Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Railways Ministry has successfully concluded, what can be called one of the world’s largest recruitment exercise, for filling up critical safety and operational posts and has reached its completion stage.
Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) had invited online applications against Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) from February 3, 2018 to March 31, 2018, for a total 64,371 combined vacancies of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs) & Technicians. A total of 47,45,176 online applications were received. The scheme of selection consisted of 3 -stages computer based tests followed by medical examination (which is one of the stringent medical examinations considering the level of distant vision/colour vision and alertness required from a Loco Pilot) and document verification of shortlisted candidates. About 47.45 lakh candidates registered for these posts.
Panel of selected candidates has been approved comprising 56,378 Candidates (26,968 ALPs, 28,410 Technicians) out of 64,371 vacancies (27,795 ALPs, 64,371 Technicians). Appointment letters have been issued to 40,420 candidates (22,223 ALPs, 18,197 Technicians). Training of newly recruited 19,120 candidates (10,123 Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), 8,997 Technicians) to resume as soon as COVID lock down related measures ease out. Training process takes 17 weeks for ALPs and 6 months for Technicians, according to a PIB release. Joining Letters were issued to candidates before Lockdown but some candidates could not join due to CORONA outbreak and Lockdown.
All newly recruited employees will be given appointment in Railway as per the due procedure in a phased manner. The training of fresh appointees is required because Railway is an operational department and safety of train operations is paramount. Training includes class -room training followed by field training followed by Testing of the competence before deployment on working post. Since training is given batch wise considering the capacity constraints of classroom, hostel, library, instructors, etc, it has to be done in a phased manner by optimum utilisation of training resources. Due to CORONA outbreak, all form of training has been suspended to follow the social distancing norms.
This recruitment exercise was a 3 Stage process. 1st stage Computer Based Test was successfully conducted on 11 days from August 9, 2018 to September 4, 2018, in 33 shifts at 424 centres with record attendance of nearly 77% i.e. More than 36 lakh candidates appeared in the first stage examination. 2nd stage Computer Based Test was successfully conducted for 13,00,869 candidates on 3 days from January 21, 2019 to January 23, 2019 in multiple shifts.
Besides the recruitment of ALPs & technicians, Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) had also invited online applications for a total 35,208 combined vacancies of Non-Technical Popular Category (NTPC – Graduate & under Graduate level) post. A total of 1,26,30,885 online applications were received. Examination process preparation was at a advance stage during pre-Covid scenario. However, it was interrupted by outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. Indian Railways is going to expedite the recruitment process as situation eases out.