Syllabus for AFA Post - LDCE

 Syllabus for AFA Post - LDCE 

• Authority: Railway Board Letter No. E(GP)/2022/2/4 dated 22.07.2022  Click for the Railway Board letter 

SN	Topic	Marks	Marks
1	General Principles of Government Accounting and Audit with Special reference to Railways	15
2	Books & Budget including Traffic Book	15
3	Traffic Accounts & Statistics	15
4	Establishment	15
5	General Expenditure	15
6	Workshop Accounts	15
7	Stores Accounts	15
	Professional Subject	105	105 Marks
9	General Knowledge	25
10	Official Language (Optional)	15	40 Marks
	Part II	40	40 Marks
11	Part III - Management Accounts & Financial Justification for Expenditure	30	30 Marks
	Grand Total		175 Marks

  

Comparison of New Pattern with 175 marks with old pattern i.e., 2 Papers with 150 Marks each

Old Pattern		New Pattern		Change
Topic	Marks	Topic	Marks
General Knowledge	25 Marks	General Knowledge	25 Marks	No change
English	25 Marks	English	Nil	Removed English portion. Reduced 25 Marks
Official Language	15 Marks	Official Language	15 Marks	No change
General Principles of Government Accounting and Audit with Special reference to Railways	50 Marks	General Principles of Government Accounting and Audit with Special reference to Railways	15 Marks	Reduced 35 Marks
Books & Budget including Traffic Book	50 Marks	Books & Budget including Traffic Book	15 Marks	Reduced 35 Marks
Financial Justification for Expenditure	25 Marks	Financial Justification for Expenditure	15 Marks	Reduced 10 Marks
Management Accounting	25 Marks	Management Accounting	15 Marks	Reduced 10 Marks
Traffic Costing	25 Marks	Traffic Costing	Nil	Reduced 25 Marks
Traffic Accounts & Statistics (optional)	50 Marks	Traffic Accounts & Statistics (Compulsory)	15 Marks	Reduced 35 Marks
Establishment (Optional)	50 Marks	Establishment (Compulsory)	15 Marks	Reduced 25 Marks
General Expenditure (Optional)	50 Marks	General Expenditure (Compulsory)	15 Marks	Reduced 35 Marks
Stores Accounts (Optional)	25 Marks	Stores Accounts (Compulsory)	15 Marks	Reduced 10 Marks
Workshop Accounts (Optional)	25 Marks	Workshop Accounts (Compulsory)	15 Marks	Reduced 10 Marks

 

EoTT - End of Train Telemetry

 

EoTT - End of Train Telemetry

• EoTT stands for End of Train Telemetry

• EoTT consists of :

HoT - Head of Train unit / Cab Display Unit (CDU) mounted in the locomotive  

Portable EOT - End of Train Unit / Sense and Brake Unit (SBU) mounted on the
CBC - Center Buffer Coupling on the rear end of last vehicle of the Train

The above two units are paired and communicate with each other over a radio link.

 

• To replace the guard at the last coach of the train. This piece of equipment will take

• care of the roles and responsibilities of the guard of the train irrespective of passenger

• train or goods train.

 

• Cost of One set of EoTT - Rs. 10 Lakhs 

 

• First Zonal Railway to commissioned EoTT  - ECoR - East Coast Railway

• Currently 4 Freight trains with EoTT system are running without Guard / Train Manager

 

• Target  - To provide in all Freight trains - By December, 2023

 

Advantages: 

• Dependency on the attachment of the Brake Van (the last vehicle of a freight train

• meant for Guards/Train Manager. Because this device performs all  safety-related

• functions automatically, which a Guard/Train Manager performs in a Freight Train. 

 

• One additional wagon or Coach can be attached to the Freight train or Passenger train

• respectively

 

• Continuous monitoring of Air Pressure in the last vehicle thus ensuring a high level of

• safety. 

 

• Improved operational savings in terms of elimination of Guard / Train Manager & Brake

• van 

 

• Improved train monitoring & accident investigation. 

Key takeaways for MCQ 

1. EoTT stands for End of Train Telemetry 

2. HoT stands for Head of Train  

3. CDU stands for Cab Display Unit 

4. EoT stands for End of Train 

5. SBU stands for Sense & Break Unit

6. CBC stands for Center Buffler Coupling

7. First Zonal Railway commissioned EoTT - ECoR 

–end–

Vadlapudi Wagon Repair Shop - Outsourced

 

First outsourced Wagon Repair Workshop  - Vadlapudi 

• At Vadlapudi, near Visakhapatnam In ECoR 

• Construction by RVNL

 

• 203 Acres  

 

• 360 Crores - Cost of Construction 

• Capacity 200 Wagons per month (2400 Wagons per year) 

 

• Operation and management  (POH activity) of Wagon Repair shop entrusted / outsourced to Railway PSU - M/s Braithwaite & Co. ltd.  

 

• First time, complete operationalisation and maintenance (POH activity) of Wagon Repair shop outsourced with the approval of the Railway Board.

• It seems POH activity of Rolling stock in New workshops going to outsourced citing staff shortage. 

–---end—-- 

Gati Shakti Unit & Gati Shakti Directorate

 GSU - Gati Shakti Units in Divisions

• Authority: Railway Board Letter No.2021/W-1/Gen1./Gati Shakti dated: 27.07.2022.  Click for the Letter Railway Board Letter

• GSU stands for Gati Shakti Unit

 

• Policy Decision has been taken to establish GSUs in all 68 Divisions of Indian Railways

 

Organization structure of GSU at Division

• Headed by CPM - Chief Project Manager.  CPM is under the administrative control of DRM - Divisional Railway Manager

• CPM post - open to all cadres (except IRPFS - Indian Railways Protection Force Services)

• If more than two ADRMs are available in the Division - the post of one ADRM will be re-designated as CPM.  If having two or one ADRM in the Division, make suitable adjustments in the cadre. 

• Establishment expenditure of GSU's - charged to respective Projects. 

• Officers of Civil Engineering, S&T, Electrical, Traffic & Finance will be posted at GSU

• Associate Finance for GSU - Sr.DFM of the Division

• DFM/ADFM along with SSO(A) & other staff - posted exclusively for GSU  - Will work under the functional control of Sr.DFM but under the administrative control of CPM/GSU

Surveys - GSU

• RET/PET surveys - henceforth are called Feasibility Study. 

• Undertaking Feasibility Study & Preparation of DPR - Detailed Project Report for the Projects   - by GSU's only.  Necessary changes in the Engineering Code are being processed separately. 

• Expenditure to be charged to erstwhile Demand No.02 

• Finance Concurrence  - Sr.DFM

• Rates - are communicated by the Railway Board from time to time. 

• Processed on IRPSM - Indian Railways Project Sanctions & Management 

• Feasibility study report - examined by the NPG of the Division (NPG stands for Network Planning Group)

• Dy.COM/Planning/Hqrs - co-opted in NPG

• Approval of Feasibility Study- DRM

• Approval for Preparation of DPR - GM

• DPRs will be prepared by the GSU of the Division only

• Approved DPRs (by GM) along with the Finance concurrence of GSU at Division (Finance concurrence at Hqrs will not be required) - will be submitted to the newly created Gati Shakti Directorate in the Railway Board. 

Technical, Administrative & Financial powers of GSUs of the Divisions

• Analogous to the Officers of the Construction Organisation for the projects. 

• DRM & CPM have powers of CAO/C & SAG officer in Construction for the execution of works of GSU. 

• Proposals requiring the sanction of the Railway Board should be sent directly to the Gati Shakti Directorate with approval of GM and concurrence of associated finance at Division (Not Hqrs)

• Existing Divisional units dealing with ESPs, SWRs, SIPs, and LOPs shall also assist the GSU. If further assistance is required, it may be arranged through outsourcing. 

• Supervision and Execution of Works - Can use PSSA (Project Supervisors Services Agencies) and PMS as per the need of the Project

• Also, hire retired Railway supervisors below the age of 65 years with the approval of DRMs - within the overall provisions in the estimates of the projects

• Air travel outside the Zonal Railways - permitted for Offices & Supervisors - in connection with works  - With DRMs approval.  Concurrence is not required. 

• Accommodation – In case of shortage, leased accommodation may be provided and house retention is also allowed at the previous place of posting up to one year or scholastic year whichever is earlier. 

• GM nominates one HAG or SAG officer at Hqrs - as Zonal co-ordinator for GSUs in Divisions in that Zonal Railway

Gati Shakti Directorate

Objects: 

1. To bring synergy and to improve efficiency of the system

2. To create additional rail infrastructure

3. Enhance railway market share in country’s cargo loading

4. Reduce logistic cost

• Headed by AM / PED (Gati Shakti)

 

• Report to Member Infrastructure, Railway Board

 

• All proposals emanating from Gati Shakti Directorate - Concurred by its own Associate Finance headed by ED/GS (Finance) - Executive Director/Gati Shakti

• New Directorate was created by clubbing the following Plan Heads

• 1100 - New Lines

• 1400 - Gauge Conversion

• 1500 - Doubling

• 1600 - Traffic Facilities

• 3300 - Signal & Telecommunication

• 3500 - Electrification

• 8100 - MTP - Metropolitan Transport Projects

Financial Powers

Cost of the Project	IPA - In Principal Approval	Appraised by	Approved by
Up to Rs.100 Crores	Member Finance	Member Finance	Chairman & CEO, Railway Board
Rs. 100 Crores to Rs.500 Crores	Member Finance	Board	Minister of Railways (after examined and recommended by Board)
Rs. 500 Crores to Rs.1000 Crores	Member Finance	NITI Aayog, Expanded Board for Railways chaired by Chairman & CEO, Railway Board	Minister of Railways
Rs. 1000 Crores & above	Member Finance	NITI Aayog, EBR - Expanded Board for Railways chaired by Chairman & CEO, Railway Board	CCEA - Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

• Projects costing Rs. 50 Crores and above  - Preparation of DPR - Detailed Project Report is mandatory before they are processed for sanction of the competent authority. 

Key Takeaways for MCQ

1. GSU stands for Gati Shakti Unit

2. GSU in Division -  headed by CPM - Chief Project Manager

3. CPM is under the administrative control of DRM

4. CPM post is open for all cadres (except IRPFS)

5. RET/PET surveys - henceforth are called Feasibility Study

6. NPG stands for Network Planning Group

7. Approval of Feasibility Study- DRM

8. Approval for Preparation of DPR - GM

9. DRM & CPM have powers of CAO/C & SAG officer in Construction for the execution of works of GSU

10. Air travel outside the Zonal Railways - permitted for Offices & Supervisors - in connection with works  - With DRMs approval.  Concurrence is not required.

11. Newly created Gati Shakti Directorate - Headed by AM / PED (Gati Shakti)

12. IPA stands for In Principal Approval

13. EBR stands for Extended Board for Railways

14. CCEA stands for Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

15. Projects costing Rs. 50 Crores and above  - Preparation of DPR - Detailed Project Report is mandatory

16. Gati Shakti Directorate was created by clubbing the following Plan Heads

• 1100 - New Lines

• 1400 - Gauge Conversion

• 1500 - Doubling

• 1600 - Traffic Facilities

• 3300 - Signal & Telecommunication

• 3500 - Electrification

• 8100 - MTP - Metropolitan Transport Projects

— end —-