A major scandal has erupted in India over fake service medals for railway employees. Thousands of retirees who received 'silver' gold-plated medals on retirement are shocked after laboratory tests revealed the items are almost entirely made of copper. The medals, officially described as silver-plated, were found to contain no more than 0.23% silver. One retiree, a former locomotive inspector, considered his medal not just a souvenir but a symbol of a lifetime of service. Another retiree with 36 years of service said, "I feel betrayed. This medal was supposed to be a token of appreciation for our service." The railway management has filed a lawsuit, claiming the medals were counterfeit. Each 20-gram medal was supposed to cost between 2,000 and 2,200 rupees, suggesting potential fraud amounting to millions of rupees. When doubts about quality arose, the railway's audit authority ordered testing at a government-accredited lab, which confirmed the medals were mostly copper. It was reported that such medals were previously minted at a government mint.
