Train travel will soon become a hassle-free experience for Keralites once the Alappuzha-Ambalapuzha doubling and the Palakkad Town-Parli Bypass line projects are completed.

In a latest development, the railway board has sanctioned funds for the doubling and the bypass projects. As per the Southern Railway notification, Alappuzha–Ambalapuzha Doubling (12.66 km) has been sanctioned Rs 324.16 crore, while Palakkad Town–Parli Bypass Line (1.80 km) will get Rs 163.57 crore.

Hailing the announcements, Ajas Vadakkedam, executive member of the railway passengers’ group, Friends On Rails, said the bypass project will be very beneficial to travellers.

Indian Railways has approved a series of major infrastructure projects aimed at easing congestion, expanding line capacity, improving safety systems, and enabling faster and more reliable passenger and freight movement across the country. The projects span multiple zones, including Southern, Northern and South Eastern Railways, and include line doubling, third and fourth lines, bypass corridors and the deployment of advanced electronic interlocking systems.

Capacity expansion in Jharkhand’s industrial corridor

Among the key approvals is the Barbenda-Damrughutu doubling and the addition of third and fourth lines between Damrughutu and Bokaro Steel City in Jharkhand at an estimated cost of ₹815.32 crore. Implemented under South Eastern Railway, the project is a critical component of India’s Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor.

In a first for the country, the Delhi government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bharat Taxi for cooperative cab services, officials said on Friday.

Curated taxi-based services for tourists, including two-hour, four-hour and full-day sightseeing, covering major attractions in and around Delhi will be launched, they added.

The MoU was inked between the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) and Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited (STCL), the cooperative arm of Bharat Taxi. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and tourism minister Kapil Mishra were also present.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday described veteran leader and former Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan as one of the most experienced and enlightened figures in contemporary Indian public life.

Addressing a function organised for the launch of two books authored by Harichandan, ‘E Mati Katha Kahe’ in Odia and ‘Buxi Jagabandhu: The Great Commander’ in English, the chief minister said the author’s political ideals, commitment to constitutional values and decades of public service had earned him a distinct place in Odisha and national politics.

Recalling Harichandan’s long public career, Majhi said the veteran leader played a key role in the movement to protect democracy during the Emergency and had even courted imprisonment.

17-year-old Aditya Pandya has become India’s youngest male analog astronaut after taking part in a lunar-habitat-inspired space mission in the white plains of Dholavira in Gujarat’s Kutch region.

From February 1 to February 8, AAKA Space Studio, a space research and simulation organisation and a registered ISRO Space Tutor, conducted the analog mission to study how humans live and work in isolation under Moon-like conditions.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a three-day official visit to India, commencing on the 17th of this month. President Macron will participate in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on the 19th of this month.

Ministry of External Affairs said that during the visit, both leaders will hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas as enshrined in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.

The leaders will discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The two leaders will also be in Mumbai to jointly inaugurate the India-France Year of Innovation, which will be celebrated throughout 2026 in both countries.

India climbed five places to the 91st position out of 182 countries and territories on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 released on Tuesday.

India's score has gone up by one point since the previous year, while its rank has improved from 96th position, according to the latest CPI from the global NGO Transparency International.

There has been slow progress in anti-corruption efforts in the Asia Pacific, as many countries witnessed public anger in the previous year, the Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog's report said.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off a new passenger train service connecting Sairang in Mizoram and Silchar in Assam. He also inaugurated the Blended Hospitality Service at Gauhati Railway Station. The newly introduced train will operate five days a week, improving rail connectivity between Mizoram and Assam.

According to the schedule, the passenger train will commence its journey from Silchar on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It will depart Silchar at 1 PM and is expected to arrive at Sairang at 6.30 PM. From Sairang, the train will leave at 7 AM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, reaching Silchar at an estimated time of 12.30 PM.

Addressing the inauguration programme yesterday, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said that infrastructure development in Mizoram and the North-East region has gained significant momentum under the Act East Policy led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that development is visible across sectors under the Prime Minister’s leadership and emphasised that no state or region is being left behind in the journey towards building a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Dhakshineswar Suresh capped a breakthrough Davis Cup performance by clinching the decisive fifth rubber to hand India a memorable 3-2 win over the Netherlands and seal the country's place in the Qualifiers Round 2, underlining his rapid rise as the hosts' new match-winner, in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Playing only his second Davis Cup tie, the 25-year-old -- fondly known as DK -- delivered an extraordinary three-win haul, claiming both his singles rubbers and combining with Yuki Bhambri to win the doubles, a rare feat in Indian Davis Cup history and one that evokes memories of Leander Paes' heroic effort against Japan in 2004. Back then, Paes had swept all three matches he played -- two singles and the doubles -- single-handedly steering India to victory.

The Airports Authority of India(AAI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative ride-hailing platform, to introduce regulated and passenger-friendly cab services at several of its airports. This MoU forms part of Bharat Taxi’s broader expansion strategy following its formal launch earlier this month by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as India’s first cooperative-based taxi service.

The platform has already secured partnerships with multiple institutions, including the Delhi Traffic Police, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, State Bank of India, and others, to enable regulated operations, financing, and integrated last-mile solutions across urban and airport ecosystems. This partnership aims to provide transparent, fair, and reliable transportation options on the airport premises.