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New Delhi – Rajasthan Foundation, in collaboration with Rajasthani Mitra Mandal, hosted a landmark cultural and literary evening titled “Virasat aur Vichaar” on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at the Adhyatma Sadhana Kendra, Chhatarpur, New Delhi. The occasion marked the establishment of the Delhi Chapter of Rajasthan Foundation and honoured the appointment of CA (Dr.) Ramawatar Kila as its first President.

The event was held in the presence of esteemed dignitaries including Hon’ble Union Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, who attended as the Chief Guest. In his keynote address, Shri Meghwal underscored the significance of Rajasthan’s rich cultural identity and heritage, and called upon the community to actively contribute to its preservation and progress. He particularly appreciated Dr. Kila’s dedicated service, acknowledging his continuous efforts in promoting education, social responsibility, and Rajasthani cultural values across India.

Also present as Guest of Honor, Shri KK Vishnoi, Hon’ble State Minister, Industries and Commerce, Government of Rajasthan, praised the community’s collective commitment to cultural discourse and inclusive development. Dr. Manisha Arora (IAS), Commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, addressed the gathering and formally congratulated the newly formed Delhi Chapter, lauding the Foundation’s expanding national footprint.

CA (Dr.) Ramawatar Kila, a deeply respected social leader and businessman, is known for his impactful work across the fields of education, healthcare, and youth empowerment. Over the years, he has spearheaded several community development programs, uplifting lives through initiatives in social welfare, cultural preservation, and institutional building. In his presidential address, Dr. Kila shared his vision of making the Delhi Chapter a vibrant platform for cultural exchange, professional networking, and grassroots engagement with the Rajasthani diaspora.

Rajasthani Mitra Mandal played a pivotal role in the success of the event. Notably, Mr. Kanishk Yadav, Mr. Anil Jain and their team contributed significantly to the stage coordination and overall event management, ensuring seamless execution and gracious hospitality for all dignitaries and guests.

The evening commenced with a ceremonial welcome, traditional lamp lighting, and Ganesh Vandana, followed by a spirited cultural performance. The program featured a distinguished literary panel with:

Mr. Dinesh Jangid (IRS), Additional Commissioner, Customs
Mr. Rohit Gahlot, Senior Instructor – Performing Arts (Music), Gyanshree School, Noida
Dr. Meena Jangid, Chief Editor, Rajasthan Patrika
Dr. Devi Lal Godra, Post-Doctoral Fellow, JNU

The event was attended by several other eminent personalities, including Shri KC Jain, Shri Shyam Bagri, Shri SS Agarwal, and Shri Ram Gopal Dhanuka, as well as Dr. Sharad Pandey, Dr. Mukesh Nagar, Dr. Dinesh Jangid, and Dr. Subodh Garg, whose presence added further significance to the occasion.

A felicitation ceremony was held to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to the community. The event concluded with an enthralling folk music performance by The Folk Caravan and a traditional dinner, bringing together over 500 guests from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds.

The organisers extended heartfelt thanks to the sponsors – Perfect Foundation, Bagrry’s Group, Continental Milkose Group and Action TESA Group – whose valuable support greatly contributed to the success of the event.

“Virasat aur Vichaar” served as a proud milestone in strengthening the Rajasthani identity in the national capital and reaffirmed the collective commitment to cultural preservation, community leadership, and inclusive progress.

About 89% of the components used in manufacture of Dahod locomotives are made in India

Delhi : Indian National Congress held a press conference on 23rd June 2025. In the press conference, various misleading allegations were made against Indian Railways and the production of 9000 hp electric locomotives at Dahod. The actual facts are listed below :

Transparent tender process: The tender for manufacturing and maintaining 9,000 hp electric locomotives was executed in a transparent manner. There are two electric locomotive manufacturers globally who have the capability to design and manufacture 9000 hp electric locomotives – Alstom and Siemens – both of them participated in the tender.

Evaluation process: The tender was evaluated by a team of technical and financial experts, in line with the processes that Indian railways has always followed. In technical evaluation, both Alstom and Siemens were equally placed. In the financial bid, the bidder with the lowest price was awarded the contract.

Transparent price discovery: The price discovered through this transparent method is highly competitive. The contract is as per the tender documents. There is no change in the tender conditions.

Professional evaluation, no conflict of interest: The entire tender process was executed by the teams of officers who are technically and financially competent to handle such matters as per rules. There is no question of conflict of interest because the process was followed as per rules and procedures that Indian Railways has always followed. There is no involvement of the Minister of Railways in the tender evaluation process. Moreover, both Siemens and Alstom have been working with Indian Railways for many decades.

Guaranteed reliability based agreements: Over the past two decades, Indian Railways has been moving to life cycle cost based procurements so that reliability of products increases and thereby safety of passengers increases.

Components manufacturing: As per the current manufacturing process, about 89% of the components used in manufacture of Dahod locomotives are made in India. Railway component manufacturing ecosystem is rapidly growing in India. A locomotive is a very complex machine and its components are equally complex. They are manufactured at various locations in India and supplied to various locomotive manufacturers. Very few countries in the world can claim the level of manufacturing components that India has been able to achieve because of the thrust given to manufacturing in the last decade.

Maintenance: The locomotives manufactured at Dahod will be maintained at four depots – Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur, and Pune.