Aspirants involved in vandalism while protesting won't be recruited: Railways

Railway job aspirants found involved in vandalism and unlawful activities while protesting will be barred from ever getting recruited in the railways, the national transporter said on Tuesday, a day after protesters squatted on tracks in several places in Bihar.

In a general notice, the railways said, 'Such misguided activities are the highest level of indiscipline rendering such aspirants unsuitable for railway/government job. Videos of such activities will be examined...and candidates/aspirants found indulged in unlawful activities will be liable for police action as well as lifetime debarment from obtaining railway job.'

The notice came a day after railway job aspirants squatted on tracks at different places in Bihar, including the state capital Patna, to protest alleged erroneous results of Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) exam.

The protests, which continued till late in the evening on Monday, resulted in the cancellation of at least five long-distance trains originating from Patna.

Routes of some other trains were diverted as the youth blocked tracks at Rajendra Nagar Terminal.

The railways also cautioned the aspirants that they should not come under the influence of elements which are trying to misguide them for their own 'selfish ends'.

Officials said the railways has also got in touch with coaching centres to urge them to spread awareness among candidates.

The controversy over the exam arose as many candidates claimed the screening process is designed to favour those with higher qualification, even in jobs that require lesser qualification.

For the NTPC exam, around 1.25 crore candidates had appeared and the results were declared earlier this month.

The railways had earlier said that it was looking to fill 35,281 posts. Of these, 24,281 posts in 13 categories were open to graduates and 11,000 posts in six categories were for undergraduates. These thirteen categories were segregated into five groups based on the Seventh Central Pay Commission pay-scale levels (Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

These posts included that of train assistant, guard, junior clerk, time keeper and station master across its various zones.

While to get a Level 2 job, where the starting pay is about Rs 19,000 one requires to be a Class 12 pass, for a level 6 post like station master, who gets a starting pay of about Rs 35,000 being a graduate is mandatory.

Aspirants have alleged that during the Computer Based Test -1 which were held last year, candidates with higher qualification have sat for exams meant for Level 2 jobs.

'If these candidates sit for such jobs, how will we even imagine getting these jobs which are meant for us?' an aspirant wrote on social media.

The problem, officials said, is that the railways cannot stop an aspirant with higher qualification from sitting for an exam with lower qualification requirement.

In a clarification, the railways has said that no candidate can be recruited for multiple posts thereby ensuring that every deserving candidate gets selected.

It said short-listing of candidates has been done separately for each level based on educational qualifications and options exercised by the candidates.

For the second stage computer-based test (CBT) of each level, the number of candidates called was 20 times the community-wise vacancies notified against each RRB, it said.

'In case multiple candidates have obtained same marks at the cut-off, all have been called,' it said.

Based on merit obtained in second stage CBT, the candidates will be short-listed for third stage exam in which eight times the number of vacancies will be called.

'The final result will contain a unique list of 35,281 notified vacancies and no candidate will be appointed against more than one post. A candidate who has been short-listed for high level post cannot be debarred for appearing in second stage CBT of lower level post,' it said.

Earlier, the short-listing was done 10 times the vacancy, however, this time it is 20 times the vacancy for second stage, officials said.

According to the RRB NTPC exam dates, the CBT 2 exam for which seven lakh candidates have been short-listed is scheduled to be conducted on February 14 and 18.