Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

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File picture of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday (February 3, 2025) said funds to railway projects in West Bengal have been increased three times since Mamata Banerjee was in charge of the Ministry of Railways.

“The allocation which was in Mamata Didi’s (Banerjee) time has been increased three times by Modi ji in West Bengal,” Mr. Vaishnaw said, during a web conference on the Railway Budget 2025.

The Minister informed that an allocation of ₹13,955 crores has been provided for West Bengal under Railway Budget 2025. The average annual allocation to West Bengal from 2009 to 2014 was ₹4,380 crore.

Also Read | T.N. allotted ₹6,626 crore to execute railway projects: Vaishnaw

Highlighting that the current investment in West Bengal for Railways in the State stands at ₹68,000 crores, the Minister requested the West Bengal government to address land acquisition and law and order issues so that benefits of these investments and projects reach citizens at the earliest.

“For the development of Railways land acquisition is important and I will request the Hon’ble Chief Minister to help us in land acquisition,” the Minister said. The Minister also informed that 101 stations in West Bengal are being modernised under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and around 1290km of tracks were added in the state in the last 10 years.

During the interaction Mr. Vaishnaw said that there are nine Vande Bharat trains operating in West Bengal which is a significant number. The Minister informed that in West Bengal, 3,337km of tracks would be covered with the Kavach system to enhance railway safety.

Also Read | Union Budget 2025: Railways allocation remains unchanged at ₹2.65 lakh crore, budget for customer amenities, investment in PSUs slashed

The remarks by the Minister of Railways assumes significance amid complaints from the Trinamool Congress leadership that the allocation to Railway projects in West Bengal has been reduced since the Ministry of Railways was headed by leaders from Trinamool Congress.

Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee was Railways Minister for two terms — first during the NDA government in 2000 and then in UPA government from 2009 to 2011. After Ms. Banerjee, Trinamool leaders Mukul Roy and Dinesh Trivedi have also held the portfolio.

There are several key Railway projects in West Bengal including the East West Metro Project connecting Howrah Maidan to Sector V in Salt Lake through an under river tunnel whose completion has been delayed in the State. The project, however is operational along certain routes.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday praised the Narendra Modi-led government for focusing on new and emerging technologies, and allocating Rs 500 crore in the Union Budget 2025-26 to set up a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Vaishnaw, who is the IT minister, said: “It was very important to get the complete facility so that researchers, academicians, start-ups get an opportunity to use those GPUs (graphics processing units), which are state-of-the-art… As part of the India AI Mission, we focussed on getting the complete facility and I am very happy to share that we have already empanelled 18,000 GPUs and these are really high-end ones. So with this, we have started the work on the foundational panel.” Follow Union Budget 2025-26 LIVE UPDATES here

GPUs are used to power data centres needed to train AI models. The number of GPUs needed for an AI model depends on how advanced the GPU is, how much data is being used to train the model, the size of the model itself and the time the developer wants to spend training it.

In March last year, the Centre announced a $1.25 billion AI investment, dubbed IndiaAI mission, which includes funding for AI startups and developing its own AI infrastructure.

Mr Vaishnaw said the budgetary allocation is “part of India AI missions, along with creating new Centres of Excellence because research is going to be a very important part of technology.” 

While presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “I had announced three Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for agriculture, health, and sustainable cities in 2023. Now a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for education will be set up with a total outlay of Rs 500 crore.”  

Mr Vaishnaw also said the government has seen the algorithm efficiency of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI-powered chatbot. “Many more such innovations are going to come. I can say that our talent is really good and our people and researchers will bring out such innovations in the coming days,” he said.

DeepSeek has triggered a dramatic rethink on AI spending around the world, claiming it took just two months and cost under $6 million to build an AI model using Nvidia’s less-advanced H800 chips. 

Downloads of its app recently surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT on Apple’s App Store, while the cost and performance of its tools upended industry beliefs that China was years behind US rivals in the AI race.

Recently, Mr Vaishnaw had praised DeepSeek for shaking up the sector with its low-cost AI assistant, likening its frugal approach to his government’s efforts to build a localised AI model.

IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has praised Chinese startup DeepSeek for shaking up the sector with its low-cost AI assistant, likening its frugal approach to his government’s efforts to build a localised AI model.

India announced a $1.25 billion AI investment in March, dubbed IndiaAI mission, which includes funding for AI startups and developing its own AI infrastructure.

“Some people question the amount of investments the government has committed in (IndiaAI mission). You have seen what DeepSeek has done? $5.5 million and a very very powerful model. Because, the use of brain,” Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday at an event in Odisha.

DeepSeek has triggered a dramatic rethink on artificial intelligence spending around the world, claiming it took just two months and cost under $6 million to build an AI model using Nvidia’s less-advanced H800 chips.

Downloads of its app recently surpassed OpenAI’s ChatGPT on Apple’s App Store, while the cost and performance of its tools upended industry beliefs that China was years behind US rivals in the AI race.

Mr Vaishnaw’s statement appeared to target comments made by OpenAI’s Sam Altman during a visit to India last year, when he cast doubt on the possibility of an Indian team being able to build a substantial model in the OpenAI space with a $10 million budget.

“The way this works is we’re going to tell you it’s totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models. You shouldn’t try. And it’s your job to like try anyway. And I believe both of those things,” he said, comments which are now in focus again on online platforms such as X after DeepSeek’s success.

Altman is due to visit India again on February 5, just as his company is currently locked in a court battle in the country with digital news and book publishers over copyright breaches.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

A scrapped railway project in Tamil Nadu has become the latest bone of contention between the state and central governments. The DMK has denied claims by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that the state government was not willing to go ahead with the project that would have linked the southern districts of Madurai and Thoothukudi.

During his recent Chennai visit, Mr Vaishnaw said that the project has been shelved since the DMK government had given it in writing they don’t want to pursue the project.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat sleeper coaches at ICF Chennai on Friday, he had asked the state government to place service to people above politics. “We need the state government’s support in land acquisition. We must make sure that people’s facilities are above politics and we must look at the welfare of the people first,” he had said.

Read: DMK MP’s “Unfit” Jibe At Union Minister. After Uproar, He Doubles Down

DMK Youth Wing accused the minister of “blatantly lying” and shared a letter in which Chief Minister MK Stalin had in August sought funds for the project. “Why is he saying it when the CM write a letter asking for a project and when in fact it is the Railways that has rejected the request stating frivolous reasons,” the post read.

State Transport Minister SS Sivasankar also claimed that his government had never sought that the project be withdrawn – neither in writing nor verbally. Rather, he said they had been insisting on the implementation of the project and that such contradictory remarks show the centre’s discriminatory nature towards Tamil Nadu.

Read: ‘Childish Actions’: MK Stalin Jabs Tamil Nadu Governor Over Assembly Address

The project was announced in 2011-12. Southern Railway started working on it in 2016 and 18 km out of the 143.5 km stretch was completed between Milavittan and Melmarudur in 2022. Rs 324 crore has already been spent on the project.

The DMK, a key ally of the Congress, and the BJP-led centre had been at loggerheads over various issues. Another recent instance of the state government hitting out at the centre is MK Stalin’s ripping remarks against Governor RN Ravi. The Chief Minister yesterday slammed his decision to not address the assembly session as “childish” and stated that he is unable to digest that the state was developing.

New Delhi:

The Vande Bharat sleeper train, planned for long and medium-distance journeys, has achieved a peak speed of 180 kilometres per hour during multiple trials in the last three days, the Ministry of Railways said on Friday.

The trials will continue till January-end, before world-class travel is made available to people across the country, it added.

In a post on X, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of a successful trial in Kota division. “Vande Bharat (Sleeper) testing at 180 kmph,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

The 32-second video shows a full glass of water adjacent to a mobile on a plain surface inside a Vande Bharat sleeper train. The static water level can be seen in the video as the train achieves near constant peak speed of 180 kilometre per hour.

The trials were held from December 31 to January 2.

According to the ministry, the train reached a peak speed of 180 km/hour during a 30-km long run between Kota and Laban in Bundi district of Rajasthan on Thursday. A day earlier, in a 40 km-long trial run between Rohal Khurd to Kota, Vande Bharat sleeper train touched the peak of 180 km per hour. 

Vande Bharat (Sleeper) testing at 180 kmph pic.twitter.com/ruVaR3NNOt

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 2, 2025

“On the same day, peaks of 170 km/hr & 160km/hr were achieved on Kota-Nagda & Rohal Khurd-Chau Mahla sections. These trials will continue for the month of January under the supervision of RDSO, Lucknow,” the ministry said.

Once these trials are over, the train will be evaluated by the Railway Safety Commissioner at the maximum speed. Only after passing the final stage, Vande Bharat trains will be officially certified and handed over to Indian Railways for induction and regular service, the ministry added. 

“With these successful trials, rail commuters can hope for a world-class travel experience in long-distance travel like Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Delhi to Mumbai, Howrah to Chennai and many other routes also,” the ministry said.

Earlier, Mr Vaishnaw said that Vande Bharat sleeper trains are equipped with modern features and passenger amenities. 

He highlighted some of these, such as the automatic train protection system Kavach, latest fire-safety standards compliance, crashworthy and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti-climbers, a regenerative braking system for energy efficiency and, higher average speed with quick deceleration and acceleration.

Ashwini Vaishnaw. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The government on Wednesday (January 1, 2024) announced an extension of a one-time special package of up to ₹3,850 crore to ensure farmers continue to get Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer at ₹1,350 per bag of 50 kg.

A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

“The one-time special package for DAP was approved for the January-December 2025 period, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters. The move aims to ensure the sustainable availability of DAP at affordable prices to farmers.

New Delhi:

The final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link (USBRL) project is complete, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Friday, calling it a “historic milestone”. The completion marks a crucial phase in the ongoing project, which aims to establish a direct rail connection between Kashmir and the rest of the country.

“Historic milestone; Final track work The ballast-less track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today at 02:00 hrs,” Mr Vaishnaw wrote on X.

Historic milestone; Final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link is complete.

The ballast-less track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today… pic.twitter.com/VUZTTi61A7

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 13, 2024

As per an update on November 19, 255 km of the total 272 km stretch had been completed, with just a 17-kilometre section between Katra and Reasi left.

One of the most eagerly awaited aspects of the USBRL project is the anticipated Vande Bharat Express, which is expected to begin operations in January 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the train, which will connect Kashmir directly to New Delhi.

The USBRL project holds significant strategic value, providing seamless connectivity to the Kashmir Valley and strengthening the region’s link to the rest of India. This project, initially approved in 1994-95, has been rolled out in phases. The first phase, the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section, was commissioned in October 2009. This was followed by the 18-km Banihal-Qazigund stretch in June 2013 and the 25-km Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014. In February 2020, PM Modi inaugurated the 48.1-km Banihal-Sangaldan stretch, marking another significant milestone in the project’s progress.

It was designated a “National Project” in 2002. A key highlight of this project is the world’s highest railway bridge, standing 359 metres above the Chenab riverbed, making it 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. This 1.3-km-long bridge is a vital part of the 111-km stretch connecting Katra to Banihal, a crucial segment of the Kashmir Railway project.

With inspections and assessments of tracks and stations taking place, the final push towards completing the remaining sections is well underway.

New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend Railway laws with the government insisting that it will not lead to the national carrier’s privatisation.

Responding to a debate on the Railway Amendment bill, Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw said in the Lower House that a fake narrative was set afloat that the amendment would privatise railways.

“Their (opposition) fake narrative on Constitution has failed… now this will also fall flat,” he asserted.

The Bill was passed by a voice vote after debate which could not be held earlier due to frequent disruptions of House proceedings during the last week.

“A few members have said the Bill will lead to privatisation of railways, an attempt has been made to set a fake narrative. I want to appeal to them with all sincerity not to do this, their one fake narrative about the Constitution has already failed,” Vaishnaw said.

The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 which seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the previous Parliament session.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)