It has almost impossible to get a railway ticket to anywhere in India during the summer vacation time. Tickets can be booked 120 days earlier. But even if you try to get the reservation on the first day itself, within hours the reservations are over and you get only in the waiting list. It is true that the passengers have increased many fold. Now more and more people go on tours as also visit their kids who may be working in some other place.

The government has to increase the railway tracks, increase the trains and also ensure that the trains run in time. One of the reasons for delay is the lack of sufficient platforms in all major stations causing the incoming trains compelled to wait for their turn.

Will the government and specially the railway Minister listen!

During the British Raj, the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Shimla during summer days. All the officers, employees, families and other connected persons shifted to Shimla with files, vehicles etc. etc. This continued till the capital was shifted to Delhi from Calcutta in 1912.

There is one state which follows this system even now. Jammu and Kashmir shifts its capital to Srinagar in Summer and to Jammu in winter. This month the capital is being shifted to Srinagar. Srinagar is located 300 kilometers north of Jammu. The state government secretariat shifts every spring and autumn between the two capitals in conformity with the changing weather. This not only helps in more convenience but also getting the people of both areas easy access to the government. Fair enough.

In Maharashtra the state assembly is being held in Nagpur also during certain period shifting from Mumbai. I do not know whether any other state is having this practice of shifting the capital according to weather change.

India is an emerging economy. But when it comes to the health care in the country, it is far below many other countries. Taking similarly growing economies, like in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, India is at the bottom line.This is as per the report furnished by the World Bank.

While Brazil spends 2.83% of its GDP on health care, S.Africa 2.73%, Russia 2.68% and China 1.55% India is far behind with only 0.93% of the GDP. If you take the developed countries, US spends 15% and UK 8.5% of its GDP for the health care.

The worst condition of health systems in the lakhs of villages and the juggis in the cities are well-known to the ruling classes and the governments. But nothing worthwhile is done to improve the situation. Take the case of toilets. There are no toilets for crores of poor people in the country who, including women, are compelled to use open spaces without any privacy for the same. A recent survey has stated that there are far less toilets than mobiles in the country. Death rate for children has decreased, but it is much more than in many countries. Sufficient food stuffs are not available for a majority of people in the country. Unless a time bound fast-track programme is implemented with determination, the situation is not going to improve.

But, sorry to state, it is not a matter of priority for the UPA government or most of the state governments. Without a massive campaign as in the case of against corruption, nothing is going to happen. This should be treated as a priority.