NEW DELHI: Union Minister Piyush Goyal has announced on Thursday that the Indian Railways has almost ''doubled' the number of “vacancies” from 26,000 to 60,000. 


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“Government has more than doubled the vacancies for assistant loco pilot and technician posts from 26,502 to 60,000, ensuring more jobs in Railways,” Piyush Goyal said in a tweet.



This has come as a big relief to nearly 48 lakh candidates who have applied for the first set of computer-based tests for the 26,502 vacancies of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP) and technicians, which will be held on August 9. 


The Ministry of Railways had earlier announced the recruitment for ALP and Technicians for 26502 posts in February 2018. In response to that, around 47.56 lakh candidates had applied for the advertised posts.


''The notified vacancies of 26,502 for the posts of ALP and Technicians are likely to be increased substantially to about 60,000 vacancies,'' the Ministry of Railways said in a press release.


The ministry further stated that maximum care has been taken to allocate centers to the candidates in their own or nearby cities.


''It is also to be noted that the notified 26,502 vacancies are spread over different Railway Zones and States and candidates from all over India have applied against these pan India vacancies. About 40 lakh candidates (83%) have been accommodated within 500 Kilometres. Priority has been given to women and Divyang (Persons with Disabilities) candidates in allocating centers within their own or nearby cities. However, in a few states, the candidates have applied in very large proportions as compared to the available capacity of suitable exam centers, equipped with the requisite critical security features. From Bihar, about 9 lakhs, from UP about 9.5 lakhs and from Rajasthan about 4.5 lakh candidates have applied and hence interstate movement of some candidates from these states is inevitable. Here again, it has been ensured that the candidates who had applied early have been accommodated in their own or nearby cities and states, whereas those candidates who had applied late, towards the last date of application have been allocated to farther cities,'' the Ministry said in the release.


Railways has activated the mock link for the first stage of the computer-based test on July 26 and E-call letters can be downloaded from the recruitment board website four days prior to the exam.


Candidates can log in with their credentials on the above-mentioned dates through a link to be provided on the official websites of the RRBs and find out about their exam centre, date and session, and download Travel Authority (for SC/ST candidates only) and E-call letter, a notice from the Railways had said last week.


The exam will last for an hour for general candidates and 80 minutes for candidates who are differently-abled. It will consist of 75 multiple choice questions and there will be a negative marking (1/3rd) for every incorrect answer.


(With PTI/PIB inputs)