Passengers caught sneaking Indian Railways bedsheets into their luggage

Watch: Passengers caught sneaking Indian Railways bedsheets into their luggage

The video has gone viral with 5.2k likes and a slew of comments criticizing poor civic sense among the public.

Posted by Veena Nair | Published: 19th January 2025 8:22 pm IST

 

Trains are an affordable mode of transport popular with a majority of the citizens. Almost anyone you meet will have a story to share about the crazy encounters they had while travelling on the Indian Railways.

In a similar incident, a family was caught sneaking in bedsheets provided by the railways along with their luggage.

A video that was shared on Reddit under r/indianrailways shows a frustrated railway employee going through a passenger’s luggage on the platform and retrieving several bed sheets from it.

The video, seemingly from Prayagraj, has gone viral with 5.2k likes and a slew of comments criticizing poor civic sense among the public.

One Reddit user says how such actions are glamorized in society as “kand” with youth being encouraged into problematic behaviour to seem cool. “The problem is there are parents who also encourage such actions, there are men who talk about these acts “Kand” that they did in school and college. People normalize such behaviour(u)rs. In a friend group(s) it’s an achievement and instead of calling out bad behaviour(u)r people laugh and make jokes about how they stole things or broke things in school and college. So to combat it we as a society should start teaching accountability, honesty, kindness, good manners and many important things to people around us.” said the commenter.

Other people wondered how someone would even use the sheets with the railways logo on them to which some people replied that people would boast about the stolen goods to their guests while someone else replied “My landlord who was a manager is a reputed bank, also had the bedsheets and pillow covers from Indian Railways symbol everywhere, when we rented the apartment we were surprised to see that.”

Some people took the incident on a lighter note saying “Insaan souvenir bhi na collect kare ab?” (Are people not allowed to collect souvenirs now?).

Be it over-crowding, hygiene or the quality of food, this incident highlights just one of the many problems that the Indian Railways faces.

UGC Draft Regulation 2025: What PhD holders need to know

UGC Draft Regulation 2025: What PhD holders need to know

Assistant professor roles require a postgraduate degree with 55 per cent marks and NET/SET/SLET, except in Engineering and Technology

Jan 15, 2025

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced the UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment & Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025 on January 6, setting forth the minimum qualifications required for appointing and promoting academic staff in universities and colleges. While addressing discipline-specific criteria for faculty eligibility, these guidelines aim to uphold and enhance standards in higher education.

Qualification criteria

Candidates must hold a postgraduate degree with at least 55 per cent marks (or equivalent) and clear the National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET), or State-Level Eligibility Test (SLET), to qualify for an assistant professor role in disciplines such as Arts, Commerce, Humanities, Law, Social Sciences, Sciences, Languages, Journalism, and Management.

However, for positions in Engineering and Technology, a postgraduate degree (e.g., ME or MTech) with at least 55 per cent marks suffices, with no NET requirement, as per AICTE standards. Candidates holding a PhD in any discipline are exempt from the NET criterion, making them eligible for assistant professor roles.

Additional provisions for PhD holders If a candidate's PhD discipline differs from their undergraduate or postgraduate discipline (aligned with NCrF levels), the PhD discipline will determine their eligibility for academic appointments.

PhD holders who earned their postgraduate degrees before September 19, 1991, are eligible for a 5 per cent relaxation in marks.

A PhD is mandatory for promotions to Assistant Professor (Academic Level 12), Associate Professor (Academic Level 13A), and Professor (Academic Level 14).

For PhD candidates registered before July 11, 2009, the prevailing regulations of their awarding institution will apply, exempting them from NET/SLET/SET requirements for roles such as Assistant Professor, Assistant Librarian, or Assistant Director of Physical Education and Sports.

Tirunelveli-Chennai Vande Bharat Express now running with 16 coaches – Check schedule, timings, route, stoppages and more

Tirunelveli-Chennai Vande Bharat Express now running with 16 coaches – Check schedule, timings, route, stoppages and more

Southern Railway has revealed an upgrade to the Tirunelveli–Chennai Egmore–Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express.

Written by FE Online

January 19, 2025 11:47 IST

The train covers a distance of 653 km in 7 hours and 50 minutes, making it the fastest service on the route. (IE)

In a move aimed at enhancing passenger comfort and convenience, Southern Railway has announced a change in augmentation of the Tirunelveli–Chennai Egmore–Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 20666/20665). Since January 15, the train has been operating with an upgraded 16-car composition, replacing the previous 8-car setup.

Earlier this month, the Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express (train number 20634/20633) was converted from 16 to 20 coaches. Additionally, the Vande Bharat Express operating between Tirunelveli and Chennai Egmore (train number 20666/20665) was upgraded from an 8-car to a 16-car composition.

Both of these semi-high-speed trains are managed by the Southern Railway (SR) zone.

The Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express now operates with a 16-car rake, consisting of 14 AC Chair Car coaches and 2 Executive Chair Car coaches.

Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express: Distance and travel time

The train covers a distance of 653 km in 7 hours and 50 minutes, making it the fastest service on the route. The train operates daily except on Tuesdays.

Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express: Route and stoppages

The train halts at Virudunagar Junction, Madurai Junction, Dindigul Junction, Tiruchchirapali, Villupuram Junction, and Tambaram during its journey.

Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express: Timings

Train 20666 departs from Tirunelveli Junction at 06:05 hrs and reaches Chennai Egmore at 13:55 hrs. Train 20665 departs from Chennai Egmore at 14:45 hrs and arrives at Tirunelveli Junction at 22:30 hrs.

Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express: Ticket Prices

The ticket prices for the Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express are as follows: AC Chair Car: Rs 1665 and Executive Chair Car: Rs 3055.

Will central govt employees get 18-month DA arrears of COVID period? Hopes rise after 8th Pay Commission nod

Will central govt employees get 18-month DA arrears of COVID period? Hopes rise after 8th Pay Commission nod

Central government employees hope for the release of 18-month DA arrears frozen during COVID-19, following the approval of the 8th Pay Commission and ahead of Budget 2025.

Written by Mithilesh Jha

January 18, 2025 18:34 IST

Will central govt employees get 18-month DA arrears of COVID period? Hopes rise after 8th Pay Commission nod

With the Centre recently agreeing to the central government employees’ demand for the 8th Pay Commission, will it now address their call to release the dearness allowance (DA) arrears frozen during COVID-19?

The DA is typically revised twice a year, in January and July. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the Centre withheld three DA hikes spanning 18 months, from January 2020 to June 2021. The stated reason for freezing these DA installments was the financial pressure on government resources.

Ahead of the Union Budget 2025, the Staff Side of the National Council Joint Consultative Machinery (NC JCM), representing the central government employees in the country, recently wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking the release of the DA arrears of 18 months, among other demands.

The Centre introduced the JCM to promote harmonious relations and cooperation between the government in its capacity as employer and the general body of employees in matters of common concern.

18 months DA/DR arrears be paid back to employees and pensioners: NC JCM

In a letter dated January 10, Gopal Mishra, Secretary, NC JCM, said, “We have been demanding to the government that, in accordance with the judgements of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and also considering the fact that the economic conditions of the country are at a satisfactory level, the 18-month DA/DR arrears due to the central government employees and pensioners, which were frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic period, may please be paid back to the employees and pensioners.”

In his letter, Mishra also urged the Modi government to set up the 8th Pay Commission, which finally received the Union Cabinet’s approval on January 16. The formation of the pay panel was one of the key demands of the NC JCM. With its approval, employees now hope their other demands will also be addressed.

What are other demands of government employees from FM Sitharaman in Budget 2025?

Other than DA arrears demand and the 8th pay panel, the NC JCM also urged the government to restore festival advance for the central government employees, implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Petitions concerning CGHS facilities to the central staff, and restore commuted pension after 12 years instead of 15 years. There were several other demands the body requested the government look into.

What’s government’s stand on releasing the DA arrears of 18 months?

Despite multiple representations, letters, and meetings where employee bodies pressed for the release of DA arrears from the pandemic period, the government has consistently maintained that the payment was withheld to alleviate the financial strain on the central exchequer caused by the pandemic.

The issue of non-payment of 18-month DA arrears has been raised time and again in Parliament by several parliamentarians.

Responding to a query in this regard in the Rajya Sabha, Pankaj Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Finance, said, “The decision to freeze three instalments of Dearness Allowance(DA)/Dearness Relief (DR) to Central Government employees/pensioners due from 01.01.2020, 01.07.2020 and 01.01.2021 was taken in the context of COVID-19, which caused economic disruption, so as to ease pressure on government finances.”

On account of freezing of three instalments of DA, the Centre saved an amount of Rs 34,402.32 crore. The Centre utilized the fund to tide over the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Parliament was informed.

NEWS TODAY 19.01.2025

 

NEWS TODAY 17.01.2025

 

Prof signs in attendance register at college, then hangs himself

 Prof signs in attendance register at college, then hangs himself 

17.01.2024 TOI Rajasthan

Udaipur : A 54-year-old professor of College of Technology and Engineering (CTAE) died by suicide in his office at the college in Udaipur minutes after reaching there and signing in the attendance register on Thursday moning. Prof Naveen Choudhary’s body was found hanging by the college staff, said police. A suicide note was found in the room, and Prof Choudhary had purportedly written in it that he took the drastic step at his own will as he was troubled by his illness, said SHO Bharat Yogi of Pratapnagar police station. 

Prof Choudhary, who taught in the computer science department, arrived at the college around 9am and signed the attendance register, he said. “When he did not meet the HoD and other staff members as usual, the staff went to his office to call him and found him hanging there,” said Yogi. A police team examined the site and sen

t the body to MB Hospital for post-mortem. Prof Choudhary hailed from Jodhpur and lived with his wife in Udaipur, the SHO said. TNN