Varanasi, Nov 08: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said infrastructure is a major factor in the economic growth of developed countries around the world, and India is also moving fast on the path of development.

The PM was speaking after flagging off four new Vande Bharat Express trains from the Banaras railway station in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

“Trains like Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation of a new generation of Indian Railways,” Modi said.

He said pilgrimage sites are the centres of spirituality and the development work done in Uttar Pradesh in the last 11 years has taken them to a new level.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event.

The new Vande Bharat Express trains will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.

The semi-high-speed trains will significantly reduce travel time between major stations, enhance regional mobility, promote tourism and support economic activity across the country, according to an official statement.

New Delhi, Nov 7: Amit Sharma, Secretary to the Government of Mizoram, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, who was also holding the additional charge of Director Census, Mizoram, has proceeded on central deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS) as Director Census Operations, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on a full-time basis.

According to an order issued by the Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, Sharma has been directed to join his new posting within three weeks of the issuance of the order.

Sharma, an IAS officer, returns to his homeland after a gap of about three years to conduct the census digitally in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

He takes up this assignment after gaining rich and diverse administrative experience while serving in three geographically distinct and challenging regions – Mizoram, Ladakh, and J&K.

Sharma’s posting as Director Census Operations is for a period of five years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

During his tenure in Mizoram, Sharma made remarkable administrative strides, introducing multiple digital reforms and setting high standards of governance and development.

A recognised IT and Digital India champion, Sharma holds the rare distinction of having served as IT Secretary in three successive regions – J&K, Ladakh, and Mizoram.

In Mizoram, he led major digital reforms like the successful implementation of e-Office in the Secretariat, pushed DigiLocker usage to record levels, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the BHASHINI initiative with the Government of India to establish a multilingual digital platform, and worked towards the creation of a Mizo Fibre Grid Network to extend fibre-optic connectivity to every corner of the state.

During his tenure in Mizoram, Sharma also played a pivotal role in strengthening the Cooperative Sector in the ongoing International Year of Cooperation 2025, as declared by the United Nations.

He revived cooperative culture through NCDC and NABARD-supported initiatives, promoted Mizo Cooperative Societies, and gave a special push to Common Service Centres under the MPACS model.

Before his tenure in Mizoram, Sharma served Ladakh as Administrative Secretary for multiple departments, including IT, Transport, Rural Development, Disaster Management, and Science and Technology.

There, he worked towards the vision of making Ladakh the first carbon-neutral region of India, introducing five hydrogen fuel-cell buses and electric load carriers.

He also held the additional charge of Managing Director, Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation (SIDCO) – Ladakh’s only PSU – and used it as a platform to drive multiple developmental reforms.

Earlier, as Secretary, Mining J&K, Sharma played a key role in pushing the Geological Survey of India (GSI) toward the discovery of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves in Reasi district, a landmark first in India’s history.

He also pioneered the introduction of e-Challans for mining activities to ensure transparency and accountability across J&K’s mining operations.

As the then IT Secretary and CEO of the J&K e-Governance Agency, Sharma spearheaded the implementation of e-Office across J&K, expanded the reach of e-Services to among the highest levels in India, operationalised State Data Centres in both regions of J&K, and initiated 100 percent digitisation of land records, alongside automation drives across several departments.

Now, returning to J&K with years of administrative and technological experience, Sharma is expected to oversee the Digital Census Operations in J&K and Ladakh, a first-of-its-kind exercise in the country.

The upcoming Digital Census, long delayed since the last national Census conducted in 2011, holds immense importance as it will lay the groundwork for India’s socio-economic and developmental planning.

Sharma’s leadership in this key initiative is seen as a matter of pride and honour for J&K, where the “son of the soil” returns to lead a historic, technology-driven national exercise.