Parliament Question: SC Sub-Plan Expenditure in Railways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3178 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026 SC SUB-PLAN EXPENDITURE IN RAILWAYS 3178. DR. D RAVI KUMAR: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the number of Scheduled Caste persons employed, trained and promoted by the Railways during the last two years; (b) the details of SC Sub-Plan expenditure on railway infrastructure, station redevelopment and connectivity in SC-dominated areas; (c) whether any special skill development/apprenticeship programmes have been launched for SC youth and if so, the details thereof; and (d) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to improve safety, housing and social security of Scheduled Caste railway employees? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d): The extant provision of providing 15% reservation for Scheduled Caste persons, in recruitments as well as promotions are followed in Indian Railways. Occurrence and filling up of vacancies are continuous processes on Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of operation. 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. Presently, recruitment against 1,43,086 vacancies of non-gazetted personnel 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 92,116 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 (452 15,35,635 143 15 vacancies) CBT for the post of RPF- 45,30,288 147 15 Constable (4,208 vacancies) CBT for Paramedical 7,08,321 143 15 Categories (1,376 vacancies) 1st Stage CBT for Non- 58,41,774 141 15 Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies) 1st Stage CBT for Non- 63,27,473 157 15 Technical Popular Categories (Under Graduate) (3,445 vacancies) CBT for Ministerial & Isolated 4,46,013 139 15 categories (1,036 vacancies) CBT for level-1 post (32438 1,08,28,261 152 15 vacancies)Total Candidates 3,58,59,270 2nd stage CBTs for the posts of ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate & Under-Graduate) have also been completed. Details are as under: - Exam Candidates Cities Languages 2nd Stage CBT for the post 2,66,363 112 15 of ALP (18,799 vacancies) 2nd Stage CBT for the post 1,17,339 118 15 of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies) 2nd Stage CBT for Non- 1,21,931 129 15 Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies) 2nd Stage CBT for Non- 51,978 79 15 Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate) (3445 vacancies) Total Candidates 5,57,611 Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP and Non- Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) and Computer based Skill Test for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate and Under Graduate) and Ministerial & Isolated Categories have 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) Translation Test for 1,233 8 2 Ministerial and Isolated Categories CBAT for the post of Non- 13,616 38 2 Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) Computer Based Typing 30,341 58 2Skill Test (CBTST) for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate-level) Computer Based Typing 13,145 44 2 Skill Test (CBTST) for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under- Graduate-level) Total Candidates 1,90,379 Panels for more than 41,000 candidates for various posts including the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub- Inspectors & Constable (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalised. In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, nine Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 50,970 vacancies have also been issued. Details are as under: - No. of Month CEN No. Post Name Vacancies of Notification notified 01/2025 Assistant Loco Pilots 9,970 March 2025 02/2025 Technician 6,238 June 2025 03/2025 Paramedical categories 434 July 2025 04/2025 Section Controller 368 August 2025 Junior Engineer/ Depot 2,585 October 2025 05/2025 Material Superintendent Non-Technical Popular 5,810 October 2025 06/2025 Categories (Graduate) Non-Technical Popular 3,058 October 2025 07/2025 Categories (Under Graduate) 08/2025 Isolated Categories 312 December 2025 09/2025 level-1 22,195 December 2025First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 2953 posts has been completed. Details are as under: - EXAM Candidates Cities Languages CBT for the post of Section Controller 4,33,748 131 15 (368 vacancies) 1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS 5,74,351 133 15 (2585 vacancies) Total Candidates 10,08,099 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: - Recruitments Period Total SC category 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 4.11 lakh 64,224 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 5.08 lakh 79,115 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’ posts. 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 The total number of employees promoted and Scheduled Caste employees promoted amongst them in Indian Railways during the last two years are as under: Number of Total Percentage of Scheduled Caste Year employees Scheduled Caste employees promoted employees promoted promoted 2024 121820 20887 17.15% 2025 136270 23383 17.16% Indian Railways has a comprehensive training ecosystem with training centres across Zonal Railways and Production Units to provide skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling to employees at various stages of their careers. Irrespective of their category (SC/ST/OBC/General etc), all newly recruited or promoted employees undergo the same structured training framework at various stages of their careers. This includes Induction Training, for fresh recruits, Promotional Training, Refresher Training and Specialized Training, relevant to their respective fields of work. The training standards and opportunities are uniform for all employees, ensuring parity in skill development and capacity building across categories. Additionally, Indian Railways conducts Apprenticeship Training under the Apprentices Act, 1961 at units such as Production Units, Workshops, Loco Sheds, and Carriage & Wagon Depots, where reservation for SC/STs is provided as per rules, enabling youth to acquire skills and enhance employability. Ministry of Railway is contributing to the socio and economic development of Schedule Caste communities by undertaking projects on pan India basis. The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach has been launched by Ministry of Railway. The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations like Improvement of access to station and circulating areas, Integration of station with both sides of city, Improvement of station building, Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water booths, Provision of wider foot over bridge/air concourse commensurate with passenger traffic, Provision of lift/escalators/ramp, Improvement / Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms, Provision of kiosks for local productsthrough schemes like ‘One Station One Product’, Parking areas, Multimodal integration, Amenities for Divyangjans, Better passenger information systems, Provision of executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station. The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term. So far, 1,337 stations have been identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme have been taken up at a good pace. Till now, works have been completed at 180 stations. The works at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and works in progress. Further, development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter-se priority and availability of funds. Development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of station/condition/traffic handled etc. Further, development / upgradation / modernisation of stations including Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head–53 ‘Customer Amenities’. The details of allocation and expenditure under Plan Head–53 are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not work-wise or station-wise or state-wise. The fund allocation of ₹ 12,120 crore has been made for the financial year 2025–26 under Plan Head–53 and expenditure (up to January, 2026) of ₹ 10,657 crore has been incurred so far. Railways’ safety guidelines and welfare policies apply equally to Schedule Caste employees as per extant guidelines. In Housing, reservation of the 10% of Type I and Type II and 5% in Type III and IV railway quarters are made in favour of Schedule Caste employees in all areas where the number of quarters is 50 or more. *****