New Delhi: Indian Railways successfully managed rail traffic during the Mauni Amavasya period, operating 244 special trains across the country since January 3, ensuring smooth and convenient travel for devotees, according to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Railways on Monday. 

These trains, of which 31 were of Northern Railway (NR), 158 trains of North Central Railway (NCR), and 55 trains of North Eastern Railway (NER), served around 4.5 lakh passengers. The special services were planned to facilitate hassle-free journeys and safe travel during the festive period.

On January 18, Prayagraj witnessed the peak of festive travel with 40 special trains in operation, including 11 trains of NR, 22 trains of NCR, and seven trains of NER, carrying approximately 1 lakh passengers. Notably, all regular trains ran as scheduled, demonstrating effective planning and operational efficiency by Indian Railways, the statement explained.

“The successful operation of these special trains reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to providing safe, convenient, and uninterrupted services to passengers during peak festive periods. The railways continue to leverage technology, resource planning, and coordination across zones to manage large-scale passenger movements efficiently,” the statement said.

Earlier, Indian Railways operated more than 43,000 special train trips in 2025 to ensure smooth travel and clear the rush during major religious festivals and peak holiday seasons.

During the year, Indian Railways undertook one of its largest special train operations for Maha Kumbh, operating 17,340 special train trips between January 13 and February 28, 2025, to facilitate the movement of a very large number of pilgrims. For Holi, 1,144 special train trips were operated between March 1 and March 22, 2025, nearly double the number run during Holi 2024, ensuring better availability and smoother festive travel.

The summer travel season of 2025, spanning April 1 to June 30, saw the operation of 12,417 Summer Special train trips, maintaining a high level of service during peak vacation months.

Special arrangements for Chhath Puja 2025 were further strengthened, with 12,383 special train trips operated between October 1 and November 30, 2025, marking a substantial increase over the previous year, according to official figures.

Washington: The International Monetary Fund on Monday raised India’s economic growth projection for 2025 by a sharp 0.7 percentage point to 7.3 per cent, citing stronger-than-expected performance in the second half of the year, even as it expects growth to moderate in the coming years. 

In its World Economic Outlook Update, the IMF said the upward revision reflects a “better-than-expected outturn in the third quarter of the year and strong momentum in the fourth quarter,” underscoring India’s position as one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world.

The IMF projected that India’s growth would ease to 6.4 per cent in 2026 and 2027 as cyclical and temporary factors wane.

Despite the expected moderation, India remains a key driver of growth among emerging market and developing economies, which the IMF said are projected to expand at just over 4 per cent in 2026 and 2027. 

Emerging and developing Asia continues to benefit from strong technology-related investment and trade, even as global momentum becomes uneven.

The update noted that global growth is projected to hold steady at 3.3 per cent in 2026, supported by easing trade tensions, accommodative financial conditions and a surge in investment linked to technology, particularly artificial intelligence.

Inflation trends were also favourable for India. The IMF said inflation in India “is expected to go back to near target levels after a marked decline in 2025, driven by subdued food prices,” offering additional support to domestic demand.

However, the IMF cautioned that risks to the outlook remain tilted to the downside. A reassessment of expectations around AI-driven productivity gains could lead to a pullback in investment and tighter global financial conditions, with spillover effects for emerging economies.

On the upside, the Fund said faster adoption of artificial intelligence could lift global growth, provided productivity gains materialise, and financial risks are contained.