This suggestion has merit. NITI Ayog, the national institute entrusted with the job of transforming India has recommended that an independent body with statutory backing be set up to supervise rail safety. The recommendation is a part of a note prepared by Ayog member Bibek Debroy and is based on statistics which show that human failure accounted for 87 per cent of all rail accidents. Of this 46 per cent are the result of railway staff failure while 41 per cent are due to the failure of road users. Last year around 196 people lost their lives due to derailment accidents while 40 died at level crossings. Presently, rail safety is monitored by the Commission of Railway Safety, which surprisingly, reports to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The commission has statutory backing but remains under the control of the Union government, which means, that despite the best intentions of the commission, it is amenable to pressure from the government. UK, for instance, has an independent rail safety regulator which reports to Parliament and the courts. If the number of accidents is to be reduced, then the recommendation made by NITI Ayog is the way forward and the Union government must act on it quickly.
