Appendix2 IREM Exam - CBT pattern - Salient features

 

Appendix2 IREM Exam – CBT Pattern – Salient Feature

Source: Railway Board Letter No. 2025/ACII/20/12/e 3493745 dated 17.06.2025 (RBA 19/2025)

• CBT (Computerised Based Test) mode 

• Conducted twice in a year for a calendar cycle  

• Conducted by ECA - Examination Conducting Agency 

• ECA engagement by RRB (to be decided by E(RRB)

• Conducted through single Nodal Zonal Railway (nominated by the Railway Board) 

• Nodal Zonal Railway - shall be decided by the Railway Board for each Calendar Year. 

• Two Question Papers instead of Three Question Papers

• 100% Objective mandatory papers

• Paper 1 – Elementary Bookkeeping, English Comprehension and Reasoning.  

• Paper 2 - GRP - General Rules & Procedure (consists of Traffic Accounts, General Expenditure, Stores and Workshop, Books and Budget etc)  

• English Comprehension and Reasoning  - Added to the Syllabus first time. 

• The optional paper was deleted.  

• The question paper setter shall be nominated by the PFA as per extant rule and shall ensure that the paper submission is done to the ECA appropriately.  

• The Question paper tracker and result of Exam to be arranged by ECA.

• The Examination Calendar, along with the details of Nodal Zonal Railway, shall be issued separately. 

Appendix4 IREM Exam  

• Single paper (MCQ based) - 100 marks - 40% passing. 

• Other conditions as per Appendix2 Exam pattern only

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Innovative and Transformation Cell – Indian Railways

Innovative and Transformation Cell – Indian Railways

• Transformation Cell Constituted by Railway Board on 09.03.2017. New name is Innovative & Transformation Cell. The Cell works under the Railway Board, often in consultation with NITI Aayog, Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), and other strategic bodies. Coordination is ensured with Railway PSUs, RDSO, and zones for seamless adoption and replication of innovations.

• During the period from 2017 Oct to 2018 Oct - Nearly 158 Circulars are  issued.  That means, On an average 12 circulars are being issued every month or 3 circulars every week ,which is remarkable.

• PED - Principal Executive Director  is in charge of the Transformation Cell.  Under him 8 Executive Directors work, drawn from different disciplines like Traffic, Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Personnel, Accounts ,etc.

• It hires young professionals — MBAs, BTechs, CAs — from the private sector to assist. 

• It overrides all the other existing directorates.

• Mandated with the implementation of 55 new ideas

• Story behind formation: Railways had crowd sourced ideas of reformation ,from its 13 lakh employees and has received 1.5 lakh suggestions on issues regarding cleanliness, improving passenger amenities, safety of the railway employees,  increasing earnings from freight and processing of making journey in Indian railways a pleasant experience for its 23 million passengers . 

• 125 sq m prefabricated office on a third-floor terrace - earmarked for Transformation Cell - which is not far from the cabins of the members and chairman of the Railway Board — the highest decision making body of the Indian Railways (IR). The new hall is designed to give a look and feel of a corporate office — a common area surrounded by 9 sq m cabins, each meant for one Executive Director.

• To infuse new ideas and adopt latest technologies that can bring a change in the working of railways, the Indian Railways is in the process of creating a new Transformation Directorate which works to implement the suggestions made during Rail Vikas Shivir which was attended by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in November 2016.

• During the last two years, four directorates have been created to look into specific areas. These include ,non fare revenue, mobility, environment and heritage.

• Improving financial health of the railways and providing world class amenities to passengers are the top most agendas of the Government. The ministry has been having regular meetings with Niti Aayog to carry out reforms in Indian Railways.

 

• Objectives:  To promote innovation, modernization, and efficiency in the functioning of Indian Railways. The aim is to bring in fresh ideas, disruptive technologies, and transformation strategies across various functional areas.

 

• Collaboration: With startups, PSUs, and technology providers to solve railway challenges & promote cost-effective solutions and ease of doing business within Railways.

 

• Major Focus areas: 

1. Passenger Amenities and Services

2. Digitization and Automation

3. Railway Infrastructure Modernization

4. Safety Enhancement

5. Energy Efficiency and Green Initiatives

6. AI, Big Data, and IoT Integration

7. Innovative HR and Training Approaches

• Working Mechanism: Acts as a nodal point for ideation, review, and execution of innovative proposals. Ideas are sourced through competitions, hackathons, and open calls from employees and the public. Cross-functional teams evaluate feasibility and suggest pilot implementation. Regular monitoring and scaling up of successful innovations across zones/divisions.

 

• Achievements so far 

1. MSOP - Model Schedule Of Powers 

2. GCC for Services 

3. Re Engagement of Retired personnel & engagement of consultants

4. Railway Innovation Portal: Platform to crowdsource ideas from employees and public.

5. Startup Collaboration under 'Startups for Railways' policy to fund and support technology-based solutions.

6. AI-driven predictive maintenance tools and smart yard management systems.

7. Passenger-centric apps and digital complaint redressal systems.

Railway Awards - Reforms

  

Railway Awards - Reforms

• Source: Railway Board letter dated 11.04.2023 

 

• The entire Award ecosystem (complex process) has been revised. 

 

• Introduced from 2023 onwards  

 

•  Withdrawn Cash component (except in posthumous cases, which would be Rs.50,000 /- per case at National Level only) 

 

• E-self nomination through HRMS (Human Resources Management System) 

 

• Details of the Award screening committee will be made available in the Public domain.  

 

• Yes to the System of Rollover Shields to Zonal Railways for excellence in a particular field. 

 

• Yes to the System of Department-wise Rollover Shields in Zonal Railways for excellence in a particular field.  

 

• No Awards at the level of Head of Department (PCE, PFA, PCCM etc) 

 

• No Group Awards

 

• Normally, Group C staff and erstwhile Group D staff may be nominated for Awards.  In exceptional cases, Officers up to SG (Selection Grade) i.e., JTS, STS, JAG & SG may be nominated for Awards.  However, SG  officers in Non-Functional SAG (NFSAG) are also eligible provided they remain in SG till 16th April. 

 

• Nominations - only in favour of Officers/staff working in the Field, unless an exception in a real sense could be made in respect of Officers/staff working in Offices.

	National Level  (Ministry of Railways Awards)	Zonal Level  (GM Awards)	Divisional Level (DRM Awards)
Award Name	AVRSP - Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar	VRSP - Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar	RSP - Rail Seva Puraskar
Consists of	Silver Medal & Merit Certificate	Merit Certificate only	Merit Certificate only
Maximum Awardees	100	100 or 0.1 % of the workforce whichever is less	100 or 0.3 % of the workforce whichever is less
Notification of list of Awardees	16th April	After 3 days of notification of Awardees of AVRSP	After 3 days of notification of Awardees of VRSP

LDCE of all Departments - Major Reforms

 

Click for Letter - Reforms in LDCE of all Depts

Click for reference 2019 Letter

Selections i.e., 70% & LDCE of all Departments  

- a Major Reform

Salient features of Railway Board letter No. E(GP)2022/2/4 dated 28.06.2022

• Conducted pan India wise i.e., for all Zonal Railways & Production Units

• - Examination conducted by NAIR.  

• Whereas Medical Examination & Viva-voce is conducted by respective Railways / PUs

• Only one stage i.e., MCQ  (instead of two stages Prelims & Mains) 

• Single Paper - 150 Marks  - MCQ 

• LDCE of particular Department for all Zonal Railways / PUs will be conducted

• on a single day only.

• CBT - Computer Based Test  - MCQ pattern

•  175 Questions.  Out of 175, 150 questions are to be attempted

Subject	Marks	Percentage
Technical Subject	80 Marks	53 %
Official Language & GK (may be Official Language 15 Marks & GK 25 Marks)	40 Marks	27 %
Establishment & Financial Rules	30 Marks	20 %
Total	150 Marks	100 %

• Qualifying Marks - 90 Marks  (i.e., 60 %) 

• 1 Mark for every correct answer

• ⅓ Mark deducted for every wrong answer 

•  No change in Syllabus

• Optional questions on Official Language Policy & Rules  - as per Para 204.3 of IREM -

• Indian Railways Establishment Manual Volume One.

• Extract of Para 204.3 of IREM Volume One is as follows. 

“Ten  percent  of the  100  marks  prescribed  for written  examination  held  as  part  of

Selection should   be   set   apart   for  questions   on   official   language   policy   and

  official language  rules. While  the  employees  should  be  encouraged  to  attempt

  the  questions on  official   language policy  and   official   language   rules.   the  questions

  should   not   be compulsory.

(Authority :  Ministry of Railways' letter No Hindi-2010/OL-1/10/4 dated 03.07.2019)”

•  Started in the 2022 year itself for LDCE only.  Not for Selections / 70 %. The schedule

• for 2022 is given below. 

Tentative schedule for current vacancy cycle incl: 2022 Year - LDCE 

Stage	Date
Advising dept wise & community wise vacancies of LDCE quotient of ongoing vacancy cycle by Zonal Railways/PUs to DG/NAIR	11th July, 2022
All notifications may be issued, if not issued by	15th July, 2022
Cut off date for submission of options	31st July, 2022
Finalization of Eligibility list and its notification	15th August, 2022
Pre selection training to be completed by	31st August, 2022
CBT Examination on Single Day for all Departments	Mid September
Finalization of the Panel (incl: Medical exam, Viva voce & Assessment of APAR)	Mid October

• From 2023 year - Modalities for conducting Selections & LDCE through CBT

• will be issued separately. 

Note: My inference is, that the above reforms are applicable to Accounts Department too.  Why because: 

• The first one is The letter dated 28.06.2022 clearly specifies all Departments.
• The second one is The letter dated 28.06.2022 addressed to GMs and kind attention to PFAs & Dy.CAO/Gs
• along with PCPOs & Dy.CPO/Gs
• The third one is The letter dated 19.03.2019 (reference letter) addressed to GMs and kind attention
• to PCPOs & Dy.CPO/Gs,  not addressed to PFAs & Dy.CAO/Gs
• because it is not applicable to Accounts Department. 

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