In view of the protests by candidates in some regions of the country with regard to the recruitment to Level 1 posts, the Southern Railway has clarified that the apprentices for whom 20% of the vacancies are reserved have to undergo the prescribed recruitment process of written and physical efficiency tests similar to other candidates as per the recruitment rules.
In a press release, the Southern Railway said the demands of the apprentice candidates on exempting them from the prescribed recruitment process, including written and physical efficiency tests, could not be fulfilled and if their demands are conceded, it would be in violation of the Constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court judgment.
The Southern Railway said the Indian Railways, with a view to bringing fairness, transparency and objectivity in all railway recruitments, had centralised the process for all recruitments to Level 1 posts through common nationwide Computer-based Test (CBT).
As per the Apprentices Act, which was amended in 2014, the Indian Railways has made a provision to give preference to apprentices trained in railway establishments to the extent of 20% of the vacancies advertised. As per this provision, out of the 1,03,769 posts advertised for recruitment, the apprentice quota for Level 1 posts was 20,734.
