Hyderabad, Nov 26 (Representative) R.K. Mangla, Member (Infrastructure), Railway Board, on Thursday stated that Indian Railways is witnessing a huge convergence in recent times and undergoing the great phase of transformation which will result in rapid technological advancements in every aspect of the Indian Railways. Speaking at the 65th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications (IRISET), Secunderabad here, Mangla stated that the role of IRISET is exceptional in the times of rapid technological advancements in the field of Communications & Signaling. Speaking on the occasion, South Central Railway (SCR) General Manager Arun Kumar Jain, stated that railway signaling is a specialized subject which is not taught in any educational institute, IRISET has achieved the remarkable task of training 1 lakh personnel in the area of Signaling & Communication. The quality of training given at the institute has no match which elevated it to the global standards.
We need to upgrade the knowledge of staff working in the Signal & Telecom departments on par with the fast pace of trends in technology, he said. Automatic Train Protection System-KAVACH is a shining example of the advanced technological systems to provide the safest operation of trains. Setting up of the Infrastructure Centre of Excellence for KAVACH is a pioneering act for the future technological up-gradation, he added. In his keynote address on the occasion, International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Director Prof.P.J.Narayanan stressed the need to proliferate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI & ML) based technologies in Railways to analyze the data received from various sub-systems to enable improve efficiency of the organization. Highlighting the new programs commenced by the Institute for training on Kavach-indigenous Automatic Train Protection technology during the year, IRISET Director General Sudhir Kumar said the Institute signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AICTE to introduce open electives on Railway Signalling and Kavach technology in the curriculum of B.Tech and M.Tech students of engineering colleges.
He stated that the Institute laid emphasis on attaining self reliance in the new technologies like Electronic Interlocking, Digital Axle Counters, IP-MPLS and LTE mobile wireless broadband communication technology. The Institute has completed the gigantic task of imparting skills to 1635 Engineers recruited through Railway Recruitment Boards to handle train safety responsibilities in Zonal Railways, he added. On the occasion, Mangla laid foundation stones for setting up of infrastructure of CoE for Kavach and Centre for LTE application, development and integration. He also inaugurated newly created facilities – Electronic Interlocking Laboratory, renovated Conference Hall and Smart Studio Class rooms on the occasion. The Gyandeep (Technical Magazine) also released on the occasion. Academic distinction awards were presented to 25 trainees for excellence in training Programs on the occasion. Ankit Kumar Mishra, IRSSE, Probationary Officer and Ms. Sai Himamshu Sabbani, Apprentice JE/Signal secured meritorious performance awards in the academic & training programs. Earlier during the day, a technical symposium was conducted on modern technologies – Kavach, Centralized Traffic Control, 5G technologies and Industry 4.0 with speakers from industry and Zonal Railways. G.K Dwivedy, Principal Chief Signal & Telecommunications Engineer, SCR and other senior officials were also present on the occasion. The institute also set up exhibition stalls with products of Signaling and Telecommunication systems and upcoming developments on the occasion.