Lok Sabha Question No. 4348 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Railway Recruitment and Vacancies
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal, Shri Giridhari Yadav, Shri Sachithanantham R, Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4348 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026

## RAILWAY RECRUITMENT AND VACANCIES

†4348. SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV:

SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV:

SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  appointments  made  in  Railways  across  the  country during the last five years, Year and post-wise;
- (b) the number of vacancies in Railways, Post-wise;
- (c) whether the process to fill the said vacant posts in Railways is under progress, if so, the details thereof along with expected time limit;
- (d)  the  details  of  vacant  posts  in  the  Railways  in  the  last  three  years, year and region-wise;
- (e) the number of posts reserved for SC/ST out of the said vacant posts and the reasons for not filling the said posts; and
- (f)  the  total  number  of  vacancies  in  safety-critical  categories  such  as loco pilots, track maintainers and signal staff as on date, Zone-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f): Recruitment done in Indian Railways during 2004-05 to 2013-14 vis-à-vis during 2014-15 to 2024-25 is given as under: -

| Period                 | Recruitments   | SC category    | ST category   |
|------------------------|----------------|----------------|---------------|
| 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 | 4.11 lakh      | 64,244 (15.6%) | 36,231 (8.8%) |
| 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 | 5.08 lakh      | 79,115 (15.6%) | 42,989 (8.5%) |

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.

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.

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

Presently, recruitment against 1,43,086 vacancies of nongazetted 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 (including Technician Grade-I Signal), Sub-Inspectors, Constables in Railway Protection Force (RPF),  Junior  Engineers  (JEs)/  Depot  Material  Superintendent  (DMS)/ Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA) (including JE Signal), 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 have been completed.  Details are as under: -

| Exam                                                                            | Candidates   |   Cities |   Languages |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------|-------------|
| 1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies)                            | 18,40,347    |      156 |          15 |
| CBT for the post of Technician (14,298 vacancies)                               | 26,99,892    |      139 |          15 |
| 1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)                      | 11,01,266    |      146 |          15 |
| CBT for the post of RPF-SI (452 vacancies)                                      | 15,35,635    |      143 |          15 |
| CBT for the post of RPF-Constable (4,208 vacancies)                             | 45,30,288    |      147 |          15 |
| CBT for Paramedical Categories (1,376 vacancies)                                | 7,08,321     |      143 |          15 |
| 1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies) | 58,41,774    |      141 |          15 |

| 1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under Graduate) (3,445 vacancies)   | 63,27,473   | 157   | 15   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|-------|------|
| CBT for Ministerial & Isolated categories (1,036 vacancies)                             | 4,46,013    | 139   | 15   |
| CBT for level-1 posts (32438 vacancies)                                                 | 1,08,28,261 | 152   | 15   |
| 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 of ALP (18,799 vacancies)                                  | 2,66,363     | 112      | 15          |
| 2nd Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)                            | 1,17,339     | 118      | 15          |
| 2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)       | 1,21,931     | 129      | 15          |
| 2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate) (3,445 vacancies) | 51,978       | 79       | 15          |
| Total Candidates                                                                      | 5,57,611     |          |             |

Computer  Based  Aptitude  Test  (CBAT)  for  the  post  of  ALP  and NonTechnical Popular Categories (Graduate) and Computer based Skill Test for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate and Under Contd.5/-

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           |
| Translation Test for Ministerial and Isolated Categories                                                           | 1,233        | 8        | 2           |
| CBAT for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)                                                   | 13,616       | 38       | 2           |
| Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST) for the post of Non- Technical Popular Categories                         | 30,341       | 58       | 2           |
| Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST) for the post of Non- Technical Popular Categories (Under- Graduate-level) | 13,145       | 44       | 2           |
| Total Candidates                                                                                                   | 1,90,379     |          |             |

Panels for more than 42,000 candidates for various posts including the posts  of  Technicians,  Junior  Engineers,  Paramedical  Categories,  SubInspectors & Constable (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, nine Centralized Employment  Notifications  (CENs)  for 50,970  vacancies  have also  been issued. Details are as under:

| CEN No.   | Post Name                                                                                                    | No. of Vacancies notified   | Month of Notification   |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|
| 01/2025   | Assistant Loco Pilots                                                                                        | 9,970                       | March 2025              |
| 02/2025   | Technician (including Technician Grade-I Signal)                                                             | 6,238                       | June 2025               |
| 03/2025   | Paramedical categories                                                                                       | 434                         | July 2025               |
| 04/2025   | Section Controller                                                                                           | 368                         | August 2025             |
| 05/2025   | Junior Engineer (JE)/ Depot Material Superintendent/Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (including JE Signal) | 2,585                       | October 2025            |
|           | Non-Technical Popular                                                                                        | 5,810                       | October 2025            |
| 07/2025   | Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate)                                                            | 3,058                       | October 2025            |
| 08/2025   | Isolated Categories                                                                                          | 312                         | December 2025           |
| 09/2025   | Level-1 posts (Including Assistants, Track Maintainers and Pointsman)                                        | 22,195                      | December 2025           |
| Total     | Total                                                                                                        | 50,970                      |                         |

First  stage/Single  stage  Computer  Based  Tests  (CBTs)  for 19,595 posts have been completed.  Details are as under: -

| Exam                                                       | Candidates   | Cities   | Languages   |
|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------|-------------|
| 1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (9970 vacancies)         | 10,03,719    | 141      | 15          |
| CBT for the post of Section Controller (368 vacancies)     | 4,33,748     | 131      | 15          |
| 1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (2585 vacancies)  | 5,74,351     | 133      | 15          |
| CBT for the post of Technician (6238 vacancies)            | 8,41,525     | 117      | 15          |
| CBT for the post of Paramedical Categories (434 vacancies) | 3,19,396     | 106      | 15          |
| Total Candidates                                           | 31,72,739    |          |             |

Further, 11,127 vacancies of ALP have been approved for notification in the Calendar year 2026.

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