In a rare official admission, the Government of India has conceded that the ambitious 2020 restructuring of Indian Railways—merging eight separate services into a unified Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS)—has led to a severe shortage of specialised manpower, adversely affecting train operations and passenger safety.
The acknowledgment came in the Centre’s affidavit submitted before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), amid growing backlash and legal scrutiny.
2020 Reform: A Disruptive Shift
Originally announced in 2019 and implemented in 2020, the IRMS reform aimed to streamline railway services by integrating diverse departments—engineering, traffic, accounts, personnel, and more—into a single cadre. However, the Centre now admits the reform has created confusion in recruitment and weakened operational efficiency.
In its filing, the government stated:
“Recruitment of IRMS officers solely through UPSC’s Civil Services Examination (CSE) does not meet the technical demands of the railways.”
This marks a significant retreat from earlier claims, as recruitment drives in 2022 and 2023 yielded only 46 and 45 engineering officers respectively—far below the annual requirement of 125.
Talent Deficit and Safety Concerns
The shortage of qualified technical personnel has strained operations across one of the world’s most complex railway networks. Experts have flagged its potential impact on passenger safety, infrastructure projects, and daily operations.
2024 Policy Recalibration: Back to the Old System?
In response to internal dissent and performance concerns, the government in 2024 restructured IRMS into civil and engineering branches, further splitting them into sub-cadres:
Civil Services: Traffic, Accounts, Personnel
Engineering Services: Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Signal, Telecom, and Stores
Although the Centre insists this is not a rollback of the 2019 Cabinet decision, many officers argue otherwise. Over 40 officers have filed cases with CAT, claiming the move effectively revives the previous eight-service structure under a new name.
Centre’s Justification: Specialisation within a Unified Framework
Defending the revised structure, the government said the sub-cadres are designed to foster functional specialisation without breaking IRMS’s unified identity. From 2025 onwards, candidates will opt for either technical or non-technical roles during recruitment through UPSC CSE or ESE (Engineering Services Exam), depending on their background.
Officers Disagree: “Policy Still Lacks Clarity”
Despite assurances, discontent lingers within the railway bureaucracy. Officers cite serious issues related to domain mismatches, uncertain career paths, and role dilution.
One officer pointed out a controversial appointment:
“A Traffic Service officer is set to become Railway Board Member (Finance)—a post historically held by Accounts officers. In another case, an engineer was appointed as Member (Operations), bypassing the Traffic cadre.”
Such moves, they argue, undermine the purpose of specialisation and demonstrate ongoing confusion in implementation.
Future of IRMS: Reform or Regression?
With legal battles unfolding and questions over institutional clarity unresolved, the IRMS continues to face criticism as a bureaucratic maze rather than a modern reform. What was launched as a visionary restructuring effort is now viewed by many as a misstep weakening the Railways’ core strength.
As stakeholders await further judicial and policy decisions, passenger safety, operational efficiency, and the morale of India’s railway workforce hang in the balance.
