Renaming of Indian Railways Medical Service (IRMS) as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)
Renaming of Indian Railways Medical Service (IRMS) as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)
Government of India
Ministry of Railways
(Railway Board)
No. 2025/E (GR)I/16/1
New Delhi, dated: 15-01-2025
Sub: Renaming of Indian Railways Medical Service (IRMS) as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)
In pursuance of Cabinet’s decision dated 30-12-2025, the existing service of Indian Railway Medical Officers i.e. Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS) will henceforth be known as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS).
This issues with the approval of Competent Authority.
sd/-
(Kamal Kishor)
Dy. Director/Estt. (GR)-II
Railway Board
Source: NFIR
The Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS) was officially renamed as the Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS) on 15 January 2025, following a Cabinet decision on 30 December 2025 pertaining to broader railway reforms
Background & Why the Renaming Happened
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Decision | On 24 December 2025, the Union Cabinet approved a major restructuring of Indian Railways. This included merging eight Group‑A services into a unified Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), reorganizing the Railway Board, and renaming IRMS (medical) as IRHS |
| Gazette Notification | The Ministry of Railways issued an official notification (No. 2025/E‑GRI/16/1) on 15 January 2025, stating that IRMS will henceforth be known as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS) |
| Objective of Reform | These changes aimed to dismantle departmental silos (“departmentalism”), make decision‑making functional rather than vertical, and streamline hospital and health administration for railway staff and their dependents |
What Is IRHS & What It Does
- **IIRHS is now a Group A central civil service under the Ministry of Railways, staffed by doctors recruited through the UPSC Combined Medical Services Examination(Wikipedia) ItsIts mandate includes delivering healthcare services to current railway employees, retirees, their families, vendors, and contractors.It It replaced the former Indian Railway Medical Service, inheriting all its responsibilities but with an updated title reflective of broader health service functions(Wikipedia) In In parallel, the engineering, traffic, store, accounts, and personnel cadres merged into the new IRMS service, while only two departments—Railway Protection Force and Medical Service Department (now IRHS)—remain intact
Summary
- **RRenaming date: 15 January 2025- **PPrevious name: Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS – Medical)- **NNew name: Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)- **RReason: Part of structural reforms to modernize Indian Railways by merging multiple services into IRMS and improving healthcare delivery via IRHS
If you’re interested in more details—such as recruitment procedures, the eligibility criteria for IRHS, or how this restructuring has affected field-level service delivery—just let me know!