In this issue

The recent merger of various Indian Railways services
seems to have ruffled many feathers. In the corridors
of the Rail Bhawan, it’s being interpreted as a hamhanded
approach to address the various problems
that plague the world’s biggest railway network.
Experts view the latest move by the Railways Ministry
as the cynical first step towards privatisation of the
Indian Railways, instead of trying to address the
systemic issues that have adversely impacted its
Operating Ratio, affecting its modernisation plan,
expansion and efficiency. The sweeping changes that
the ministry is trying to ram through also mark the
beginning of the end of a welfare enterprise that
provides a cheap means of transport to the country’s
poorest of the poor. In a bigger context, this is,
perhaps, the first clear signs of the end of a welfare
state. It’s also apparent that the government is in no
mood to learn from the disastrous consequences of
privatisation of Railways in other countries, especially
in Latin America and Africa, as it embarks upon
dismantling the superstructure of transportation in
India, writes Srinand Jha

gfiles Magazine Description:

gfiles is the country's first independent magazine written, designed and produced for India's civil services—the vast and formidable network of bureaucracies and public sector organisations that provides continuity and stability to this nation's governance.

Every month this niche market product reaches 56,000 individuals with a universe of more than 1,00,000 readers. Its exclusive audience consists of the men and women who lead the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Class I Union Services, as well as a host of Allied Services.

gfiles magazine edited by India's seniormost journalists who have made an intensive study of the reading preferences of decision makers and implementers in government services, the magazine—with substantial contributions from serving and retired officers—is uniquely designed to engage the bureaucrat's attention in the entire content. It has therefore been divided into sections according to the specific reading needs of this target audience. While these readers flip through newswpapers and general magazines, they read gfiles from page to page.

This is because gfiles magazine provides not only exclusive news unavailable anywhere else in the media or the Internet, but also focuses exclusively on the future, anticipating events and developments. It contains detailed, extensive, and accurate reports about transfers and postings. It features interviews, case studies, snippets, retirement profiles, financial planning advice, political changes, as well as birthdays and alumni tracking.

gfiles magazine cuts through rumour mills and hearsay and helps India's civil servants reach out to one another, share and become acquainted with their issues, practical problems, everyday challenges and the intricacies of their working environment.