IRMS officer Satish Kumar becomes first Dalit chairman of Railway Board
New Delhi (PTI): Indian Railway Management Service officer Satish Kumar has been appointed as the chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board, officials said Tuesday.
This makes him the first chairman and CEO from the Scheduled Castes in the board's history, senior officials of the Railway Board said.
Jaya Varma Sinha, who is the current chairperson and CEO of the board, is superannuating on August 31 and Kumar's appointment will be effective from September 1.
"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Satish Kumar, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), Member (Traction & Rolling Stock), Railway Board to the post of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Railway Board," a government order said.
It said his appointment is in the apex pay scale (pay level 17 as per the 7th Central Pay Commission).
Kumar, a distinguished officer of the 1986 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), has made significant contributions to Indian Railways throughout his illustrious career, spanning over 34 years, according to the Railway Board.
"On 8th November 2022, he took charge as the General Manager of North Central Railway, Prayagraj, marking another milestone in his journey of public service," an official from the Board said.
"His educational background is as impressive as his professional achievements; he holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur, and has further enhanced his knowledge with a Post Graduate Diploma in Operation Management and Cyber Law from Indira Gandhi National Open University," he said.
Kumar began his career in Indian Railways in March 1988, and since then, he has served in various pivotal roles across different zones and divisions, bringing innovation, efficiency, and safety improvements to the railway system.
"His initial postings included the Jhansi Division of the erstwhile Central Railway and the Diesel Locomotive Works (BLW) in Varanasi, where he honed his skills in locomotive engineering and maintenance.
"He later served in the North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur, and Patiala Locomotive Works, contributing to critical projects that enhanced the operational efficiency of these divisions,” a railway official said.
A significant contribution of Kumar is his work on the Fog Safe Device, an innovation that has proven to be instrumental in ensuring safe train operations during foggy conditions, he said.
"This device has become a critical tool for Indian Railways, significantly reducing the risks associated with reduced visibility during the winter months, particularly in the northern regions of India," he added.
According to Railway officials, Kumar's efforts in improving this technology have earned him recognition and appreciation from various quarters.
From April 2017 to April 2019, Kumar served as the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Lucknow Division on Northern Railway.
Before he was appointed the General Manager of North Central Railway, Kumar served as the Senior Deputy General Manager and Chief Vigilance Officer of North Western Railway, Jaipur.
"In recognition of his vast experience and contributions to Indian Railways, Satish Kumar was recently appointed as the Member (Traction and Rolling Stock - MTRS), a key position that oversees the critical aspects of traction and rolling stock across Indian Railways,” another official from the Railway Board said.
"Following this, he ascended to the highest echelon of Indian Railways as the Chairman of the Railway Board, where he now plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the railway network in India," he added.
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New govt in Maharashtra to be formed on Dec 5, Fadnavis frontrunner for CM post: BJP leader
Mumbai (PTI): Mahayuti alliance's new government in Maharashtra will be formed on December 5 with Devendra Fadnavis emerging as the frontrunner to become the next chief minister again, a senior BJP leader said on Saturday.
In the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, the Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) retained power, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 and NCP with 41 seats.
However, even after the announcement of poll results a week ago (on November 23), the formation of the government has been delayed as the tripartite alliance is yet to decide on who will be the next chief minister. Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar met BJP president J P Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah late Thursday to discuss a power-sharing pact for the next government.
A key Mahayuti meeting scheduled on Friday was put off and likely to take place on Sunday now as caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde headed to his native village in Satara district, delaying government formation further.
The BJP leader, who did not wish to be quoted, said the swearing-in of the new government will take place on December 5.
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who was the chief minister twice and deputy chief minister in the last government, is the frontrunner for the top post, the leader said.
Another senior BJP leader said the chief minister's swearing-in ceremony will take place at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.
But before that, a meeting will be held on December 2 to pick the BJP legislature party leader, he said.
Caretaker CM Shinde has made it clear that he will fully support BJP leadership's decision to name the next CM, and that he won't be a hurdle in the process, while Ajit Pawar-led NCP has backed Fadnavis for the chief minister's post.
In the assembly elections, Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a setback. The grand old party registered one of its worst performances in the state assembly polls after it won only 16 seats. Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) could bag only 10 seats, whereas Uddhav Thackeray's (UBT) won 20.
