Reboot it is sir, but from a corrupted disk ! Beware Mantri ji !

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A document is doing rounds which essentially resets the decisions taken in name of consultations in Parivartan Shivir and #Transformation exercises by ‘advisor to the MR’ which we had flagged as toxic and pestilential. At last the powers that be after spate of #accidents have understood that earlier system took care of seniority and tenure naturally.

On Oct. 13, 2024 we published, “IR doesn’t need a reset, it needs clean reboot now – What needs to be done?”

With consultation of retired and serving senior officers, #Railwhispers gave several practical suggestions, however, it is seen that the #document in circulation aims to inject virus of trouble which will need next round of u-turns. We urge readers to read this article penned by a senior retired officer.

#Ep146: DRM-GM-Member: जो होना चाहिए वह नहीं हो रहा—जो नहीं होना चाहिए वह हो रहा है!

This undated document in viral circulation on social media gives what many had been suspecting. Key ‘reform’ is that now #IRAS and #IRMS (Accounts) are considered the same. Same with all other services. So, we just squared one finally.

Level-17 Rules

Selecting a Chairman

Interestingly, #GMs cannot become #CRB as was possible in past. One has to be a #Member to become a #Chairman. There is no residual service requirement. So now to avoid getting a #VKYadavs, we would be deprived a MS Gujral.

Selecting a Member

Firstly, this brings back system that existed before post of Member Electrical (#ML) was created in 1980s. Member Mechanical (#MM) was in charge of #Mechanical, #Electrical and #Stores department and their respective services then and now in new document. The feeding pool for post of #MTRS has been limited to these three services. Member Finance (#MF) will be drawn from IRAS or IRMS (Accounts), #MOBD will be drawn from #IRTS or IRMS (Traffic), #MemberInfra will be drawn from #IRSE/IRMS (Engg) or #IRSSE/IRMS (S&T). Similarly, Director General, Human Resources (#DGHR) will be drawn from #IRPS or IRMS (Personnel). Director General/Safety will be the only ex-cadre post and will not be open to Stores Service.

Also, earlier requirement of one year residual service has finally been brought back. Does this mean this will be end of menace of extensions? Does it mean that experiment done with two chairmen who were given extended service contractually was a failure?

So, following are now the questions:

  1. We have accepted that so-called unification and seeing Board Membership as excadre positions was a non-starter.
  2. It is not clear why #DGSafety is not open to Stores while they get same treatment with other services while being considered for #DRM or #GM which are directly linked with #safety. If the document concedes that #Stores cannot be trusted with safety role then why to make them DRMs or GMs? #IRSS posts are typically in HQs of Division or Zone or #RailwayBoard except for junior positions in loco sheds.
  3. Why DG/HR should not be an ex-cadre post as in past when MS or Member Staff was ex-cadre? Stalwarts like Balchandran and R.R.Jaruhar graced this post from #IRSME and #IRSE in past. It has been argued that technical departments groom their officers to handle Industrial Relations well as they have to deliver physical output from Railways’ manpower. To keep them out makes this key leadership position pusillanimous.
  4. Removing requirement of being a DRM or a GM is dangerous virus that has been injected in proposed new rules. Is someone who did not become a DRM eyeing to become a GM or a Member by this gamification? It is widely believed that Level-17 post must only be open to those who have been DRMs and GMs. This is what experts say.

Level-16 Rules—General Managers

This post was earlier planned to be in Level-17 when #carrot was given to the railway officers to accept ‘emergent consensus’ of 2019 Chintan Shivir. This was agreed to by the Union Cabinet, but this was dropped at the request of the Railway Board under the Chairmanship of Mr Vinay Kumar Tripathi.

The joke is upon railway officers—See the following:

  1. While application will be invited batch wise. Seniors can also apply provided they have two year residual service on 1st January of the panel year. This tilts the scales in favour of #Engineering Service officers completely as quota system has been done away with in proposed rules. This also means that #stupidity of bypassing hundreds of officers and entire batches will no longer apply. Earlier, having a quota ensured that every service had a DRM and a GM which paved way for departmental member system which is sought to be revived. This will deprive GM-ship to IRTS, key railway service responsible for train operations.
  2. There is no prerequisite of being a DRM to be considered to become a GM. This injects a virus of future troubles as earlier in IRMS era, and would definitely need a u-turn. #Experience clearly shows that GMs without experience of DRMship and without experience of handling multidisciplinary teams, have proven to be ineffective on one side of the scale and outrightly ‘unsafe’ on the other.
  3. All Eight Organised Services are considered same. How can officers who spend entire career in non-field roles, do not have any background of taking decisions under pressure on crucial matters that affect railway safety and operations be treated at par with those who get involved in the field and decision making directly affecting safety from day one of their railway service? What is the incentive to be in operating posts? What is the incentive to work hard for decades in unforgiving conditions if finally one gets clubbed with #Stores, #Personnel and #Accounts?
  4. Why there is a need of ‘applying’? Why on earth this new fetish? When you want to bring old system, for God sake please go back to the old system.

As #Railwhispers argued in, “IR doesn’t need a reset, it needs clean reboot now – What needs to be done?” reset needs something more.

Also, readers may see our article of June 26, 2023, “Root Cause Analysis of Poor Safety Record of Indian Railways in last 2 years”.

The Ludicrous Aspects of the Proposal

While Board Member posts are departmental now without prerequisite of being a DRM, to be eligible for the roles of Additional Member (#AM) level in Traffic, Mechanical, Traction, Signal one needs to be a DRM in past. So slogging as a DRM will only lead one to the post of an Additional Member not a General Manager which is more demanding and needs general administrative skills ! It is not out of place to mention that earlier to become a General Manager having been posted as a Divisional Railway Manager was a prerequisite, and to become a Member, GM-ship was a prerequisite. There seems to be a nefarious design of some officers who could not become DRM. If one sees para 9.2 of the proposal, one is lost at the details asked. Experience of working as a leader of multi-disciplinary team is not even considered something of merit to be considered to become a general manager.

Hon’ble PM sir, Mantri ji, please reset the system to what existed in 2014-15. This mishmash will deteriorate things further. By attacking the importance of role of DRMs is deadly and dangerous. This role needs to be protected as despite the ludicrous ‘transformation’, if Indian Railways survived, it was because of the institution of Divisions. If being a DRM carries no value, why would one aspire to be one? These officers still managed to run the railways despite plethora of drives, VCs and inauguration functions.

Reboot is needed, but from a clean disk sir !