The Indian Railways has provided significant relief to officers recruited under the recently scrapped Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS) by offering them a choice of three sub-cadres: IRMS (Accounts), IRMS (Personnel), and IRMS (Traffic). This move comes after uncertainty arose due to the government’s decision to roll back the unified recruitment system under IRMS, reinstating the previous method of recruitment through two separate exams.
Launched in 2022, the new IRMS system saw over 100 candidates selected through a unified test. However, concerns grew as recruits were not given the option to choose their sub-cadres, potentially affecting their future promotions.
Following the rollback, railway officers will now be recruited under two categories—through the Civil Services Examination (CSE) for non-technical posts and the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) for technical positions, as was the case before 2019. Sources indicate that out of 150 candidates selected in 2022, only 58 joined and are currently undergoing training, with the process still ongoing for candidates selected in 2023 and 2024.
