RDSO - Research Designs and Standards Organisation and CAMTECH

RDSO - Research Designs and Standards Organisation

 

Genesis of RDSO: 

• Till Independence, most of the designs and manufacture of Railway equipment were entrusted to Foreign countries. 
• To enforce standardisation and coordination amongst various railway systems, the Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA) was set up in 1903.
• CSO - Central Standards Office was set up at Shimla in the year 1930 for the preparation of designs, standards and specifications. 
•  After Independence, a new organisation called Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) was set up in 1952 at Lucknow, for testing and conducting applied research for the development of railway rolling stock, permanent way etc.
• The Central Standards Office (CSO) and the Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) were integrated into a single unit named RDSO - Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in 1957, under the Ministry of Railways at Lucknow.

 

Salient features: 

• Located at Lucknow 
• The status of RDSO has been changed from an ’Attached Office’ to ’Zonal Railway’ since 01.01.2003. 
• Sole R&D organisation of IR 
• Technical advisor to Railway Board, Zonal Railways and Production Units
• Headed by a Director General ( GM equivalent Rank - HAG +)
• Assisted by Special Director General (Engineering), Special Director General (Vendor Development), Additional Director General, Principal Executive Directors and Executive Directors, heading different directorates.
• Total Directorates - 32 
• All the directorates of RDSO, except Quality Assurance field Units, are located at Lucknow.
• Liaison Cells at Bangalore, Bhopal, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

 

Functions of RDSO:

• Development of new and improved designs.
• Development, adoption, and absorption of new technology for use on Indian Railways.
• Development of standards for materials and products specially needed by Indian Railways.
• The technical investigation, statutory clearances, testing and providing consultancy services.
• Inspection of critical and safety items of rolling stock, locomotives, signalling & telecommunication equipment and track components.

Governing Council: 

• Chairman: Chairman & CEO, Railway Board
• Members: Member Finance, Member (Infrastructure), Member (Traction & Rolling Stock), Director General (Staff), Member (Operation & Business Development), Addl. Members (Plg) and Director General,/RDSO
• Member Secretary: Executive Director E&R/Railway Board

Functions: 

• To identify and approve the R&D projects for technology development on Indian Railways.
• To review the progress of projects
• To determine the quantum of direct investment in technology development within the overall allocation of funds under the Plan Head ’Railway Research’. -1800
• To give direction for improving the working of RDSO. 

CBRR - Central Board of Railway Research

• Chairman - Director General, RDSO
• Member Secretary - Additional Director General, RDSO
• Members: AM (Civil Engg.), AM (Mech. Engg.) AM(Signal), AM(Traffic), AM(Finance), Adviser (Infra), ED(E&R), ED(Planning) 
• Consists of Non-Railway Members such as Scientists, Technologists, Engineers and Senior executives of other research organisations, academic institutions and industrial units related to Railways. 

 

Functions of CBRR: 

 

1.    Recommend the programme of research on IR

2.    Review the research programme from time to time

3.    Coordination and assistance from other research bodies

4.    Review the ongoing projects from the technical angle

 

CAMTECH

• Stands for Centre for Advanced Maintenance TECHnology 
•  Headquarters: Gwalior  
• The subsidiary organisation under the administrative control of RDSO(Research, Designs & Standards Organisation), Lucknow. 

• CAMTECH Directorate headed by PED (PHOD Rank in HAG Officer)

Objectives: 

1. Serving 4 Technical Departments of Indian Railways i.e., Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and S&T
2. Upgrade maintenance technologies and methodologies and achieve improvement in productivity and performance of all Railway Assets and Manpower.
3. Carries out in-depth studies of maintenance problems, identifies and helps Zonal Railways to implement possible solutions.
4. Imparts Training
5. Prepares Maintenance Manuals, Handbooks, Technical instructions, guidelines, pamphlets, and video films for maintenance of all 4 Technical Departments of Indian Railways i.e., Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and S&T

 

Key Takeaways for MCQ - RDSO

1.    RDSO stands for Research Designs and Standards Organisation. 

2.    RDSO Headquarters: Lucknow

3.    RDSO headed by Director General (GM Rank - HAG+)

4.    RDSO is the Sole R&D organisation of IR 

5.            Technical advisor to Railway Board, Zonal Railways and Production Units

6.            The status of RDSO has been changed from an ’Attached Office’ to ’Zonal Railway’ since 01.01.2003.

7.            IRCA was set up in 1903 and closed in 2022

 

8.            IRCA stands for Indian Railway Conference Association

 

9.            CSO - Central Standards Office set up in 1930 at Shimla - the predecessor of RDSO

 

10.          Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) was set up in 1952 at Lucknow - predecessor of RDSO

 

11.          CSO and RTRC - integrated into a single unit named RDSO in 1957

 

12.          CBRR stands for Central Board of Railway Research

13.          Liaison Cells at Bangalore, Bhopal, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hyderabad and New Delhi.

14.          Plan Head number for Railway Research - 1800

15.          CAMTECH stands for Centre for Advanced Maintenance TECHnology.

16.          CAMTECH Headquarters: Gwalior

17.          CAMTECH is a Subsidiary Organisation of RDSO

18.          CAMTECH is Headed by PED (HAG rank)

19.          CAMTECH serves all 4 technical departments i.e., Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and S&T

20.          PED stands for Principal Executive Director

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