New Delhi: Ministry of Railways had earlier announced the recruitment for Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP) & Technicians for 26,502 posts in February 2018. More than 47 lakh candidates have applied for ALP & Technicians Examination against CEN 01/2018. The notified vacancies of 26,502 for the posts of ALP and Technicians are likely to be increased substantially to about 60,000 vacancies.
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 centres within their own or nearby cities.
However, in few states, the candidates have applied in very large proportions as compared to the available capacity of suitable exam centres, equipped with 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 last date of application have been allocated to farther cities.
In conventional recruitment pattern, exams were conducted in decentralized manner by different RRBs and candidates travelled to the respective RRB zones to which they had applied. Centralized Computer Based examination provides the opportunity to reduce the travel requirements. That is how, about 40 lakh candidates have been allotted centres in their own/nearby cities and almost all women and Divyang (Persons with Disabilities) candidates have been allotted centres within short distance of 200 Kms.
However, due to the constraint of availability of suitable exam centres, despite best efforts, everyone could not be accommodated in their own/nearby cities. Candidates are, therefore, requested to make necessary arrangements to appear in this examination, as scheduled. Candidates are advised to refer to the following link for the updated information:
http://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section
