Hitendra Malhotra, 1987-Batch IRSM Officer, Named Director General (Safety) at Railway Board

Hitendra Malhotra, a 1987-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, has been appointed Director General (Safety) at the Railway Board, moving from his previous position as Member (Operations and Business Development).

The Director General (Safety) position sits at the apex of Indian Railways' safety oversight structure, coordinating accident investigation protocols, safety audit standards, and policy implementation across all zones from the Railway Board's headquarters, a role that has taken on heightened institutional visibility following a series of significant railway accidents in recent years that prompted intensified board-level scrutiny of safety systems nationwide.

Malhotra's move from Member (Operations and Business Development), a portfolio focused on train operations planning and revenue-generating business initiatives, to the safety-focused DG role represents a shift from a growth and efficiency-oriented mandate to one centred specifically on accident prevention and regulatory compliance, though both positions sit at the Railway Board member level reporting to the Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board.

As a Mechanical Engineering service officer, Malhotra brings rolling stock and locomotive maintenance expertise to the safety portfolio, an area directly relevant given that mechanical failures and maintenance lapses remain among the categories of causal factors the Railway Board's safety audits specifically examine, alongside signalling, track infrastructure, and human-factor causes.

The Railway Board has been implementing an expanded safety review programme across zones in recent years, including infrastructure audits and accelerated rollout of automated train protection systems, work that falls under the Director General (Safety)'s coordination responsibility at the national policy level, distinct from zone-level safety officers who handle implementation on the ground.

The appointment was notified through the Railway Board's standard process for member-level postings, which requires clearance from the Ministry of Railways.