New Delhi: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday told the Parliament that in the last 10 years (2014-2015 to 2024-2025), Indian Railways recruited 5.08 lakh people, compared to 4.11 lakh in the earlier 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 period, which is an increase of 23.6 per cent.
The recruitment of 1,20,579 vacancies has been taken up on Indian Railways as per the annual calendar 2024 and 2025.
“Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the regular operations, changes in technology, mechanisations, and innovative practices. The vacancies are filled up, primarily by placement of indents by Railways with recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements,” said the minister in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
During January to December 2024, 10 Centralised Employment Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified for filling up of several posts like Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), Technicians, Sub-Inspectors, Constables in Railway Protection Force (RPF), and Junior Engineers (JEs), among others.
The minister said that “computer-based test (CBT) for 32,438 vacancies for level-1 categories has commenced from 27.11.2025 in 140 cities in 15 languages and Physical efficiency Test (PET) for 4,208 vacancies of Constable (RPF) has commenced from 13.11.2025”.
“Panels for more than 23,000 candidates for various posts, including the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots, have been finalised. Majority of them are in safety categories,” he mentioned.
In addition, as per the annual calendar for the year 2025, seven Centralised Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have also been issued.
“The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature, entailing large-scale mobilisation of men and resources and training of manpower. Railways overcame all these challenges and successfully conducted the recruitment in a transparent manner, following all laid down guidelines. No instance of paper leakage or similar malpractice has occurred during the entire process,” the minister said.
Further, as a system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has introduced a system of publishing an annual calendar from 2024 for recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ posts.
(IANS)
