Lok Sabha Question No. 1958 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Sanctioned Posts/Vacancies in Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Shafi Parambil, Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Smt. June Maliah, Shri Ramprit Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1958 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026

## SANCTIONED POSTS/VACANCIES IN RAILWAYS

1958. SMT. JUNE MALIAH:

SHRI SHAFI PARAMBIL:

SHRI RAMPRIT MANDAL:

SHRI GURMEET SINGH MEET HAYER:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of total Strength/in position, vacancies, appointments made across categories including safety in Railways and zonal divisions from 2014 to till date;
- (b) the details of the number of employees due to retire in the next three years, Grade-wise;
- (c)  the  total  number  of  posts  abolished  in  Railways  during  the  last  ten years, Year-wise;
- (d) the number of employees currently engaged on an outsourced/contractual  basis  along  with  the  categories  of  work  for which they are engaged;
- (e) the total number  of applicants who  appeared  for the railways recruitment examination last year;
- (f) whether the Government is planning to fill the vacancies in the current year and if so, the details thereof; and
- (g)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  report  by  the  Research  Design  and Standards Organisation (RDSO) has pointed out that 'High vacancy in the cadre ultimately affects the working condition of the staff on roll' and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (g): 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   |
|---------------------|----------------|
| 2004-05 to 2013-14  | 4.11 lakh      |
| 2014-15 to 2024-25  | 5.08 lakh      |
| 2025-26 (till date) | 34,929         |

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 59,678 posts has been completed.  Details are as under:-

| Exam                                                                                   | Candidates   | Cities   | Languages   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------|-------------|
| 1 st 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          |
| 1 st 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          |
| 1 st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)       | 58,41,774    | 141      | 15          |
| 1 st 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          |
| Total Candidates                                                                       | 2,50,31,009  |          |             |

2 nd  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   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------|-------------|
| 2 nd Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies)                                  | 2,66,363     | 112      | 15          |
| 2 nd Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)                            | 1,17,339     | 118      | 15          |
| 2 nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)       | 1,21,931     | 129      | 15          |
| 2 nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under- Graduate) (3445 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-level) and Ministerial & Isolated Categories have also been completed. Details are as under:-

| Exam                                                                                                        | Candidates   | Cities   | Languages   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------|-------------|
| CBAT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies)                                                                 | 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 (Graduate-level) | 30,341       | 58       | 2           |
| Total Candidates                                                                                            | 1,77,234     |          |             |

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 been completed on 06.12.2025.

Panels  for  more  than  34,000  candidates  for  various  posts  including  the posts  of  Technicians,  Junior  Engineers,  Paramedical  Categories,  SubInspectors (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                                        | 6,238                       | June 2025               |
| 03/2025   | Paramedical categories                            | 434                         | July 2025               |
| 04/2025   | Section Controller                                | 368                         | August 2025             |
| 05/2025   | Junior Engineer/ Depot Material Superintendent    | 2,585                       | October 2025            |
| 06/2025   | Non-Technical Popular Categories                  | 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                                           | 22,195                      | December 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 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

Manpower review is a continuous process undertaken in Railways to cater to  changes  in  technology,  policies,  processes  and  practices.  Sometimes posts are redistributed as per operational and administrative requirements.

In exigencies of work, contractual engagement/outsourcing is resorted to as  a  stop-gap  arrangement  till  regular  incumbents  join  the  posts.  Such contractual  engagement/outsourcing is purely  temporary and time-bound, and is undertaken only to ensure smooth functioning of Railway operations until  posts  are  filled  through  regular  selections  as  per  extant  rules  and procedures.

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