New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the empanelment of 16 officers from various railway services for holding posts in the rank of General Manager in Level 16 for the panel year 2026.
The empanelment includes officers from major railway services such as the Indian Railway Accounts Service, Indian Railway Service of Engineers, Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers, Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, Indian Railway Personnel Service and Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers.
Alongside empanelment, several officers have also been appointed to key ex-cadre posts, including General Managers of major railway zones and senior positions in the Railway Board.
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16 Officers Empanelled for General Manager-Level Posts
The officers empanelled for appointment to General Manager rank are:
- Gitika Pandey (IRAS: 1990)
- Prem Sagar Gupta (IRSE: 1990)
- Pankaj Sharma (IRSEE: 1989)
- R Mohanraja (IRPS: 1990)
- P Ananth (IRSME: 1989)
- Nilmani (IRSE: 1990)
- Raman Krishnan (IRSME: 1990)
- Rajeev Shrivastava (IRSE: 1990)
- Dimpy Garg (IRSME: 1990)
- Manish Agarwal (IRSME: 1990)
- Ramasharay Pandey (IRSE: 1990)
- Anil Kumar Jain (IRSEE: 1990)
- Dilip Kumar Singh (IRSSE: 1990)
Extended Panel Prepared for Unforeseen Vacancies
The ACC has also approved an extended panel that may be operated if sudden and unforeseen vacancies arise during the panel year.
The officers placed in the extended panel are:
- Vivek Khare (IRSME: 1989)
- Permanand Sharma (IRSE: 1990)
- Shambhoo Sharan Kedia (IRSME: 1990)
This mechanism ensures continuity in senior railway administration in case of unexpected openings.
Major Ex-Cadre Appointments Announced
Several empanelled officers have simultaneously been assigned important ex-cadre appointments in major railway institutions and zonal headquarters.
Key appointments include:
- Ramasharay Pandey appointed as General Manager of Western Railway, Mumbai
- Rajeev Shrivastava appointed as General Manager of Central Railway, Mumbai
- R Mohanraja appointed as Secretary, Railway Board, New Delhi
- P Ananth appointed as General Manager of South Western Railway, Hubballi
- Dilip Kumar Singh appointed as General Manager of West Central Railway, Jabalpur
- Raman Krishnan appointed as General Manager of Modern Coach Factory, Rae Bareli
- Gitika Pandey appointed as Additional Member (Planning), Railway Board, New Delhi
- Anil Kumar Jain appointed as General Manager of South Eastern Railway, Kolkata
Representation from Multiple Railway Services
The empanelment reflects broad representation across railway services:
- Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS)
- Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE)
- Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE)
- Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME)
- Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS)
- Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE)
This balanced selection ensures operational, technical, financial and administrative expertise in top railway leadership.
Strategic Importance of GM-Level Appointments
General Manager-level appointments are among the most important leadership decisions in Indian Railways because these officers oversee:
- Major railway zones
- Production units
- Operational performance
- Infrastructure execution
- Safety systems
- Passenger and freight administration
The appointments also shape future leadership for Railway Board-level positions.
Focus on Operational Leadership Across Zones
The simultaneous appointments to Western Railway, Central Railway, South Western Railway and South Eastern Railway indicate a focus on strengthening top-level operational management in high-traffic zones.
Mumbai-based zones remain especially significant because they handle some of the highest passenger and freight movement in the country.
