Latest news with #UnnatBharat
Time of India
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Joy, Music and Pride Mark First Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Journey
1 2 Nagpur: Platform 8 came alive with music, colour, and cheer on Sunday morning as the first Nagpur–Pune Vande Bharat Express rolled out on its inaugural run. The historic journey, flagged off with fanfare, took the first lot of passengers from Nagpur to Badnera, offering them not just speed and comfort but also a sense of pride in India's progress. Bands played patriotic tunes, children waved excitedly, and travellers soaked in the 'Music on Wheels' atmosphere. A special train was arranged from Badnera for the return trip while another lot boarded the semi-high speed train for the next leg of joyride till Bhusawal. A few passengers had been allowed to travel till Pune. Among the youngest voices of excitement was Aarvi Meena (14) from Poddar World School. "This is my first Vande Bharat experience, honestly, it's excellent! The intercom features make you feel assisted and safe throughout the journey. It's super safe, super fast, and comfortable," she said, seated with her family. Her father, Hukamchand Meena was one of the train managers. The atmosphere inside turned festive as the train touched a top speed of 130km/hr. Sanjay Waghmare, Central Railway auditor, kept passengers enthralled with patriotic songs, supported by the Harmony Group on keyboard, octopad, dholak, and percussion. "We also performed on the Nagpur–Secunderabad Vande Bharat during its inauguration," a group member shared. Seventy students from Kendriya Vidyalaya joined in, waving flags and singing along. "Nice feeling," smiled Suraj Singh, as children played and posed for pictures. Teacher Divya Dadwani said, "It's my first experience. Really proud to be part of the inaugural run. Like Vande Bharat, India is also running fast." Event manager Anjali Rautia, travelling with her father, whose firm provided the onboard music setup, held quizzes for the children. "I'm very amazed. These kids bring glory," she said. Another KV teacher, Vaishnavi Uparkar, noted, "The kids prepared drawings of 'Made in India'… and this train itself is Made in India. It's a journey of India's development." For Simran Khande, physics teacher at KV Ajni, the comfort was unmatched. "Other trains are not so comfortable. This is a big achievement," she said. Sports coach Ayush Agrawal was travelling with 12 basketball players heading to Pune for a tournament. "This has raised the bar of train journeys," he remarked. According to Sandeep Dutta, additional GM, IRCTC West Zone, "This is a long haul 12 hours journey. We expect more sectional travel than end-to-end. In the future, a sleeper version and overnight timings are likely. This is a sign of Unnat Bharat." As the train sped ahead, blending comfort with celebration, it carried more than passengers, it carried the spirit of a nation on the move. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
CM, Chauhan to attend farmer meet in Bardoli
Surat: As part of the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a farmers' meet will be held in Bardoli, the karmabhoomi of Sardar Patel, on Thursday. Chief minister Bhupendra Patel will preside over the event with the special attendance of Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. The nationwide Krushi Sankalp Abhiyan will conclude at the meet. The movement was launched by Chauhan from Odisha on May 29. As part of the farmers' conference, centres of excellence for horticultural crops, bananas and vegetables, a primary processing centre and a crop storage warehouse will be inaugurated virtually. Additionally, the foundation stone for the centre of excellence for sugarcane will be laid in Bardoli. This year marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel with programmes across the nation celebrating the 'Ek Bharat, Unnat Bharat' concept. Prime Minister Narendra Modi guided the path to making farmers and agriculture self-reliant through the Krushi Sankalp Abhiyan held across the country from May 29 to June 12. As part of the campaign, agricultural technology was taken to villages and farmers were educated on the proper use of micronutrients, covering over four lakh farmers at 2,250 rural clusters in 31 districts of Gujarat. A centre of excellence for horticultural crops in Porbandar district, one for bananas and vegetables in Petlad, and the primary processing centre in Kutch will be inaugurated virtually. Fourteen warehouses with a total storage capacity of 25,000 metric tonnes will also be inaugurated. The foundation stone for the centre of excellence for sugarcane will also be laid in Bardoli.
