Multiple agencies of the Centre have initiated the recruitment process for over 1.83 lakh vacancies across various departments. Of these vacancies, 59% are being filled by the Indian Railways.
Officials recently informed a Parliamentary Standing Committee that recruitment has already commenced for 1,83,595 vacancies, which span central government departments, railways, police, defence, engineering and technical services, according to a report in The Economic Times.
The vacancies are being filled by the Centre’s key recruitment agencies, like the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs).
Some examinations have already been conducted, while others are currently underway, the panel was told, according to the report.
WHAT PARLIAMENTARY PANEL WAS TOLD ON UPCOMING RECRUITMENTS
According to details furnished to the panel, the Railways is on top when it comes to those filling up the vacancies. It is filling up 1,08,129 vacant positions. Indian Railways is India’s largest civilian employer and one of the world’s biggest employers.
The SSC has reported 65,331 tentative vacancies, while the UPSC is handling recruitment for 10,135 posts, reported the newspaper on Tuesday.
The recruitment update was presented before the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, headed by BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Brij Lal.
The committee comprises Members of Parliament from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and oversees matters relating to government personnel, recruitment, public grievances, administrative reforms and the functioning of institutions such as the UPSC and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Apart from reviewing vacancies, the panel also discussed ways to improve transparency and efficiency in government recruitment examinations. Members reportedly suggested measures such as greater use of computer-based testing, quicker release of answer keys and allowing candidates to access evaluated answer sheets.
The discussions come against the backdrop of repeated controversies over examination irregularities and paper leaks that have affected recruitment tests and emerged as a major source of criticism for the Centre in recent years.
IS CENTRE RECRUITING 1.83 LAKH PEOPLE SIGNIFICANT?
The figure of 1.83 lakh vacancies is significant because as government departments have long-faced criticism over large numbers of unfilled sanctioned posts. Parliamentary responses from the governments over the years have shown that lakhs of positions remain vacant across ministries, departments, central police forces, railways and other government agencies.
Delays in recruitment examinations, litigation, verification processes and administrative bottlenecks have often slowed appointments for key Central government posts. The Railways, India’s largest civilian employer, have historically accounted for a substantial share of these vacancies. The various RRBs, therefore, are recruiting 1.08 lakh of the 1.83 posts.
Data shared by the Centre in Parliament in 2022 showed that around 7.22 lakh people secured permanent central government jobs between 2014-15 and 2021-22 through various recruitment agencies and departments.
Separately, the government in 2022 said that recruitment agencies such as the UPSC, SSC and Railway Recruitment Boards selected around 3.77 lakh candidates over a recent five-year period.
The ongoing recruitment process covering 1.83 lakh vacancies appears to be part of the Centre’s push to fill the key vacancies. With more than one lakh vacancies concentrated on the Railways alone and tens of thousands more under SSC and UPSC, the exercise is likely to be closely watched by millions of aspirants preparing for Central government jobs across the country.
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