While all other sectors are bearing the economic slowdown and are laying off staffers, the Indian Railways seems to be in a recruitment overdrive.
The country's largest employer is on track to hire over one lakh personnel this year (around 1.17 lakh to be precise), in its critical Group C and Group D posts which cover jobs ranging from station masters to technical and track supervisors to train drivers and vital safety staff.
even though the proposal is pending in the Rail Ministry at Rail Bhavan as there have been two 3 railway ministers in the last one year, it is expected to be passed soon. In 2009, the railways began a revamp of the recruitment process. And a big chunk of the recruitment in the last four years or so was to make up for the delay in 2011 and 2012.
In 2011-12, about 28,000 Group C vacancies were filled – this year that number is expected to go upto 40,000. Remarks a senior railways official on condition of anonymity, “The railway is at a shortfall of more than 1 lakh staff (in all categories) it has been delaying to recruit more people, but now it cannot as the current work force cannot undertake new assignments. And even though there is economic slowdown everywhere the railway has very little choice left but to go ahead with new recruitments.
