The Ministry of Railways has officially confirmed that recruitment processes are actively progressing for a substantial 1,43,086 non-gazetted positions within Indian Railways. This massive hiring initiative is being carried out according to the Annual Recruitment Calendars established for both 2024 and 2025.
Scope and Parliamentary Update
The comprehensive update details the scale and current status of examinations, various tests, and the finalization of candidate panels for numerous post categories. These include critical safety and technical roles essential for railway operations. This information was formally presented to the Lok Sabha in a written statement by the Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Recruitment Notifications and Vacancy Breakdown
During the period from January to December 2024, Indian Railways released a total of ten Centralized Employment Notifications. These announcements collectively covered an impressive 92,116 vacancies. Notably, this included specific allocations such as 6,927 vacancies within Southern Railway and 1,395 vacancies at the Integral Coach Factory.
The spectrum of positions advertised was vast, encompassing:
- Assistant Loco Pilots and Technicians
- Sub-Inspectors and Constables for the Railway Protection Force (RPF)
- Junior Engineers, Depot Material Superintendents, and Chemical and Metallurgical Assistants
- Positions within Paramedical Categories
- Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) at both graduate and undergraduate levels
- Ministerial and Isolated Categories
- Level-1 posts, including roles like Assistants, Track Maintainers, and Pointsman
Completion of First Stage and Single Stage CBTs
The first stage or single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) have been successfully concluded for 59,678 posts. These examinations were administered across various cities throughout the country and were conducted in 15 different languages to ensure accessibility. The number of candidates appearing for these tests ran into several crores, highlighting the immense interest in railway jobs.
Detailed Breakdown of First Stage CBTs
The following table provides a detailed overview of the completed first stage CBTs:
Exam | Vacancies | Candidates | Cities | Languages
1st stage CBT for Assistant Loco Pilot | 18,799 | 18,40,347 | 156 | 15
CBT for Technician | 14,298 | 26,99,892 | 139 | 15
1st stage CBT for JE/DMS/CMA | 7,951 | 11,01,266 | 146 | 15
CBT for RPF Sub-Inspector | 452 | 15,35,635 | 143 | 15
CBT for RPF Constable | 4,208 | 45,30,288 | 147 | 15
CBT for Paramedical Categories | 1,376 | 7,08,321 | 143 | 15
1st stage CBT for NTPC Graduate | 8,113 | 58,41,774 | 141 | 15
1st stage CBT for NTPC Under-Graduate | 3,445 | 63,27,473 | 157 | 15
CBT for Ministerial and Isolated Categories | 1,036 | 4,46,013 | 139 | 15
Total | 59,678 | 2,50,31,009 | — | —
Progress of Second Stage Computer Based Tests
Second stage Computer Based Tests have also been completed for several key categories. These include examinations for Assistant Loco Pilot, Junior Engineers/Depot Material Superintendents/Chemical and Metallurgical Assistants (JE/DMS/CMA), and the Non-Technical Popular Categories at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
Detailed Breakdown of Second Stage CBTs
The progress for second stage tests is summarized below:
Exam | Vacancies | Candidates | Cities | Languages
2nd stage CBT for Assistant Loco Pilot | 18,799 | 2,66,363 | 112 | 15
2nd stage CBT for JE/DMS/CMA | 7,951 | 1,17,339 | 118 | 15
2nd stage CBT for NTPC Graduate | 8,113 | 1,21,931 | 129 | 15
2nd stage CBT for NTPC Under-Graduate | 3,445 | 51,978 | 79 | 15
Total | 38,308 | 5,57,611 | — | —
Aptitude, Skill, and Translation Tests
Beyond the standard CBTs, Computer Based Aptitude Tests (CBAT), skill tests, and translation tests have been conducted for specific categories. These specialized exams were held in selected cities and were administered in two languages.
Details of CBAT, Skill, and Translation Tests
Exam | Vacancies | Candidates | Cities | Languages
CBAT for Assistant Loco Pilot | 18,799 | 1,32,044 | 84 | 2
Translation test for Ministerial and Isolated Categories | — | 1,233 | 8 | 2
CBAT for NTPC Graduate | — | 13,616 | 38 | 2
Computer based typing skill test for NTPC Graduate-level | — | 30,341 | 58 | 2
Total | — | 1,77,234 | — | —
Level-1 Recruitment and Physical Efficiency Tests
Computer Based Tests for 32,438 vacancies in Level-1 categories commenced on November 27, 2025. These tests were conducted across 140 cities and in 15 languages. Additionally, the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for 4,208 Constable vacancies within the Railway Protection Force was successfully held on December 6, 2025.
Panel Finalization and 2025 Recruitment Calendar
The finalization of candidate panels for over 31,000 individuals has been completed for various recruitment notifications. This includes panels for Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors in the Railway Protection Force, and Assistant Loco Pilots. It is important to note that the majority of these recruitment notifications pertain to safety-critical categories within the railways.
In a related development for the upcoming year, nine Centralized Employment Notifications have already been released. These announcements cover 50,970 vacancies as part of the Annual Recruitment Calendar for 2025. This includes specific allocations of 3,412 vacancies for Southern Railway and 438 vacancies for the Integral Coach Factory, indicating continued robust hiring plans.
