With One Lakh Vacancies To Be Filled, Indian Railways Launches Its Biggest Recruitment Drive Ever

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday (14 February) kicked off Indian Railways’ biggest recruitment drive ever, inviting applications for one lakh vacancies across posts.

The vacancies are spread across several posts like loco pilots, technicians, switchmen, welders, cabinmen etc. totalling 26,502 posts for Group C and 62,907 posts in Group D, Mint has reported.

The hiring will be conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board, with salaries according to the Seventh Pay Commission for people falling in the 18-31 age group. The applications for the posts close on 5 March, with a computer based test for the recruitments tentatively scheduled between April-May 2018.

Most of the vacancies are in the safety category and are set to cost Rs 3,000-4,000 to the railways’ exchequer. The budget for the new posts has already been provisioned in the year’s Union budget.

Former railway board chairman Arunendra Kumar, commenting on the drive said, “It’s an annual recruitment. It’s long overdue, especially following the average trend of 3.3% of work force retiring every year. Safety is an important aspect for railways and workforce is required to ensure it. It should happen regularly.”