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The Indian railways have always been one of the most preferred transportation methods since the time rail lines were constructed, mainly during the British era. All the trains are classified into three groups: local trains running between shorter destinations, express trains meant for long-distance travel, and cargo or mail trains transporting materials. Since the local trains are meant to travel between shorter destinations and have multiple stops, the Railway Board has not made any catering provisions. It is available only on the express trains that run for days to reach their destination and don’t have multiple stops. The new policy for unbundling catering is applicable for railways offering food to their passengers, i.e. the express trains.
Reasons for the adoption of railway catering policy in 2017
Before understanding what the policy states, it’s crucial to know the core reasons for the changes in the first place. Below are some of the leading causes that compelled the Railway Board to introduce changes in catering services in 2017.
Dissatisfaction with food
Many people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the foods being offered on trains. Be it due to the runny curries and dal or the small quantity of rice, out of every 10 passengers, at least 4 would complain. Passengers travelling only for a couple of hours didn’t face this issue because they could survive on snacks. But for people who have to spend 24 hours on the train, the lack of quality in the food does create a lot of trouble.
Lack of hygiene
Another major problem with the foods being served on the Indian railways is the lack of hygienic conditions in base kitchens and the train pantries. Due to this, many passengers suffered from food poisoning, stomach upsets, constant vomiting, etc. Unhygienic food conditions became a significant concern for children because they were impacted the most.
Cold and stale foods
Most times, cold and stale foods are distributed, especially on the cheaper express trains. It raised a health concern amongst the passengers, but it also forced them to survive only on snacks. This became a major issue on many long-distance railway routes. Foods are prepared much earlier since they have to be done in bulk. With improper food distribution, the problem further escalated. When passengers go their food, they either have to leave the packets unopened or forcefully gulp down the stale food.
Not having enough options
One of the main reasons the unbundling of catering policy was introduced in 2017 is the lack of options for ordering food. Most trains provide only the night meal whereas the trains charging higher ticket prices provide lunch and dinner. Apart from this, passengers cannot choose their food items. The only option they get is vegetarian, egg, or meat/fish. This has created a lot of dissatisfaction amongst the passengers.
Role of IRCTC in Food Catering
Before 2017, catering and food distribution were under the control of IRCTC or the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. It was concerned with the following activities:
- Management of the base kitchens, primarily located in popular cities. Here, the food is prepared in bulk and supplied to the trains.
- Packaging and distributing the food are managed by the catering professionals working in the pantry.
- Dry food items, trays, spoons, and other items are stored in the pantries.
- IRCTC is also associated with stocking the pantry with emergency food items so that passengers can get the supply if the train is stuck in any dire condition.
An introduction to the Railway catering policy, 2017
After witnessing how the number of complaints increased, the Indian Railway Board decided to intervene and proposed a new plan for unbundling or catering services. The main motive for introducing this plan was to relinquish most control from IRCTC so that they don’t have a complete say in any decision about train food.
Following are the main context of the proposals suggested by the Indian railway board:
- New kitchens need to be installed while the existing ones will be upgraded
- Introducing options for pre-cooked foods to passengers who will opt for it
- Inclusion of e-catering on stations where the train will halt so that they can get meals as per their desired time
- Integration of the Catering Service Monitoring Cell to address passenger grievances at the earliest
- All label stickers need to have information about the date, quantity, ingredients, price, and more
- Lists having prices will be stuck near the pantry and coach walls
- Vendors need to carry proper menu cards while writing down the orders from passengers
Conclusion
As the plan for unbundling catering is a huge task, integrations have started. The full-scale transformation is yet to occur and will be put into effect within two years, provided no restrictions. Revamping the entire catering services, changing base kitchens and creating new ones, hiring new vendors, preparing e-catering centres, and other such works cant be completed overnight. Besides, there is a budget constraint that the central government needs to take care of before passing any future bills in correspondence with the catering policy of 2017. If the Indian Railway Board can pull this off, it will be an excellent achievement, especially for long-distance trains like Shatabdi, Rajdhani, etc.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland on September 23, 2015. It was the second time an Indian Prime Minister had visited Ireland. The first being Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit in 1956. Ireland is an island nation located in Northwestern Europe and surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, had hosted PM Modi during his visit. The PM was attended by other dignitaries such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, and Ireland’s Ambassador to India, Feilim McLaughlin. The main aim of the visit was to create stronger ties and improve trade and cultural relations. Described below is the impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Impact on trade and commerce
India and Ireland have strong bilateral trade and business relations. Before the PM’s visit, trades with Ireland were valued at €650 million in business in 2014. This included exports worth €248m and imports worth €402 million.
The indigenous exports increased from €32 million in 2012 to €55 million in 2014. In 2019, the total bilateral trade was around €1.2 billion. The exports and the imports have also increased to €636 million and €480 million respectively. Currently, the total trade between India and Ireland is valued at €4.2 billion. This resulted from improved bilateral ties between the two nations, owing to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland.
Indian Companies in Ireland
Many Indian companies carry out trade and commerce in Ireland. They provide services to Irish markets and consumers across various industries. Pharmaceutical giants such as Reliance Genemedix and Amneal Pharmaceuticals operate in Ireland. Major IT companies such as Wipro, Infosys, TCS, and HCL also have a strong presence in the country. The trade relations were bolstered after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland.
Other companies like Crompton Greaves, Deepak Fasteners, Jain irrigation systems, and Shapoorji Pallonji provide consumer goods and services. Likewise, many Irish companies conduct their business in the Indian market. These companies include pharmaceutical and nutrition players like ICON and Glanbia, IT firms like Globoforce and other companies like Keventer, CRH Taxback Group, and Connolly Red Mills.
Impact on Education
Ireland has been a coveted destination for higher education for Indian students. Over 5000 Indian students have enrolled for higher studies in various institutions in Ireland. The students are admitted to engineering, technology, medicine and management colleges. More than 30 research agreements have been signed between the two nations that allow institutes in both countries to collaborate.
Many reputed institutes like Trinity College, Dublin, and Thapar University, Patiala, have signed MOUs for engineering and science disciplines programmes. Thus, Ireland is an essential collaborator in graduate and doctoral research. This collaboration is also considered an impact of the PM’s Ireland visit.
Indian Community in Ireland
Ireland is diplomatically significant for India also due to the large number of Indian citizens residing there. The Indian origin population is approximately 45,000 people, of whom 18,500 are Non-Resident Indians (NRI), and others are Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The majority of the residents are working professionals employed in engineering, healthcare and management positions.
It has helped in establishing many policies for the Indian origin population. Two such policies in practice are wearing hijab as a part of the police uniform and the non-requirement of obtaining an additional work permit for the spouse or the partner of Critical Skill Employment Permit holders.
Cultural Impact
As a result of a large population of Indian origin citizens in Ireland and the relationship between the two nations, Ireland promotes Indian culture in various forms. One such example is the celebration of Diwali in Ireland since 2008. The event is organised every year in collaboration with Irish and Indian committees.
Further, an annual contemporary film festival is also a part of the celebration of Indian culture. The promotion of such events indicates the importance of cultural exchange between the two nations. The Irish communities also take a keen interest in conventional practices such as cultivating and consuming Indian herbs and spices. This connects the agricultural practices between the two nations. The cultural ties between the countries were strong, and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped strengthen them further.
Another significant practice is the celebration of International Yoga Day in Ireland. The Irish communities have accepted Yoga as a form of a healthy lifestyle. The practice is similar to the Indian tradition.
Tourism
India attracts around 44,000 Irish tourists every year. Indian tourists too visit Ireland in similar numbers. This was facilitated by the introduction of the common British-Irish visa scheme. This scheme allows the tourists to visit the U.K. and Ireland under one visa, rather than applying for two separate visas. It is valid for short stays. India also extended its Electronic Tourist Visa facility to Ireland to digitally facilitate visa approval and generation. The impact of the PM’s Ireland visit was such that it has also helped establish the tourism sector in both countries.
Conclusion
The diplomatic ties between Ireland and India have been impacted positively after Prime Minister Modi visited Ireland in 2015. It was an essential step toward strengthening the bilateral relationship between these two nations. India and Ireland have been important to each other since the 1900s.
In 2010 and 2017, two honorary consulates were established in Chennai and Kolkata. Later in 2019, a formal and fully functional consulate general in Mumbai. Ireland and India have also shown their allegiance to fighting terrorism after the Pulwama attack. India has also hosted several Irish dignitaries on various occasions. These visits were directed toward engagement in business, education, health and tourism.
Further, many agreements were signed to provide opportunities for employment to people of both countries. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ireland helped revive relatively stagnant relations between these two nations. Several cultural and historically similar instances bind these two nations. From Yeats and Tagore to cricket and Diwali, the cultural semblance between these two nations has helped create a strong tie between them.
