**Executive Summary**
The document is the Ministry of Railways' response to questions in Lok Sabha regarding the engagement of retired railway employees and the current state of recruitment. It outlines the ongoing recruitment efforts for over 1.2 lakh vacancies as per the 2024 and 2025 Annual Calendars. The response also explains that retired employees are re-engaged on a temporary basis.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Recruitment Overview:**
* Filling vacancies is a continuous process, with recruitment primarily driven by Railways' operational and technological needs.
* Recruitment of 1,20,579 vacancies is underway as per the 2024 and 2025 Annual Calendar.
* Seven Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have been issued as per the Annual Calendar for 2025.
* **Recruitment Progress:**
* Ten CENs for 92,116 vacancies were notified between January and December 2024 for various posts.
* First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 59,678 posts have been completed, along with details for each exam including number of candidates, cities and languages.
* 2nd stage CBTs for certain posts (ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)) have also been completed.
* Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP has also been completed.
* CBT for 32,438 vacancies for level -1 categories has commenced from 27.11.2025.
* Physical efficiency Test (PET) for 4,208 vacancies of Constable (RPF) has commenced from 13.11.2025.
* Panels for more than 23,000 candidates have been sent to indenting Railways.
* **Annual Calendar and System Improvement**
* The Ministry of Railways introduced a system of publishing the annual calendar from 2024 for recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ post.
* The introduction of the annual calendar is benefitting the aspirants.
* Benefits include more opportunities for candidates; opportunities to those becoming eligible every year; certainty of exams; faster Recruitment process, Training and Appointments.
* **Engagement of Retired Employees:**
* Retired Railway employees are re-engaged temporarily to meet exigencies based on competency and experience, ensuring smooth progress of work until regular vacancies are filled.
* **Recruitment Numbers (2004-2025):**
* 2004-2005 to 2013-2014: 4.11 lakh recruitments
* 2014-2015 to 2024-2025: 5.08 lakh recruitments
**Impact Analysis**
**Qualified Young Aspirants**
* **Impact:**
* The ongoing recruitment drive presents substantial employment opportunities. The annual calendar and systematic approach to recruitment is meant to create certainty in the recruitment process.
* **Action Required:**
* Aspirants should monitor official notifications and prepare for upcoming examinations and physical tests.
**Retired Railway Employees**
* **Impact:**
* May be re-engaged on a temporary basis when needed to address immediate operational requirements.
* **Action Required:**
* Remain available and updated on potential temporary re-engagement opportunities.
**Ministry of Railways**
* **Impact:**
* Ensures operational efficiency and addresses technical demands through continuous recruitment.
* **Action Required:**
* Continue to execute recruitment processes as per the annual calendar.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The primary government body responsible for railway operations and recruitment in India, addressed in the parliamentary question.
Indian Railways: The organization responsible for railway services in India, specifically regarding recruitment and employment practices.
Annual Calendar: System of publishing the recruitment calendar from 2024 for various categories of Group ‘C’ post.
Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs): Notifications used for recruitment of various positions, including Assistant Loco Pilots, Technicians, and Junior Engineers.
1
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 504
TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025
ENGAGEMENT OF RETIRED RAILWAY EMPLOYEES
504. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI :
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the Government is increasingly appointing
retired staff for various operational and technical roles in light of emerging
demands in train services;
(b) if so, the details of the number of retired personnel rehired by the
Railways during the last three years zone and year-wise;
(c) the details of the reasons for preferring reappointment of retired staff
over fresh recruitment through competitive examinations;
(d) whether the Government has undertaken any assessment of the impact
of such reappointments on employment opportunities for qualified young
aspirants and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the details of the steps being taken to ensure that fresh recruitment to
critical railway posts is not neglected in favour of short-term stop-gap
measures?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (e) : Occurrence and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process
on Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality2
of operation. Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the
regular operations, changes in technology, mechanization 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 ALP (18,799 18,40,347 156 15
vacancies)
CBT for the post of Technician (14,298 26,99,892 139 15
vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA 11,01,266 146 15
(7,951 vacancies)
CBT for the post of RPF-SI (452 vacancies) 15,35,635 143 15
CBT for the post of RPF-Constable (4,208 45,30,288 147 153
vacancies)
CBT for Paramedical Categories (1,376 7,08,321 143 15
vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular 58,41,774 141 15
Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular 63,27,473 157 15
Categories (Under Graduate) (3,445
vacancies)
CBT for Ministerial & Isolated categories 4,46,013 139 15
(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 ALP 2,66,363 112 15
(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-Technical 1,21,931 129 15
Popular Categories (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 (18,799 1,32,044 84 2
vacancies)4
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 including the posts of Technicians,
Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors (RPF) and
Assistant Loco Pilots have been sent to indenting Railways. 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. Details are as under:-
S. No. CEN No. Post Name No. of Month of
Vacancies Notification
notified
1 01/2025 Assistant Loco Pilots 9,970 March 2025
2 02/2025 Technicians 6,238 June 2025
3 03/2025 Para-Medical Categories 434 July 2025
4 04/2025 Section Controllers 368 August 2025
5 05/2025 Junior Engineers / Depot 2,585 October 2025
Material Superintendent
6 06/2025 NTPC (Graduate) 5,810 October 2025
7 07/2025 NTPC (Under-Graduate) 3,058 October 2025
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 recruitment5
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 lakh
2014-2015 to 2024-2025 5.08 lakh
Further, as system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has introduced a
system of publishing the annual calendar from 2024 for recruitment to
various categories of Group ‘C’ post. The introduction of the 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
However, sometime in order to meet exigencies, retired Railway
employees are re-engaged against the vacant posts temporarily based on
competency, experience etc. to ensure smooth progress of the
developmental and other works till the vacancies are filled up on regular
basis as per the laid down rules and procedure.
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