High-Powered Railway Panel To Look Into Concerns Raised Over Test Results, To Submit Report By 4 March

A high-powered committee, constituted by Indian Railways, will look into the concerns raised by candidates over the first stage test results conducted for filling various non-technical posts.

It is expected to submit its recommendations by 4 March.

However, while suspending the recruitment process in the non-technical popular categories (NTPC) and the Level 2 exams, the railways clarified that the five-member committee recommendations would not affect the chances of shortlisted candidates.

The railways has suspended the ongoing recruitment process for various posts including station masters, guards, senior commercial clerks and junior accounts associates and formed a high-level committee to look into various issues raised by candidates and give recommendations.

The issues include results of first stage computer-based test (CBT) and methodology used for shortlisting candidates for second stage CBT for the NTPC.

The railway’s decision came after violent protests by job aspirants were reported in Bihar where protesters set four empty coaches on fire.

All chairpersons of Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) have also been directed to receive the grievances of candidates through their existing channels, compile these grievances and send the same to the committee.

The railways has asked candidates to lodge their concerns and suggestions to the committee at rrbcommittee@railnet.gov.in

Candidates have been given three weeks time up to 16 February to submit their concerns and the committee, after examining these concerns, will submit its recommendations.

There were also reports of protests and police action against the protesters in Uttar Pradesh. Sources said amid the concerns that the protest may spread to other parts of the country, the committee has been set up with the mandate to receive the complaints and suggestions and to submit its recommendations by 4 March.

The Railway Recruitment Board in February 2019 had called for applications for 35,281 posts under the non-technical popular categories across six categories on different pay levels.

A total of 1.25 crore applicants had applied for these posts and 7.05 lakh of them qualified in the preliminary or stage-1 test. Since the candidates could apply for more than one category, many of them qualified for the second test in more than one category.

Secondly, following the new norms, which came into force in 2019, the railways shortlisted the candidates for the second test, which is 20 times of the total number of vacancies. The protesters have been raising questions primarily on the provision of the second test and allowing candidates to qualify for more than one category of jobs.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishanaw said, the recruitment process has been followed as per the notification that was issued while inviting applications.