Why it is in the news
On 19 September 2026, the Ministry of Railways approved ₹252 crore to deploy Kavach 4.0 across 607.7 route kilometres of the Lucknow Division of North Eastern Railway, covering what the release calls the “identified balance sections of the division” — that is, the stretches not already covered. The release describes Kavach as “an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to enhance operational safety”, which prevents Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), applies brakes automatically and monitors train operations.
The exam angle
Issue: India has an indigenous, SIL-4 certified train protection system at a quarter of the cost of the European alternative, and yet coverage after fifteen years of development remains a small fraction of the network. What is the binding constraint — money, technology, or the sequencing of signalling modernisation?