Latest News: Indian share markets will be open for trading on Sunday, February 01, as the Union Budget is being presented on that day * Key Highlights of Economic Survey 2025–26: GDP & GVA Growth Estimates for FY 2026: First advance estimates at 7.4% and 7.3% respectively * India’s Core Growth Projection: Around 7%, with real GDP growth for FY 2027 expected between 6.8% and 7.2% * Central Government Revenue: Rose to 11.6% of GDP in FY 2025 * Non-Performing Assets: Declined to a multi-decade low of 2.2% * PMJDY Accounts: Over 552 million bank accounts opened by March 2025; 366 million in rural and semi-urban areas * Investor Base: Surpassed 120 million by September 2025, with women comprising ~25% * Global Trade Share: India’s export share doubled from 1% in 2005 to 1.8% in 2024 * Services Export: Reached an all-time high of $387.6 billion in FY 2025, up 13.6% * Global Deposits: India became the largest recipient in FY 2025 with $135.4 billion * Foreign Exchange Reserves: Hit $701.4 billion on January 16, 2026—covering 11 months of imports and 94% of external debt * Inflation: Averaged 1.7% from April to December 2025 * Foodgrain Production: Reached 357.73 million metric tons in 2024–25, up 25.43 MMT from the previous year * PM-Kisan Scheme: Over ₹4.09 lakh crore disbursed to eligible farmers since inception * Rural Employment Alignment: “Viksit Bharat – Jee Ram Ji” initiative launched to replace MGNREGA in the vision for a developed India by 2047 * Manufacturing Growth: 7.72% in Q1 and 9.13% in Q2 of FY 2026 * PLI Scheme Impact: ₹2 lakh crore in actual investment across 14 sectors; production and sales exceeded ₹18.7 lakh crore; over 1.26 million jobs created by September 2025 * Semiconductor Mission: Domestic capacity boosted with ₹1.6 lakh crore invested across 10 projects * Railway High-Speed Corridor: Expanded from 550 km in FY 2014 to 5,364 km; 3,500 km added in FY 2026 * Civil Aviation: India became the third-largest domestic air travel market; airports increased from 74 in 2014 to 164 in 2025 * DISCOMs Turnaround: Recorded first-ever positive PAT of ₹20,701 crore in FY 2025 * Renewable Energy: India ranked third globally in total renewable and installed solar capacity * Satellite Docking: India became the fourth country to achieve autonomous satellite docking capability * School Enrollment Ratios: Primary – 90.9%, Upper Primary – 90.3%, Secondary – 78.7% * Higher Education Expansion: India now has 23 IITs, 21 IIMs, and 20 AIIMS; international IIT campuses established in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi * Maternal & Infant Mortality: Declined since 1990, now below global average * E-Shram Portal: Over 310 million unorganised workers registered by January 2026; 54% are women * National Career Service Portal: Job vacancies exceeded 28 million in FY 2025 and crossed 23 million by September 2026

Comfort meets technology in India’s Vande Bharat Sleeper revolution


The 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper train has been designed to cater to long-distance passenger travel and is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities.

Trains include comfortable sleeper berths, advanced suspension systems, automatic doors, modern toilets, fire detection and safety monitoring systems, CCTV-based surveillance, digital passenger information systems, and energy-efficient technologies. These features are designed to provide passengers with a safe, comfortable, and world-class travel experience.

Read in Hindi: ‘वंदे भारत स्लीपर’ में है आराम और तकनीक का अद्भुत संगम

Broad Technological advancements and safety features provided in Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains are fitted with KAVACH, Crashworthy and Jerk-Free Semi-permanent couplers and Anti Climbers, Fire barrier doors at the end of each coach, Improved fire safety, Aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories.

Regenerative braking system for energy efficiency, Air conditioning units provided with indigenously developed UV-C lamp-based disinfection systems, Centrally controlled Automatic Plug Doors and Fully Sealed wider gangways, and CCTVs in all coaches are also available.

Emergency talk-back unit for communication between the Passenger and the Train Manager or the Loco Pilot in case of an emergency. For Divyang passengers, a special lavatory in the driving coaches on each end, Centralised Coach Monitoring System for better condition monitoring of passenger amenities such as Air conditioning, Saloon Lighting, and an ergonomically designed ladder for ease of climbing onto upper berths, adds more comfort in travelling.

Overall, the successful completion of the CRS high-speed trial marks a major technical achievement and paves the way for Vande Bharat Sleeper services all over India soon.