Lok Sabha Question No. 2405 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-15
Subject: Contractual Workers hired by the Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Ritesh Pandey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2405 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2023

## CONTRACTUAL WORKERS HIRED BY THE RAILWAYS

## 2405. SHRI RITESH PANDEY

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of vacancy and recruitments made by the Railways since 2014;
- (b) the details of the number of contractual workers hired by the Railways since 2014;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of the unprecedented delay in conducting exams in Railways for Group C and D candidates since  2019,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government is planning to conduct the exams in a time-bound manner which would enormously help the railways aspirants  who  largely  belong  to  rural  India  and  low-income families and if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons therefor; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  is  considering  to  give  permanent status of employment to contractual workers which comprise more than three lakh workers in a phased manner, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2405 BY SHRI RITESH PANDEY TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 15.03.2023 REGARDING CONTRACTUAL WORKERS HIRED BY THE RAILWAYS

(a) : The  details of the  vacancies  on  Indian  Railways  as on 01.02.2023 are as under:

|   Gazetted |   Non-Gazetted |   Total |
|------------|----------------|---------|
|       2885 |         312895 |  315780 |

Direct  recruitment  to  Group  'A'  Junior  Scale  posts  of  Assistant Divisional Medical Officer (ADMO) in Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS)  is  through  Combined  Medical  Services  Examination  (CMSE) conducted annually by UPSC.

Direct Recruitment of Junior Scale Officers of Group 'A' services viz. Indian  Railway  Management  Service  (IRMS)  and  Indian  Railway Protection  Force  Service  (IRPFS)  under  Ministry  of  Railways  is through Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by UPSC. The details of recruitment to Group 'A' services on Indian Railways since 2014 are as under:-

|   Exam Year | Candidates joined    |
|-------------|----------------------|
|        2014 | 635                  |
|        2015 | 630                  |
|        2016 | 585                  |
|        2017 | 494                  |
|        2018 | 417                  |
|        2019 | 481                  |
|        2020 | 77                   |
|        2021 | 06                   |
|        2022 | Final result awaited |

The  details  of  recruitments  made  in  Group  'C'  (including  Level-1) since 2014 are as under:

| Year      | Total No. of Candidates   |
|-----------|---------------------------|
| 2014-2015 | 63574                     |
| 2015-2016 | 79803                     |
| 2016-2017 | 26318                     |
| 2017-2018 | 24862                     |
| 2018-2019 | 6493                      |
| 2019-2020 | 137527                    |
| 2020-2021 | 5558                      |
| 2021-2022 | 4612                      |
| 2022-2023 | 37968*                    |

(b) :

The  details  of  contractual  workers  hired  by  Indian  Railways

## are as under :

| Year    | No. of contractual workers   |
|---------|------------------------------|
| 2014-15 | 6728                         |
| 2015-16 | 7240                         |
| 2016-17 | 8577                         |
| 2017-18 | 7150                         |
| 2018-19 | 14293                        |
| 2019-20 | 16525                        |
| 2020-21 | 7324                         |
| 2021-22 | 10998                        |
| 2022-23 | 7195*                        |

(c) & (d) : The  process  of  examination  had  got  impacted  due  to COVID-19 related restrictions and resultant lockdowns imposed by various States. Once the things got normalized after ebbing of first wave of Covid-19 in the country, Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have started recruitment process for notified vacancies from 15.12.2020 in phases. Exam process for notified vacancies has been completed and empanelment process has started.

The recruitment process for 1,03,769 vacancies in Level-1 (erstwhile Group-'D')  is under completion stage. (e) : No, Sir.  Occurrence and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process in a large organization like Indian Railways. In exigencies of work, contractual engagement  is resorted to as a stop gap arrangement till regular incumbent joins the post.  Engagement on contract basis is purely contractual in nature and does not confer any right upon such contractual staff for regular employment/absorption in Railway Service or further continuance on contract basis.

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