Railways scraps 20-year tradition: No more gold-plated silver medals for retirees

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Indian Railways has been significantly impacted by the fake silver coin (medal) scam. The Railway Board has taken a significant decision in this matter, ending the 20-year-old tradition of presenting silver coins to retiring employees with immediate effect. The Railways will no longer award gold-plated silver medals as farewell gifts to retiring officers and employees.

Renu Sharma, Principal Executive Director of the Railway Board, issued a formal order in this regard on Wednesday (January 28, 2026). The order clearly states that the practice of awarding gold-plated silver medals to retiring railway officers is to be discontinued. That is, the practice of awarding gold-plated silver medals to retiring railway officers is being discontinued.

In fact, since March 2006, the Railways began giving its retiring employees a gold-plated silver coin weighing approximately 20 grams as a mark of respect. Over the past 20 years, thousands of employees have been given this silver coin as a farewell gift. This tradition has been seen as a symbol of respect and service within the Railways. However, the medal scam that surfaced in the Bhopal division is believed to be a major reason behind this decision. An investigation revealed that many of the medals given to employees upon retirement were fake, with a silver content of only 0.23 percent. This means that the coins, which were claimed to be made of silver, were not even made of silver in the slightest.

Following the incident, the Railways filed an FIR against the supplier in question and initiated the process of blacklisting it. Furthermore, the Railways' existing stock of medals will no longer be used as retirement gifts, but will be used for other administrative or optional purposes.

According to the Railway Board's order, this new rule will also apply to officers retiring on January 31, 2026. This means that employees retiring on or after this date will no longer receive this gold-plated silver medal.