Railway suspends NTPC, Level 1 exams amid protest by job aspirants

New Delhi: Amid protests by the aspirants, the Railway Ministry has decided to suspend Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests, a spokesperson said on Wednesday (January 26). 

The Railways has also formed a committee to hear the grievances of those who have passed the exams under different railway recruitment boards (RRBs) and those who have failed. “Railway Ministry stays examinations of Non-Technical Popular Categories & Level 1 of Railway Recruitment Board in wake of students' protest. A committee has been formed to listen to the candidates who cleared or failed. It will give a report to the Ministry,” ANI quoted the Ministry of Railways as saying. 

On Tuesday, the railways had warned its job aspirants that those found involved in vandalism and unlawful activities while protesting will be barred from ever getting hired in the railways. "Railway job aspirants found indulging in unlawful activities may face lifetime debarment from obtaining Railway job," the Ministry had said. The development came a day after protesters in Bihar squatted on railway tracks. 

Thousands of students have been protesting across the country against the Railway RRB-NTPC exam 2021 result, which was announced on January 15.

Candidates are objecting to Railways' decision to hold the exams in two stages, claiming that the second stage for final selection amounts to 'cheating' those who appeared and cleared the first stage of the RRB-NTPC for computer-based test (CBT). The results of the RRB NTPC for the CBT-1 exam was released for shortlisting the candidates for the CBT-2.

Denying these allegations, the Ministry of Railways has said that the second stage exam was clearly mentioned in the notification. 

(With agency inputs)