India, July 18 -- The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Railways to clarify and reconsider the continued use of the term "second class passenger" in its manuals and official documents, observing that the class connotation should attach to the coach and not to the passenger, as the expression is "offensive to the spirit of the Constitution of India".

A bench of justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh made the observation while deciding a compensation claim arising from the death of a passenger who fell from a running train in 2015.

The court also suggested that the Railways consider an "exponential increase" in manpower at stations and trains to ensure effective implementation of safety measures aimed at preventing overcrowding and ac...