**Executive Summary**
This document answers questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding contractual vacancies in Indian Railways, aiming to clarify the number of vacancies, recruitment processes, and plans for regularizing contractual workers. The response indicates that filling vacancies is a continuous process and recruitment of 1,20,579 vacancies has been taken up on Indian Railways as per the annual calendar for 2024 and 2025. The document also mentions that there is no provision for regularization of such contractual staff in Indian Railways. The answer is addressed to be answered on December 3, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Vacancy Management:**
* Filling vacancies is a continuous process, considering the size, spatial distribution, and criticality of operations in Indian Railways.
* Vacancies are filled primarily by placement of indents by Railways with Recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements.
* **Ongoing Recruitment:**
* Recruitment of 1,20,579 vacancies has been taken up on Indian Railways as per the annual calendar for 2024 and 2025.
* During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified.
* Computer Based Tests (CBTs) have been completed for 59,678 posts, and the details including the name of the Exam, Candidates, Cities and Languages are included in the document.
* **Examination and Testing:**
* Second-stage CBTs have been completed for ALP, JE/DMS/CMA, and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) posts.
* Computer-Based Aptitude Tests (CBAT) for the post of ALP have also been completed.
* CBT for 32,438 level-1 category vacancies commenced from 27.11.2025 in 140 cities.
* Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for 4,208 constable (RPF) vacancies commenced from 13.11.2025.
* **Finalization and Transparency:**
* Panels for over 23,000 candidates for various posts including Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors (RPF), and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalized.
* The recruitment process is conducted transparently following laid-down guidelines, with no instances of paper leakage or malpractice.
* **Future Vacancies:**
* Seven Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have been issued as per the Annual Calendar for the year 2025.
* **Contractual Engagements:**
* Contractual engagements are purely temporary and time-bound, undertaken to ensure smooth Railway operations until regular posts are filled.
* There is no provision for regularization of contractual staff in Indian Railways.
**Impact Analysis**
**Job Aspirants/Candidates**
* **Impact:** Candidates seeking employment in Indian Railways are affected by the ongoing recruitment processes, exam schedules, and notifications for various posts. The introduction of an annual calendar aims to provide more opportunities, certainty of exams, and faster recruitment.
* **Action Required:** Candidates need to stay informed about notifications, exam schedules, and prepare accordingly.
**Contractual Workers**
* **Impact:** Contractual workers are affected by the policy that there is no provision for regularization of their services. Their engagement is purely temporary and for urgent operational requirements.
* **Action Required:** No specific action is required as the policy remains unchanged.
**Indian Railways Administration**
* **Impact:** The Ministry of Railways is responsible for managing and maintaining the recruitment processes, filling vacancies, and ensuring smooth railway operations through regular and contractual staffing.
* **Action Required:** Continue implementing the annual calendar for recruitment, conduct transparent recruitment processes, and manage the temporary engagement of contractual staff.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The central ministry responsible for answering questions about contractual vacancies in the Indian Railways.
Indian Railways: The entity where contractual vacancies are being addressed, including the number and regularization of contractual workers.
Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs): Notifications issued for recruitment to various posts in the Indian Railways.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 590
TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025
CONTRACTUAL VACANCIES IN RAILWAYS
590. SMT. RACHNA BANERJEE:
SHRI BAPI HALDAR:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of vacancies in the Indian Railways, zone-wise;
(b) the number of vacancies in safety related category, zone-wise;
(c) the number of total posts and the number of posts vacant in the
Commission of Railway Safety;
(d) the details of the steps taken by the Government to fill up these
posts;
(e) the details of the contractual workers currently engaged in
various railway zones;
(f) whether there is any plan to regularise their services and if so,
the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(g) whether there has been any delay in the recruitment process due
to administrative or legal reasons and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (g): Occurrence and filling up of vacancies are continuous
processes in Indian Railways considering its size, spatial
distribution and criticality of operation. Adequate and suitable
manpower is provided to cater to the regular operations, changes intechnology, 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.
Presently recruitment of 1,20,579 vacancies has been taken up on
Indian Railways as per annual calendar 2024 and 2025.
During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment
Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified for filling up
of posts of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), Technicians, Sub-
Inspectors, Constables in Railway Protection Force (RPF), Junior
Engineers (JEs)/ Depot Material Superintendent (DMS)/ Chemical &
Metallurgical Assistant (CMA), Paramedical Categories, Non-
Technical Popular Categories (Graduate), Non-Technical Popular
Categories (Under-Graduate), Ministerial & Isolated Categories and
Level-1 categories such as Assistants, Track Maintainers and
Pointsman.
First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 59,678
posts has been completed. Details are as under-
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
1st Stage CBT for the post of 18,40,347 156 15
ALP (18,799 vacancies)
CBT for the post of Technician 26,99,892 139 15
(14,298 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for the post of 11,01,266 146 15
JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF-SI 15,35,635 143 15
(452 vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF- 45,30,288 147 15
Constable (4208 vacancies)CBT for Paramedical 7,08,321 143 15
Categories (1,376 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical 58,41,774 141 15
Popular Category (Graduate)
(8,113 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical 63,27,473 157 15
Popular Category (Under
Graduate) (3,445 vacancies)
CBT for Ministerial & Isolated 4,46,013 139 15
categories (1,036 vacancies)
2nd stage CBTs for the posts of ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-
Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) has also been completed.
Details are as under: -
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
2nd Stage CBT for the post of 2,66,363 112 15
ALP (18,799 vacancies)
2nd Stage CBT for the post of 1,17,339 118 15
JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
2nd Stage CBT for Non- 1,21,931 129 15
Technical Popular Category
(Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP has also
been completed. Details are as under:-
Exam Candidates Cities Languages
CBAT for the post of ALP 1,32,044 84 2
(18,799 vacancies)
CBT for 32,438 vacancies for level -1 categories has commenced
from 27.11.2025 in 140 cities in 15 languages. 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.
In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, seven
Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies
have also been issued:
SN CEN No. Post Name No. of Month of
Vacancies Notification
notified
1 01/2025 Assistant Loco 9,970 March 2025
Pilots
2 02/2025 Technicians 6,238 June 2025
3 03/2025 Para-medical 434 July 2025
4 04/2025 Section Controllers 368 August 2025
5 05/2025 Junior Engineers / 2,585 October 2025
Depot Material
Superintendent
6 06/2025 NTPC (Graduate) 5,810 October 2025
7 07/2025 NTPC (Under- 3,058 October 2025
Graduate)
The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large
scale mobilization of men and resources and training of manpower.
Railway 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.
Recruitment done in Indian Railways during 2004-2005 to 2013-2014
vis-à-vis during 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 is given as under:-Period Recruitments
2004-2005 to 2013-2014 4.11 lakhs
2014-2015 to 2024-2025 5.08 lakhs
Further, as a system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has
introduced a system of publishing annual calendar from 2024 for
recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ posts. The
introduction of annual calendar is benefitting the aspirants in the
following manner:-
• More opportunities for candidates;
• Opportunities to those becoming eligible every year;
• Certainty of exams;
• Faster Recruitment process, Training and Appointments.
In exigencies of work, contractual engagement is resorted to as a
stop-gap arrangement till regular incumbents join the posts. Such
contractual engagement is purely temporary and time-bound, and is
undertaken only to ensure smooth functioning of Railway operations
until posts are filled through regular selection as per extant rules
and procedures.
Engagement on contract basis is purely contractual in nature and
does not confer any right upon such personnel for regular
employment, absorption, or continuance in Railway service. Since
contractual engagement is carried out only to meet urgent
operational requirements, there is no provision for regularization of
such contractual staff in Indian Railways.
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