Railway ministry invitation card embarrasses Shobha Karandlaje!
Mistake of South West Railways goes viral
Chikmagaluru, Feb 22: The mistake in printing the name of Lok Sabha Member Shobha Karandlaje in the invitation card of the Railway Ministry for a programme at Tarikere town has created controversy.
The South Western Railways has organised a inauguration of upgradation of platform programme and other various development works. The Lok Sabha Member was supposed to inaugurate the programme. But in the invitation card printed for inaugural programme, the name of Shobha Karandlaje was Mrs Shobha Karandlaje instead of Miss Shobha Karandlaje.
As per hindu tradition, a married woman would be called as Mrs and unmarried would be called as Miss. Since Shobha Karandlaje has identified as unmarried and her name was being called as Miss Shobha Karandlaje. But the Railway Ministry has printed her name as Mrs Shobha Karandlaje and photos of the invitation card have gone viral in social media and people are questioning 'When did Shobha get married?’
"The name of the Lok Sabha Member should have been Miss Shobha Karandlaje in the invitation card. The card was printed by South West Railways Hubballi head office. All invitation cards have come from Hubballi. It could have been occurred due to mistake".
- Chief Public Relation Officer, South West Railways Divisional Office, Mysore
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
