All posts of Members of the Railway board are now ex-cadre and should be filled out of seniormost suitable officers on the basis of seniority and residual service. Yet, the reforms in the Railways need to be persuaded cautiously. 

The post of Director General HR (DGGHR) was filled with an IRPS officer even though far senior officers of other cadres are eligible and available.

The post of Member Traffic & Rolling Stock (MTR&RS) is proposed to be filled with an IRSEE officer. Now, there is a proposal to fill up the post of Member (Finance) with an IRAS Officer. The only cadres that seem to have lost out in this game of half-baked reforms are IRSE and IRSME, who have lost out on apex grade posts.

The Railway Ministry has not even drafted the Recruitment Rules for the now ex-cadre posts of Members of the Railway Board and ad hocism continues as a result. Though the inordinate delay in drafting of RR may not be intentional yet it raises questions. With the Railway Ministry with relatively little work at its hands in view of non-running of passenger services, there is certainly no shortage of time to write the Recruitment Rules for a much-touted reform.

(By Rakesh Ranjan)