Jaya Verma Sinha became the first woman CEO and Chairperson of the railway board which is the apex decision-making body for the national transporter. On Friday, Sinha assumed the office of the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board succeeding Anil Kumar Lahoti. Her appointment signifies a pivotal juncture in the 166-year history of the Indian Railways, as Jaya Verma Sinha takes on the mantle of CEO, becoming the first woman to hold this esteemed position.
Earlier on 31 August, in a historic move, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) granted approval for the appointment of Jaya Verma Sinha, a seasoned member of the Indian Railway Management Services (IRMS), as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board.
Jaya Verma Sinha’s appointment will be effective from the date of her assumption of charge on or after September 1, 2023. She will hold this esteemed position until her superannuation, with an additional re-employment period from October 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024.
Here’s all you need to know about 1st woman head of the Railway Board
-An Alumnus of the Allahabad University, Sinha joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service in the year 1988 and worked in Northern Railway, South-East Railway and Eastern Railway.
-In her current role, she is serving as a Member, of Operations and Business Development, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways. Moreover, Sinha is also responsible for the overall transportation of freight and passenger services on Indian Railways.
-Prior to her appointment as Chairman and CEO, she was an Additional Member, of the Traffic Transportation, Railway Board.
-In her over 35 years career in Indian Railways, she has worked on diverse verticals spanning operations, commercial, IT and vigilance.
-She was also the 1st woman to be appointed as the Principal Chief Operations Manager of South Eastern Railway.
-She has also been Principal Chief Commercial Manager of Northern Railway and Divisional Railway Manager of Sealdah Division. She also worked as Railway Advisor in the High Commission of India, Dhaka, Bangladesh for four years. The Maitree Express from Kolkata to Dhaka was inaugurated during her tenure in Bangladesh. She also worked as the Divisional Railway Manager, Eastern Railway, Sealdah Division.
-Sinha was at the centre stage of the railways’ media interactions recently when, as the Member (Operations and Business Development), she explained the complex signalling system after the tragic Balasore accident which killed nearly 300 people.
(With inputs from ANI)
