Indian Railways’ Dussehra-Diwali special trains carry a 10% surcharge for second class and 30% for sleeper and AC classes.

No concessions are permitted on these ‘0’ series festival trains.

A total of 102 special trains will run through October and November 2026.

Bookings for the first 10 services opened September 27.

Tickets can be booked via IRCTC, reservation centres and the RailOne app.

No concessions are permitted on these special festival trains.

Key routes include Mumbai-Chennai, Mumbai-Latur and Kolhapur-Kalaburagi services.

Many of the festival trains depart from Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Destinations covered include Mau, Chennai, Bengaluru, Gorakhpur, Kolhapur, Latur, Thiruvananthapuram, Nagpur and Varanasi.

The special trains will operate through October and November 2026, covering the peak festival travel period.

Indian Railways typically adds special trains each year to manage the surge in demand during Dussehra and Diwali.

Passengers are advised to book early given the high demand typically seen during the festival season.

Special trains are in addition to Indian Railways’ regular scheduled services on these routes.

The festival season is traditionally one of the busiest travel periods on the Indian Railways network each year.

Waitlisted tickets are common on popular festival routes given the high demand during this period.

Indian Railways also increases the frequency of some existing trains during the festival season alongside adding entirely new special services.

Railway zones coordinate closely with state governments to manage crowd control at major stations during the festival rush.

Passengers travelling long distances during the festival season are advised to carry valid identification along with their tickets.

Additional coaches are sometimes attached to existing trains to accommodate festival-season demand on high-traffic routes.

Indian Railways will run 102 special trains for the Dussehra-Diwali travel season.

Bookings for an initial batch of 10 special services opened on September 27.

Railway station platform (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

US B-1/B-2 visa appointment wait times vary widely across different Indian cities.

In Mumbai, the current wait stands at about 11.5 months.

The US operates visa-processing posts in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Some applicants may be eligible for interview waiver programmes that reduce processing time.

India is one of the largest sources of US visa applicants globally.

The US operates multiple visa-processing posts across India, including in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Applicants are generally advised to check official US State Department wait-time estimates before applying.

Visa interview wait times can fluctuate based on staffing levels, application volumes and broader diplomatic considerations.

The US has periodically added interview slots or adjusted staffing to address visa backlogs at high-demand posts.

Business travellers and tourists are both affected by extended wait times for B-1/B-2 appointments.

India is one of the largest sources of visa applicants to the United States globally.

Visa wait times are separate from visa approval rates, which depend on individual application review.

Some applicants opt for interview waiver programmes when eligible, which can reduce processing time in certain cases.

Extended wait times have previously drawn attention from Indian industry groups citing the impact on business travel.

The US visa application process typically involves an online form, fee payment, and an in-person interview at a consulate or embassy.

Wait-time estimates published by the US State Department are updated periodically and can change based on real-time demand.

Some categories of travellers, including certain repeat visa holders, may qualify for expedited or waived-interview processing under specific conditions.

Peak travel seasons, such as summer and the winter holidays, often see a surge in visa applications, which can affect wait times.

Consular staffing levels at individual posts are a key factor influencing how quickly appointment backlogs are cleared.

Indian applicants for US B-1/B-2 visitor visas face wait times of about 11.5 months for appointments in Mumbai.

US-India consular engagement (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, public domain

IIT Bombay has deferred its mid-semester exams following a student’s death.

The institute’s administration is expected to communicate revised exam schedules once its policy review concludes.

A review of exam misconduct policies was announced on September 26.

Police have recorded statements from 20 individuals as part of their investigation.

The institute has not released further details while the case is under investigation.

The institute’s announcement came on September 26.

IIT Bombay is one of India’s premier engineering institutions, located in Mumbai’s Powai area.

Student welfare and mental health support have been a recurring focus area for Indian technical institutions in recent years.

The institute has not released further details on the case while the police investigation is ongoing.

Deferring exams after such an incident is intended to give the campus community time before resuming regular academic activity.

A review of misconduct policies typically examines how allegations are handled procedurally and what support is available to students involved.

Indian higher education institutions have periodically revised student welfare frameworks following expert committee recommendations at the national level.

The University Grants Commission has previously issued guidelines aimed at improving student mental health support across Indian campuses.

IIT Bombay’s administration is expected to communicate revised exam schedules to students once the review is complete.

Counselling and peer-support services are typically made available to students following incidents of this kind on Indian campuses.

IIT Bombay’s academic calendar is structured around two main semesters, each with mid-semester and end-semester examinations.

Institutional reviews following student welfare incidents often involve consultations with faculty, student representatives and counselling staff.

Indian technical institutions have faced periodic scrutiny over academic pressure and its effects on student well-being.

The institute has said it will share further updates on the exam schedule in due course.

IIT Bombay deferred its mid-semester exams following a student’s death.

IIT Bombay campus (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0