Meet Jaya Verma Sinha, India's First Woman To Head Railway Board, Check Education Qualification

The Centre has appointed Jaya Verma Sinha as the first female chairman and CEO of the Railway Board – the top decision-making body for the country’s transporter. The selection of Sinha, an experienced employee of the Indian Railway Management Services (IRMS) received clearance from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) recently.

Jaya Sinha has at least 35 years of experience with the Indian Railways and is now serving as a member (Operations and Business Development) on the Railway Board. She will now be responsible for overseeing the overall transportation of freight and passenger services.

Jaya Sinha spent four years as the railway advisor at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. During her time in Bangladesh, the Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka was launched. She was also the Divisional Railway Manager for the Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway.

Jaya Sinha studied at St. Mary’s Convent in Allahabad. To complete her graduation, she moved to Allahabad University, Uttar Pradesh. Sinha began working with Indian Railways in 1988. She has worked in a variety of roles throughout the course of her 35-year career, including operations, information technology, marketing, and vigilance.

Since Jaya Verma Sinha is the first woman to hold this prestigious position, her appointment marks a significant turning point in the 166-year history of the Indian Railways.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Jaya Verma Sinha, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) Member Operations and Business Development) Railway Board to the post of Chairman and the CEO…..with effect from the date of assumption on or after September 1, 2023,” a government notification read.

The Centre also announced that Jaya Sinha would take over as head of the department beginning September 1, because the current head’s term ends on August 31, 2023. Until December 31, 2024, she will hold the position of railway chief in charge.

Originally from the 1986 batch of the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), Jaya Sinha, a graduate of the esteemed Allahabad University, will succeed Anil Kumar Lahoti as Railway Board chairman.

As the Member (Operations and Business Development), Jaya Sinha recently took the front stage in the railroads’ media encounters as she described the intricate signalling system in the wake of the horrific Balasore tragedy, which claimed nearly 300 lives.