IRMS i.e. Indian Railway Management Service officer Satish Kumar has now been appointed as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board. With this, he is the first Dalit officer to reach the top post of the railways. He has more than 30 decades of experience in the railways and has served on many important posts including General Manager.
The current officer Jaya Verma Sinha is retiring on August 31, after which Kumar will take over. He can take over on September 1. The special thing is that when Sinha took over a year ago, she was the first woman to be appointed to this post. Kumar took over as Member (Traction and Rolling Stock) in the Railway Board in the Ministry of Railways on January 05, 2024.
Who is Satish Kumar?
Kumar, a 1986 batch officer of Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, formally joined Indian Railways in March, 1988 and has rich experience of 34 years. Prior to this, he has worked as General Manager, North Central Railway, Prayagraj. Earlier, Kumar has worked in various capacities in Jhansi Division and BLW (Banaras Locomotive Works) North Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur, Patiala Locomotive Works.
He was trained in Total Quality Management under UNDP programme in 1996 and has managed several projects in his career. He also served as Divisional Railway Manager, Lucknow Division, Northern Railway from April, 2017 to April, 2019. A large number of infrastructure works were completed during his tenure as DRM, Lucknow.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, a railway official said, “Kumar was recently appointed as MTRS in view of his vast experience and contributions to the Indian Railways. This is a key position that oversees key aspects of traction and rolling stock across the railways.” He said, “He has now reached the top post of Chairman of Railway Board (CRB), where he will play a major role in shaping the future of the rail network in India.”
