Railway General Managers
Railway General Managers
Key Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 1st GM of Indian Railways | F. L. Smith (1928 – East Indian Railway) |
| Present Railway Board Chairman & CEO | Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti (as on 31 Dec 2025) |
| First Lady GM of IR | Ms. Vinita Bhatnagar (Central Railway, 2000) |
| Youngest-ever GM of a Zone | Shri Ravindra Kumar Verma (SECR, 1997 – 43 yrs) |
| Longest-serving GM in one Zone | Shri P. C. Baveja (NR – 5 yrs 3 months) |
| Only GM to later become President of India | Shri Ram Nath Kovind (ex-officio GM, Railway Staff College) |
| Apex selection body for GM | Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) |
| Minimum eligibility rank | Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) – ₹2,05,400–2,24,400 |
| Tenure | Normally 2 years or until superannuation, whichever is earlier |
| Cadre controlling authority | Railway Board (Personnel Directorate) |
| Total number of Zonal Railways | 19 (as on Dec 2025) |
| Ex-officio Principal Secretary to State Govt. | GM of the Zonal HQ located in that State |
| First Zonal GM to introduce 100 % LED lit station | Shri S. K. Sood (CR – Mumbai CST, 2016) |
| GM who launched 1st Vande Bharat Express | Shri Ajay Kumar Goyal (WR – 15 Feb 2019) |
| First GM to pilot a goods train from loco cab | Shri Ashwani Saxena (ECR – 2021 safety drive) |
| Only Zone with two GMs (acting) during 2020 | ER & SER (Covid-19 tenure extension) |
| 1st GM to sign direct MoU with ISRO | Shri G. V. L. Satyakumar (SCR – 2022) |
| First woman GM of Production Unit | Ms. Seema Sharma (ICF, Chennai – 2023) |
Important Points
- A General Manager (GM) is the highest executive head of a Zonal Railway and reports to the Railway Board.
- Appointment order is issued by the Ministry of Railways after ACC clearance; no separate UPSC exam is involved.
- GM chairs the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) and Zonal Safety Review Committee.
- All Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) and Heads of Departments (PHODs/ChHODs) in the zone report to the GM.
- Financial powers: up to ₹250 crore for works, ₹50 crore for safety & passenger amenity works under delegation.
- GM is the competent authority to accord administrative approval for new lines, gauge conversion & doubling within delegated powers.
- Can re-appropriate up to 10 % of allotted capital in a financial year without Railway Board concurrence.
- On default, Principal Financial Adviser (PFA) of the zone is the financial advisor to the GM.
- GM is the Appointing Authority for Group ‘B’ officers and Disciplinary Authority for JAG level officers.
- Holds monthly “GM Ki Chai” programme with frontline staff to address grievances directly.
- Ex-officio President of the Zonal Railway Sports Association and patron of the Women’s Welfare Organisation.
- The official car allotted is an Indian-made sedan with a blue beacon – now without siren post-2017 order.
Practice MCQs
Question:01 Who was the first lady to become General Manager of an Indian Railways zone?
A) Ms. Vinita Bhatnagar – Central Railway, 2000
B) Ms. Sudha Murthy – Southern Railway, 1998
C) Ms. Kiran Bedi – Northern Railway, 2002
D) Ms. Arundhati Bhattacharya – Western Railway, 2001
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Ms. Vinita Bhatnagar made history in 2000 by becoming the first woman to head an Indian Railways zone as General Manager of Central Railway.
Question:02 The minimum rank required for being appointed as a Railway General Manager is:
A) Junior Administrative Grade (JAG)
B) Senior Administrative Grade (SAG)
C) Higher Administrative Grade (HAG)
D) Apex Grade
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The post of Railway General Manager is filled only from officers holding the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG), which is the minimum prescribed rank for this apex-level field appointment in Indian Railways.
Question:03 Which constitutional body finally clears the appointment of a Zonal Railway General Manager?
A) Union Public Service Commission
B) Railway Board
C) Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
D) Ministry of Railways
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) is the constitutional body that finally clears the appointment of a Zonal Railway General Manager.
Question:04 Who among the following former Railway General Managers later became President of India?
A) Shri Ram Nath Kovind
B) Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav
C) Shri E. Sreedharan
D) Shri Dinesh Trivedi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Before becoming the 14th President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind had served as the General Manager of the Central Railway zone.
Question:05 The number of Zonal Railways functioning in Indian Railways as on December 2025 is:
A) 17
B) 18
C) 19
D) 20
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As per the latest re-organisation approved by the Railway Board, Indian Railways is divided into 19 Zonal Railways with effect from 1 April 2025.
Question:06 Who was the General Manager of Western Railway when the first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off?
A) Shri Ajay Kumar Goyal
B) Shri Alok Kansal
C) Shri D. K. Sharma
D) Shri R. K. Yadav
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Shri Ajay Kumar Goyal was the General Manager of Western Railway when the inaugural Vande Bharat Express was flagged off.
Question:07 [The financial power delegated to a GM for safety works without referring to the Board is:]
A) ₹10 crore
B) ₹25 crore
C) ₹50 crore
D) ₹100 crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As per Railway Board’s delegation, a General Manager can sanction safety works up to ₹50 crore without referring the proposal to the Board.
Question:08 Who is the competent authority to impose a major penalty on Junior Administrative Grade officers in a zone?
A) Divisional Railway Manager
B) Chief Personnel Officer
C) General Manager
D) Railway Board Member (Staff)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The General Manager is the competent authority empowered to impose major penalties on Junior Administrative Grade officers within the zone.
Question:09 Which Indian Railways Production Unit became the first to appoint a woman General Manager?
A) Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala
B) Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
C) Rail Wheel Plant, Bela
D) Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Chennai became the first Production Unit to get a woman GM when Ms. Seema Sharma took charge in 2023.
Question:10 The official vehicle of a Railway GM is permitted to use:
A) Blue beacon with siren.
B) Blue beacon without siren.
C) Red beacon with siren.
D) Red beacon without siren.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: As per 2026 Railway rules, a GM’s official vehicle may display only a blue beacon and no siren.
BETA
