Indian Railways to stop giving medals to retiring officials
India
Starting January 28, 2026, Indian Railways will no longer hand out gold-plated silver medals to retiring staff—a tradition that's been around for nearly 20 years.
The ministry says leftover medals will be used elsewhere.
While the official notice didn't spell out why, insiders point to rising silver prices and complaints about poor-quality medals from vendors.
Why it matters
These medals first appeared in 2006 and were a small way of saying "thank you" as employees wrapped up their careers.
Each one weighed about 20gm and showed off the Indian Railways logo—plus the name of the railway unit since 2008.
The circular gave no reason, though officials cited rising silver prices and complaints about poor-quality medals as possible factors.