MoU Signed for Railway Chair on Sustainable Mobility at TERI University

A Railway Chair on Sustainable Mobility is being set up at TERI University, New Delhi. An MOU in this regard was signed on 23 November, 2015 in the presence of the Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu. The Chair would focus and promote research on issues of sustainable mobility, use of energy efficient technology and green energy initiatives by the Railways and would facilitate research into finding innovative solutions to these issues that are extremely important in today’s environment. Signatories to the MoU are Shri Rajiv Seth, Vice Chancellor, TERI University,and Shri Manoj Pandey, ED, Training and Man Power, Planning, Ministry of Railways. Shri Pradeep Kumar, Member Staff, Railway Board was among those present on the occasion.

Salient features:
1. The Chair shall be called ‘Indian Railways Chair for Sustainable Mobility’
2. The Chair would focus on research in various aspects of railways that has emerged as a crucial mode of transport to achieve sustainable development in the country.
3. The University would aim for imparting knowledge and enriching professionals in all aspects of sustainability with a multi-dimensional perspective relevant to Indian Railways. The Chair is expected to involve itself into issues of sustainable development, especially relevant to the rail infrastructure, use of energy efficient technology and green energy initiatives of the Railways, and to research into finding innovative solutions to these.
4. It should lend strength to the ongoing research and teaching and should open new vistas of research in the field of Rail Transport.
5. The tenure of the Chair would be one year initially, extendable upon review.
6. Annual funding is Rs 20 lakhs.
7. A Chair Professor would be appointed, who will be a renowned academician/ professional of repute, selected by the Chairman, Board of Management, TERI University, and a nominee of the Ministry of Railways.

Scope of work
a) To provide leadership in conducting research and teaching in the area of Rail Transport including energy management.
b) Dissemination of knowledge in the area
c) Advice to the Railways on specific projects related to the Chair.
d) Following are the indicative areas of research in rail transport:-
(i) Policy Interventions and strategies for increasing the modal share of rail transport;
(ii) Strategic, Capacity and Investment Planning in Railways;
(iii) Climate change with focus on GHG emission in Railway sector;
(iv) International and Global practices and innovations in Railway sector
(v) Better infrastructure productivity with improved energy efficiency and sustainable development through renewable energy resources.
(vi) Any other item on sustainable development on Railways, viz, Waste Management, Pollution Control, Environment Management and monitoring tools on Indian Railways, etc.

In addition to the above, the Chair shall also
a) Guide the research of at least one PhD scholar and two master’s level students in each year
b) Undertaking research, resulting in at least one paper on a relevant subject in a year, the specific areas of research jointly decided by the Ministry of Railways and the TERI University.
c) Developing at least one case study on Indian Rail Transport in a year, for training of Railways Managers.
d) Disseminating the research and case studies including testing facilities through seminars and presentations at the National Academy of Indian Railways or any other location suggested by the Indian Railways.