Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS) recently issued an important notification pertaining to Group A Recruitment 2022. Detailed official notification has been uploaded on the official website indianrailways.gov.in. According to this notification, 50% of vacancies under the Junior Time Scale posts will be filled through direct recruitment of CSE. The remaining 50% vacancies will be filled on the basis of promotion. The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year for recruitment to various posts.
Through the CSE examination, eligible and qualified individuals get inducted into the commission as IAS, IFS and IPS officers. These officers constitute the executive branch of the country. However, CSE will now also function as a recruitment exam for Junior Time Scale posts. This will invariably increase the number of vacancies. Moreover, more individuals will be interested in applying for this exam.
There are two sides to a coin. And this decision by IRMS is being equally supported and opposed by netizens, particularly on Twitter – the popular micro-blogging platform.
Why is IRMS recruitment 2022 through UPSC a good news?
Individuals in support of IRMS’s decision for one primary reason – integration of technical and managerial skills within the Indian railways. Although the railway department is technical in nature, it required innovation, new ideas as well as effective leadership. Furthermore, certain organizational skills are also required to distribute resources effectively and in tandem with the nation’s economy, citizenry requirements, etc.
Another reason is an increase in vacancies. As of now, UPSC offers limited vacancies under CSE. However, with the integration of IRMS, the number of vacancies will increase. Qualified professionals will get a chance to work in top management positions offered by the Indian Railways.
On the flip side…
The “technical nature” of Indian Railways is the sour point driving certain individuals to oppose this decision. According to them, CSE candidates do not have adequate management skills compared to ESE (Engineering Services Examination). The latter are well-versed project management, railway engineering, and other fundamentals.
Another key issue pointed out by opposing netizens is the curriculum covered under CSE. This exam focuses on general knowledge and current affairs, history, civics, polity, etc. These subjects are not technical in nature, giving very limited leverage to the workings of Indian Railways. So, such individuals will not have the capability of managing the country’s railway system.
Valid arguments on both sides
Although both sides have valid arguments to support/oppose IRMS’s decision. However, it is important to note that only a few vacancies will be filled through CSE. For a majority of posts, recruitment will be conducted on the basis of promotion. So, while CSE aspirants will be able to apply for IRMS vacancies, the recruitment will primarily be conducted on a promotional basis.
