Railway Board revamp will see cut in strength-The Hindu-(PG-12)-25-12-2019

Context:

The Union Cabinet has approved the restructuring of the Railway Board.

Details:

The Union Cabinet approved the restructuring of the Railway Board, including a reduction in its strength as well as the merger of the different cadres into a central service called the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).

The Board which as of now consists of eight members, including the Chairman, from different service departments such as traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical and signal & telecom will see its strength cut to five members including the Chairman, who will act as a CEO, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance.

The ministry is also considering upgrading the 27 General Managers working at zonal levels and various production and specialized units to the secretary-level grade.
The modalities and unification of the services will be worked out by the Ministry of Railways in consultation with the DoPT to ensure fairness and transparency.

Significance:

The Railway Board started in 1905, and over a period of time, has divided the management into several silos. Now, all the 8,400 employees at the management level will come into the Railways through one service — the IRMS.

The four services of infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance will now be unified under IRMS. This move will break departmentalism and silos and will set the path of Indian Railways to a high growth trajectory. It will create an organisation that will deliver results speedily. It will be a unified and agile organisation that will take quick decisions. It will work single-mindedly as one, not divided into departments. This would help ensure the smooth functioning of the Railways and expediting the decision-making process.

The Board will also have some independent members, who will be highly distinguished professionals. This would bring in the required knowledge and expertise into the decision-making process.