Dated: 19.06.2026
To
The Director General (HR),
Railway Board,
Rail Bhavan,
New Delhi.
Subject:- Request for reduction in the minimum qualifying service for eligibility to appear in the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for the post of Office Superintendent (OS) in Level-6 (GP ₹4200/-), ensuring parity with other ministerial categories.
References:-
- Railway Board’s letter No. E(NG)I/2016/PM 1/14 dated 01.03.2019 (RBE No. 38/2019).
- Railway Board’s RBE Nos. 102/2005, 147/2006, 34/2007, 133/2012 and 78/2019.
- AIRF’s letter No. AIRF/53 dated 29.05.2026.
Dear Sir,
Kind attention is invited to AIRF’s letter cited under reference above, wherein a long-pending and genuine grievance of the ministerial staff of Indian Railways regarding the existing eligibility conditions prescribed for appearing in the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) for the post of Office Superintendent (OS) in Level-6 (GP ₹4200/-) was brought to the notice of the Railway Board for favourable consideration. Since no decision has yet been communicated in the matter, AIRF is constrained to once again reiterate the issue for its early and sympathetic consideration.
The matter relates to the minimum qualifying service prescribed for Senior Clerks, which presently acts as a barrier to timely career progression and has resulted in an anomalous situation vis-à-vis other similarly placed ministerial categories on Indian Railways. The existing provision has become a major source of dissatisfaction among the staff, as it unnecessarily delays their eligibility to compete for higher responsibilities through the LDCE channel.
In this connection, it is submitted that AIRF has been receiving numerous representations from Senior Clerks working across various Zonal Railways and Divisions highlighting the hardship caused by the prevailing eligibility conditions. At present, the eligibility criteria prescribed for appearing in the LDCE for the post of Office Superintendent (OS) in Level-6 (GP ₹4200/-) are as under:
• Three years of regular service as Senior Clerk (Level-5), or
• A combined regular service of five years as Junior Clerk and Senior Clerk.
(Ref: Railway Board’s letter No. E(NG)I/2016/PM 1/14 dated 01.03.2019 and RBE Nos. 102/2005, 147/2006, 34/2007 and 133/2012).
It is pertinent to mention that the Railway Board itself has, on several occasions, reviewed and relaxed residency/qualifying service conditions in different cadres with a view to providing better promotional opportunities, mitigating stagnation and maintaining employee morale.
A notable example is that of the Chief Staff & Welfare Inspector (S&WI) cadre (erstwhile Personnel Inspector cadre), wherein the minimum qualifying service prescribed for promotion through LDCE to the post carrying Grade Pay ₹4600/- was reduced from three years to two years vide Railway Board’s letter No. E(NG)I-2005/PM1/20 dated 09.10.2007.
Further, the eligibility conditions prescribed in other ministerial categories are comparatively more liberal and provide faster promotional avenues, as illustrated below:
- Junior Clerk (Level-2) LDCE: Employees become eligible after completion of only two years of regular service.
(Ref: RBE No. 18/2017 dated 09.03.2017 and RBE No. 113/2005). - Senior Clerk (Level-5) – 13⅓% LDCE Quota: The prescribed qualifying service is also only two years of regular service as Junior Clerk.
(Ref: RBE Nos. 102/2005 and 78/2019).
In view of the above, the continuance of a higher qualifying service requirement of three years for promotion from Senior Clerk to Office Superintendent under the LDCE quota appears neither justified nor consistent with the principle of parity already extended to other ministerial and allied categories. The existing provision creates an avoidable disparity and places Senior Clerks at a comparative disadvantage despite their performing duties of considerable administrative importance.
It may further be appreciated that regular promotional avenues in the ministerial cadre are already limited, resulting in prolonged stagnation at various levels. Under such circumstances, requiring Senior Clerks to complete an additional year merely for becoming eligible to appear in the LDCE unnecessarily delays their career advancement and defeats the very objective of providing an accelerated promotional channel through departmental competitive examinations.
The issue, therefore, deserves favourable consideration not only from the standpoint of equity and uniformity but also from the perspective of employee motivation, administrative efficiency and optimum utilization of experienced manpower.
Since the Railway Board is fully empowered to review and modify the existing eligibility conditions through suitable amendments to the extant rules, AIRF once again earnestly requests that the minimum qualifying service prescribed for appearing in the LDCE for the post of Office Superintendent (OS) in Level-6 (GP ₹4200/-) may kindly be reduced from three years to two years in the feeder grade of Senior Clerk.
Such a decision would remove the existing anomaly, ensure parity with other ministerial categories, reduce stagnation and provide much-needed promotional opportunities to deserving employees. Moreover, the precedent for such relaxation already exists in the case of the Chief Staff & Welfare Inspector (S&WI) cadre, where the residency period was reduced from three years to two years in the larger interest of employees and administration alike.
AIRF sincerely hopes that the Railway Board will appreciate the merits, justification and fairness of the demand and take an early favourable decision in the matter by issuing suitable instructions to all concerned authorities.
An early and sympathetic consideration of the case shall be highly appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
Copy to: General Secretaries, All Affiliated Unions – for information.
