Railway Ministry Drops Gold-Plated Medal Tradition Amid Quality, Cost Concerns

The Railway Ministry has ceased the tradition of gifting retiring officials gold-plated silver medals. This decision was made due to concerns over the poor quality of the medals from vendors and rising costs. Existing stock will be repurposed for other activities, addressing performance and expenditure issues.

The Railway Ministry has officially ended the tradition of presenting gold-plated silver medals to retiring railway officials, effective immediately. A recent circular has instructed heads of all zonal railways and production units to account for existing stocks and find other uses for them.

While the circular did not specify a reason, officials have expressed issues with the quality of medals procured from vendors, often found to be subpar or even counterfeit. The rising cost of silver over the past two decades has further necessitated cutting unnecessary expenses.

Established nearly two decades ago, the practice involved awarding medals weighing 20 grams, designed with the Indian Railways logo. However, with increasing quality concerns and financial considerations, the ministry has decided to discontinue this long-standing tradition.

(With inputs from agencies.)