What is Mil Rail and which Group 'C' Officer received the prestigious 'Chief of Army Staff Commendation'?
On 15 January 2021, incumbent Chief Controller, Amresh Kumar Chaudhary has been awarded prestigious 'Chief of Army Staff Commendation' for his formidable contribution to the Indian Armed Forces amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and various other operations.
As quoted by The Print, an Officer of the Indian Railways stated, "This is the first time a Group ‘C’ staff of the Railways has been awarded by the Army. In general, for the Army to award a civilian with this honour, the official concerned has to be extraordinary. This is the top brass of the Army recognising the contribution of the Mil Rail. In the past, only one or two other officers of the Railways have been given such an award, but those were senior officers."
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What is Mil Rail?
Mil Rail or Miliary wing of the Railways is an extension of Traffic Directorate of Ministry of Railways, headed by Executive Director (ED) level officer. Its office is situated at Army Headquarters-- Sena Bhawan.
Mil Rail is responsible for overall coordination, strategic planning and execution of Railway Logistics Support to the Indian Defence Forces during peace as well as emergency situations.
Mil Rail works in close coordination with Ministry of Defence for Railway operations pertaining to their requirements. A separate control room manages all these Railway operations which are headed by a Chief Controller.
Who is Amresh Kumar Chaudhary?
50-year-old Amresh Kumar Chaudhary is currently working as a Chief Controller in Mil Rail. He was closely involved in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in 2019 and the ongoing standoff between India and China. He has been instrumental in the movement of troops especially after the Pulwama attack in 2019 and amid the ongoing standoff between India and China in Ladakh.
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As per a statement released by Ministry of Railways, Amresh Kumar Chaudhary is a very sincere, hard-working, proactive and result-oriented official with the highest degree of integrity.
Chief of Army Staff Commendation
As per Indian Army, Chief of Army Staff Commendation is presented for individual acts of gallantry or distinguished service or devotion to duty performed either in operational or non-operational areas which are not of a sufficiently high order to qualify for a higher gallantry award or for which the higher award is inappropriate.
All ranks of the Indian Army and civilian personnel working under the supervision, direction and control of the Indian Army are eligible for the award. The award will not be made posthumously.
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