No.AIRF/53                                                                                                    Dated: November 13, 2019

 

 

The Member Staff,

Railway Board,

New Delhi

 

Dear Sir,

 

Sub: Review of passing marks in Selections/Suitability Tests for promotions to non-gazetted posts

Ref.: Railway Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2018/PM 1/4  dated 14.12.2018(RBE No.196/2018)

 

Your kind attention is invited towards Railway Board’s letter referred to above, through which Selections to be processed on and after 14.12.2018 for promotion of the staff within Group ‘C’ by Selection or Non-Selection process is to be regulated through Objective Type Question Paper with immediate effect, except Accounts and RPF Departments. As you are aware that, there has been system of Subjective Question Paper with certain number of questions of Objective Type for Selections/Non-Selections for promotion, and any Railway employee obtaining 60% marks in Safety Category and lesser prescribed marks in Non-Safety Category Posts with relaxations applicable for Reserved Community candidates is eligible to get placed on the provisional panels of the respective selections. There has been no concept of Negative Marking and  Railwaymen were allowed to attempt full question paper, but after implementation of the instructions contained in Board’s letter supra dated 14.12.2018, large-number of Railway employees appearing in such selections are declared unsuccessful and critical analysis of results of written examinations reveal that their final score was slashed below the prescribed passing marks due to Negative Marking.

 

It is, therefore requested that, Railway Board may review the prescribed benchmark for departmental promotions in view of introduction of 100% Objective Type question papers, so that, Railway employees may get promoted and departmental vacancies may not remain unfilled.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

  General Secretary

 

Copy to: General Secretaries, all affiliated unions – for information.

 

 

No.AIRF/34                                                                                                                                         Dated: November 15, 2019

 

The Chairman,

Railway Board,

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

 

Sub: Employment of Course Completed Railway Act Apprentices in Indian Railways against 20% D.R. Quota

Ref.: Railway Board’s letter No.E(NG)II/2016/RR-1/8 dated 21.06.2016(RBE No.71/2016)

 

The issue of granting employment in the Railways to Course Completed Act Apprentices, who undergo Apprenticeship Training under the Apprentices Act, is a burning issue which has been deliberated and discussed repeatedly by AIRF at various levels as also at Hon’ble MR’s level.

 

On our consistent persuasions, Railway Board had agreed to allocate 20% Direct Recruitment Quota for  appointment of Course Completed Act Apprentices imparted Apprenticeship Training in different Railway Installations vide Railway Board’s letter referred to above. However, these candidates are required to undergo Written Examination and PET of the same standard with other outsider applicants.

 

In this connection, it would not be out of context to mention here that the Act Apprentices who have completed Apprenticeship Training in different Railway Installations acquire sufficient knowledge of Railway working and the system and gain good experience thereof while undergoing such Apprenticeship Training. They are also subjected to  final exam while granting NCVT Certificate on completion of Apprenticeship Training. It may also be pointed out that, a sufficient number of wards of the Railwaymen undergo this Apprenticeship Training in the Railways with the hope that they would get employment in the Railways on completion thereof.

 

It may be further appreciated that, these Course Completed Act Apprentices are required to pass a number of Written/Practical Examinations during the course of Apprenticeship Training till completion thereof, as such, subjecting them to undergo Written Test and PET with those outsider candidates who apply for appointment in the Railways, against DR Quota, is grossly unjustified.

 

AIRF, therefore, is of the considered view that, with a view to accord justice  to Course Completed Act Apprentices, undergone Apprenticeship Training in different Railway installations, as per Apprentice Act, should no longer be required to pass Written Examination and PET at par with those outsider applicants of the open market who apply for recruitment in the Railways against D.R. Quota, and they should be appointed against 20% D.R. Quota earmarked for them by simply document verification etc., else a separate examination with relax standard be conducted for their recruitment in the Railways.

 

Board are, therefore, requested to issue instructions accordingly at an early date.

 

Yours Faithfully,

 

 

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

   General Secretary

 

√Copy to: Member(Staff), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.

√Copy to: General Secretary, All Affiliated Unions – for information.

 

 

No.AIRF/174(143)                                                                                                                             Dated: November 15, 2019

 

The Chairman,

Railway Board,

New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

 

Sub: Closer of Railway Printing Presses – Reg.

Ref.: Railway Board’s letters No.2018/RS/Ptg. & Sty./AP/PP/IR dated 04.06.2019

 

This refers to AIRF’s letters of even number dated 8th June 2019 and 26th July, 2019(copies enclosed for ready reference). Outsourcing of printing of various important books and forms, used in the Indian Railways with simultaneous closer of Railway Printing Presses, being a burning issue, had been an important matter of discussion for the last more than two years.

 

After detailed deliberations, held in the PNM Meeting of AIRF with the Railway Board, on our regular PNM Agenda Item No.35/2018, Official Side had assured that the undernoted five Railway Printing Presses would not be closed, rather the same would be modernized by providing latest Printing Machinery and Plants:-

 

(i) Byculla(Central Railway), (ii) Howrah(Eastern Railway), (iii)              Rani Bagh/Shakurbasti(Northern Railway),                  (iv) Royapuram/Chennai(Southern Railway), (v) Secunderabad(South Central Railway)

 

In this context AIRF was also advised that the workload of those Printing Presses(other than the above mentioned five) which are to be closed would also be transferred to these five Printing Presses proportionally. It would not be out of context to point out here that, Ministry of Railways had already spent substantial amount with a view to modernizing the aforesaid five Printing Presses as was assured to this Federation. Railway Board’s orders, contained in their letter ibid dated 04.06.2019, issued in total disregard of personal assurance given to AIRF by Hon’ble Minister for Railways, are tantamount to an arbitrary breach of the negotiated settlement. This action of the Railway Board would definitely result in shaking of trust and credibility of the Railway Administration, particularly in the wake of Hon’ble MR’s assurance to continue five Printing Presses which is too has not been honoured.

 

AIRF, therefore, requests your goodself to personally review the entire issue in the light of the foregoing and withdraw Railway Board’s instructions dated supra 04.06.2019 in regard to closing of all the Printing Presses, allowing the captioned five Railway Printing Presses to continue, as already assured to this Federation.

 

An early action in this regard shall be highly appreciated.

 

Yours Faithfully,

 

 

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

  General Secretary

Encl: As above

Copy to: Member(Staff), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.

Copy to: Executive Director(IR), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action please.

Copy to: General Secretaries, all affiliated unions – for information.

Copy to: Shri R.K. Mishra for AIRF’s PNM Item No.25/2018.