BIBEK DEBROY COMMITTEE REPORT

 

·         Full name is "Committee for mobilization of resources for major Railway projects and restructuring of Railway Ministry and Railway Board".

 

·         Terms of reference of the committee:

                                i.            Re organization of Railway Board.

                              ii.            Promote exchange of Officers between the Railways and other Departments.

                            iii.            Estimate financial needs and ensure the proper resources from internal & external to meet the future Railway needs.

                             iv.            Setting of Railway Regulator.

 

·         Constituted in September, 2014.

 

·         Interim Report submitted on 31.03.2015 and Full Report submitted to the Railway Board in June, 2015.

 

·         Consists of Chairman (Shri Bibek Debroy, Member, Niti Ayog) and seven Members. 

 

·          Popularly called as Debroy Committee.

   

·         Time frame for Restructuring for Indian Railways  - 5 years.  Hence it recommends three building blocks/pillars namely,

 

1)      Commercial accounting

2)      Changes in HR  and

3)      an Independent Regulator.

 

·          Recommendations of the Debroy Committee in  brief are :

 

1.      To hive off the non core activities like Hospitals, Security, Construction & maintenance of Quarters, Schools, Catering & manufacture of locos, coaches and wagons.

 

2.      Choice to GMs/DRMs  - Either  A) to persuade State Governments to bear 100 % cost of GRP - Government Railway Police ( at present 50 % ) or  B) GMs/DRMs should have freedom to choose Private Security agencies or RPF for security on the trains.

 

3.      Not recommended of privatization of Indian Railways. Prefers use of the word Liberalization.

 

4.      Schools & Colleges - Subsidizing children education at alternative schools like KVs - Kendriya Vidyalayas  &  Private schools.

 

5.      Medical facilities - a) given choice to staff for opting Railway Hospitals or private empanelled practitioners  or CGHS - Central Govt Health Services.

 

6.      Construction organizations  - Bringing out all zonal construction organisations under umbrella of one or more PSUs like IRCON or RVNL etc.

 

7.      Rationalization of More Zonal Railways/Divisions.  That means contained to optimum number of Zones/Divisions from the present number.

 

8.      DRMs to be more powerful by recommending the followings ones.

A.      Financial powers should be inflation indexed.

B.      Re appropriation of funds between Plan Heads, if earnings target is achieved. 

C.      Portion of earnings should be retained in Division for specific use.

D.     Have power to sanction new posts in lieu of surrendered posts.

E.      Finance must be completely under DRM

F.       Option to choose between RPF & Security Agencies.  

 

9.      Railway Stations - Recommends Gazetted Station Managers for A 1 & A Stations.  Supervisors at Station should report their Officers through Station Manager only.

 

10.  Railway Board should be re organized  as 

a) Member (Traction & Rolling Stock)

 b) Member ( Passenger & Freight business)

 c) Member (HR & Stores)   - Need not be from Railways

d) Member (Finance & PPP) - Need not be from Railways

 e) Member (Infrastructure)

 

11.  Accounting reforms - introduction of Accrual accounting in Indian Railways.

 

12.  Reduction of number of Group A services in Indian Railways. 

 

13.  Merging of Group A Services in two broad groups.  i) Indian Railways Technical Services

( IRSME, IRSE, IRSEE, IRSSE, IRSS ) ii) Indian Railways Logistics Service (IRTS, IRAS & IRPS)

 

14.  Lateral inflow of talent from outside, such as Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Bankers, Scientists on Deputation.  Similar way, Railway staff allowed to go on deputation to other Central Govt. departments.

 

15.  Phasing out separate presentation of Railway Budget and merger the same with General Budget.  

 

16.  Establish non-fungible or non-lapsable safety fund (with funding as surcharge and matching grant from Govt. )

 

17.  Encourage on - board catering through large food chains and local restaurants.

 

18.  Setting up of Independent Regulator - RRAI - Railway Regulatory Authority of India.

 

19.  IRMC - Indian Railway Manufacturing Company  -   All production units such as ICF, CLW etc brought under the control of IRMC.

 

20.  General Managers - GMs - should have more powers of Re Appropriation of funds.

 

***

Appendix 2 exam - Major Reform - introduction of MCQ

Major change in the pattern of Appendix 2 Exam

80 % of GRP  - Objective type Questions

20 % of GRP - Descriptive type Question (one Question)

80 % of Optional paper - Objective type Questions

20 % of Optional paper - Descriptive type Question (one Question)

No Negative marks in Appendix 2 exam. 

Click below for Railway Board Letter

Appendix 2 exam - major reforms in exam pattern - Railway Board letter

Reforms in Appendix 2 exam and Group D to Group C exam in Accounts Dept

Reforms in Accounts Dept Examinations

Good news expected - Appendix 3 IREM examination

Railway Board document for Reforms

The following measures are under consideration of Railway Board

1.     One paper with 100 marks - short notes as well as objective type questions

2.     covering Book keeping, GRP, Expenditure, Books & Budget, Traffic Accounts, Stores & Workshop Accounts replacing the existing 6 papers (Two compulsory and 4 optionals) 

3.     Merger of the cadre of Sr.SO(A), Sr.TIA & Sr.ISA

4.     Combined/unified Appendix3 IREM exam will be held annually by Railway Board

5.   Question Banks/Model Answers have to be developed by Railway Board

6.     Staff will be required to give preference for all the 3 groups of supervisory posts such as SSO, TIA & ISA

7.     Rotation of Appendix 3 qualified staff will be made by Railway Board as per exigencies.

8.     Pass Marks – 40  (for SC/ST candidates – 30)

9.     Suitable Tutorials will be imparted to the aspiring candidates.

10. Before assuming higher responsibility, qualified staff will be deputed for minimum 15 days on the job/field trining under the supervision of  SSO/TIA/ISA

11. Online written examination suggestion is under consideration to avoid difficulty in answering descriptive type questions. 

****

Objective type questions - Departmental examinations (except Accounts & RPF)

Click for Railway Board letter - Objective type questions

Salient features of Railway Board Letter No.E(NG)I/2018/PM I/4 dated 14.12.2018 – RBE 196 -Objective question paper (multiple choice questions)

·         Applicable to  1) Promotion of staff within Group C by Selection or Non-selection process and 2) Group D to Group C

·         Question paper will be 100 % objective type. That means all the questions will be of multiple choice only.

·         Applicable to all Departments, except Accounts and RPF.

·         Large Question Bank may be created.  Questions can be selected randomly from the Question Bank.

·         Examination may be in CBT (Computer Based Test) or Pen & Paper mode.

·         Negative marks.  1/3^rd of marks will be deducted for wrong answers.

·         These new instructions would apply for those selections which are notified after the date of these instructions i.e., from 14.12.2018.

####

 Reforms needed for Appendix 3 (IREM) Examination

Herein suggested the following few measures in connection with the Appendix 3 (IREM) examination conducted by the Railway Board. 

v It's time to initiate the reforms by revisit the structure, syllabus, pattern of the Appendix 3 (IREM) examination to suit the changing trends.

v The existing examination pattern, i.e., consists of six papers (descriptive nature) and syllabus areoutdated one.  It should be replaced by the two parts like “Prelims” and “Mains” in Civil Services exams, JEE, or many other competitive exams.

v The Preliminary exam should consists of multiple choice questions.  It is easy to conduct as well as test the basic knowledge of candidates, before allowing them to appear in Mains examination. Tests on English skills, Reasoning skills, computer skills should be included apart from General Rules & Procedures (covering all subjects) for selection of talented supervisors in Accounts Dept.

v The preliminary examination should be conducted online by taking advantage of Information Technology.  Thereby lot of time, expenditure will be saved with good transparency.

v  Removal of "With Books" Examination, because it has not served its purpose.  Instead, it creates confusion in the minds of candidates with the long list of carrying the codes and manuals.

Existing Papers	Proposed Papers
1. General Rules & Procedures – GRP	1. GRP –proposed to be held in multiple choice format instead of descriptive in Prelims stage
2. Advanced Book Keeping	2. Continued
3. Optional one (with Books)	3. To be deleted
4. Optional One (without Books)	4. Continued
5. Optional Two (with Books)	5. To be deleted
6. Optional Two (Without Books)	6. Continued

OVERALL

Existing	Proposed
Six Descriptive papers	One multiple choice Paper and Three Descriptive papers

v Lot of advantages to the Administration, if adopted the pattern as two stages instead of single stage (6 Descriptive papers)

v Example: If 2000 candidates are appearing Appendix -3 exam, the savings to the Administration is as follows.

In One stage (existing)	In Two stages (proposed)	Savings
12,000 Descriptive Answer sheet	3,000 Descriptive Answer sheets	9,000 Descriptive Answer Sheets
(Evaluation of 12,000 Descriptive answer papers i.e., 2000 x 6	(Evaluation of 3,000 Descriptive answer papers i.e., 1000 x 3 (descriptive) –With the assumption of filtration of 50 % candidates only in prelims exam (multiple choice questions)	Almost 3/4th savings - evaluation of 9,000  Descriptive answer papers

v Like other recruiting agencies i.e., UPSC, SSC, Time Table of Appendix-3 examinationto be announced in the beginning of year.  It enables the candidates to plan their preparedness for attempting the examination.

v  It should include a) Examination notification date, Last date for receipt of applications, Examination date, Date of announcement of results.

v Syllabus to be redesigned and made it simple and define clearly to suit the present trends, as the existing one is outmoded.  Subjects like Accrual accounting/Commercial accounting, costing, Information technology should be added to the syllabus.

v Many more changes may be initiated depending on the present requirements of Indian railways Accounts dept.