Indian Railways News: Shock for railway employees! The special tradition of 20 years of getting benefits after retirement will now end, why?

Disappointing news has emerged for millions of employees in Indian Railways. The Ministry of Railways has decided to permanently discontinue the 20-year-old tradition of awarding 'gold-plated silver medals' to retiring employees and officers. The order issued by the Railway Board's Principal Executive Director Renu Sharma has caused discontent among the employees. This rule will apply to those retiring on or after January 31, 2026.

Since March 2006, the railway had a tradition of awarding these 20-gram medals at retirement ceremonies in honor of employees. However, the medal scam in the Bhopal division led to the cancellation of this scheme. An internal investigation revealed that the medals, which were supposed to contain silver, had only 0.23% silver and the rest was fake. Following this, the railway filed an FIR against the supplier and blacklisted them. The tradition was ended to curb this corruption.

The Railway Board clarified that the existing stock of medals will not be used as retirement gifts, but will be used for other administrative purposes. Consideration is underway to honor employees retiring from February 2026 with alternatives such as certificates or cash prizes. Employee unions have objected to this decision and demanded a transparent supply process.

This decision is making retirement ceremonies in the railways simple, and strict rules may be implemented in the future to prevent such scams. There is discontent over the discontinuation of this tradition that recognized the service of millions of employees.