Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: 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 |
| 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 |
| Total Candidates | 2,50,31,009 |
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) (3445 vacancies) | 51,978 | 79 | 15 |
| Total Candidates | 5,57,611 |
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP and Non-Technical 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, Sub-Inspectors (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 (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 | 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.
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 |
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
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
