Accidents, safety issues: A balancing job ahead for Railway Board's chair

As Railway Board chairman, Kumar, the first Dalit to get the office, will have to deal with rising cases of accidents and concerns of people both within and outside the Railways

Late last month, the Ministry of Railways created a historic first for the second time in as many years. A year after appointing Jaya Varma Sinha as the Railway Board’s first woman chairperson and chief executive officer (CEO), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet appointed Satish Kumar the head of the board —the first Dalit to get the office.
 

In the corridors of Rail Bhawan, Kumar had been seen as a contender but hardly a frontrunner for the top post, which made his appointment a surprise to many. Frontrunners included four serving members of the board.
 

Kumar