Railways Recruits 43,781 in FY26, Pushes Tech-Driven Hiring
Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews RRB recruitment process, calls for faster and more transparent examinations
- Indian Railways recruited 43,781 candidates in FY 2025-26
- Assistant Loco Pilots, Technicians and Engineers among major recruitments
- All departmental exams now conducted through CBT mode
- Minister directs expansion of tablet-based examinations
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th June: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday reviewed the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) recruitment process and emphasized the need for greater transparency, accuracy and faster completion of recruitment cycles through technology-driven reforms.
Chairing a high-level meeting with senior Railway officials, the Minister said the recruitment system must continuously evolve with improved technology, quicker processes and stronger accountability to meet the aspirations of job seekers.
Indian Railways recruited 43,781 candidates during FY 2025-26 through completed recruitment cycles covering 47,084 vacancies across six major categories.
The largest recruitment was for 18,799 Assistant Loco Pilots, followed by 14,298 Technicians. The Railways also filled 7,951 vacancies for Junior Engineers, DMS and CMA posts, 4,208 Constable positions, 452 Sub-Inspector posts and 1,376 positions in paramedical categories.
Vaishnaw said the annual recruitment calendar and quarterly vacancy notifications have been well received by candidates, providing greater predictability and allowing aspirants to plan their preparation more effectively.
The Minister reviewed the progress made in shifting departmental examinations to Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode and noted that all departmental examinations are now being conducted through CBT. He directed officials to introduce tablet-based examinations wherever feasible to make recruitment faster, more efficient and user-friendly.
Railway officials informed the meeting that recruitment examinations are conducted on a massive scale across multiple cities and centres in the country. The tests are held in several shifts and in as many as 15 languages to ensure accessibility for candidates from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
The recruitment process involves extensive technological coordination to maintain fairness, transparency and standardisation across examination centres nationwide.
The Minister also reviewed ongoing recruitment cycles. More than 32,000 Level-1 vacancies, 10,970 Assistant Loco Pilot posts, 2,585 Junior Engineer vacancies and thousands of NTPC positions are currently under various stages of examination and selection.
According to the Railways, final selections for several ongoing recruitment drives are expected over the next six months to one year.
Vaishnaw stressed the importance of strengthening communication with candidates and directed Railway Recruitment Boards to promptly counter misinformation with accurate and timely updates.
He said Indian Railways remains committed to a fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment system supported by technology, structured planning and continuous reforms for the benefit of young aspirants across the country.
