Elaborate arrangements at Bihar stations to handle Chhath rush: Railways
Patna (PTI): Elaborate arrangements have been made in all stations in the Hajipur-headquartered East Central Railway (ECR) zone in view of the heavy rush of passengers during Chhath Puja, a senior official said.
ECR General Manager Chhatrasal Singh on Wednesday said the priority of the railways is to facilitate the smooth arrival and departure of travellers, and ensure their safety by preventing any untoward incidents.
"The number of Chhath special trains has been increased from 7,500 to 12,000 this year. A large number of people are expected to visit Bihar in the coming days to celebrate Chhath. The preparations for their arrival are already complete. However, the real challenge will arise when they return to their workplaces after the festival," he said.
"The window for the return is narrow, but for that too, preparations are in the last stage," he added.
Singh said the construction of holding areas at all major terminals will be completed by Thursday night, following which the ECR will conduct a "dress rehearsal" of arrangements.
"There will be centralised monitoring from Patliputra Rail Complex. Similar systems have been put in place in the offices of all the divisions to monitor traffic at stations," he said.
Singh said the number of special trains has been substantially increased this year in the zone, enabling people to reach even remote destinations solely by the railways.
"Many unannounced trains will be run from major terminals in case a large number of people without reservations turn up," he said.
Singh said more security personnel will be deployed during Chhath Puja this year.
"We have firmly resolved to ensure safe and smooth travelling during and after Chhath. Railway personnel are actively engaged in this pursuit," he added.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
