New Delhi: Recruitment to Indian Railways will be done through UPSC following the merger of various railway cadres and services.
Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav has said that the exact details are being worked out but the plans are that the candidates will have to appear for the UPSC prelims and then indicate their choice during the Mains.
The Union Cabinet had earlier this week cleared a proposal to merge the railway cadres into one unit — the ‘Indian Railway Management Service’ as part of an exhaustive exercise to streamline operations in the 150-year-old Railway Board and bring efficiency in services.
News agency PTI said in a report on Friday that just like aspirants for the UPSC exams, candidates who wish to make a career in Railways will have to sit for the UPSC prelims and then indicate their preference for IRMS under five specialities.
They are civil, mechanical, telecom, electrical and for non-technical positions such as accounts, personnel and traffic.
However, the news report did not make clear about the responsibility of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRBs) after the merger of services, its future and its mandate under the revised recruitment structure.
Every year, lakhs of candidates appear for exams conducted by RRBs to various zones, divisions and cadres.