The Member Staff, Railway Board, Pradeep Kumar addressing a Press Conference in New Delhi
NEW DELHI (INDIA): Member Staff, Railway Board Pradeep Kumar, briefed about the following initiatives and action plans of the Establishment, Health, Security and Sports Directorates of the Ministry of Railways during a press conference held on 16th June 2015.
Establishment/Management Services Directorate
A. Major Initiatives taken
· MOU signed with University of Mumbai on 18.04.2015 for setting up Centre for Railway Research. Three more such Centres for Railway Research being established.
· Academic Services Agreement signed with Beijing Jiaotong University, China for training of 100 officers of various departments in Heavy Haul Technology.
· ‘Indian Railways Chair for Sustainable Mobility’ set up at TERI University, New Delhi.
· Scheme for Summer Internships for Undergraduates of Engineering and Management Studies introduced on Indian Railways.
· Scheme for Fellowships in Universities for Railway-related Research in fellowships would be open to Central Universities, State Universities and Centres for excellence i.e. IITs, IIMs, IIS etc introduced.
· Scheme for encouraging Railway employees to acquire higher qualifications at Masters level in IITs, IIMs and Institutes of repute introduced.
· As a major IT initiative, online applications introduced in two recent exams for the posts of Sr. Section Engineers & Junior Engineers (SSEs/JEs) and Para-Medical Categories respectively to bring transparency and certainty into recruitment process for better efficiency and substantial savings in cost and resources. Written examinations for these posts conducted within 2 to 2.5 months from the closing date of examinations.
· As step towards transparency new system of handing over Question Booklets to the RRB Candidates introduced. Further, Pilot project of uploading of Answer Keys and Cut-off marks initiated in 2014-15.
· In the recruitment drive during 2014-15, examinations conducted for 48,822 vacancies in 284 categories. Panels of 15,191 candidates supplied to the indenting Railway(s)/ Production Units(s). Further, during the current year, it is expected that panels of around 60,000 in Grade Pay Rs 1800 will be declared.
· Modules on sensitization of Railway personnel on gender introduced in Centralised Training Institutes.
· Circular to take special care of physically challenged Railway Employees for their training issued.
· Revised Training Modules of following categories issued – Promotee Supervisors of Mechanical Department, Supervisors of Design cadre of Electrical, Civil & S&T Department, Clerk Categories of Personnel Department.
· Special Training Module on Soft Skills issued.
· Two web based IT applications developed by Personnel Officers in house to bring transparency and efficiency – “Comptran” developed for facilitating request transfers over entire Indian Railways. “EGRS”developed for online registration of employees grievances and monitoring their redressal. Both the applications rolled out all over Indian Railways.
· Pension grievance handling mechanism institutionalised and stabilised bringing down pendency from the range of 5000 to normal level of 500.
· To make the system of repair and maintenance of staff quarters more responsive, web based complaint management system introduced as pilot project on 3 Railways, RDSO and RCF Kapurthala.
B. Action Plan
· MoUs have been planned for setting up of centres for Railway Research at IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Roorkee.
· M.Tech. Programme in Railway Engineering for benefit of Railway Officers and staff is being introduced in consultation with IIT, Kharagpur from academic session 2015-16.
· Services of professional agencies would be used for evaluation of Railway training programmes as also bench marking the Training Centres.
· For Supervisors, training will be organised at Foreman Training Institute, Bengaluru.
· HR audit would begin this year by associating professional HR Consultant for undertaking detailed HR evaluation and the two HR modules to be considered would be recruitment on Indian Railways and system of selection/ promotion.
· Standing Committee for HR benchmarking has been constituted which would do a preliminary analysis for various activities in identified areas department-wise in one or two key areas for undertaking holistic review of manpower deployment.
· For rationalisation of gazetted man power across Indian Railways, one of the big four HR audit companies would be identified and entrusted with the task of studying the entire gazetted manpower as exiting on Indian Railways and given the technological development/changes in operational and maintenance practices, what should be the optimal level of gazetted manpower on Indian Railways in the coming years.
· Four holiday homes at Goa, Tirupati, Manali and Puri, have been identified for upgradation and concerned Railways directed to initiate work for the same. Five new holiday homes across different locations will be identified for fresh opening and 10 existing Holiday homes will be identified for refurbishing and augmentation .
· Comprehensive instructions for providing mandatory Yoga Training in all Training Centres to cover all employees by 2019-20, will be implemented.
· ERP based HRMS will be implemented. Detailed estimates for the project have been prepared. A consultant is proposed to be hired for scanning the HR environment of Indian Railways, suggest best practices/reengineering and assist in the selecting most suitable partner for implementing the HRMS project.
· Over the next 3-4 years Pilot project for HRMS over one Zonal Railway and one division would be conducted and thereafter rolled out over entire Indian Railways.
· Centralised employee database with contact numbers being created by using in house resources for facilitating direct communication by top mgmt. It would lay foundation for a comprehensive ERP based Human Resource Management System.
· The use of web based software is proposed for preparation and uploading of Medical Reports of Engineering Services (ESE) candidates from the 17 Zonal Railway Hospitals, to the E(GR)I Section.
· Regular & timely allocation of services to the Engineering services candidates through the NIC Customized software.
· Planning the scheme for rolling out Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance system over Zonal Railways. The experience gained in implementing the scheme in first phase will help in extending it to field offices.
· MOU signed with UIDAI for Aadhaar enrolment of Railway employees, pensioners and their families. Scheme planned for Chief Personnel Officers of Zonal Railways to function as Register under UIDAI Scheme.
· For the recruitments in future through RRB and RRC, on line applications are proposed to be called.
· To match with best practices on-line examination is also being planned by RRB.
· RRB has also planned a proposal to develop software for allocating different posts to the candidates on the basis of their merit cum preference.
· It is proposed to take up 33,000 staff quarters for focused attention for repair and maintenance.
Health Directorate
Major Initiatives:-
· New Drug Procurement Policy issued.
· Empanelment of Private Diagnostic Centres for outsourcing investigations of Railway Beneficiaries streamlined.
· Revised Policy on Medical Insurance and Reimbursement issued.
· Financial Ceiling limit for calling Consultants on case to case basis to Railway Hospitals removed.
· For better Implementation of Food Standards & Safety Authority (FSSA) policy decision of one post of Food Safety Officer (FSO)
· A new Standardised MOU for empanelment of Private Hospitals developed.
· EOI asked for from CGHS Empanelled Hospitals for empanelment with railways for cashless treatment scheme in emergency
· To attract Medical Graduates to join Railways EOL rules for Post Graduation liberalised.
· This year close to 100 UPSC selected Doctors have joined Railways.
Security Directorate
A. Major Initiatives
· A 24×7 security helpline made functional through Security Control Rooms of RPF to provide round the clock security related assistance to passengers. This Helpline is functioning through a three digit no. 182.
· An App is being especially designed for women commuters.
· CCTV surveillance system is being strengthened under an Integrated Security System which is under installation at 202 stations and 91 stations been provided with CCTV cameras under ISS. In addition 121 baggage scanners, 191 DFMDs, 986 HHMDs and 74 BD items also been procured.
· RPF Security Management System (RSMS)- Pilot project successfully implemented over Central and Western Railway along with Security Control Rooms of all the Zonal Railways headquarters and Railway Board over 187 locations. Roll-out phase of project over Indian Railways sanctioned and detailed estimates under examination in Boards office.
· A total of 49 RPF/RPSF personnel awarded with Indian Police Medal/President Police Medal during 2014 & 2015.
· Indian Railways is represented by RPF in Security Platform of UIC for international cooperation on issues related to railway security. Currently, DG/RPF is the chairman of UIC Security Platform.
· Setting up of three new RPSF Battalions is under process to further strengthen railway security in vulnerable sections of the Indian Railways.
· Notification for recruitment of 1599 ladies staff is under process to be issued.
· During the year 20.59 lakh persons prosecuted by RPF under relevant provisions of the RLY Act over Indian Railways.
B. Action Plan
· Implementation of Integrated Security System over all the sensitive stations over IR.
· Implementation of Norms Committee Report in phased manner to equip the Force with security equipment, vehicles as recommended by Norms Committee Report.
· Provision of proper building, office space, malkhana, lock-up, armoury for all the RPF Posts for efficient professional working of the Force.
· Construction of standardized barracks with basic amenities Construction of adequate separate barracks to accommodate ladies RPF personnel.
· Augmentation of manpower
· Setting up of Research & Development Cell for Study and Planning for Railway Security
· Networking of all the RPF Posts, Reserve Lines, Battalions, Security Control Rooms
· Setting up of a world class Training Academy for training of RPF Officers and staff and setting up of a world class commando training facility for RPF
· Upgradation of infrastructure at all the RPF Training centers
· Setting up permanent RPF Recruitment Board on the pattern of RRBs to ensure that the vacancies are filled in a planned and organized manner
· Upgradation of infrastructure at all the RPF Training centers
· Legal empowerment of RPF by way of amendment in the RPF Act
· Access control over all important railway stations
Sports Directorate
Achievements:-
· In the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea from 19.09.2014 to 04.10.2014; Indian Railways with the contingent of 72 athletes and 9 coaches formed a sizeable component of the Indian Team. 26 Athletes from Indian Railways won medals in total of 12 events. Out of 57 Medals won by India, Railway bagged 12 Medals.
· Railway sportspersons as a part of Indian contingent at Commonwealth Games-2014, (CWG) at Glasgow, Scotland from 23.07.2014 to 03.08.2014, again brought glory to the nation by bagging 9 medals out of total 64 medals won by India.
· In additional to above, Indian Railways Hockey (Men) Team won Gold Medal in National Championship held at Pune from 16.04.2015 to 28.04.2015 after the year 1997.
Legal Directorate
Achievements:-
· During the last one year more than 1200 references have been dealt.
· Competent advocates were appointed in number of cases/contempt cases which were defended successfully and thus avoided passing of any adverse orders from the courts.
· Panels of Railway Advocates for High Court/CAT Benches Aurangabad, Patna and Ranchi have been revised and submitted for approval of competent Authority.