Rly Board introduces annual feedback, grading of officials by juniors

The step is in line with the decision of the Railway Board to create a database for a ‘multisource feedback of officers’ while generating the annual performance assessment report (APAR). This will be applicable from the APAR period 2022-23, informed a senior railway official.

In a new move, the junior officers working in different departments of the Indian Railways would get an opportunity to formally give feedback of their senior officials and also award a grade to them with its direct bearing on the senior official’s annual performance assessment report (APAR).

(Pic for representation only)

The step is in line with the decision of the Railway Board to create a database for a ‘multisource feedback of officers’ while generating the APAR. This will be applicable from the APAR period 2022-23, informed a senior railway official.

A missive dated August 18 has been sent to the general managers of all the railway zones of the Indian Railways including the one to the general manager, North Central Railways (NCR).

The letter, a copy of which is with HT, has also instructed that the staff members should give fair remarks or grading without any prejudice.

For creating this database, a link will be enabled for providing feedback/grade online each year by the Indian Railways. Feedback submitted by the junior will be anonymously recorded in the database of the officials. There will be no way to track back the feedback to the superior or subordinate who has submitted the same, says the missive.

“Railway Board has issued these guidelines and a copy of the order has also been sent to the general managers of all the 17 railway zones of the country including North Central Railways (NCR). NCR would abide by the instructions for which other modalities are still awaited,” said chief public relation officer (CPRO), NCR, Shivam Sharma while confirming the development.

However senior railway officials termed the move as a double-edged sword.

“One of the good things is that now no senior official can subject his/her juniors to unnecessary harassment. But at the same time, there is always a possibility of a junior settling scores with their seniors,” said a senior official.

This could lead to even indiscipline in the department, he said.

Presently, an APAR of any employee goes through three levels (reporting authority, reviewing authority and accepting authority) which means that any employee can represent his/her case above these three levels of officials. But in this new initiative, the adverse remark by a subordinate could have implications on his/her future career progression and the official concerned could well remain clueless about it owing to the clause of anonymity in it, said another senior railway official.