to store, access, and share authenticated electronic documents.

Aarogya Setu – A digital health application providing risk assessment, health advisories, and access to health-related services.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) – An online platform for transparent and efficient procurement of goods and services by government entities.

UMANG – A unified mobile and web platform providing single-window access to a wide range of government services.

DIKSHA – A national digital platform supporting teachers and learners with e-content, training, and academic resources.

e-Sanjeevani – A telemedicine platform enabling remote doctor-to-patient consultations, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

e-Hospital – A hospital management system providing online registration, appointments, diagnostics, and billing services.

e-Office – A digital platform for paperless governance enabling electronic file management and decision-making in government offices.

eCourts – A mission-mode project for digitising court processes and improving access to judicial services.

POSHAN Tracker – A mobile-based application for real-time monitoring of nutrition service delivery under ICDS.

National Non-Communicable Diseases Platform (NCD) – A digital platform for screening, diagnosis, and management of major non-communicable diseases.

Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) – A unified digital platform integrating skilling, training, and employment-related services.

Public Financial Management System (PFMS) – A platform for end-to-end monitoring of government funds and direct benefit transfers.

PM GatiShakti – A GIS-based digital platform for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure projects.

 Exposure to advanced aquaculture, hatchery technologies and marine biodiversity conservation

 Visit forms part of PIB Srinagar’s ongoing media tour to Kerala

5th February 2026, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

As part of the ongoing media tour organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Srinagar, media delegation from Srinagar visited the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Vizhinjam Regional Centre, today to gain first-hand insight into marine fisheries research and advanced aquaculture technologies.

During the visit, the delegation interacted with Dr. B. Santhosh, Head, Vizhinjam Regional Centre, ICAR–CMFRI, who briefed the journalists on the mandate, research focus and ongoing scientific interventions of the institute in the marine fisheries sector. He highlighted CMFRI’s role in sustainable marine resource management, mariculture development and technology dissemination aimed at enhancing fish production, livelihoods and nutritional security.

The delegation was also guided by Dr. Rathi Bhuvaneswari, Senior Scientist, through the Sagarika Marine Research Aquarium, which showcases marine biodiversity and research-driven awareness initiatives. The team also was given a walkthrough of the Silver Pompano Broodbank, developed for quality seed production.

The team further visited the Breeding and Hatchery Complex of Giant Trevally and Silver Pompano, the Bivalve Hatchery, Microalgal Photobioreactor, and the Live Feed Copepod Unit, where detailed explanations were provided on scientific breeding, larval rearing, live feed production and innovative technologies supporting marine aquaculture and coastal livelihoods.

The interactions and facility visits provided the media delegation with comprehensive exposure to CMFRI’s efforts in advancing climate-resilient, sustainable and technology-driven fisheries and mariculture practices.

The visit to ICAR–CMFRI, Vizhinjam, forms part of a five-day media outreach programme organised by PIB Srinagar to familiarise journalists from Jammu and Kashmir with key national research institutions, infrastructure projects and development initiatives in Kerala. The delegation is being led by Shri Majid Pandit, Media & Communication Officer, PIB Srinagar, who is the Conducting Officer for the programme.