India may soon have its own bullet train, but not everyone is looking forward to it. Certainly not Mahabir Prasand. The anganwadi worker in rural Rajasthan is a regular in the only narrow-gauge train in the Indian plains.
“The slow speed and the comfort of travelling attracted me to the train,” he said. “It is a pleasure travelling on it during the monsoons.” The narrow-gauge line between Dholpur and Sarmathura has weathered many storms. With all other narrow-gauge tracks (except those in the hills; see box) converted into broad-gauge ever since the railway ministry embarked on a massive conversion spree in the early 1990s, work has already begun on converting this route as well. But, for now, it continues to be the lifeline of many in rural Rajasthan. The five coaches, hauled by a diesel engine, make two trips every day—first at 4am and second at 10:40am. Tickets are priced at ₹30 to Tantpur and ₹45 to Sarmathura.
Denne historien er fra December 04, 2022-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra December 04, 2022-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
