Empowering Women: Females Outnumber Males In Railway Board

In a record for Indian Railways, women are now in majority in the Railway Board, the top decision-making body of the national transporter.

For the first time, women are now in the driver's seat in the Railway Board with the latest spell of appointments approved by the cabinet.

Breaking through the glass ceiling, the Railway Board already being headed by a woman, now has a woman member in-charge of operations and business development, and another in the same rank looking after the finances as member finance.

All these years, the board had been dominated by male officers. The current Railway Board chairperson and chief executive officer Jaya Verma Sinha became the first woman to reach the top post last year. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has now approved appointment of Seema Kumar as the member (operations and business development) and Naveen Kumar as Director General (human resources), and Satish Kumar as member (traction and rolling stock).

Roopa Srinivas, a railway accounts officer, continues to look after the task of member (finance) as the ACC did not name anyone for this post, though it approved her appointment as the Director General of National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) at Vadodara.

With the latest appointment order by the government, the board comprising of the CEO and four members has three women. This is for the first time when there is a majority representation of women in the board.

According to the railways, if the ACC puts its stamp on Srinivas as a member in the board, women will have the majority in the apex policy making body of the national transporter.

The railways maintains that such chances are high, considering that the post of DG of the Railway Academy is now a ceremonial post as the recent appointment of Vice Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalay has practically put the NAIR at the VC’s disposal.

The ACC has also approved the name of another woman railway officer, Aruna Nayar as the Secretary of Railway Board. The board secretary is allowed to participate in the full board meetings.