FORMER Railway Board chairman and 1975 batch retired Indian Railway Traffic Service officer Vinay Mittal is the new Member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). An August 12, 2013 order said the appointment would come into effect from forenoon of August 8, for a period of…
“six years or until he attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier.”
Mittal who had served as General Manager of South Eastern Railway replaced Vivek Sahai as Railway Board chairman on June 30, 2011.
In his long career in Indian Railways, Mittal had worked as general manager of North Western Railway, additional general manager, Central Railway, divisional railway manager, Bilaspur, chief passenger transportation manager, chief freight transportation manager, chief commercial manager and chief operations manager of Central Railway and executive director, Traffic Transportation (Movement) in Railway Board.
He was a member of the Indian delegation which visited USA and China in 2005-06 in connection with wagon designs and freight operations. Mittal is also credited with improvement in freight loading and punctuality performance in Central Railway and North Western Railway.
As the Railway Board chairman, Mittal had to anchor the 14-lakh-strong railway parivar during the turbulent phase witnessing quick change of railway ministers and surfacing of the cash-for-post scam, popularly called Railgate.
At a personal level, Mittal is known to be honest, soft-spoken and highly well-mannered. In many ways, aspirants facing the UPSC interview should feel happy if they spot Mittal in the panel.