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Who among the following became the first woman Chief Executive and Chairperson of the Railway Board on 1 September 2023?
Maria Kalavathy
Surekha Bhosale
Jaya Varma Sinha
Kabitha Mathur
Jaya Varma Sinha
Jaya Varma Sinha was appointed as the first female Chairperson and CEO of the Railway Board on 1 September 2023.
Jaya Varma Sinha made history by becoming the first woman to lead the 118-year-old Railway Board, the apex body governing the Indian Railways. Her appointment marked a significant milestone in gender representation within top-tier bureaucratic and administrative roles in India. Prior to this, she had gained national recognition for her role in handling the public communication and crisis management following the Balasore train accident. Her tenure focuses on modernizing rail infrastructure and enhancing passenger safety protocols.
The Railway Board was first constituted in 1905 under the British Raj through a notification of the Department of Commerce and Industry. It functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways, which is currently headed by the Union Cabinet Minister of Railways. Constitutionally, Indian Railways falls under the Union List (Entry 22) of the Seventh Schedule.
Appointment Date: 1 September 2023
Predecessor: Anil Kumar Lahoti
Service Batch: 1988 batch of the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)
Tenure: Appointed until 31 August 2024 (subsequently extended)
C is correct тАФ Jaya Varma Sinha became the first woman to lead the Railway Board as its Chairperson and CEO on 1 September 2023.
Remember that the Railway Board was the first statutory body formed to manage rail operations; associating the 'first woman' with the 'first governing body' helps retention.