Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)

Why in news?

• The Commissioner of Railway Safety, part of Commission of Railway Safety (CRS), will investigate the train accident in Odisha.

About Commission of Railway Safety (CRS):

• The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) is a significant regulatory body in India responsible for ensuring the safety of railway operations.
• It is an independent statutory authority established under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Railways, and Transport of the Government of India.
• The primary role of the CRS is to investigate railway accidents and incidents, conduct safety inspections, and grant safety certificates for new railway projects, including new lines, bridges, tunnels, and stations.

Functions:

• It deals with matters related to safety of rail travel & operations, apart from inspectorial, investigatory, and advisory functions.
• The CRS operates under the provisions of the Railways Act, 1989, and its jurisdiction extends to all railway systems in India, including Indian Railways and other privately owned or operated railways.

Administrative control:

• CRS comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).  It does NOT report to the Ministry of Railways.
• The reason for its inclusion under Ministry of Civil Aviation is to keep it insulated from the influence of the country’s railway establishment.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding ‘Commission of Railway Safety (CRS)’:

Statement – I: The primary role of the CRS is to investigate railway accidents and conduct safety inspections

Statement – II: It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is the correct explanation for Statement I

(b) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is not the correct explanation for Statement I

(c) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect

(d) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.

Answer