Lok Sabha Question No. 5467 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Engagement of Contractual Pointsmen in Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Azad Kirti Jha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5467

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026

## ENGAGEMENT OF CONTRACTUAL POINTSMEN IN RAILWAYS

## 5467. SHRI AZAD KIRTI JHA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has approved the engagement of around 5000 ex-servicemen as pointsmen on a contractual basis in Railways and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  facing  a  regular  manpower  crunch  that requires contractual staff to operate critical safety systems despite the potential safety threat due to lack of their long- term accountability and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of reasons for not complying with the recommendations of Commissioner of Railway Safety after the Bagmati Express accident for reviewing and eliminating the practice of deploying contractual staff in safety critical areas; and
- (d) whether the Government has taken concerns of different stakeholders into  consideration,  given  large  scale  backlash  from  unions  protesting the move and if so, the details thereof and measures taken in response?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d) : Recruitments done in Indian Railways during 2004-05 to 2013-14 vis-à-vis during 2014-15 to 2025-26 is given as under: -

| Period                 | Recruitments   |
|------------------------|----------------|
| 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 | 4.11 lakh      |
| 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 | 5.08 lakh      |
| 2025-26 till date      | 42,380         |

§

The  occurrence  and  filling  up  of  vacancies  in  Indian  Railways  is  a continuous process, considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of  operations.  Adequate  and  suitable  manpower  is  provided  to  cater  to operational requirements, technological changes, mechanisation and innovative practices, with vacancies primarily filled through indents placed with recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements.

The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large scale mobilisation  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 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  (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 (32,438 vacancies)                      | 1,08,28,261 | 152   | 15   |
| Total Candidates                                              | 3,58,59,270 |       |      |

The 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     |          |             |

The  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

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 (Graduate-level)       | 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   | Technicians                                                                               | 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 | 2,585                       | October 2025            |
| 06/2025   | Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)                                               | 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 (9,970 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 (2,585 vacancies) | 5,74,351     | 133      | 15          |
| CBT for the post of Technician (6,238 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    |          |             |

However,  in  order  to  meet  exigencies,  sometimes  Ex-Servicemen  are engaged as Pointsmen on temporary basis against the vacant posts as per the laid down rules and procedures. Ex-Servicemen engaged as Pointsmen on temporary basis are trained as per the requirements. Further, temporary staff  engaged  for  maintenance  are  used  for  non-critical  activities  along with or under the supervision of Railway Staff.

The action taken has already been apprised to the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, Ministry of Civil Aviation, New Delhi.

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