Indian Railways Strengthens Workforce Through Mission-Mode Recruitment; Over 5.56 Lakh Recruitments Completed Since 2014 (Up to June 2026)
Recruitment 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 2025-2026
|
5.53 lakh
|
|
2026-2027 (upto 30.06.2026)
|
3396
|
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 1,61,889 vacancies of non-gazetted personnel has been taken up on Indian Railways as per Annual Calendar 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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 92116 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) (3445 vacancies)
|
51,978
|
79
|
15
|
|
Total Candidates
|
5,57,611
|
|
|
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the posts of ALP and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) and Computer Based Skill Tests for the posts 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 posts of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)
|
30,341
|
58
|
2
|
|
CBTST for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories(Under Graduate)
|
13,145
|
44
|
2
|
|
Total Candidates
|
1,90,379
|
|
|
During 2026-2027 (upto 30.06.2026) panels for more than 3,300 candidates for various posts including the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Ministerial & Isolated categories 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 51970 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
|
10,970
|
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 Engineers (JEs)/ Depot Material Superintendent (DMS)/ Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA)
|
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
|
22,195
|
December-2025
|
|
Total
|
51,970
|
|
First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 29,775 posts have been completed. Details are as under:-
|
Exam
|
Candidates
|
Cities
|
Languages
|
|
1st Stage CBT for the post of Section Controller Categories (368 vacancies)
|
4,33,748
|
131
|
15
|
|
1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (10970 vacancies)
|
10,03,719
|
141
|
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 Paramedical Categories (434 vacancies)
|
3,19,396
|
106
|
15
|
|
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (5810 vacancies)
|
25,89,851
|
142
|
15
|
|
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under Graduate) (3058 vacancies)
|
32,95,980
|
142
|
15
|
|
CBT for Isolated categories (312 vacancies)
|
37,774
|
34
|
15
|
|
Total Candidates
|
90,96,344
|
|
|
2nd stage CBTs for the posts of JE/DMS/CMA have also been completed. Details are as under:-
|
Exam
|
Candidates
|
Cities
|
Languages
|
|
2nd Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (2585 vacancies)
|
39,034
|
90
|
15
|
|
2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (5810 vacancies)
|
87,317
|
98
|
15
|
|
Total Candidates
|
1,26,351
|
|
|
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the posts of Section Controller has also been completed. Details are as under:-
|
Exam
|
Candidates
|
Cities
|
Languages
|
|
CBAT for the post of Section Controller (368 vacancies)
|
2,989
|
24
|
2
|
Further, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2026, three Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 17,803 vacancies have been issued. Details are as under:-
|
CEN No.
|
Post Name
|
No. of Vacancies notified
|
Month of Notification
|
|
01/2026
|
Assistant Loco Pilots
|
11,127
|
March-2026
|
|
02/2026
|
Technician
|
6,557
|
May-2026
|
|
03/2026
|
Section Controller
|
119
|
June-2026
|
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Ritu Raj/ Manik Sharma