<Tr> <Th> Inaugural holder </Th> <Td> John Mathai </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Formation </Th> <Td> 15 August 1947 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Minister of Railways is the head of the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India . The railway minister is usually accorded a cabinet rank, and is responsible for Indian Railways, one of the largest employers in the world . An important responsibility of the railway minister is to present in Parliament the Railway Budget, the Annual Financial Statement of Indian Railways . Piyush Goyal of the Bharatiya Janata Party is the current Minister of Railways, serving since 3 September 2017. Railways Minister (India) </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Term of office </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Political party (Alliance) </Th> <Th> Prime Minister </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> - </Td> <Td> Asaf Ali </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2 September 1946 </Td> <Td> 14 August 1947 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> None (Interim govt) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> John Mathai </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 August 1947 </Td> <Td> 22 September 1948 </Td> <Td> Jawaharlal Nehru </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 22 September 1948 </Td> <Td> 13 May 1952 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lal Bahadur Shastri </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 May 1952 </Td> <Td> 7 December 1956 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Jagjivan Ram </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 7 December 1956 </Td> <Td> 10 April 1962 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Swaran Singh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 10 April 1962 </Td> <Td> 21 September 1963 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> H.C. Dasappa </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 September 1963 </Td> <Td> 8 June 1964 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> S.K. Patil </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 9 June 1964 </Td> <Td> 12 March 1967 </Td> <Td> Lal Bahadur Shastri Indira Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> C.M. Poonacha </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 March 1967 and </Td> <Td> 14 February 1969 </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Ram Subhag Singh </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 14 February 1969 </Td> <Td> 4 November 1969 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Panampilli Govinda Menon </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 4 November 1969 </Td> <Td> 18 February 1970 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Gulzarilal Nanda </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 18 February 1970 </Td> <Td> 17 March 1971 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> K. Hanumanthaiya </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 18 March 1971 </Td> <Td> 22 July 1972 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> T.A. Pai </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 23 July 1972 </Td> <Td> 4 February 1973 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Lalit Narayan Mishra </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5 February 1973 </Td> <Td> 2 January 1975 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Kamalapati Tripathi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11 February 1975 </Td> <Td> 23 March 1977 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Madhu Dandavate </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 26 March 1977 </Td> <Td> 28 July 1979 </Td> <Td> Janata Party </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Morarji Desai </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (13) </Td> <Td> T.A. Pai </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 30 July 1979 </Td> <Td> 13 January 1980 </Td> <Td> Janata Party (Secular) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charan Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Kamalapati Tripathi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 14 January 1980 </Td> <Td> 12 November 1980 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Kedar Pandey </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 12 November 1980 </Td> <Td> 14 January 1982 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Prakash Chandra Sethi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 January 1982 </Td> <Td> 2 September 1982 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 2 September 1982 </Td> <Td> 31 December 1984 </Td> <Td> Indira Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Bansi Lal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 31 December 1984 </Td> <Td> 4 June 1986 </Td> <Td> Rajiv Gandhi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Mohsina Kidwai </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 June 1986 </Td> <Td> 21 October 1986 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Madhavrao Scindia </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 22 October 1986 </Td> <Td> 1 December 1989 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> George Fernandes </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 5 December 1989 </Td> <Td> 10 November 1990 </Td> <Td> Janata Dal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> V.P. Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Janeshwar Mishra </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 November 1990 </Td> <Td> 21 June 1991 </Td> <Td> Samajwadi Janata Party </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Chandra Shekhar </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> C.K. Jaffer Sharief </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 21 June 1991 </Td> <Td> 16 October 1995 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> P.V. Narasimha Rao </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> Ram Vilas Paswan </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 1996 </Td> <Td> 19 March 1998 </Td> <Td> Janata Dal (United Front) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> H.D. Deve Gowda I.K. Gujral </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> Nitish Kumar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 19 March 1998 </Td> <Td> 5 August 1999 </Td> <Td> Samata Party (NDA) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Atal Bihari Vajpayee </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> Ram Naik </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 6 August 1999 </Td> <Td> 12 October 1999 </Td> <Td> Bharatiya Janata Party (NDA) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> Mamata Banerjee </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 13 October 1999 </Td> <Td> 15 March 2001 </Td> <Td> All India Trinamool Congress (NDA) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (28) </Td> <Td> Nitish Kumar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 March 2001 </Td> <Td> 22 May 2004 </Td> <Td> Janata Dal (United) (NDA) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> Lalu Prasad Yadav </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 23 May 2004 </Td> <Td> 25 May 2009 </Td> <Td> Rashtriya Janata Dal (UPA) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Manmohan Singh </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (30) </Td> <Td> Mamata Banerjee </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 26 May 2009 </Td> <Td> 19 May 2011 </Td> <Td> All India Trinamool Congress (UPA) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 32 </Td> <Td> Dinesh Trivedi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 12 July 2011 </Td> <Td> 14 March 2012 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 33 </Td> <Td> Mukul Roy </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 March 2012 </Td> <Td> 21 September 2012 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 34 </Td> <Td> C.P. Joshi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 22 September 2012 </Td> <Td> 28 October 2012 </Td> <Td> Indian National Congress (UPA) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 35 </Td> <Td> Pawan Kumar Bansal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 28 October 2012 </Td> <Td> 10 May 2013 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> (34) </Td> <Td> C.P. Joshi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 11 May 2013 </Td> <Td> 16 June 2013 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36 </Td> <Td> Mallikarjun Kharge </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 17 June 2013 </Td> <Td> 25 May 2014 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 37 </Td> <Td> D.V. Sadananda Gowda </Td> <Td> - </Td> <Td> 26 May 2014 </Td> <Td> 9 November 2014 </Td> <Td> Bharatiya Janata Party (NDA) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Narendra Modi </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 38 </Td> <Td> Suresh Prabhu </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 10 November 2014 </Td> <Td> 3 September 2017 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 39 </Td> <Td> Piyush Goyal </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 3 September 2017 </Td> <Td> Incumbent </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> If the office of Minister of Railways is vacant for any length of time, it automatically comes under the charge of the Prime Minister . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Which is the first railway minister of india