Press Information Bureau English Releases

Shri K. C. Jena, an officer of 1971 batch of Indian Railway Traffic Service, has taken over as the new Chairman, Railway Board and ex-officio Principal Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Railways, here today. His ascendancy to the Railway Board comes at a time when the Indian Railways is witness to an unprecedented turnaround and is on the throes of an order-of-magnitude change. Prior to this he has been holding the post of Member (Staff), Railway Board since 31st July 2006.

Shri Jena has risen to the highest office in the Indian Railways, after having held important operational management assignments on the South Eastern Railway including that of the Chief Freight Traffic Manager. Known by his dynamic leadership and pro-active approach to challenges, he joined the Railway Board initially as Executive Director (Safety) and then took over as Executive Director (Coaching).

He also served as the Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger Services) and thereafter as Chief Operating Manager, Western Railway. During this tenure, he received the prestigious Zonal Efficiency Shield for Excellency in Operations for the year 2004-05. His stint as Division Railway Manager, Vadodra saw path-breaking initiatives in the field of passenger amenities and in pioneering the concept of Special Purpose Vehicle as the future to modernization and expansion of Indian Raillways.

Shri Jena was elevated to the post of Additional General Manager, Central Railway and thereafter, took over the dual charge of the posts of General Manager, North Central Railway, Allahabad and General Manager, East Central Railway, Hajipur. Later, he continued as General Manager, East Central Railway.

He brings to the office his erudite knowledge and scholarship, imbibed in the course of his study, among others, at the Madras Christian College, Chennai and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service in the year 1971.

Shri Jena traveled extensively, both within and outside the country whereby he could glean the challenges and opportunities for the Indian Railways. He has received training in U.K. on Inter-modal traffic at the University College of Cardiff, on Management Information Systems in Sweden, Germany and the USA and on Management Essentials for High Potential Executives at STERN School of Business, New York, USA.

Shri Jena was elected as the National Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), India, headquartered in U.K. in March 2007. He has been the recipient of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Sadhbhawana Award for the year 2007 from Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. AKS/HK

( The photograph of Shri Jena ias available on the PIB website i.e. pib.nic.in)
(Release ID :30790)