Are narrow gauge trains still operational in India?

 Yes, but only a few

Most of the India’s Narrow Gauge network was converted to Broad Gauge under the Unigauge Project, narrow gauge trains mainly survives as heritage or tourist railways

Due to Uneven Terrain, challenging Ghat section, it is not possible to convert into broad Gauge and electrify, Some narrow gauge routes are certified as World UNESCO World Heritage Site.and con

⭐Some operational narrow-gauge lines include:

1. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (2 ft / 610 mm gauge) in West Bengal

From New Jalpaiguri Jn-Darjeeling

2. Kalka–Shimla Railway (2 ft 6 in / 762 mm gauge)

3. Matheran Hill Railway (2 ft / 610 mm gauge) in Maharashtra

From Nerul-Matheran

4. Kangra Valley Railway (2 ft 6 in / 762 mm gauge)

From Pathankot-Joginder Nagar

4. Bilimora–Waghai line in Gujarat (one of the last non-hill narrow-gauge routes).

In South India, Tamilnadu, there are no operational Narrow Gauge lines now.

The famous Nilgiri Mountain Railway is still running, but it is metre gauge (1,000 mm), not narrow gauge

In Future there Heritage railways such as Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka–Shimla Railway, and Matheran Hill Railway are likely to continue because they are major tourist attractions and have heritage value

whereas Non Hilly Region Narrow Gauge route especially Bilimora-Waghai Route might be converted into Broad Gauge line if Indian Railways find it economically Beneficial.

Which is the best train route in India?

 Many well known train journeys have been mentioned here, there are some not too well known ones, that are equally picturesque.

Vizag- Araku

This is actually a part of the Vizag- Kirandul rail route, and it passes through some of the most scenic locations, including Shimliguda, which at an altitude of 996 MSL, is the highest Broad Gauge Railway station.

Nandyal-Giddalur line

Connecting Nandyal in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, with Giddalur in Prakasam district, this railway line cuts through the Nallamalla Hills, passing through some of the thickest forests.

What are some things that happen only in India?

 I should appreciate these 2 guys for doing their job. (Actually doing other’s job too)

There is no one to operate the railway gate in Arandhangi, Tamilnadu and other 30+ Gates within this route. Sadly no one. Except these men.

So they took these men within the train and the train starts.

The train operator (engine) (Loco pilot) stops the train by 50 mts far from gate.

The 1st guy Gets down from train. Closes the gate.

Gets to the train and starts the train again.

Now stops the train again. Now the person from train’s tail gets down.

Opens the gate.

And journey continues.

I guess this happens only in INDIA.

Why didn't Alexander the Great invade India?

 Alexander the Great actually did invade India. But after marching 11,000 miles, his undefeated army finally mutinied over a terrifying rumor: 6,000 war elephants.

In 326 BC, the Macedonians had already crossed the Indus River into the Punjab region, scoring a tactical victory against King Porus at the Battle of the Hydaspes. However, when ordered to cross the Hyphasis (modern-day Beas) River and push deeper into the subcontinent, the veterans simply refused to take another step east.

Their mutiny was driven by compounding pressures. The soldiers were exhausted, homesick, and weary of endless campaigning. Furthermore, the army had arrived during the violent summer monsoon season. Seventy days of relentless rain turned the terrain into deep mud, ruining their supplies and exposing the men to unfamiliar diseases and venomous snakes.

The final breaking point was the intelligence brought back about the Nanda Empire of the Ganges basin. Scouts reported that the Nanda king, Dhana Nanda, was waiting for them with an army that dwarfed anything Alexander had faced: 200,000 infantry, 80,000 cavalry, and those thousands of war elephants.

The Greeks had barely survived fighting just 85 of Porus’s elephants at the Hydaspes, where the massive animals trampled their phalanx formations and caused severe casualties. The prospect of facing thousands of them shattered the army's morale. Coenus, one of Alexander's most trusted generals, pleaded with him on behalf of the men, arguing that it was time to return to Greece rather than press on to certain destruction.

Alexander was furious. He shut himself in his tent for three days, hoping his veterans would relent and follow him. When the army held its ground, he finally yielded. Before turning south to begin the brutal journey down the Indus River toward the sea, he ordered the construction of twelve massive stone altars on the riverbank—a permanent monument to mark the absolute easternmost limit of his empire.

An 1883 map illustrating the route of Alexander the Great's campaigns in the Indian subcontinent, marking his battles and the easternmost limit of his conquests before turning back. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Which is the most sacred temple in India?

According to my personal experience the most sacred temple in India is in Triplicane, Chennai city , South India!!

The Parthasarathy Temple, located in Triplicane(thiruvallikeni ) area of Chennai, is a structure more than 2000 years old, standing in the heart of the bustling city.

Dedicated to different avatars of Lord Vishnu within the many shrines of the temple, it attracts thousands of Sanatan Vaishanvite followers from all across the world.

The temple gets its name from the charioteer version of Lord Krishnan when he drove the vehicle of Arjunan in the Mahabharatham war.The main speciality of this perumal is his big mustache.

Parthasarathy Temple is classified as one of the 108 Divya Desams or holy shrines dedicated to lord Maha Vishnu, as mentioned in the canonical Tamil literature penned down by the Alvar saints of the 6th-9th century, known as Naalaira Divya Prabandham 4000 holy songs of Lord MahaVishnu in world's most ancient language Tamizh.

The temple houses five different forms of Vishnu - YogaNarasimha, Ramar, Gajendra Varadarajar, Ranganathar and VenkataKrishnan. In Tamil, they have different names for these. There are numerous additional shrines as well, enclosed within the 8th-century Dravidian architecture. Chennai is a popular city for the followers of Vishnu to carry out a pilgrimage to because of the many temples devoted to that faith.Sri VenkataKrishnan Temple is one of the oldest among them, and also one of the most popular temple in Chennai.

It is a must visit temple in Chennai city.

You will definitely receive the divine blessings of Sri Krishna Geethacharya perumal if you visit this temple even once in your life time 🙏!

Jai Shri Ram!!

Hare Krishna 🙏!

Why do many of India's brightest engineering graduates often choose global technology companies over institutions like ISRO or DRDO?

 Would you work for ISRO or DRDO if you didn't have to?

What has your country done for you in helping you become India's brightest engineering Graduate?

The Answer : ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Your parents had to stand in long queues for your admission

They had to pay exorbitant fees to private schools , including exam fees, laboratory fees and expensive coaching classes

Meanwhile

Your Country, Your State - they do SQUAT for you

They maintain SUB STANDARD Government Schools , keep teachers less trained and Actually own many of the private schools where your parents pay through the nose for the privilege of educating you

What does your Country offer you to pioneer research and science?

The Answer is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EXCEPT FOR A SALARY

When the Top man of the organization that conducted the successful Chandrayaan mission , credits its success first to a Half Educated Gentleman of Dubious Academic Credentials who couldn't spell Space without a Teleprompter

You know THINGS AINT RIGHT

In other countries - the Biggest Leader THANKS the Scientists for their contributions

What has your Country ever done for you to mark you out as someone talented?

Absolutely SQUAT

In countries like China - A Government Scientist gets RESPECT by the Police on showing his Identification

In India - ₹10,000 Carries more respect

Do you get help if you have some very rare disease that needs crores of rupees in treatment?

Nopes

Can you be assured of Justice in your country's courts or by the Law Enforcement

Nopes

Instead you see Youngsters whose IQ can be measured in double digits , who in China would be scoffed if they apply for the job of a Barista , rolling in money , worth hundreds to thousands of crores of rupees and running roughshod over the rest of the nation

While you are ignored almost entirely

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So what would you do if you had the slightest chance to escape this country?

You would flee without a seconds hesitation would you not?

Imagine Don here offers you a Citizenship for every Indian who insults India for 20 straight minutes

Every H1B Holder would stand in a queue and prepare insults without exception

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At the end of the day - India isn't worth doing anything for.

If you have the ability and luck , you move out as quickly as possible and bend the knee before another , fairer, boss

If you don't - You do the best you can but always knowing you have a raw deal at the end of the day

Some of course are Philosophers who shrug their shoulders , say Karma and GET ON WITH THEIR JOB

In each case their loyalty is entirely to themselves and their families and Rightly so

India has done nothing to think otherwise for any of them

So unless Ambani Junior had any talent except jumping around at cricket matches or paying exorbitant sums to PHOREIN STARS to be seen in their midst

We will be seeing a whole lot more of Tejas 2.0 and 3.0 and 4.0 and a lot more of ISRO Sivans in the future 😁

India vs Brazil - the Ethanol Story !!!

 Ethanol Blending is NOT SOMETHING NEW

It is something Brazil started in 1970, US started in the late 1990s and China started in 2009–2010, all WELL BEFORE INDIA did in 2012–2013

Yet India is as usual the MOST MESSED UP in Ethanol Adoption

Let's compare India with Brazil and China to see WHERE INDIA BUNGLED

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Fact 1 : A 50 year Evolution vs a Rushed Experiment

Brazil began their Ethanol strategy Way back in 1970

It was Long term

In 1981 - there were 6% Ethanol Pumps and 94% Pure Gasoline pumps

In 1991 - there were 39% Ethanol Mixed Pumps and 61% Pure Gasoline Pumps

In 2011 - there were 62% Ethanol Mixed Pumps, 24% Pure E100 Pumps and 14% Gasoline Pumps

In 2021 - Gasoline Pumps nearly vanished

Over 51 years from 2% Blending to 27% Blending

India began their experiment in 2014 and by 2025 - went from 1.5% to 20%

Where Brazil took 51 years to evolve from 2% mixing to 27% mixing, India decided to do the same in 11 years from 1.5% to 20%

Fact 2 : Engine Evolution faster than Fuel Evolution in Brazil

Brazilian Government and Engineering organizations developed FLEX DESIGNS of Engines compatible with higher and higher ethanol

However Fuel Blending always followed Engineering Re Design

For instance

1983 - Brazilian specifications of Engines specially to handle 10% Mixing instead of 2%

1998 - 90% Cars compatible with 10% Mixing of Ethanol

1999 - E10 rollout begins

2001 - 90% Petrol Pumps are E10 compatible

Brazil first ensured all cars would handle 10% Ethanol mixing THEN ROLLED OUT THE PETROL PUMPS

Always slow and steady but extremely efficient

Meanwhile India

Fuel Evolution outstripped Engine Evolution by several years

2014 - 1.5% Mixing of Ethanol

2018 - 5% Mixing of Ethanol, 73% Pumps now selling E5 but almost 80% of the Two Wheeler Fleet and 75% Four Wheeler Fleet still not running on Flex Engines

2025 - 20% Mixing of Ethanol. 100% Pumps selling E20 but almost 61% of the Two Wheeler Fleet and 87% of the Four wheeler fleet still run on OLDER ENGINES not yet capable of handling 20% Ethanol

India first pumped out E20 and then decided to ensure cars modified their engines

Ensuring there would be a terrible problems

Fact 3 Legacy Fleet vs Compatible Fleet

Brazil runs 88% Flex Fuel Vehicles capable of handling E27

India has a largely legacy fleet

Only 6% Working Indians own cars and of these only 13% of Indians purchased Cars in the last 5 years (2020–2025)

This means 87% of Cars in India are older than 2020 and thus incapable of properly using E20 and more suitable for E10 or even E5

Someone who can normally handle 2 pegs of whiskey cannot be expected to handle 4–5 pegs of whiskey with the same results

Smaller Engines less capable of handling ethanol and MORE PRICE SENSITIVE

Today 61% Two Wheelers are older than 2020 and their engines were built for E10 or even E5

Fact 4 - Superb Infrastructure vs Shoddy Infrastructure

Brazils Ethanol Infrastructure has been built over 50 years

Decades of Investments

Pipelines

India's Ethanol Infrastructure is like a Illegal Hooch Distribution network😁

• Pipelines non existent
• Depot mixing
• No proper standards yet
• No supply chain

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So the problem isn't ETHANOL mixed with Petrol

The Problem as usual is The Rush and Hurry of Indians as usual

Invento develops a Robot in 2016. A Primitive Robot

They don't wait 10–20 years to evolve their product

They instantly launch a success meet , show off this Robot to Ivanka Trump, announce it is ready for commercial sales

They end up nowhere exactly like other Robotics Companies in India

Idea Ok, Implementation Disaster

Unitree starts at the same time

Evolves SLOWLY and quietly

Model by Model

Early Models Laughable, Later models better and better , finally Commercial export worthy models

Today a True Commercial Robotics Manufacturer with large share of exports (Note - Unitree is still pretty basic compared to Agibot, UBTech and Deep Robotics of China)

Slow and Careful Strategy, Implementation perfect, Successful Final Launch

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Why do Indians always RUSH into decisions ?

Why not a long term rollout plan ?

Why not a 40 year strategy from E5 to E20

2018 - E5

2028 - Fully E5 Compatible Cars , E15 Mix starts

2043 - Many E15 Compatible Cars , E30 Mix starts

2060 - Fully E30 Compliant Fleet

Because Gadkari has to become rich !!!

Because Adani has to become super rich!!!

Because Modi has to be voted into power and elections need money !!!

The People? Who cares about them

A Handful of Jai Shri Rams would have them obeying and voting in a hurry for the BJP each and every time