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03/01/2020 - Government Policies

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January 03, 2020

What are the major reforms in Indian Railways in the recent times? Examine the  Organisational Restructuring of Indian Railways which will help it go a long way in sustaining the industry. (200 Words) 

Refer - The Indian Express

Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.

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IAS Parliament 4 years

KEY POINTS

Major reforms

·        Unification of the existing eight Group A services of the Railways into a Central Service called Indian Railway Management Service (/RMS)

·        Re-organisation of Railway Board on functional lines headed by CRB with four Members and some Independent Members

·        The existing service of Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS) to be consequently renamed as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS).

Restructuring of Indian Railways

Why was the reform needed?

·        The government wants to end inter-departmental rivalries, which it says have been hindering growth for decades, departments were working “in silos”.

·        Several committees including the Bibek Debroy committee in 2015 have noted that “departmentalism” is a major problem in the system.

·        Most committees have said merger of the services in some form would be a solution.

What will change with the restructure?

·        In inter-departmental seniority a complex process to fix, which has led to court cases in the past problems arise when different services compete for posts that are open to all — like those of Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs), GMs, and subsequently, the Chairman Railway Board.

·        Another aspect is the suitability of jobs. The move, many say, emerges from the “simplistic” belief that while non-technical specialists cannot do technical jobs, technocrats can do both.

·        The counter-argument is that civil servants in government, by virtue of the screening process and subsequent training, possess acumen and skills that go beyond academic specialisation.

What happens next?

·        The current demand is for two distinct services instead of one — a civil services, and one that encompasses all engineering specialisations. The logic is that functionally, departments will continue to exist through various technical and non-technical specialisations, so merging them will not end departmentalism per se.

·        The government has on record assured all existing officers that no one’s seniority will be hampered and promotion prospects will be protected.

 

MURALIDHARAN 4 years

Kindly review

IAS Parliament 4 years

Avoid listing out points and try to explain them and discuss the need for restructuring railways. Keep Writing.

Shantanu tiwari 4 years

Please review 

IAS Parliament 4 years

Try to discuss the need for reforms. Keep Writing.

Abhilasha 4 years

Please review.

IAS Parliament 4 years

Good attempt. Keep Writing.

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