ir-screen-22-5-lakh-applicants-for-18-799-loco-pilot-posts

The Indian Railways is currently screening 22.5 lakh applicants across the country for the recruitment of 18,799 assistant loco pilots.

 

The examination, which began last Monday, is scheduled to continue until Friday, taking place across 346 centres in 15 shifts and in 18 languages.

 

So far, 13.5 lakh candidates have appeared for the exam, with nine lakh more expected to sit for the test in the final two days.

 

A senior official from the Railway Board stated, “Of the total candidates, 13.5 lakh have already appeared for the exam. In the next two days, nine lakh candidates are expected to appear for the exam.”

 

The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), which conducts exams for various railway positions, has set up a control centre at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi to monitor all examination centres via CCTV.

 

"Dozens of officials have been keeping a regular watch on the conduct of examinations," the official added.

 

This recruitment process is part of the first-ever annual recruitment calendar introduced by the Railways in February, ensuring that examinations are held on a scheduled basis.

 

Previously, recruitment drives were irregular, often occurring after gaps of three to four years, leading to many candidates missing out due to the age limit.

 

The RRB has now announced a shift to four recruitment notifications per year. This system aims to provide more opportunities for candidates.

 

"Let's say a candidate applies for the position of assistant loco pilot between January and March and gets disqualified, he or she can get another opportunity the next year. If the same candidate has the required educational qualification for the job of a technician, he or she can apply for it between April and June in the same year," explained a senior railways official.

 

The current recruitment process is focused on filling positions for assistant loco pilots, with the RRB issuing annual recruitment notifications in a structured manner.

 

Recruitment for other technical posts, junior engineers, paramedics, and non-technical posts will follow throughout the year.