In the last nine years, Indian Railways has employed 4.99 lakh people.
This year, over 51,000 candidates received appointment letters during the PM employment fair on October 28.
Indian Railways, a vital mode of transportation, has emerged not only as a lifeline for millions of people but also as a significant contributor to the nation’s economic growth. Over the past nine years, it has played a pivotal role in creating 40 lakh direct and indirect job opportunities. Underscoring its commitment to fostering employment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Employment Fair on October 22, 2022. The event, facilitated by Indian Railways, proved instrumental in employing thousands of individuals.
In a notable development this year, over 51,000 candidates received appointment letters during the employment fair on October 28. Of them, 14,000 candidates were directly recruited by Indian Railways with the rest being associated through some other departments. The fair has been a catalyst in offering employment to approximately 1.5 lakh individuals over the last year alone.
Comparing the figures, between 2004 and 2014, Indian Railways employed 4,11,224 people, while in the last nine years (2014-2023), this number surged to 4,99,000. This signifies a huge increase in employment opportunities with over 50,000 jobs being created annually since 2014, compared to 41,000 jobs per year between 2004 and 2014.
Additionally, the construction of new railway tracks indirectly led to the generation of 33,000 manpower days of employment in recent years, benefitting approximately 5 lakh people directly. Under the Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan, Indian Railways provided 9,79,557 daily wage jobs across six states- Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, until September 18, 2020.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Railways successfully conducted the world’s largest online examination last year for Group D posts. With over 1.11 crore candidates participating in the examination, the process was lauded for its transparency. This commitment to conducting examinations and facilitating employment during challenging times underscores Indian Railways’ resilience and dedication to its role as a major contributor to the nation’s workforce.
